Hagar
Seen by God
Name Information
- Meaning: "Flight", "Stranger", or "Forsaken"
- Language of Origin: Hebrew (possibly Egyptian origin)
- Gender Usage: Feminine
Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian servant who became the mother of Abraham’s first son, Ishmael. Though she was mistreated and cast out, God saw her, spoke to her, and made promises to her and her son.
⏰ Patriarchs
Roles
- Servant
- Mother
Relationships
- Master: Sarah
- Son: Ishmael
Story
Hagar was an Egyptian servant to Sarah. When Sarah doubted God's promise, she gave Hagar to Abraham to bear a child. Hagar conceived Ishmael, but the situation led to tension and mistreatment.
Fleeing from Sarah’s harsh treatment, Hagar encountered the angel of the Lord in the wilderness. He comforted her, told her to return, and gave her a promise: her son would become the father of a great nation.
Hagar called God 'El Roi' — the God who sees — recognizing that she was not abandoned or forgotten.
Later, after Isaac was born, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away. But again, God met her in the wilderness, provided for her needs, and reaffirmed His promise concerning Ishmael.
Spiritual Significance
- The first person in Scripture to name God — 'El Roi', the God who sees
- Mother of Ishmael, ancestor of a great nation
- An example of God's care for the marginalized and suffering
- Her conception of Ishmael through human planning represents the covenant of the law — based on human effort — whereas God's promise was fulfilled through Isaac, the child born by divine intervention. This points to the truth that salvation does not come by our works or striving, but by God’s promise and grace through faith.
What We Can Learn
- God sees and cares for those who feel invisible or abandoned.
- Even in our lowest moments, God speaks, guides, and provides.
- Hagar reminds us that God’s compassion reaches beyond social status, nationality, or circumstance.
- Her life contrasts human effort with divine promise — Ishmael was born through human striving, but Isaac came through God's promise. This teaches us that salvation is not earned by human effort but comes through faith in the promise of God, fulfilled by His grace.
Memory Verses
'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'
— Genesis 16:13
Key Passages
- Genesis 16
- Genesis 21:8–21
- Galatians 4:21–31
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