“Ishmael’s International Influence Begins” Gen. 16:11-12. The first Son-A-Gram, Hagar knew she was pregnant but not with what! He will be a ‘Wild Man” in Hebrew, “A wild (pere – wild ass of a man – adom).” Untrainable, unattainable, untouchable, and untameable! “And his hand shall be against every man and every man’s hand shall be against him.” It’s no different today, fight, fight, fight! The only thing that unites Arabs is a common enemy like the Jewish people! The Sunnis fight the Sunnis and the Shiites fights fight the Shiites and the Sunnis fight the Shiites and they both fight their own clans and tribes and the Goi’im and especially the Jews and the ‘Great Satan – America.’  “He shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” Pitch his tent among them but remain independent. Listen, trying to conquer a bunch of nomadic Arabs in tents is like trying to count the stars in the sky. We will pick up on Ishmael next time in Gen. 21. Suffice it to say he was the progenitor of the Arabs, the traditional enemies of the Jewish people and the child of Abraham and Sarah’s lapse into unbelief. Moreover, Islam founded by Mohammed, who descended from Ishmael, is perhaps closest to Christianity and the hardest to penetrate with the Gospel of Christ, because it is a way of life.

Hagar names the well or fountain where ‘The Angel of The Lord’ found her, “Beer-La-Hai-Roi” Gen. 16:13-16. “The Well Of Him Who Lives And Sees Me.”  In my affliction; In my distress; In my predicament; In my present situation; You see Hagar’s extremity became Jehovah’s opportunity! Does yours become His? Not only has He seen me but v.13, “Have I also seen Him, that sees me?” Sounds like Jacob on the river of Peniel in Gen. 32. Where did Hagar learn to pray? In Egypt or at Abraham’s family altars? She named the well, “The well of the One who lives and sees me!” Amen? He is interested in me , personally! WOW! If He heard the cries of an Egyptian handmaid , I’m sure He will hear the cries of an adopted child of His. It has been said, “Prayer knows no language but a cry.” Hagar offered a heart felt cry in the hour of her deep need. Hagar’s need was prayer and God met her in her wilderness by a well or spring of water. Isn’t that Christ’s invitation to us in John 7:37, “If any man thirsts let him come unto Me and drink…” It’s not a question of God’s ability to quench, it is a question of our desire to be quenched. Are you thirsty? Are you really, really thirsty? How thirsty? Willing to kneel and dip both hands in the water and drink till you are satisfied?

The most difficult journey has a beautiful, refreshing climax when the goal is God. Harsh treatment gave birth to a beautiful principle in vv.13-14, “The God who lives and sees me.” In our affliction, in our deepest need, even when we can only cry in our soul and not pray audibly, God hears your affliction. Only God can hear affliction, we can feel it, sense it, see it, and hear about it, but only God can hear our affliction. Meditate on that principle! What is your real need, your real heart felt need at this very moment? I believe it is the prayer God will hear and the one He will answer. Are we fleeing from our affliction, our harsh circumstances, our trials or testings? I hope you stop by the well long enough to take a drink, to inbibe, to hear His voice, to listen to His instruction, He hears those cries of your heart, even if they are not uttered. After all He lives inside of you, your body is His temple if you have been born-again into His family and adopted as His child!

Gen. 16:15, “Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called his son’s name whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. And Abram was 86 years old…” This is very important, Abraham is 86 when Ishmael is born, because he is 100 when Isaac is born and 103 when Isaac is weaned making Ishmael 17-18 in Gen, 21 when he and Hagar depart for the second time, not 4 or 5 years old as many believe. He was the ‘Apple of Abraham’s Eye’ for 14 years and a thorn in Sarah’s flesh for three more years. I am sure he got to know the God of his father Abraham in a very special, personal, intimate way. Hunting, herding, building altars, sacrificing, worshiping, praying, etc. But that’s for another chapter.

What can we learn about prayer from ‘Hagar The Egyptian?’ When we cry out in the midst of our affliction, God hears and God sees and God cares and that’s a comfort. God knows where we are at all times, in the desert, by the well, on the road to Egypt, or on the very edge of going over. Confession and Repentance are the keys to Restoration and God’s blessings. ‘Return is the way of victory, not retreat’ and you can’t run from your problems. ‘Divine Blessings’ are the result and fruit of our human obedience. ‘Why Pray? Ishmael – God Hears;’  ‘Why Call On God? Ishmael – God Hears;’  ‘Why Go To Church? Ishmael – God Hears;’  Why Go To Prayer Meeting? Ishmael – God Hears;’  What a beautiful name, ‘Ishmael – God Hears.’

Hagar saw the God who sees us and cares, have you? Where do you see Him, by the fountain of living water in John 7:37 or in the living ‘Word of God.’ Hagar learned a lot in trying to run from her problems, from her master’s God, from her situation and affliction. But three things seem to stand out; One – She learned that God shall hear and even named her son, ‘God shall hear; Two – She also learned that the God who hears her is also the God who lives and sees her in every situation and named the well ‘Beer-La-Hai-Roi;‘ Third – She learned that the God who hears is also the God who cares. What did you learn from Hagar today regarding your prayer life?  “Between The Lines”

“Oh LORD, may the real needs and cries of our hearts be lifted up to You this day. May You hear our afflictions, only You know exactly what we need and what our families need. You are El Roi, the God-Who-Lives-And-Sees-Us. Oh LORD, quench our thirst! In Yeshua/Jesus name. Amen!

“Portraits of Prayer in Genesis”  Hagar – Part # 3