Her Eyes Were Closed

Lessons From Hagar

Part Two

Now in the desert with a child she’s placed underneath a bushel to die, Hagar can’t bear to see her son fall prey to hunger, exhaustion, thirst and the heat of the desert.

Photo by Henry Dick on Unsplash

Surely she’s at the end of life’s road. There is no more water, there is no more food. No tools, place, or strength to dig a well. Only miles and miles of desert. There, at the end of herself, Hagar begins to cry out to, what we learn from the Hebrew is, El Roi — the God who sees me.

Then, in divine timing an angel of the Lord utters out,

What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. (Genesis 21:17–18)

Then El Roi, who sees, opens Hagar’s eyes.

Now with eyes open, she beholds a well of water as she and Ishmael survive beyond the desert to live into the promise of God.

Seldom do we see it all.

Even if we think we have all the facts, know the timeline, understand the scope, our understanding is microscopic…