THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER

"And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur." (Genesis 16:7)

GOD PROMISED ABRAHAM He would bless the entire world through him, making of him a great nation, and making his name great (Gen 12:1-3). At the first, the Lord did not tell Abraham he himself would beget offspring, only that a great nation would come from him. Later, seeing he continued to be childless, the patriarch asked that his heir be Eliezer, a servant in his house (Gen 15:2). It was then that God revealed to him that the promised heir would come forth out of his bowels (15:4). He would personally beget the child, and would no longer be childless. However, at that time, the Lord did not reveal to him that the mother of the child would be Sarah, his wife.

LATER, WHEN SARAI SAW she remained childless, she reasoned the offspring must be birthed by another woman. She said to her husband, "Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her" (16:1-2). She then gave her handmaid to her husband "after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan" (16:3). He went in to the servant, Hagar, and she conceived.

SEEING THAT SHE WAS WITH CHILD, and Sarai was not, Hagar "began to despise her mistress" (16:4, NIV). Her conduct toward Sarai, whom she served, became intolerable. Finally Sarai erupted to Abram, perceiving she had done the wrong thing in giving Hagar to him. "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me" (16:5, NKJV). The patriarch handled the situation wisely, telling Sarai "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please" (NKJV). It is written that Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, mistreating her. What form this treatment took, we do not know. However, it became so unbearable that Hagar "fled" Sarah's face, running into the wilderness of Shur. It is at this point that our text takes place.

THE "ANGEL OF THE LORD" found Hagar "by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur." Those who affirm "the angel of the Lord" is the Lord Jesus prior to His birth into the world do greatly err. Jesus is never said to have taken upon Himself the nature of angels (Heb 2:16), and is never said to have served God in the capacity of an angel. This angel was from among those serving spirits, and was sent by God to Hagar. Having found her, the angel asked, "Where have you come from, and where are you going?" She told the angel she was fleeing from the presence of her mistress Sarai. The angel then told her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." He then promised her descendants would be multitudinous. He said she would bear a son, was to call his name Ishmael, and that he would be a wild man who would be at variance with everyone. Hagar then "called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'" (16:8-13, NKJV).

IF A HOLY ANGEL FOUND AND MINISTERED Hagar the Egyptian, what shall the multitude of holy angels do for the "heirs of salvation." They have been assigned to minister to them. What heart is capable of conceiving the magnitude of that ministry? What Hagar experienced is only a small portion of what is reserved for those who are in Christ Jesus. Doubt not the angel's ability to find and minister to you!

– Given O. Blakely