By now, you’ve realized the Old Testament brims with appearances of Jesus long before Bethlehem. These dramatic cameos, called Christophanies, reveal our Savior guiding the biblical story from the start.
From creation’s dawn to Abraham’s mysterious encounter with Melchizedek, Christ’s fingerprint is everywhere.
This time, we focus on a touching scene: Jesus comforting an outcast, an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
In Genesis 15, God promised Abraham an heir and a vast multitude of descendants, a promise so grand it seemed impossible.
But waiting on God’s timetable can be daunting. Sarah, desperate for results, asked Abraham to father a child through Hagar, her Egyptian servant.
As you can imagine… Chaos ensued.
Hagar quickly became pregnant, and jealousy tore Sarah’s heart apart. The tension between them grew so intense that a pregnant Hagar fled into the wilderness, alone and desperate.
There, hopeless, she encountered “The angel of the Lord,” a term often used to refer to the pre-incarnate Christ.
Jesus extended grace, urging Hagar to return while promising countless descendants through her child Ishmael.
Why does all this matter?
First, it shows that from the beginning, God was involving Himself in human affairs—unafraid to step into our messy and broken lives.
Second, it demonstrates His character as both transcendent and tender, infinitely holy yet protective of the vulnerable.
Finally, it foreshadows the entire gospel: the King of Kings stepping down in humility to show compassion, bear our burdens, and walk among us.
CONSIDER THIS:
Do you ever feel alone and unseen? Know that Christ sees you, all of you, and still chooses you. How does that reality change the way you see yourself?
Hagar’s story reminds us that no matter where we run—whether it’s a deserts of shame, confusion, or sorrow— God sees us. That’s the heart of Christ.
The angel of the Lord’s kindness toward Hagar previews the ultimate redemption story. In Jesus, God would take on flesh, dwell among the broken, and die on the cross.
Just as Hagar discovered, our God sees both our struggles and our potential. With arms open wide, He invites us to rest in His all-encompassing grace.
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