“And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.” Genesis 16:3-7

Running away

The name Shur in the original Hebrew means “wall”. As this scene unfolds, we learn from Gen 13:18 (a still named) Abram dwelling “…in the plain of Mamre (“strength” or “fatness”), which is in Hebron (“association”)”. Whatever it was that (a still named) Sarai said to Hagar (however justified it may or may not have been) drove Hagar to the point that “she fled” (v.6) a place associated with strength (and ostensibly, security), running away, unable to overcome the hardship she faced in her own strength; scared, afraid, hurt, angry, with no clue where to go or what to do, on her way to what appeared to be a dead end (Shur).

“And the angel of the Lord found her…” (v.7) 

The language here is interesting. The Lord found Hagar because He went looking for her, and He went looking for her because she was running away. Have you ever felt driven away by someone or something? It’s a painful experience to feel as if you have no choice but to run from your present circumstance when you feel you have no choice. It happens. But just because we may feel as if we have nothing or no one else in the world in the moment, the Bible makes it clear that we’re never alone. Paul writes in Hebrews 13:5 that God “…hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Jesus Himself promised “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt 28:20).

The tenderness of God

There’s a beautiful picture of God’s tenderness in His exchange with Hagar and a reminder of His promise. Not only did He know Hagar went missing, not only did He know she was running away and why, He not only knew, He heard, He saw, and He acted. And when He found her, there was no note of accusation or judgement. No condemnation or rebuke. Just genuine concern for the welfare of someone in need, who felt unloved, abandoned by the father of her child, who now felt she no longer had a home. For all his greatness as a man of faith, you would have thought the man God would one day rename Abraham, a stranger in a strange land, would have had more compassion. But, Abraham, like us, was human. We make mistakes – sometimes horrific ones that haunt us long after the deed is done.

And this story is about Hagar, and Abraham, and you and me. And the God Who Sees.

God who went searching for her, the angel of the Lord, the Good Shepherd who went after His lost sheep, who knew there was no place on earth she could go where He couldn’t find her. I’ve been there. So lost and despondent, like MercyMe’s song, You Are I Am:

I’ve been the one, to believe

That where I am, You cannot reach…

God meets us where we are

And so it was that He did find her – “…by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.” And look at His approach:

“And He said…” (The Lord first speaks to her.)

“Whence…” and “whither…” (The Lord asking, because He cares, because He loves.)

“Hagar, Sarai’s maid…” (Did the Lord address her because this was how Hagar defined herself… or was God reminding her of who she was, and the purpose God had for her life?)

“I flee… from…” (Just like Hagar, many people almost always seem to be running from something, not to something. In an interesting contrast, note Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son (Luke 15:20), and how “…when he (the prodigal son) was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran…” just like our Father in Heaven who runs after His children, and pursues them. Have you ever noticed when a little kid gets away from his parents how quickly they pursue him or her? It’s because they love them, and don’t want to see them get hurt, and want to be there for them just in case they’re needed. God is like that with us, too. He loves us, and He doesn’t want any harm to come to us. And if He has to run after us to do it, He does.)

“Return… and submit… under her hands…” (After asking about her welfare and listening to her problems, God then gave Hagar a commandment, an instruction, direction, and a purpose – and also clarified for her that she – like us – was a servant, and He instructed her specifically to whom she should submit herself, just as we have been instructed to submit to Christ.)

“And… I will…” (In return for her obedience – and her faith in Him – God offers her a promise because He has plan for her life.

“Multiply…” (You always reap more than you sow – the Lord here revealing how one would come from many – and that the present circumstance Hagar found herself in would not be for nothing. God doesn’t waste our experiences – He uses them to accomplish things not only in our lives, but the lives of those around us.)

“The Lord hath heard…” (It’s very tempting and easy to give in to the deception that God is unaware of our pain and suffering. On the contrary, He sees and hears everything, knowing the end from the beginning. Wherever you are, whatever it is you’re going through, always remember that the Lord is aware and it can easily be us to whom He is saying, “I hear you.”)

How God restores

After coming face to face with the Living God, it was Hagar who “…called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me.” He met her where she was, by Beer-la-hai-roi (“Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me”) which was located between Kadesh (“holy”) and Bered (“hail”).

Upon her return, Hagar must have told this account to at least Abraham because while the Lord instructed Hagar to name the child Ishmael (“God Hears”) the text indicates that it was Abram who named him after he was born:

“…and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.”

Another way to look at this passage if you factor in the translations would be:

“She was running towards a dead end when the Lord found her in the middle of the wilderness, by the Well of the One Who Lives and Sees, and was made a promise at the well between holy and hail.”

It’s a picture of how God operates in our lives. When we find ourselves overwhelmed, when we start running from our problems and try to hide out of the sight of others, the One Who Lives and Sees intercepts us and steps into our lives. He speaks gently and lovingly to us. He meets us where we are and renews and refreshes us with a taste of the living water. He provides clarity and direction. He reminds us of the promises He’s made to us. Then He sends us on our way, always watchful, always listening, always prepared to step in and offer comfort.

I love the tender image of Jesus’ love and compassion for us in Hagar’s story. It’s how He is with us.

“Where are you going? And from where have you come?”

He asks because He cares, even if He already knows.