Gen. 16:1-14 THE GOD WHO SEES
Intro: Ill. The Context. Hagar is alone, frightened and sure that God is nowhere around. Yet, in her trial, God knew exactly where she was. He saw every move she made and He came to her to offer comfort and hope.
I have had a hard time this week getting away from the question I posed to you on Sunday. “Why?” Others have as well. While I cannot tell you the answer to that question, I can tell you about The God Who Sees. I cannot define His purposes or explain His Person, but I can tell you that He is well aware of all that is going on in our lives.
When God showed up in the middle of Hagar’s nightmare, she stood amazed in the profound truth that God Almighty had His eye on her. She was amazed that God cared about Hagar. She was so amazed that she called His name “El-Roi” – “Thou God Seest Me!” She named the well “Beerlahairoi” – “The well of the Living One that seest me.”
I want every person in this room to know that the same God Who saw Hagar has His eye on you. He knows where you are. He sees what you are going through. I would like to draw preach around the phrase found in verse 13 that says, “Thou God seest me”. I would like to try and preach about God’s omniscience.
I want you to see the truth that He sees you. I want you to see the truth that He sees you, but it is not with disinterest. He sees you and He cares about you. I want you to come to understand that you are “the apple of His eye”, Psa. 17:8; Zech. 2:8. Let me share some of the details of His omniscience with you as I try to preach about The God Who Sees.
I. THE CERTAINTY OF HIS OMNISCIENCE
(Ill. “Thou God seest me” - “Omniscience” = “Possessing total knowledge; knowing everything.” When we say that God is omniscient, we are saying that He knows absolutely everything there is to know. The proof of His omniscience can be found in four areas.)
· In His Person – The Greeks called God “Theos”. This word comes from a root word that means, “The One Who Sees.” The very concept of deity revolves around His ability to see His creation. The ancients saw God as a Being Who could take in the whole of His creation with a single glance. They saw Him as One Who knows every detail in the universe with complete knowledge. When we breath His name, we are invoking that Name of “The One Who Sees”. As Spurgeon said, “It were as impossible to conceive of a God Who did not observe everything, as to conceive of a round square.”
· In His Presence – God knows everything not only because of Who He is, but also because of where He is. The Psalmist reminds us of His omnipresence, Psa. 139:1-12. He does not see us from afar, but He ever with us, beholding all we do, Pro. 15:3. God is in you, around you, before you, beneath you, above you and within you. It would be easier to escape from your own skin than to escape from Him. (Ill. His greatness! One Who fills all must therefore know all!)
· In His Power – God knows everything not just because of Who He is and where He is, but also because of what He does. Our God is not disconnected from His creation. He sees the sparrow that falls to the earth. He knows the very number of the hairs on your head, Matt. 10:29-31. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, you can see the hand of God actively involved in His creation, Psa. 19:1-4a. He controls everything in this world. (Ill. What this means!) A God Who fills all things and controls all things must therefore know all things!
· In His Purposes – God knows everything because He is God; because He is everywhere; and because He controls all things. It is also clear that He knows what will take place before it ever happens, Isa. 46:10-11; Psa. 135:6; Dan. 4:35. How does God know what will happen before it takes place? He plans it, Eph. 1:11! Nothing can happen in this world that is not a part of God’s eternal, perfect, unstoppable plan! That may not help you, but it sure does bless me! That puts the comfort in Rom. 8:28. A God Who plans all things is surely able to know all things!
II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS OMNISCIENCE
(Ill. “Thou God seest me” – The God we serve is an omniscience God. He sees all things all the time. Since that is true, what does that mean for us?)
· His Knowledge Of You Is Personal – “seest ME!” – God sees you as if there were not another creature in His universe. Can you get your mind around that? If I try to see each of you, I am forced to look at one person at a time. God can see all things at the same time and still give each person His full attention! Now, imagine that every star and heavenly body was gone from sight. Imagine that all the earth was void of the features that catch the eye. Now, imagine in that environment that the piercing eyes of God were focused solely on you. That is just how it is! You are the focus of His undivided attention. (Ill. John 4 – When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, there might as well have been no one else in the world. That is how He sees you. You are the particular object of His attention right now!)
· His Knowledge Of You Is Perfect – “SEEST me!” – When God sees you, He does not just see what you are wearing, where you are going or the expression on your face. He sees you entirely, completely, without and within at the same time. He knows every thought, every imagination, even before they are formed in the mind, Psa. 139:4. As you move through this life, your God sees you completely, perfectly and thoroughly.
