We Pray For America!
- Angel of the Lord
The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, – Genesis 16:7
Hagar was an Egyptian, a handmaiden to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Weary of waiting on the Lord to fulfill His promise, Abraham at the urging of his wife, seeking that offspring, had impregnated Hagar, to whom would be born Ishmael. But contempt grew between Sarah and Hagar, and now Hagar was in the desert, most likely returning to Egypt. At the moment of her distress, God shows up in the form of the Angel of the Lord, finding Hagar at a desert oasis. He gives her comfort, instruction, and encouragement.
Who is this Angel of the Lord? Theologians provide mixed opinions on the subject. Some believe it is the Almighty God the Father, others that this was an angel commissioned by God. The most prevalent among the answers is that this, like the appearance of Melchizedek, is a Christophany—an appearance by Jesus in His preincarnate presence. Theologian David Guzik writes, “The angel of the Lord speaks of God, identifies Himself with God, and exercises the responsibilities of God.” If that is true, then this account with Hagar is an actual appearance of Jesus in physical form to Hagar.
William Henry Griffith Thomas, an Anglican cleric of the 19th century, said, “What a picture of real life is found in this chapter! Man is seen blundering, sinning, and suffering, and then God intervenes with His overruling providence, wisdom, and grace… God had not overlooked what had taken place, and now He interposes in order to bring about the best possible results.” Hagar is called to return to the home of Abraham, to submit to her mistress, and to rest in the assurance that God is working out His plan for her and for Ishmael.
Later, in His earthly ministry, Jesus would meet a Samaritan woman by a well of water. He knows her condition, and He offers her Living water (John 4).
If you, like Hagar, are in a desert place in your life, know that God sees and still desires the best for you. While Jesus may not appear to you in the form of the Angel of the Lord, if you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit within, urging you to submit and return to the Lord, for He still has a plan for you. He longs to bless you. Pray that the people of the United States will submit to His authority and return to Him, and receive His blessing.
Today’s Verse: Genesis 16:7
The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Genesis 16
16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her,
“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
TODAY’S NATIONAL LEADER FOR PRAYER
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- Nanette Barragán, Representative for California
Nanette Barragán, Representative for California
- Born – September 1976 in Los Angeles, California
- Education – B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; J.D., University of Southern California
- Military Service – None
- Profession – Lawyer
- Political Experience – Office of Public Liaison in Clinton Administration
- In office since – 2017
- Family – Single
- Religious Affiliation – Catholic
- Nanette Barragán, Representative for California
CONTINUE PRAYING WITH US
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