In every human heart, there is a deep longing to be seen. We want our lives to matter, our pain to be acknowledged, and our stories to be heard. To be unseen or overlooked can feel crushing, as though our existence is invisible to others. But the God of the Bible assures us that no one escapes His notice.
One of the most powerful testimonies to this truth comes from a woman named Hagar — a servant, an outsider, and a mother who felt cast aside. Yet through her story, God reveals Himself as El Roi, which means “the God who sees me.”
In this post, we’ll explore Hagar’s story in Scripture, uncover the historical context, draw lessons for our lives today, and discover what it means to live under the loving gaze of the God who sees each one of us.
Hagar’s Story: A Servant in the Shadows
Hagar enters the biblical narrative in Genesis 16. She is described as “Sarai’s Egyptian servant.” Most likely, she came into Abram and Sarai’s household during their time in Egypt (Genesis 12:10–20). As a servant, she had no real power over her life’s direction. She belonged to someone else’s household, subject to their choices and authority.
At this time, Sarai, still barren after many years, grew desperate for a child. She may have believed this was the way to fulfill God’s promise that Abram would father many descendants. Until she bore a son, Sarai was looked down upon for being barren.
According to the cultural customs of the time, it was not unusual for a wife to give her servant to her husband in order to produce an heir. Today, this may be seen as a form of surrogacy. In those days, a barren wife could offer her maidservant to her husband. If the maidservant became pregnant, the children born to her would become the wife’s children. If a son were born, this child could become an heir to the father’s estate.
So, Sarai gave Hagar to Abram as a wife, and when Hagar conceived, tensions quickly grew. The text says that Sarai “became despised” (Genesis 16:4 NKJV) by Hagar. Sarai retaliated with harsh treatment. For this reason, Hagar fled into the wilderness.
Meeting God in the Wilderness
The wilderness was not just a physical place for Hagar — it was a symbol of her desperation. Pregnant, alone, and likely terrified, she had reached a state of complete mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. Yet it was in that lonely place that God met her.
The angel of the LORD appeared to her by a spring and called her by name: “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” (Genesis 16:8). What’s the importance of the angel calling Hagar by name? The angel acknowledged Hagar’s humanity and affirmed her identity as a person valued by God, despite her low social status. For a servant who lived under the shadow of others’ decisions, to be addressed personally was an act of dignity and compassion.
God told Hagar to return to Sarai, but He also gave her a promise. The Angel of the Lord told her she would bear a son, Ishmael, and his name would mean “God hears or God has heard.” Her son would also bear a multitude of descendants. This promise was similar to the one the Lord made to Abram. Hagar was so moved by the encounter that she named the LORD who spoke to her El Roi (the God who sees me), declaring: “You are the God who sees me… I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).
This moment was life-changing. Hagar, the overlooked servant, became the only person in Scripture to give God a name — a name born from her experience of His intimate care.
The Second Wilderness: A God Who Provides
Hagar’s story didn’t end there. Years later, after Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, tensions returned. Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away. Though grieved, Abraham agreed after God reassured him that Ishmael would also become a great nation.
So, Hagar and her teenage son wandered in the desert with only a little bread and water. When the provisions ran out, despair overwhelmed her. She placed Ishmael under a bush and wept, unable to watch him die.
But again, God intervened. Scripture says, “God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven” (Genesis 21:17). God reassured her, repeated His promise, and opened her eyes to see a well of water. Once again, Hagar’s wilderness became the place of God’s provision and presence.
Historical Context: Why Hagar’s Story Matters
To understand the significance of Hagar’s experience, it helps to step into the cultural world in which she lived. Servants in the ancient Near East had little or no legal standing. A servant woman could be taken, given, or dismissed at the will of her master or mistress. When Sarai gave Hagar to Abram, it was not Hagar’s choice. Others’ decisions determined her and her child’s fate.
