What He Said! Interview 1
Last week, we got into the “why” behind this series. But today I want to jump in and see our first witness. In fact, you might be a little surprised by who we are calling up to talk to first. Let’s examine Hagar, the slave of Sarah and Abraham. In Genesis 21, we have a rather remarkable event that brought division in a family that would eventually lead to wars and other issues that our Genesis study is tackling. However, if you are interested in the specifics of Ishmael, read our Genesis series. Nevertheless, this is the first time the Bible mentions the Angel of God. I believe this is a pre-incarnation, or a Christophany, as some in the theological class would say. Let’s read the encounter and dig a little.
Genesis 21:17-21 “And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he [is.] 18 “Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.” Let’s break this down: first, God hears the lad's voice. This is God the Father; we know this because the very next sentence identifies the Son of God. Jesus asks Hagar what the issue is. We can also identify the Holy Spirit because, in verse 19, God opens her eyes. In both cases, God is the word Elohim, which is “gods” in English. We see the Trinity: the Father hears, the Son talks, and the Holy Spirit opens. This theme carries through the Old and New Testaments. But here, with Hagar, I believe it is a rather incredible statement.
Genesis is a book about beginnings; it’s the origins of our race and all the current affairs of what is going on. Yet here we first see the Trinity working together to recognize the forgotten and uphold a promise made to Abraham earlier. In verse 12, Abraham is concerned, yet God helps him understand that He has a plan for both boys. One for the salvation of the world, the other to become a great nation. Hagar can be a witness for us to the first time the Trinity revealed itself, emphasizing its legitimacy by keeping promises and ignoring the social structure set up by the world.
What we learn from this exchange is that God is willing to listen to anyone who calls out to Him. Examine Proverbs 15:29 “The LORD [is] far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.” This interaction is supported time and time again. Yet, there is more: He cares about what would happen to them; see Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” This is our first interview, and we can already see that Hagar is telling us God has three persons: God listens, God cares, and God keeps His promises.
So now my question is to you: were you surprised this was our first interview? I hope so! This is a subtle but glorious reminder of the power of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit working as One to be intimate in our lives. He showed how He cared for Hagar and Ishmael, and He is showing us each and every day how He cares for you and I. We just need to listen and allow the Lord to do the work He wants to do in our lives. It is for our good; let it be His way, not our own.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL