You the God Who Sees Me

You are the God who sees me Genesis 16:1-16

• • It’s a Monday morning and I am sitting at my kitchen table working on this very sermon 
  • A bee happens to catch my attention – It’s caught between the screen door mesh and the actual screen door 
  • Dilemma – Rescue it and chance on being stung – pain or death
  • And a thought occurs – the Lord see that bee and for a minute I am like, well- I am sure the same God that gave it wisdom to get in there can and will help it come out 

• Matthew 10:29-30 (NLT) What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 

• • I am thinking – there is no way one of my hairs is more important than that thing that could kill me if I am allergic to this living creature 
  • I see the title of this message come alive – God sees that bee, He see you, see all creation – And out loud in my head I say “You are God who sees me”
  • The real question is – what happened to the bee? – Well, you will have to wait till the end to find out 😊
  • If you have not been/not been with us on Wednesdays, we have been going through the book of Genesis 
    • Abram was called from a pagan family and directed by God to a far land
    • Though Abram failed miserably in so many areas, we can see that God saw him and God continued to be faithful 
  • In today’s chapter – there is drama, more drama, more failure and at the end of it all – there is redemption 

• Read Genesis 16:1-16 (NLT)

The main character in this story 

• As I read this story for the last few weeks, I thought I knew what the story was about – I had been looking at it through the human eyes. 
• It wasn’t until a few days later that I started to understand what it was all about 
• We as humans always have the need to group things in two baskets 
  • The right basket or the wrong basket – and unfortunately, even that we can’t do it right because our selfishness. This is a byproduct of our own desires, our past experiences or our future expectations 
  • In chapter 16 the question arises, who is in the wrong here- who is wronged – who need an apology, who needs to stop being prideful, who is going to take the full responsibility, who needs to humble themselves, fall on the sword 

Here is my human interpretation: 

• Abram 

• • •  Gods spoke to you and told you He got you – remember when you went to Egypt without consulting God, then you lied about your wife – and now look at the mess you brought on your family and honesty the rest of the world – you are definitely the one in the wrong – an example of what not to do
    • Take your maid and sleep with her? You could have seen this one coming – God had clearly told you that a servant would not be your heir –Genesis 15:4(NLT) – I am sure He didn’t leave the having a child with a servant open
    • No wonder Sarai said “This is your fault! ~Genesis 16:5 (NLT)

• Sarai 

• • • We got issues – you give your maid servant to your husband to sleep with – I get it – it was customary for surrogate slaves and now you blame your husband for all of it 
    • And on top of that you push this pregnant Hagar to a point where she would rather be out in the wilderness on her own than stay one more day 
    • I get it that Hagar started acting like she is all that and sugar on top – but what about the baby?  Sarai wasn’t this whole thing about the baby? -the promise 
    • Did you forget to keep the main thing, the main thing?

• Sarai is very confident that she is in the right -She even calls on the Lord to judge them – Genesis 16:5 – The Lord will show who’s wrong – you or me?

• But wait there is more – Hagar 

• • Quicky my human nature kicks in and I hear it in my mind – Slaves didn’t have a choice 
  • Here is a young girl, probably had dreams when growing up – what she would become, who she would be married to, how many kids she would have e.t.c 
  • And now she is not only a slave, but is caught up in a drama that is beyond her comprehension 
  • For a moment she forgot that she was a slave and that she was still subject to the master 
  • Knowing that she is pregnant she treats Sarai with contempt 
  • Just because she was pregnant with the master’s child doesn’t mean that she was now in charge 
  • She is mistreated to a point where she has to run away while pregnant – I don’t know about you but that tells me it must have been really bad for her – choice = wilderness
  • All evidence points to her being the victim – because she is the one that the angel of the Lord speaks to, rescues, Course corrects and blesses her 
  • After all she is the one carrying the baby who now has God’s name as part of his name Ishma (to hear), El (God)
• Church, remember that this is my human perspective 
• Give me justice!!! 
• If we are honest with ourselves, this is our approach in most cases 

Shift with me as we read this story from a different perspective – allow me to explain

• • Genesis 16:7-9 – Hagar is found by the angel of the Lord and has a brief conversation –where are you coming from, where are you going – return to your mistress and I will give you more descendants that you can count 
  • The Angel goes on to talk to her about Ismael and the character of this son that she will have – of course not without consequences ( He will be a wild man) 

• And here is the shift in perspective after encountering God 

• Genesis 16:13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”[a] She also said, “Have I truly seen the One oowho sees me?”

• • There was an aha moment – “OH – you are the God that see me” – she didn’t say – the God who saw me, or a God who see me now– It’s about a God who saw her 
    • From the beginning of time, when she was formed in her mother’s womb, when she was taken into slavery, from her country, being forced to be a mother, being treated harshly, running away, when she was getting restored 

• None of these things went past the God who sees her 

• • Oh, how often do we forget that we have a God who sees us – especially when we are going through it 

• The Psalmist says it: The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. 14 From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. 15 He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.  Psalm 34:13-15(NLT)

• What she says next is profound– “Have I truly seen the one who sees me “ 

• • It cannot be true – that all along I felt that I was alone, that no one cared, my life didn’t matter and there was no hope 
  • Remember the question we had asked earlier:  who is in the wrong here- who is wronged – who need an apology, who needs to stop being prideful, who is going to take the full responsibility, who needs to humble themselves, fall on the sword 
  • It doesn’t matter, because it is not about Abram, Sarai, or Hagar – It’s not about you and I
  • Hagar has a revelation – it’s not about Abram, it’s not about Sarai, it wasn’t about her

• Its was about a God, who is in heaven and who sees her!!

God!

• • Beloved, let’s keep the main thing the main thing! 
  • If a movie is made of this very chapter- we would name Abram, Sarai or Hagar the main character – because it would appeal to our fresh 
  • But this is the story about the character of God – God is the main character in this chapter and the entire Bible!
  • God remains true to His word regardless of the human effort to take things in their own hands 

• In Genesis Chapter 15 – God makes a covenant to Abram that he will give him offsprings and says to him in vs 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

• These are the same words echoed to Hagar – Genesis 16:10 (NLT) Then he added: I will give you more descendants that you can count 

• Don’t miss this – God is so true to His word and His character that even in this instance of failure in Abram’s life – He honors the covenant He had made with Abram 

• These stories in the Bible are about God proving to mankind that He is Faithful, faithful, faithful

• The Psalmist says it in Proverbs 18:10 (NLT) – The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe. 

• He wants to keep His name Holy that when people hear it, they trust Him, they long for Him and they run to Him

• Covid time was a revelation time – those who trusted the government had a rude awakening 

• God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? – Numbers 23:19 (NLT) 

• • This is a story about God defending His name and we can easily miss this because we are caught up in our feeling, our desire, our rights, our ….
  • Look at Ezekiel 36- The Israelites are exiled in Babylon and God is speaking through Ezekiel about restoring them – Just like He restored Hagar in today’s story 
  • I will – 21 Times – God will do it for the Israelites 
  • And it’s easy to think that this is about Israel –it’s not 

• Ezekiel 36:22 (NLT) “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. 23 I will show how holy my great name is the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord.

• • I will give you that job, I will heal you, I will restore your marriage, I will -Not because you deserve it – Because I want to protect MY HOLY NAME!
  • When God looks at your life are you bringing Shame to the Lord name or are you protecting His Holy Name?

• Jesus models this example very well – right before He is about to be captured, tortured and killed for all our sin – His prayer in John 17 is such an honor to His Father’s name – that God may be glorified in His suffering 

• John 17:1 (NLT) After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you

• • Are you really the God that seen me? – Yes, you are the God who sees me 
  • Let my life glorify your name – love your name as you have loved me 
  • Now I am beginning to understand – When you give me:
    • When you give me great kids, great marriage, great church, great job, when you give me everything that comes from you – It’s so that I can use its all to glorify you Name!
    • When I read how Joseph was sold to slavery by his brothers – I see that is not about Joseph but it about you 
    • When I see how Job suffered – it’s not about Job – it’s so that your Name may be glorified 
    • When I read of how Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were put in the furnace – it’s not about them – Its about your Name being glorified 
    • When I read about Daniel been thrown in the lion’s cage – It’s not about the event that lead to that but its about Who you are and how faithful you are – Your name is glorified 

• Matthew 5:16 (NLT) -In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

• 1 Corinthians 10:31(NLT) – So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

• Colossians 3:17 (NLT)  -And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

• 1 Peter 2:12 (NLT) -Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world

• John 15:8 (NLT) – When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

• This story is much more than Abram, Sarai, Hagar or Ismael – It’s about the Name of God 
• Your life is much more than what you are going through – Its about glorifying the Name of the Lord!
• Ooh and if you are still wondering about the bee- I did let him out -Praise God no one was harmed or killed in this incident 😊