· His Knowledge Of You Is Persistent – “Thou God SEEST me.” – “Seest” is a present tense verb. God sees and He always sees. How we watch ourselves when the eyes of men are known to be upon us! We weight every word, watch every step and temper every deed, when the eyes of others are watching. But when the eyes of men are nowhere around, we tend to let down our guard. Let me just remind that when others are gone; when the door is closed; when darkness has enveloped us; and when we think we are all alone, the eyes of Almighty God see us still, Psa. 139:11-12; Isa. 29:15; Jer. 23:24.
· His Knowledge Of You Is Phenomenal – “Thou God SEEST me!” – The word implies absolute sight. We think we see ourselves, but others often see us better than we see ourselves. While others may see us and judge our physical frame; and the wisest among us might be able to interpret our thoughts, deeds and motive; no one will ever know us like He does! He sees all, both that which is public and that which is private. Your parents, your spouse and your dearest friends may know you intimately, but they will never know you like God does. You may think you know yourself, but you will never know your own heart like He does. He knows all there is to know about us, Psa. 139:1-3.
III. THE COMFORT OF HIS OMNISCIENCE
(Ill. When we think of the omniscience of God, we often think of just the negative side. We think about how God sees everything we think, say or do, and this thought bothers us. In reality, the complete knowledge of God is one of the most comforting truths there is! Let me tell you why.)
· He Sees The Supplicant – In this passage, we see Hagar on the run. She is in a time of terrible distress. Yet, in the midst of her trial, she has a conversation with God. We call this prayer.
I am glad God hears me when I pray, aren’t you? That is His promise, Isa. 65:24; Jer. 33:3; Matt. 7:7-11. But, there are times when I cannot put my prayers into words. What then? The God Who sees all things sees even the thought of my heart that cannot be expressed. He hears the prayer that remains unspoken. He interprets the message of our tears. He reads the unspoken message of the burdened heart! He does not need for us to frame our prayers in words; He can comprehend the depth of our petition, because He knows us intimately. Ill. Rom. 8:26-27. Even when the golden thread of life is severed and I slip out into eternity, I will enter Heaven with a prayer in my spirit and He will know that prayer just as surely as He knows me today!
· He Sees The Sufferer – In these verses, Hagar is suffering. She has been rejected, abused and hated. She is all alone and on the run. Her heart is broken and she does not know what to do. In her pain, she encounters the God Who sees.
No person sees it all! All around us today, there are people who suffer. They have pain and heartache that they keep well hidden from those around them. Take heart my friends! People around you may not see nor understand, but there is a God in Heaven Who knows all about the path you walk, Job 23:10. He knows where you are today and He knows what is around the next bend in the road. Since He knows, He is able to help you as no other! He knows your pain, Heb. 4:15. He cares about you, 1 Pet. 5:7. He is able to give you peace in your valley, Phil. 4:6-7. He is able to work in your situation to bring about the best conclusion, Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17. He knows how to bring joy out of your dark night, Psa. 30:15.
· He Sees The Slandered – Hagar has also been slandered. She is but a slave and she has been forced by her mistress into a situation she could not avoid. Now, she is forced to bear the brunt of Sarai’s anger. In that place of misunderstanding and slander, she find help from the God Who sees.
There is no shortage of people who would slander our good names and our pure motives. Who hasn’t been misunderstood, misrepresented or become the focus of some malicious gossip and their hateful words? We all have, but God sees the truth! While other might spread their lies, God knows all there is to know about you and the circumstances you are in. One day, He will set the record straight.
How do you answer your accusers? By doing good. Ill. David – 1 Sam. 17. He was ridicules by Eliab, v. 28 and by Saul, v. 32. David’s answer was to walk across the plain and slay the giant. My answer to slander and you answer to slander should be that we always do the right thing. Live for God and stay the course and God will allow you to live down those who would damage your good name! (Ill. That is my plan!)
· He Sees The Sinner – By birth, Hagar was an Egyptian. She was a heathen, a pagan, a sinner. Yet, the eye of God was upon her. She ran away, but she could not get away from the gaze of God.
If you are lost, you may think God doesn’t think about you. The truth is, He sees all you do. He is there when the thought of sin in conceived. He is there when the deed of sin is carried out. He will be watching when the sentence of sin is carried out. (Ill. Imagine the difference in the O.J. Simpson trial if Judge Lance Ito could have entered the courtroom and said, “I saw it all!” Well, God can and will say that! There will be no hiding in that day. Ill. Rev. 20:11-15) the best thing you can do is turn to Jesus for salvation today.
Conc: Thank God that He sees all! It may be that Satan or others have been telling you that God is not seeing what you are going through. Satan is a liar. God sees and God cares. Do you need to talk to Him about some things? Maybe you need to come and acknowledge His watch care. Maybe you need to bow and thank Him that He is The God Who Sees.
