Old Testament Genesis 16:1-18:19
New Testament Matthew 6:1-24
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverb 2:1-5
A Father Who Sees
Hagar is Sarai’s Egyptian servant and is sorely mistreated in Genesis 16. Abram and Sarai are rich in material wealth, but they are poor with offspring. They have no children. Sarai suggests the way to have children is for Hagar to be a surrogate wife and mother. The plan works as far as producing an offspring for Abram. The plan fails in regards to righteousness and relationships. Sarai’s servant has now turned into a rival. Sarai is angry with Abram (Gen 16:5) and then forces Hagar to flee to the wilderness. There she finds a well and the angel of the Lord meets with her. He tells her to return home and submit to Sarai, but he also promises that she will bear a son and her offspring will become numerous. Her response to this encounter is worship. She praises the Lord for being a “God of seeing” and one “who looks after me” (Gen. 16:13). When no one else cares for you the Lord sees you in your circumstances. He is a loving and caring Father full of mercy and grace.
He also sees those who pretend to be righteous so they can be seen by others, and those who are truly practicing righteous living. Jesus continues His sermon in Matthew 6 addressing the outward display of religious living with a wrong goal. Religious people often want to be seen by others, but God sees what people cannot see… motivation. In this passage Jesus tell us what righteous living looks like in regard to three spiritual disciplines. They are giving, prayer, and fasting and each is to be done without self promotion or publicity. The Father knows what is done in secret and he will reward accordingly. Three times Jesus repeats, “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
For the mistreated and the disenfranchised there is a Father who is there and sees. Turn to Him and trust Him, which is only possible through Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Secondly, true righteous living does not parade itself around while giving the appearance of piousness. The Father is never fooled.
Romans 1:21 21
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Having head knowledge about the Father is vastly different than having a genuine heart seeking a loving pursuit to please the Father in all things. He sees beyond the surface and knows what is in the heart.