In that world, Hagar was insignificant. Yet God saw her. He didn’t just see Abraham and Sarah, the couple at the center of His covenant plan. He also saw the marginalized servant woman, and He met her with compassion.
This is radically countercultural. The God of the Bible does not limit His attention to the powerful, the wealthy, or the socially important. Instead, He lifts up the lowly and gives them dignity. Centuries later, Mary, the mother of Jesus, would echo this same truth in her song of praise: “He has looked on the humble estate of his servant” (Luke 1:48).
Lessons from Hagar’s Story
Hagar’s encounters with God teach us timeless truths. Let’s look more closely at ten key lessons and how they apply to us today:
1. God sees the unseen. Just as Hagar discovered, our God notices those whom the world overlooks (Psalm 33:13-14).
2. God calls us by name. He knows us personally (Isaiah 43:1). You are not just one among billions; you are known.
3. God meets us in the wilderness. He draws near in our lowest points, much like He did for Elijah under the broom tree (1 Kings 19).
4. God provides for our needs. The well in the desert foreshadows Jesus’ promise of living water (John 7:37).
5. God hears our cries. Ishmael’s very name — “God hears” — is a testimony that no prayer goes unnoticed (Psalm 34:15).
6. God cares for the marginalized. Scripture consistently shows His heart for the oppressed and forgotten (Deuteronomy 10:18).
7. God keeps His promises. Just as He fulfilled His word about Ishmael, He remains faithful today (2 Corinthians 1:20).
8. God transforms pain into testimony. Hagar’s suffering became the stage for her revelation of God’s character.
9. God values the overlooked. The fact that a servant woman named God tells us something about His radical love.
10. God’s love is personal. His gaze is not distant or abstract — it is full of compassion, like that of Christ who saw the crowds and had compassion (Matthew 9:36).
Our Wilderness Seasons Today
We may not wander deserts with empty water skins, but wilderness seasons are part of life. They come in the form of broken relationships, financial strain, chronic illness, grief, loneliness, and more. Like Hagar, we may feel cast aside, forgotten, or invisible.
But her story tells us the wilderness is not the end. It can become the place where we meet God more deeply than ever before. The same God who opened Hagar’s eyes to a well of water can open our eyes to His provision. The same God who heard Ishmael’s cries also hears ours.
Think about these parallels:
• Job loss can feel like being cast into the desert, but God still provides daily bread.
• Betrayal or rejection can feel like being sent away, but God remains faithful.
• Depression or anxiety can feel like the wilderness of the soul, but God’s Word becomes living water.
Your wilderness may look different from Hagar’s, but the God who met her meets you in the wilderness, too.
Living Under God’s Gaze
What would change if you truly believed that God sees you? Many people imagine God’s gaze as harsh, scrutinizing, or condemning. But Hagar’s experience reframes the picture. God’s seeing is not cruel but compassionate.
To live under His gaze is to live with assurance. Your life matters. Your tears are counted (Psalm 56:8). Your hidden faithfulness is treasured. Even when no one else notices, God does. And as He sees, He also acts with mercy.
A God Who Sees and a Savior Who Came to Save
Hagar’s story is not an isolated moment. It points us to Jesus, who embodied the compassion of El Roi.
• He saw Zacchaeus in the tree and called him by name (Luke 19).
• He noticed the bleeding woman who touched His garment (Mark 5).
• He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, offering her living water (John 4).
Again and again, Jesus revealed that God sees the overlooked. In Him, the God who met Hagar steps into our world, not only to see but to save.
Conclusion: The God Who Sees You
Hagar’s story begins with rejection but ends with revelation. Twice in the wilderness, God met her with compassion and provision. Her testimony: “You are the God who sees me” continues to echo through history, reminding us that no one is invisible to God.
If you are walking through the wilderness today, take heart. You are seen. You are known. You are loved. The same God who met Hagar meets you, too.
Let her words become yours: “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
God bless,
