“ I must leave” said Hagar in desperation to herself.  Expecting a child by her master Abraham, Hagar had wrongfully shown an open attitude of contempt toward her mistress, Sarah.  Thus the mistress-servant relationship has been broken and Hagar was treated so harshly by Sarah she felt compelled to “flee from her presence.” Genesis 16:6  Even though Hagar was an Egyptian, while living in the household of Abraham and Sarah, she had been introduced to the One True God.  Now fearful and alone, sitting beside “the spring on the way to Shur, “(Genesis 16:7) an Angel of the Lord came and spoke to her saying “Where have you come from and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8)  Replying that she was running away from her mistress, the Angel instructed her to go back and humbly submit to Sarah’s control and authority with respect

     Hagar was then given many promises concerning Ishmael, the son of Abraham, who was to be born to her.  The Lord had heard her and gave attention to her affliction.  Filled with wonder and thanksgiving, she called the Lord who spoke to her,  El-Roi “The God Who Sees Me.” Genesis 16:13. The well was given the name Beer-lahai-roi, The Living One Who Sees Me.  How encouraged we should be to claim this wonderful attribute of God also, and be able to say with Hagar that the Lord is “The God Who Sees Me.”  

So Hagar returned to Abraham and Sarah and was obedient to God’s command, being in submission to Sarah again as a maidservant.  This obedience must have continued for 17 years since nothing is recorded in the Bible about Hagar until Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, is about 3 years old.  On the day of Isaac’s weaning, a great feast was made and it was during this feast that Hagar’s son, Ishmael, was mocking Isaac.  Because of this, Hagar and Ishmael were sent into the wilderness, but instead of finding the well as before, they became lost.  When their water was gone, and all looked hopeless to live, Hagar and Ishmael lifted up their voices and wept.  But since the Lord is “The God Who Sees Me” the Bible records in Genesis 21:17-20, that “God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What is the matter with you, Hagar?’  Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.  Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water—–and gave the lad a drink. God was with the lad, and he grew; and lived in the wilderness, and became an archer.”

 God spoke to Hagar, not once, but twice. As I read about Hagar, I saw how her humble obedience to God, became a great blessing to her. Obedience and humility, two great virtues that a woman of God should seek and strive to obtain.