Genesis 16:13-14

Let’s take a good look at what’s happening here. 

The Angel of the Lord is ministering blessings to Hagar between Kadesh and Bered.  Not always, but sometimes throughout the Old Testament the “Angel of the Lord” represents the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. 

How do we tell the difference between the ordinary messenger angel of the Lord and the pre-incarnate Christ? 

God commanded that we would worship nothing other than Him, which would include angels.  Anytime in the Bible where an angel appears to man and man begins to worship the angel, we see almost immediately a rebuke and correction take place and the angel redirects the subject of worship to God Himself.  On a few occasions however the “Angel of the Lord” allows worship of Himself to take place, this would only mean that the Angel was in fact the Lord Himself.  Here in Genesis 16:13 we see Hagar call on the name of the Lord…or as the Hebrew implies “worship the Lord”, as He reveals Himself to her as Jehovah Elroi, The God who sees. 

In Hebrew Kadesh means “Holy” and Bered means “Hail”. 

What significance do these two places hold here? 

This is exactly the place where “the God who sees” comes to meet us, between the “Holy” mountain top experiences and the “Hail” like storms of life. 

We might find ourselves echoing Hagar’s words, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” 

The answer is: Yes, we have seen Jesus. 

He was there when on the Holy mountaintop we saw Him transfigured and we desired to be close to Him (Mat. 17), He was also there in the storm when we felt abandoned and desired to die (Mark 4:37-39), and He’s here right now in whatever you’re going through. 

Whether you’re on the Holy heights or in a hellish Hail storm, Jesus is right there looking to minister His blessings in your time of need. 

Open your eyes and see…He’s there!