Dearest Believer, 

Last week I shared with you a part of the story of Hagar in the wilderness. Today, I want to share another part of this story where we can see the faithfulness of God anew. In Genesis 21:9-21, we see Hagar and her now teenage son. But it is not Hagar making waves, it is her son Ishmael. The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree as we see in Ishmael the same prideful behavior as he “scoffed” at Isaac, the son of the Promise. Sarah casts them both out and for the second time, they are in the Wilderness. 

We don’t know how long they had been wandering, but by now all their provisions were “used up”. Dehydrated, hungry, and without shelter, Hagar places her son under a bush. By this time, Ishmael may have been weakened to the point of death. So she puts him far enough away from herself (a bowshot, which is equivalent to a half-mile) so she does not have to watch her son die. Then, she sat herself down and cried. This shows a woman who has lost hope and has resolved to accept what she thinks is the inevitable future for herself and her only son. This may have seemed to Hagar the end of the road for herself and Ishmael. She sees nothing but death and despair. But God had different plans. 

“And God heard the voice of the lad.”

Scripture doesn’t tell us what Ishmael said or if he was only making sounds or groans. But what we do know is that he had been fathered and most likely taught by Abraham in the ways of the Lord. Perhaps he was praying. Whatever verbalizations he was making, they were heard by God.

“Then the Angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, 

Again we see that in Hagar’s second encounter with the Angel of God, He seeks her out. He called to her ‘out of heaven’. He comes down to where Hagar and Ishmael are- under a bush, hidden from view. But never hidden from God. 

and said to her, ‘What ails you, Hagar? 

In His sovereignty, God already knew what condition Hagar was in, but like in the first encounter, He invited her into communication and into a relationship. He gives the opportunity to connect and ask the God of the universe for help. 

Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 

God saw the fear and concern this mother had for her child. He addressed that concern by comforting her and informing her that not only did He hear her, but He also heard her son. 

Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.’ 

God calls her to trust and obey. He calls her to believe and act in faith. He calls her to trust not only in their present, immediate needs, but the far future as well.  

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. 

My favorite section in this story is God’s amazing power to open the eyes. What kind of God sees distress and in response comes down, comforts, desires a connection, and allows vision? Only the Lord of Lords, our Prince of Peace can be so majestic and grand, yet at the same time, so close and immanent. He saw and knew the needs, fears and desires of this mother and son. He saw that hope was fading fast. He saw that their problems and distress had made them blind to any solution. God answered by opening the eyes and allowing sight to the possibilities only He can provide. He provided a vision of hope and a future, where there was none. 

And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 

God not only satisfied their immediate physical needs, but their spiritual, emotional, and long-term needs as well. He was with them. He did not leave them. His Providence gave Ishmael strength as he grew,  skills of archery, and a wife in order to fulfill the promise of making him into a ‘great nation’.

In our lives, Believer, this same God is One who not only takes care of our immediate needs, but our future needs as well. Is He calling you out of your despair and hopelessness? Has He opened your eyes to see His Light? Is He calling you for a relationship with Him as your Light of Life ? Heed the call, dear Believer. He has opened your eyes to trust Him to give you a hope and future.

The Lord be with you, 

Bianca