The Lord our God is referred to by many names throughout the Bible. Today, we will talk about the name El Roi, or The God Who Sees Me.
What Does El Roi Mean?
El Roi is translated from Hebrew to “the God who sees me.” This term is made up from a combination of El (a general term for God) and Roi, or Roi’iy, (meaning seeing, looking, gazing; also, shepherd). We find the name El Roi early in the Bible, coined by Hagar in Genesis 16.
Where is El Roi Found in the Bible?
The name El Roi (The God Who Sees Me) appears only once in the Bible, in Genesis 16.
Abram, not yet Abraham, had not yet seen the promise of a son fulfilled. Soon, Sarai, not yet Sarah, had an (unwise) idea. She said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” (Genesis 16:2).
Abraham agreed; and Hagar became pregnant. Resentment and jealousy flared between the two women. “Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.” (Genesis 16:6).
Pregnant. Vulnerable. Without the protection from the father of her child, or the mistress who forced her into the situation. Hagar was used, mistreated, abandoned. No one cared or intervened. At least that is what Hagar initially thought.
The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert. The “angel of the LORD” is a term used in the Old Testament for the Son, Jesus. This is the same term for the “angel” that Jacob wrestled, when he declared, “I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” (Genesis 32:30). So, to be clear, Jesus found Hagar alone in the desert, when she needed Him the most.
“The angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” She had to go back. But there was hope and a future added to this command.
“The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery.” (Genesis 16:9-11).
“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.” … So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.” (Genesis 16:13-15).
An interesting parallel, Ishmael means “God will hear,” or “The one heard by God.” Without a doubt, God was making a point with these two marginalized individuals. No matter our life status, who we are, what we have, what we have done. God sees us, and additionally, He hears us. We are not alone.
While Sarah later banished Hagar and Ishmael from the family, God never abandoned them. The angel of God later spoke to Hagar a second time in her distress and provided water in the desert. “God was with the boy as he grew up,” (Genesis 21:20) and he became a great nation. Ishmael had twelve sons who became great rulers. Ishmael is known today as the primary ancestor (after Abraham) of many Arabs.
What Does El Roi Mean To Us?
God Sees You.
While we may feel unimportant according to worldly standards, God loves us more than we could imagine. He is watching over us, all of us, even animals (!), throughout every common moment in our lives. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside of your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Mathew 10:29-31).
He’s been watching you since birth. And just like the sparrows, He will watch over you until your last breath. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4).
Moreover, He hears us. He’s really listening. Do you ever pray into the void, as if your words are simply dissipating into memory? Creator God, the One who holds the world in His hands, is certainly listening. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14).
God Has a Plan for you.
God had a beautiful plan for Hagar. While exploited and discarded by the powerful people in her life, God had a transcendent promise for her future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Psalm 91:1).
When the future looks bleak and directionless, we must have faith that it is all in God’s hands. He knows what He is doing. He can provide a better future for us than our father, mother, husband, president, employer could ever. And He wants to give us good things in this life. Sometimes, we have to wander the desert a little while before God reveals that gorgeous spring of water. Don’t give up before the miracle.
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13-14).
God Will Never Abandon You.
I think the thing that bothers me the most about Hagar’s story is her abandonment. A young girl, forced to bear a child for an old man, then discarded into the wilderness when she is no longer useful. Abraham should have felt some sort of protective responsibility for her (he did consult the LORD, but for Ishmael’s sake). Sarah, her employer (to use a polite term), should have felt responsible for what she put the girl through. Hagar experienced betrayal from literally everyone in her life. It is heartbreaking…and it is common. Maybe your father left, your husband, your best friend. There may be no greater pain. But God will never abandon us.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” (Isaiah 49:15-16).
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Finally, His faithfulness is eternal. He is our Shepherd, His rod and staff guiding and protecting us continually. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them our of my hand.” (John 10:28). We get to be with Him forever. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
I hope you enjoyed learning about El Roi, the God who sees me. If you enjoyed this post, check out El Elyon, God Most High and Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide.
