More than any time in my lifetime, I feel we, as an entire globe, are in need of the One Who Sees Us.
Words like "pandemic" or "global market shutdown" quickly made our first-world problems disappear. I'm an average citizen in the US, so my needs are met sufficiently. However, my heart breaks for the poor in other counties and the refugees whose needs are on a wholly different level. Regardless of the varying levels, we all find ourselves in difficult circumstances beyond our control (minus quarantine measures).
When I think of characters in the Old Testament who are caught up in something they've no control over and to whom God made Himself known, I think of Hagar.
Hagar, a female slave, one of the lowest classes of people (both a woman AND a slave), is basically "given" to Abraham by Sarai for bedding. She has no choice. (Sure, it may have been customary but that doesn't take away from the fact that Hagar did not have a choice.) I've seen some scholars say it may have been "an honor" but as a woman, I know that no amount of dubious honor would soothe the hurt that comes from NOT HAVING A CHOICE.
She was caught up in something that she had no control over.
Then, she became pregnant and began to detest Sarai. Possibly a backlash for the pain she had, she probably "rubbed it in" Sarai's face that she continued to be barren and the child-bearing issue didn't come from Abraham's loins. (Until then, it could have been either of them that had the problem.) Hagar's status changed and it may have gone to her head.
It ticked off Sarai who then berated her husband (playing the victim card as any wife could today). We can almost imagine Abraham throwing up his hands and saying:
"Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” (Genesis 16:6)
A cop-out, obviously and another example Abraham not treating his women terribly well. (Think of Sarai in Egypt and how he was quite willing to toss her to the wolves. And he does this again to Hagar later. This is a good reminder to me that God uses any willing vessel.) Maybe he should have treated Hagar with some devotion or maybe never touched her in the first place. Whatever led Abraham to this lapse of (judgment? faith?), he continued his lapse by allowing Sarai to mistreat Hagar.
When Hagar was mistreated, she ran away. We are told the Angel of the Lord appeared to her and spoke with her, making promises, and naming the baby Ishmael. Hagar's response is amazing—she names God. She is the only woman in the Bible with that distinction.
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13)
Notice that she gave a name to the Lord and she said: "I have SEEN the One who sees me." Most scholars believe that it is actually the pre-incarnate Christ appeared to her, spoke with her, directed her to return, and showed great compassion.
In the midst of something she could not control, facing the loss of a child to her mistress, and mistreatment by both Abraham and Sarai, God sees her circumstances, appears to her and speaks with her. I expect nothing less from what I see of Christ in the New Testament (think of how many times he seeks out the lowliest).
She saw God. She talked with God. He blessed her and the child (though granted, "donkey of a man" is a rather strange blessing). He sent her back. BUT HE SAW HER. And it changed everything.
She must have told Abraham her encounter when she returned because he names her son exactly what God commanded. (Not to mention that we have the account. She obviously didn't keep it to herself.) I guarantee the slave woman didn't typically get to name her surrogate child, just as they don't get to do so now. Things changed.
Eventually, she and her son founded the Nabatean dynasty and lived in freedom. (Petra was their capital.)
Today, we find ourselves in difficult circumstances out of our control. Just as Hagar did, we take hope because He is the God Who Sees Us. And that changes everything.
Grace sees.
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