Read Genesis 16:6-14
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. Genesis 16:11 KJV
This is the first appearance of the angel of the Lord in Scripture; it surprises me because he does not appear to Abraham, the father of faith and friend of God, but Hagar, a slave girl, and outsider to God’s people. Many believe the angel of the Lord is an appearance of God, perhaps a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. The angel spoke as only God could speak and made a promise only God could keep, and Hagar believed she was hearing and seeing God. I understand the angel as a special messenger of God speaking and acting in His behalf. In her time of trouble, the angel assured Hagar that God cared. When she had no one else to turn to, she cried out to God and He was there through His ministering angel. The same is true for each of us. We may not be the best positioned in life, we may be an outcast, but God still cares for us and when we turn to Him, He will be there for us.
Lord, I am thankful you were there for me in my time of trouble. When I felt like I had no where else to turn you were there for me. You took me from the wilderness of my sin and enabled me to walk with you. How glad I am you are the God who hears and sees me!
A question to ponder: Looking closer at the passage, what do you think, is the angel of the Lord an appearance of God or His special messenger speaking and acting in His behalf?
