“You are a God of seeing” Hagar. Gen 16:13

Are you familiar with Lectio Divina? My spiritual director recently had me do Lectio Divina with the story of Hagar in Gen 16:1-16, when she flees from her mistress Sarai. The first instruction is to listen for a word or phrase that stands out in the passage. My phrase was “do to her as you please.” (16:6) I am not sure why, but my attention was drawn to that phrase.

That phrase had me focusing on how Hagar was treated by Sarai in this story. The text says that Sarai “dealt harshly with her” because in Sarai’s words to Abram, “I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt.” Did Hagar get what she deserved for looking on her mistress with contempt? I have a hard time reading the story that way. Consider how Sarai treated Hagar. She tells Abram to have sex with her servant so that she “shall obtain children by her.” Who is looking on (and treating) a person with contempt? Hagar to Sarai or Sarai to Hagar?

I think Sarai is far guiltier of looking on another with contempt than Hagar. So I find it ironic, and revealing, that Sarai ends her little tirade against Abram with the words, “May the Lord judge between you and me.” Does anyone reading this story not react to this statement by thinking, “Seriously Sarai? How can you be blaming Abram for what was your idea? If the Lord judges between you and Abram, you are the more guilty party.” So what if the Lord judges between Sarai and Hagar?

But the Lord does not judge between Sarai and Hagar in this story, and that bothers me. Hagar flees from her abusive mistress, and God’s instructions to her are “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” Is God going to do anything about Sarai’s abuse? There is no indication that he confronts Sarai about her sin. Is Hagar going to be treated any better when she returns? Probably not.

Yet, Hagar is not focused on the injustice of being instructed to return and submit to an abusive mistress. Instead, she is overwhelmed by the fact that her encounter with the angel means that God sees her. I can only imagine how such an encounter would transform Hagar’s view of herself and her life. God sent a message through an angel to her, a slave who has been treated as if she herself was nothing other than a vehicle for her mistress to obtain children. This must have completely changed her sense of significance.

But what about her situation with Sarai? I think that I would have protested if God did not do anything to bring justice to that situation. I would have said or thought something like….”How can you really see me if you are not doing anything about the way that Sarai is treating me? I will believe, and take comfort in, the fact that you see me, when I see you correcting Sarai’s mistreatment.” But Hagar did not need God to remedy her situation in order for her to believe, and take comfort in, the fact that God did see her.A take away is that I need to be more like Hagar and be encouraged that God sees me, especially when He is not yet remedying whatever situation might be afflicting me.

I think this can apply to how we experience God at work. We ought to pray and ask God to remedy the work situations that are afflicting us. But if He does not do that, do we then think that He does not see us, that He is not with us? Maybe we need to be more like Hagar and rejoice in the truth that we are seen by God in the midst of our struggles. I think I take that for granted in a way that Hagar did not. Is it enough for me to be able to rejoice knowing that God sees me and has an interest in my work? Or do I need Him to act in a way that benefits my work before I am able to celebrate, and draw encouragement, from His presence in my life?

I would love to connect with you about these posts if they have stirred any thoughts or questions. Take a minute, shoot me an email at bo@leavenedlives.org, and let’s see where that takes us.