The words of Hagar when she fled from the presence of Sarai, later to become Sarah, have blessed me over the many times I've read them. The character of God as Omniscient, "The-God-who-sees" is made clear in this verse from Genesis 16.
One morning when discussing our devotions, my husband Marlon had just finished reading this passage and quoted verse 13, "Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'" The words hit my spirit differently than ever before. I heard her expressing the Transcendence and the Imminence of God. She recognized that the Sovereign God in heaven personally came to direct and comfort her on earth. The passage that came to my heart was the Lord's words in Matthew 6 when he taught his disciples how to pray in the Sermon on the Mount.
I want to focus on verses 9-10, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus was offering his disciples and us the same understanding of The Father that Hagar came to experience about Him. He gave us two distinctions about the character of The Father in reverse order. He offered Him as Imminent and personal, yet, Sovereign, Transcendent, and outside our circumstances. Like Hagar, we are directed and offered encouragement about God through the prayer Jesus taught. Hagar was sent back to submit to her mistress, Sarai. God was working His plan for His Kingdom to come on earth through Abraham's family, as planned in Heaven. She was in the hands of a God who knew and intimately cared about her situation. The prayer Jesus taught offers us the same understanding.
We are offered an opportunity to submit to the Lord Jesus in relationship to The Father so that His will might be done on earth, in our lives, and the lives of others. As He was intimately involved with Hagar, He is intimately involved with those who call His Son Lord. More clarity is given about the intimacy God wants with His children in John 14:23 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." The moment Hagar's understanding was open to who God was, the One directing her militated from her willingness to obey His direction. The same happens as we keep his word. Our eyes see clearer who God is. We are open to His Kingdom coming and His Will being done on earth as it is in Heaven through our obedience.
We also experience the Transcendence and Imminence of God through the Trinity. The Father in heaven, according to John 3:16, a very familiar passage to everyone, says, "For God (Transcendent) so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Imminent) ..." This is called the Incarnation, that is why Jesus is called "Emmanuel, God with us." To use Hagar's words, "You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees." The Father saw our need to be reconciled. We can read that in Genesis 3, a plan was made for His "... Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." John 3:16 finishes with, "Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Hagar recognized who was questioning, directing, and encouraging; she believed and acted on His Word. Life was offered to her and a promise to her unborn son. Now I could opine about the future of Ishmael and the enemy he'd become to Isaac, but this is about the God Who Sees, not that relationship. We know from the promise to Hagar regarding her son God saw the obstacle he would become to God's people.
Jesus came to mankind to be the imminent presence of God, who walked on the earth. He saw us in our need, as He did with Hagar. Hebrews calls him "a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, ... For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 14-16." While the angels are in heaven worshiping the Father, Isaiah 6:1-8, Jesus walked the earth without sin, gave his life for our sins, and to satisfy God's wrath over sin, he resurrected to affirm the price was paid. That truly represents Hagar's words, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?" In John 14:9, when answering Philip's question, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus responds, "...He who has seen Me has seen the Father." Jesus expressed that the Transcendent God has made Himself intimately known through the Son. Condescending to His creation, human beings, His image bearers, the Son emptied Himself according to Philippians 2:5-11 so we could see that The God Who Sees wanted us to know He sees us and wants to be seen by us through His Son. Though Hagar's experience was before the incarnation, she experienced the Imminence of God through this intimate moment. We can have that kind of intimacy with God as we keep His Word.
Jesus, knowing he was going back to the Father, did not leave us without comfort. John 14:15-17 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth... for He dwells with you and will be in you." This continues to communicate that God, The Father remains in Heaven, Transcendent, above, and in control. His Spirit remains with us. He is the presence of God, Imminently seen and experienced by those who keep God's commandments.
If you go back and read Genesis 16, you will discover that Hagar did not ask to be put in the position she was in. Her relationship as a slave; maidservant, is how it is worded in the NKJV, allowed her to be placed under the direction of Sarai. Genesis offers us her story and shares the circumstance she found herself in. Her attitude did cause hostility between her and Sarai when she became pregnant with Abram's son, Ishmael. When she fled from the presence of Sarai, she could not escape from the presence of the Sovereign God, Abram's God. God had a plan for her and her son. She would need to submit to the Angel of the LORD, who spoke with her as she fled. After the direction and encouragement, her eyes were open to recognizing the Angel of the LORD as not simply an angel or vision but The God of the Universe, Himself. This is the beauty, grace, and faithfulness of The True and Living God. He saw her and offered Himself to be seen by her.
My friends, The Sovereign God sees. He knew our plight from the impact of sin. He took care of that through His Son. He did not leave those who obey Him orphans but left us His Spirit to live with us. Then Jesus tells us we can have a relationship with Him that includes prayer. We can come to Him as "The Father (Imminent) who art in Heaven (Transcendent)" and know like Hagar, "You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'" The answer is "Yes!"
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