El Ro’i
Yahweh is “the God Who sees me,” according to Ishmael’s mom: “Yahweh-El-Ro’i“.
Abram was told by Yahweh that he would become the father of many nations: “Abraham“. Much time passed, without the promise being fulfilled. Abraham’s wife suggested a less supernatural way of doing it than the one Abraham interpreted as the promise of the Lord: have a son by my slave girl, Hagar. When she has the baby between my legs, it will be mine, and therefore I will raise your son.
After Hagar had sex with Abraham and became pregnant, she looked down on Sarah. Sarah became angry, and mistreated her so much that she ran away. In the desert, an angel found her and instructed her to return to Sarah’s abuse. He prophesied to her what Yahweh was saying over Ishmael’s future, which was great, even though it included being at war with everyone else on the earth, pretty much. (Genesis 16)
After this dumbed-down version of trying to fulfill the prophecy of Abraham having a son happened, more time passed. Finally, the supernatural version happened! Isaac was born of Sarah. When the older child, Ishmael, was jealous of Isaac and began to persecute him, Sarah demanded that Abraham now throw his much-loved first son into the desert with his mother to die.
The painful event occurred. While Hagar was in the desert deciding how to die, Yahweh appeared to her and promised to protect her and the boy. He opened her eyes to see water nearby. (Genesis 21)
Ismael has become the continual persecutor of Isaac, as Islam persecutes Israel. Mohammad taught his followers that the inheritance of the promises of Allah came to them through Ishmael, not to Israel through Isaac. There is great purpose in the sons of Ishmael in the earth. Some of it is evil and destructive. Some of it is intended by Yahweh to provoke people to choose Him.
Since the Islamic State (ISIS, or ISIL) has begun its destructive assault on humanity, leaving cities leveled and Believers beheaded in its demonic path, more Muslims have come to Christ than at any other time in history. What they meant for evil, God meant for good.
He is not as interested in our comfort as He is in our conversion to His likeness. Hagar was sent back into the persecution so that she could bear Ismael and then be further pained by being thrown out of the camp the next time she left.
Some things we are experiencing we should be praying would be effective pain instead of relieved pain. Some of the baptisms we are experiencing are here to give us great blessing. Receive them with faith and expectation of fellowship with Yahweh in the place of suffering. He is the God Who sees you.