Key Verse:
“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.’
Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.”
— Genesis 16:13–14 (ESV)
Lesson:
The name El Roi (אֵל רֳאִי) appears only once in Scripture, in Genesis 16, and it comes from the lips of a woman who had been cast aside. Hagar — an Egyptian servant, alone, afraid, and pregnant — found herself in the wilderness after fleeing from Sarai’s harsh treatment. She was nameless and invisible to those around her. But not to God.
In the middle of the desert, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her. He called her by name. He knew her story. He gave her a future. And in response, Hagar declared: “You are El Roi,” the God who sees me.
This name is not just a declaration of omnipresence, though it does affirm that God sees all. It’s far more intimate than that. It means God sees me — my fears, my wounds, my motives, my past, and my present. God doesn’t just notice people — He perceives them. He knows the depths of our hearts, our silent prayers, and our unspoken pain.
The Hebrew root רָאָה (ra’ah) means “to see, perceive, or gaze upon with understanding.” It implies more than passive observation. It’s the seeing of a shepherd who watches his sheep with care. It’s the seeing of a Father who looks upon His child with compassion. It’s the vision of the Creator who sees into the very soul.
“The Lord looks down from heaven; He sees all the children of man; from where He sits enthroned He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.” — Psalm 33:13–15
The world sees the outside. God sees the inside.
“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7
Hagar called the place Beer-lahai-roi, which means “the well of the Living One who sees me.” Even today, those who feel forgotten, discarded, or lost can find comfort in this name of God. You are not overlooked. You are not invisible. El Roi sees you.
El Roi, You are the God who sees me. In moments when I feel invisible to others, remind me that I am fully known and fully loved by You. You see my heart, my thoughts, my motives, my wounds — and You do not turn away. Thank You for being a God who cares enough to look upon me with compassion and truth. Teach me to rest in Your watchful presence and trust in Your gaze. In Jesus’ name, amen.