THE PEOPLE IN THE BEGINNING: HAGAR

God is El Elyon… God Most High (Genesis 14:18).

He is El Shaddai… God Almighty (Genesis 17:1).

He is El Olam… God Everlasting (Genesis 21:33).

He is Jehovah Jireh… The Lord who provides (Genesis 22:14.

He is Jehovah Rophe… The Lord who heals (Exodus 15:26).

God has many names… many facets like a sparkling diamond.

Hagar, Sarah’s runaway slave, called Him “El Roi” … the God who Sees me (Genesis 16:13).

Remember the story? The impatient and unfaithful Sarah gave her slave, Hagar, to Abraham. Since she was childless, she thought that she could provide offspring through a surrogate. (Bad choice.)

Sin always has consequences. In this case, relationships were devastated. Everybody was mad at everybody! Ultimately, pregnant Hagar, ran away (Genesis 16:1-6).

She outran Sarah, but she could never outrun God. “The angel of the Lord” (Genesis 16:7) appeared to her beside a spring in the wilderness.

By the way… I think that the reference to “the angel of the Lord” (Genesis 16:7, 9, 10, 11) is a Christophany, an Old Testament appearance of the preincarnate Jesus. Hagar’s exclamation makes the Christophany clear. “She named the Lordwho spoke to her: ‘You are El-roi … In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?’ ” (Genesis 16:13). The “Lord” appeared to the runaway slave. Hagar had a face-to-face, life-altering experience with her God.

Are you facing a seemingly unwinnable battle? He is El Shaddai… God Almighty (Genesis 17:1).

Is your need bigger than your resources? He is Jehovah Jireh… The Lord who provides (Genesis 22:14.

Are you trying to run away from your troubles? He is El Roi … the God who Sees (Genesis 16:13) and El Elyon… God Most High (Genesis 14:18). You can trust Him! Don’t run away… run to Him!

God is real, and He is ever-near. He invites you have to a face-to-face, life-altering experience.  

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).