Hagar – God opened her eyes

Gen 21:16-21

Hagar cried out (perhaps to the Lord, but it is not stated in the text) and wept.  But v17 says that God heard the voice of the lad.  The scripture never records what Ishmael said or prayed.

v17 – the angel of God – is this just “an” angel?

v19 – “Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.”  OK this is the interesting part to me.  This is 1 of 2 things.

One:  There was a well of water present, but God hid it from Hagar and kept her from being able to see it…

“God opened her eyes…” all the cross references (Gen 3:7, Num 22:31, 2 Kin 6:17, Luke 24:31) all refer to an understanding or to a spiritual eye-opening.  Adam and Eve knew they were naked; Balaam saw the Angel of the Lord; Elisha’s servant saw the spiritual army; the people realized it was the resurrected Christ.

How many times am I so focused on the physical situation around me or that I am in that I do not see the spiritual help/aide/comfort/resolution right in front of me?  Hagar had been wandering with her son, and I’m sure they were searching for water (because v15 said the water in the skin was used up).  The longer they looked, the more thirsty they became, the harder (I imagine) they looked, until they were exhausted and gave up.

What a great application!  God moves in us and for us when we get beyond our own strength and abilities.  When we get to the end of me.  Building 429 has a great song out right now called “At the End of Me” that are very appropriate to this passage.  (Building429 “At the end of me” lyrics)

I was the one to call the shots
Dream-eyed dreams, heart and soul
Answered only to myself
Never giving up control
Until the one day that brought me to my knees
And I would never be the same

Chorus:
Once upon a time the story goes
I laid it all down and let it go
To lose it all
To lose it all
Took a step of faith and said goodbye
And everything I had I left behind
To find true life
When all I longed for I found finally
At the end of me

And now the gone is wasted days
The selfish soul, the emptiness
Love had dimly been replaced
That old life is laid to rest
And now the new me is stronger day by day
I will never be the same

Chorus

Bridge:
And like an answer to a prayer
Jesus you were there
Calling me to live to die to give to gain
And I’ll never be the same

Chorus

OR Two:  There was no well of water there at all and God miraculously created one.

The second application could be around the miracle provision of God when we are in need and when we recognize that we are in need.  Too often, we don’t even realize how needy we are.

Additionally:

What is the significance of Ishmael taking a wife from Egypt – where Hagar came from – and  not from the land of his father?

Symbolism:

angel of the Lord – who is it?

well of water / Holy Spirit

dehydration / spiritually dry

weeping & near-death / brokenness

Make No Provision

Romans 13:14 says, ”But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” One of the definitions for provision is this: arrangement or preparation beforehand. To be totally honest, there have been times where I have, on purpopse, set up something with nothing good in mind. “make no provision” There is no real revelation there, this just kind of jumped out and smacked me. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” This is, for me, how I “make no provision for the flesh.” Every thought, that really gets me, every thought, I need to “take into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Anyone read James 1 lately, “14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” So if I don’t  take those thoughts captive early, I’m screwed. I will actually die.

Sometimes it sucks.

Who am I to think it’s going to be great all the time.  The letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians is real good, and yet I know that I don’t really get it all.  He writes to them in ch. 3 about “rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.”   Wow….. so he’s saying, (ben version)  I know that things suck right now but rejoice, and I know that they are going to suck later too so, rejoice then also.
Man for such good word, it almost makes me not want to hear to said to me.  The flesh in me says,  “If tells me “rejoice” then I can assume bads things are coming soon.”
But why shouldn’t they.  Why shouldn’t I expect to have hard times.  Whether that be financially or physically or even spiritually.
Christ went through all of that.  He never had lots of money, but HE wasn’t worried about it.  Because HE knew that HIS Daddy would provide.  Even if it meant HE would have to get it from the mouth of a fish.  HE also suffer physically.  Isaiah 53:10 “It pleased the Lord to bruise HIM (Christ)”  If Father had no problem doing that to Jesus then who am I to think that I won’t encounter ailments or sickness or broken bones, etc.  Daddy is way more concerned about my spiritual heart than my physical one.  I use to be in habit of always praying for healing for someone when they are sick, but over the past year or so I have learned to know pray for Father will.  Because it may be His will for that person to be sick or hurting.  HE’s big enough to be able to use that sickness for HIS glory.   So why should I pray against that?

I know that sometimes it’s going to be hard.  James even says, “Count it all joy when you fall in to various trials….”  Not that the trial will be fun, but the end result will be better than the first.  It about realizing that it not about me being happy.  It has to be about HIM. period.  I have to trust HIM enough to know that He has plan and trust that it is a good one.  Truly accept that HE is Good.  The problem I have is my scale of what is good and bad is based off of what I was raise with.  My scale of what is good and bad does not match HIS…..

Father, help me to see that YOU are Good all the time.  Because I know that right now I don’t truly get that.