Hagar, a non-Israelite, a woman with no power or status, is the first person in Scripture to be visited by an angel and the only person in Scripture to give God a name—El Roi, “the God who sees me.” In the midst of her pain and struggle, Hagar receives God’s blessing and promises. Think about how powerful is it to be really, truly seen.
“He didn’t criticize or lecture her. Rather, our all-knowing God honored her by seeking to understand.” He asked her questions and didn’t make assumptions prior to even asking them or hearing the answer. Even after hearing her answer He didn’t say anything about her emotions or tough it out, toughen up or that’s just how life is. Yes He said go back, but He talked to her about her son first, He started it all asking about what she was doing – not accusing but seeking to understand and actually waiting and listening for the response.
God actively was listening (without a response already formed halfway through her talking) hearing the pain and hopelessness. He comforts her by addressing all the factors, her pregnancy and her treatment by Sari. So many people act like the former that it’s no wonder it’s so powerful when you feel seen not just visually / emotionally/ mentally assessed. When you’re then talked to in a way that suits the viewer and their perspectives on your situation, how you’re dealing with it and the fact that they at best only know 10-20% just adds insult to injury.
It’s no wonder we have walls.
One of the definitions of breach is to make a gap, to break through a wall (of) defense. I think we all have walls still that although might be different we could still all relate to being hesitant to lowering our defenses.
But we can’t bring them down in our strength. That’s only done in conjunction with Him.
Beneath is a link that will go more into depth about the verses that rhis is all based on.
For further consideration see:
Genesis 16:1-13 ESV
“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.””