4. Week Four: the God who Sees

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So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!”

Genesis 16:13

I almost chose to write this study on the names of God, but in the end I decided that having the character of God fleshed out in the life story of a person would be more helpful to the goal—that we would all grow in faith. Daily living faith is about believing who God is—trusting him to act according to his character. Because I don’t always trust God in the minor stuff of life, I am always encouraged by stories of growing faith, knowing that God is not through with me yet. There is hope that I can become stronger in faith so that I will trust that God is at work whether circumstances are difficult or they simply test my misplaced self-sufficiency.

God’s names reflect who he is, describing his character. Often people in the Bible give God a name according to an experience with him that opened their eyes to a specific aspect of who he is. (Since God allows people to give him new names, the act of naming certainly can’t always suggest authority over. Perhaps names are more of a description of who someone is by the one naming them than a comment on who does the naming.)

If you haven’t read this week’s scripture quoted above, note that Hagar, Abraham’s concubine, names God as the God who Sees Me.

Part One

Abram left Haran for the land God promised him when he was 75 years old (Genesis 12:4). As we read in our previous lesson in Genesis 15, God promised him a son from his own body, without mentioning his wife Sarai. At this time Abram is about 85 and Sarah 75. That helps me understand what happens in Genesis 16, which involved a custom common to their culture, likely the most logical course of action open to them.

Maybe you, like these giants of the faith and certainly like me, have tried your own plan to get your prayers answered instead of waiting and watching for God to do it.

Read Genesis 16:1-16.

*** Read Psalm 139:1-18, considering what truths about God here grow our faith regardless of the circumstances—whether physical, material, or even national. Write your thoughts.

Respond to the story:

What is the most difficult truth for you to believe about God and how does that affect how you live?
What is revealed about God from the name Hagar gives God in the midst of this situation?
Have you ever experienced a situation where you identify with Hagar and her name for God? If so, write down your thoughts about it and God’s participation.
What is God saying to you through this story?

Part Two

The story now jumps 13 years, meaning that Abram is now 99 years old with a teenage son by Hagar.

Sometimes when I rush through the stories of the Bible, it seems that God is always speaking to his people, but big time gaps are common, and I don’t always think about how significant they are. Abram has been in the land since he was 75, a period of 24 years. We can easily count the number of times that the Bible records him directly hearing from God, and it has been about 14 years since the last time he did, when the covenant was made. It’s a good reminder to me that sometimes God has us wait on him in faith. Without periods of waiting, faith isn’t really tested.

Although there are similarities, the covenant here between God and Abram is different than the previous one and includes conditions on Abraham’s part. Some refer to it as the Covenant of Circumcision. God gives Abram a new name, which often occurs with covenants. He is no longer named Father, or Abram, but he is now named Father of a Multitude, Abraham.

Read Genesis 17:1-14.

*** Read Matthew 28:18-20, and think about how we identify with the New Covenant. In other words, what is the sign that points to our entering into this covenant?

Respond to the story, noting your thoughts:

What connection do you see between God’s instructions to Abram in 17:1-2 and the name with which God identifies himself in v. 1?
If you truly trusted the God whose character aligns with this name, what would you do differently?
What is helpful about a sign to commemorate an agreement or relationship, such as the one God gave Abraham here?
What is God saying to you from this story?

Part Three

God continues his conversation with Abraham, also changing Sarai’s name to Sarah, both names meaning princess according to many scholars.

Read Genesis 17:15-26 and Romans 4:13-25.

*** Read Hebrews 11:11-12, and think about what beliefs about God were the foundation of Sarah’s faith.

Record your thoughts about the story:

What does the story in Genesis and the passage in Romans reveal about God, his person, and his power?
How does Abraham’s response to God’s promise of a son by Sarah in Genesis and as described in Romans encourage you in your own faith?
What is God saying to you from these passages?