9 – The God Who Sees Me
Genesis 16:1-16
After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai became concerned that she hadn’t yet had a child like the Lord promised. She said to her husband, “I have a solution to this problem. Go to bed with my slave Hagar. When she delivers a child, it’ll be the same as if I had the child.
Abram agreed and did as she said. But as soon as Hagar became pregnant, she started acting like she was better than Sarai.
This made Sarai angry. She said to Abram. “You’re the one who has caused all my problems! You got my slave pregnant, and now she thinks she’s better than me.
Abram said, “She’s your slave. Do whatever you want with her.”
So Sarai started beating Hagar and humiliating her in any way she could. Finally, the slave ran away. She came to a spring of water and collapsed next to it.
The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Hagar, where are you going?”
“Oh Lord. I’m running away from Sarai, my mistress.”
“No, no, you shouldn’t do that. God has heard your crying out in pain. Go back and submit to Sarai, even if she beats you. You’ll have a son, and you’re to call him Ishmael. He’ll be a fighting man, and be at odds with everyone. I’ll multiply your descendants so much that you wouldn’t be able to count them.”
Hagar was amazed and said, “I have seen the God who sees me. So she named the spring, “The Well of the Living God who Sees Me.”
She then went back and submitted herself to Sarai. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to her son. He named the child Ishmael, which means “God Hears.”
- We have been listening to stories of Abram for a while now. What are some of his strengths; what are some of his weaknesses?
- Watch the video The God Who Sees Me.
- Refer to Gen 16 and for each of the following – Abram, Sarai, and Hagar – explain each person’s problem, the cause of the problem, the solution, and the consequences of that solution.
| Person | Problem | Cause | Solution | Consequence |
| Abram | ||||
| Sarai | ||||
| Hagar |
- What is missing in each person’s attempt to solve problems?
- How has this story brought you to a better understanding of God?
- Retell The God Who See Me as a group.
