EL ROI - God Who Sees!

Baruch Ha Shem Adonai!

(Blessed be the Name of the Lord!)

This is the second in The CRIB's presentation of the Twelve Jewels of God ... a look at the wonderful, powerful, inspirational names of God.

Genesis ...

Our first encounter with El Roi (God Who Sees) as a name of God is again found in Genesis 16:13 (1-20), concerning the first solo-pity party by Hagar, Abram's servant ...

Then [Hagar] called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"

Hagar was alone and hiding from her mistress, Sarai, who had been mistreating her as only one woman could mistreat another. [v. 6]

God showed His concern for Hagar by sending her an angel to encourage her and tell her He had a plan for her and the child she would bear - Ishmael!

She realized that only God could have found her where she was, only a God who cared would have even bothered looking for a servant girl. She recognizes this God as El Elyon.

The name El Roi speaks of God's omniscience and omnipresence; He is Creator of the universe and so its Caretaker as well ... He is God Who Sees, El Roi!

The name also speaks of God's love for each and every human being created under His sovereign rule as El Elyon; His love for Hagar in the midst of her despair is instructive for all generations.

Hagar was helpless and hopeless; weary and alone; a woman in male dominated culture, pregnant, rejected, cast out, feeling being used ... feeling that no one cared, that no one understood.

But God as El Roi is never caught by surprise; He never says, "Oh my! Look at that! How did that happen?" For He knows our future as well ... notice in the context passage how He speaks of the child yet to be born and the nation he will found.

We next see El Roi in the compound name given the well by Hagar; this is the well by which she hid, she named it - Beer-lahai-roi: "the well of the Living One Who Sees me" (lit. the well of the Ever Living Omniscient Provident One).

Exodus ...

Next we find God once again exhibiting one of the attributes of El Roi ...

The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

Exodus 3:7

2 Chronicles ...

Then we find El Roi concerned with the prayers of the saints in His Temple.

Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

2 Chronicles 7:15

And again His concern for the "righteous."

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

Psalms ...

As we pointed out last week, it is Elyon who is seen and heard in the heavens, who controls nature, and reveals Himself with thunder and hail ... but it is El Roi that we see again and again watching over those who belong to Him ...

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 34:15

Yet He is not unaware of the afflicted ...

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalms 34:18

If this were not enough, He keeps an eye on the nations of the earth as well ...

He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

Psalms 66:7

Proverbs ...

El Roi is concerned with the habits and habitats of mankind.

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths.

Proverbs 5:21

And again we find ...

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

Proverbs 15:3

Amos ...

And El Roi is attentive to His promises as He is to the sins of His people ...

"Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob," Declares the LORD.

Amos 9:8

New Testament ...

Other than a few interpretive allusions to God's role as El Roi the New Testament is fairly silent except perhaps this piercing bit of information ...

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews 4:12

The power of the God Who Sees is apparent when or if you ever feel like Hagar, miserable and alone! Well, you are not ... El Roi is with You! We call Him Emanuel ... God With Us!

The God Who Sees is also very important if you have a loved ones who is lost from you, and you don't know where he is! Well, El Roi knows exactly where all of our lost loved ones are!