Introduction
• Have you ever felt invisible? Do you ever feel that you don’t matter to anyone and that nobody sees your struggles or your pain? That was the experience of Hagar, the slave to Sarai and Abram in Genesis. What she learned the hard way gives us hope for our difficulties today.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 43 of The Bible Unplugged. We take a look at the name Hagar gave to God found in Genesis chapter 16 and what that name means to us.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab.
Hagar’s Story
• The story of Hagar can be confusing to modern readers, but everything that happened in this story is rooted in Near Eastern culture and the Covenant God created with Abram.
• Sarai, Abram’s wife, could not conceive a child. They both knew that God promised to make a great nation of their descendants. Not being able to have a child at that point, Sarai took matters out of God’s hands and tried to solve the problem herself.
• That culture accepted a barren wife giving her maidservant to her husband to have a child. That’s what Sarai did with her slave Hagar. When Hagar got pregnant, trouble started.
• Hagar developed an attitude and felt better than her mistress. Tension flared to the point that Abram told Sarai to do whatever she wanted to do about the conflict.
• Sarai was harsh with Hagar. Hagar ran away to the wilderness to get away from the mistreatment.
• Scripture tells us that Yahweh’s angel, which we find to be a physical manifestation of God himself in this story, appeared to Hagar and told her to go back home. God promised that he would take care of her and her offspring.
A New Name of God
• Hagar was so overwhelmed with God’s grace that she created a new name for God. Genesis 16:13 says, “She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”
• The name Hagar created, “The God Who Sees Me,” is the English version. The Hebrew named is “El Roi.” “El” is the shortened version of “Elohim,” the most common word translated “God” in the Hebrew Bible. “Roi” comes from the Hebrew word “ra’ah.” We find that word elsewhere in the Bible. In Exodus 3:7, God sees the affliction of His people in Egypt. The word translated “see” is “ra’ah.”
Hagar’s Unique Experience
• Hagar is the first person in the Bible to create a new name of God.
• Hagar was a foreigner, a woman, and a slave. In Hebrew society, she was at the very bottom of the social ladder. And yet, she becomes the first person in Scripture to name God.
• Hagar is also the first person to be visited by the angel of the Lord. And she’s not even part of the covenant family, but she is important to God.
What Do We Learn from This?
• This tells us a lot about God’s character and His love for His creation.
• God doesn’t only care about the chosen patriarchs. The righteous are not the only ones God pays attention to.
• God sees the oppressed, the abused, and the forgotten. He met Hagar in the wilderness—a place that symbolizes chaos, isolation, and often, desperation. The wilderness, though, is also a place where God reveals himself in new and compassionate ways.
• Several prominent Bible characters encounter God and receive divine inspiration to continue God’s will for them.
• Moses saw God in a burning bush while tending sheep.
• Elijah fled into the wilderness to escape Jezebel’s wrath and found a gentle and compassionate God.
• Jesus overcame temptation after many weeks in the wilderness alone.
• John the Baptist grew up and lived in the wilderness before he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.
• A complete list with Scripture references is at the end of the show notes if your are interested.
• What we learn from this something profound about God’s nature. He is not a passive observer. God is intimately present with those who suffer and are alone. The name Hagar gave to God reminds us that:
• God sees you in your own personal wilderness.
• God sees the part of your story that others overlook.
• God sees your pain even when you can’t articulate those feelings yourself.
• Most of all, we see that you matter to God.
What Do We Do with This?
• Take some time when you can focus without distractions. Think of the times in your life you have felt alone, unsure, or afraid. How did God intervene and what was the result? God has a plan for your good, but sometimes we have to feel the discomfort before we see the goal.
• When you have some idle time during your day—whether driving, in line at a store, or waiting for an appointment—try to imagine God watching over you then. Let El Roi, the God Who Sees You, become part of that experience.
• When you experience difficult times—when you feel you are invisible or don’t matter—allow God’s presence to overcome the discomfort and reassure you.
• When you find God watching over you in those difficult times, you have more power and love to share with others who experience their own personal wilderness. Who around you feels unseen? Is it the cashier you barely acknowledge? The lonely neighbor? The child who just wants attention? Ask God to help you see others as He does.
The conclusion
• Yes, the music means my time’s up for this episode. But I’ll be back with more soon.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a second to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone who feels invisible.
• I invite you to check out my devotional book “In the Presence… 31 Days of Experiencing God in All You Do.” You can find more information at PowerLoveandMiracles.com to learn more, or search for the book on Amazon.
• In the next episode, we will start a new series focusing on people in the Bible who experienced grief and loss to see how God intervened to show His love for them and for us.
• My prayer for you is that you will experience God’s presence in new and powerful ways to prove His love for you. And, that you will share that love with people who feel invisible and lonely.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening, I might surprise you with something you didn’t know.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
Bible Characters Who Met God in the Wilderness
1. Hagar
Genesis 16 & 21
Encounter: Met the angel of the Lord by a spring in the desert after fleeing from Sarai, and later in the wilderness of Beersheba when Ishmael was dying of thirst.
Message: God sees and hears her; promises a future for her son, Ishmael.
2. Moses
Exodus 3
Encounter: Saw the burning bush while tending sheep in the wilderness of Horeb (Sinai).
Message: God calls him to deliver Israel from Egypt; reveals His name as I AM.
3. Elijah
1 Kings 19
Encounter: Fled into the wilderness, sat under a broom tree ready to die. God sent an angel with food, then met him in a gentle whisper at Mount Horeb.
Message: God sustains him and recommissions him for further prophetic work.
4. Jesus
Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4
Encounter: Led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, where He was tempted by Satan.
Message: Jesus overcomes temptation by relying on Scripture and affirms His identity as God’s Son.
5. John the Baptist
Luke 1:80; Matthew 3
Encounter: Grew up and lived in the wilderness until his public ministry.
Message: In the wilderness, he received the word of God and emerged to prepare the way for the Messiah.
6. Israel as a Nation
Exodus–Deuteronomy
Encounter: Spent 40 years in the wilderness after the Exodus.
Message: God formed their identity as His people, gave them laws, and dwelt among them in the tabernacle.
7. David
1 Samuel 23–24; Psalms
Encounter: Hid in the wilderness from Saul.
Message: Experienced divine protection, guidance, and wrote psalms expressing deep intimacy with God.
8. Jacob
Genesis 28
Encounter: On the run from Esau, slept in a wilderness area and saw a vision of a ladder to heaven.
Message: God affirms the Abrahamic covenant and promises to be with him.
9. Paul
Galatians 1:17
Encounter: After his conversion, Paul went into the Arabian wilderness (possibly Sinai) before beginning his ministry.
Message: He likely received revelation and preparation for his apostolic mission.
10. The Woman in Revelation
Revelation 12:6,14
Encounter: A symbolic woman (representing God’s people) is nourished by God in the wilderness.
Message: God provides protection during times of persecution.
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