El-Roi: The God who Sees
Sometimes we feel alone like our misery is not noticed by anyone. Today I want to remind you that we serve a God who sees In the Hebrew tongue, He is called El Roi – meaning the God who sees me. This name is found only once in the scriptures in Genesis 16 and was used by Haggai, the runaway slave and mother of Ishmael.
We all want and need to be loved. We especially expect to be loved and when we love, we love with all we’ve got expecting a similar response. But unfortunately, we live in a sinful, fallen world where we do not always love as we ought to love, and where others do not always love us in return as they ought to love.
Seeking for Love
Remember Leah, a porn in the scheme of her father Laban. Leah the unloved. The bible says that, God looked at Leah and blessed her womb. Her response was heart rendering – “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.” She named him Reuben: ‘Behold a son!’ But it also sounds like the Hebrew for, “He has seen my misery.” (Genesis 29:32) But he didn’t. Some of us would stop at nothing to get the validation of others. How sad! That you would base your value on the evaluation of finite mortals. God then blessed Leah with a second son. This time she said “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.” She said and named him Simeon which means ‘Hearing’ or ‘That is heard’ (Genesis 29:33). And still, Jacob didn’t love her, at least not by her estimation.
Still seeking Jacob’s love, Leah’s response to the birth of the third son reflected her pain: “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!” She named him Levi meaning ‘Attached’ (Genesis 29:34). Yet, Jacob loved Rachel, more than Leah. It is even more painful when we are rejected for something or someone we believe to be lower than us. Leah was the elder sister, Leah always looked to the God of heaven, yet her seniority and spirituality never got her any security.
Somewhere between the birth of her third son and her fourth, Leah had a heart change. ANd I pray for a heart change for you today. Her focus shifted from gaining the love of her earthly husband to acknowledging the love of her Heavenly Father. Leah no longer based her identity on her husband or her children. Her worth was determined by God and her heart gave thanks.
The fourth son she named Judah which means ‘Praise’. ‘This time I will praise the Lord.’ she said. Then she stopped having children.”She realized that all the sons in the world could not make her husband love her. They could not increase her worth in his eyes. Somehow she had to realize that her worth came from God. She was precious in His sight. He saw her. He knew her. But most importantly, He loved her.
Infinite Hope in God
Martin Luther King Jr. Once said – we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. He also said that there can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.
The implication of this statement is that Leah loved Jacob very deeply, yet that love was unrequited. Leah adored Jacob. She sought his validation. Yet all she got was rejection. She was good enough for breeding. But nothing more.
Yet through Leah – this unloved wife of Jacob – all the nations of the earth were blessed. When she left off seeking man’s approval and started giving God praise, she became an ancestor of Jesus the Savior.
If we use the world’s standard of finding worth in temporary things, we run the risk of never accomplishing the task that God has placed in our hearts. We have to look to Him – our El Roi– to define us and show us our worth. we need to give Him all the praise for every situation. Only then will He be able to use us and bless us in the way that He intends.
God says in Jeremiah 31:3: “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” I tell you the bitter truth. None of us are ever going to get to a place in life where we no longer have to suffer from disappointments. Life’s punches never stop rolling. But there is a God who sees! A God who remembers His own! A God who cares for those who truth in Him.
When next you are hit with one of life’s disappointments, look up to God. Find comfort in His love. Discover the purpose for your pain. The lessons for you to learn. The changes you need to make. The prayers you need to say. The faith you need to hold on to. The courage you need to move on.