“If you take the stories of the well out of the Bible, all of the stories about things that happened at the well, just take them out of the Bible, the Bible would be a lesser book for it. It would be poorer in story, because there are so many things that took place by the well.”
I had never thought about it and decided to look into it. He was right! And for the next few Tuesdays I will offer a look at these encounters at the well.
Genesis 16 - Hagar
1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Thus begins a interesting and touching chapter. God had promised Abram a son, but it hasn’t happened yet. Sarai bare him no children, but she has a plan...
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
It worked too! Abram marries Hagar and she conceives. But then Sarai’s plan backfires, her mistress was despised in her eyes...
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Sarai treats Hagar harshly, so much so that Hagar fled from her face. And this is where this sad story gets very interesting!
7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
Hagar stopped by a fountain of water, a spring, later in the chapter it is called a well, which is why this is an encounter by the well.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
And the angel of the LORD found her and tells her some interesting things:
I will multiply thy seed exceedingly – what a promise - handmaid Hagar will be the mother of a multitude.
and he will be a wild man – I always thought this meant he would be a trouble maker, but how could that be comforting to this poor woman? Rather this means “God himself has sent them out free - he has loosed them from all political restraint. The wilderness is their habitation; and in the parched land, where no other human beings could live, they have their dwellings. They scorn the city, and therefore have no fixed habitations. They may be said to have no lands, and yet the range of the mountains is their pasture - they pitch their tents and feed their flocks, wherever they please…
It is farther said, His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him - Many potentates among the Abyssinians, Persians, Egyptians, and Turks, have endeavored to subjugate the wandering or wild Arabs; but, though they have had temporary triumphs, they have been ultimately unsuccessful. From the beginning to the present day they have maintained their independence, and God preserves them as a lasting monument of his providential care, and an incontestable argument of the truth of Divine Revelation.” (Adam Clarke)
13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Just who is this angel?
“The angel of the Lord - That Jesus Christ, in a body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared to the patriarchs, has been already intimated. That the person mentioned here was greater than any created being is sufficiently evident from the following particulars: -
1. From his promising to perform what God alone could do, and foretelling what God alone could know; "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly". This shows a prescience which is proper to God alone.
2. Hagar considers the person who spoke to her as God, calls him El – Thou God seest me.
3. Moses calls this angel expressly Yahweh; “she called the Name of Yahweh that spake to her, El-roi (Thou God seest me). Now this is a name never given to any created being.
These things cannot be spoken of any human or created being, for the knowledge, works, etc., attributed to this person are such as belong to God; and as in all these cases there is a most evident personal appearance, Jesus Christ alone can be meant; for of God the Father it has been ever true that no man hath at any time seen his shape, nor has he ever limited himself to any definable personal appearance.” (Adam Clarke)
This despised handmaid has an encounter with Jesus! That is comfort!
“Thou God seest me! She found that the eye of a merciful God had been upon her in all her wanderings and afflictions; and her words seem to intimate that she had been seeking the Divine help and protection, for she says, Have I not also looked after him that seeth me? Hagar was now convinced that God himself had appeared unto her…” (Adam Clarke)
14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
The fountain is now called a well, a “be’er”, and is given a name, Be’er-lahai-roi, which means, "well of the Living One seeing me". Amen. The Septuagint puts it, “The well of him whom I have openly seen”.
At this point I don’t care how you translate Beerlahairoi, I’m blown away by this encounter at the well. Hagar, a nobody, a pawn in someone else’s game, in her time of trouble has an encounter with Christ, Who comforts her and gives her wonderful promises! Armed as she is with the presence, comfort and promise of God, it would be much easier for her to Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
16 And Abram [was] fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Amen. What an encounter!
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