"And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water..." [Gen 21:19a]
In Galatians, we are reminded of an interaction between Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah; there, Paul shows us an allegory hidden beneath the facts of history: namely, that Hagar/Ishmael represented the law and Sarah/Isaac represented God’s grace, freely given to us in Christ. [Gal 4:25-31] However, if we examine the story, besides this spiritual analogy, we can also find encouragement and hope through Hagar’s recorded experience, which was “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” [1 Cor 10:11]
Looking back to Genesis, where the original event is recorded, we see that God said to Abraham, regarding the advice of His wife – “cast out this bondwoman and her son” – “let it not be grievous in thy sight…in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” [Gen 21:10, 12] And so with that, Hagar and Ishmael “departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.” [Gen 21:14] While in the wilderness, Hagar ran out of water; discouraged, she “cast the child under one of the shrubs, and she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot.” [Gen 21:15-16] Now, it was there as she sat, having given up hope, that God called out to her from heaven and encouraged her, saying,
“Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.” [Gen 21:17-18]
After this, “God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.” [Gen 21:19] Just as God opened Hagar’s eyes, revealing to her a lifegiving source of refreshment, so too God has, “open[ed] [our] eyes,” and has turned us “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that [we] may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in [Christ Jesus].” [Acts 26:18] As Paul says, “the eyes of your understanding [have been] enlightened;” [Eph 1:18] and that, because we have been touched by Christ, having been indwelt through His Eternal Spirit. Yes, just as Jonathan, “put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened,” so too we have tasted of The Lord Jesus’ words, which are “able to save [our] souls,” and which are “sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb,” and have seen that He, the fountain of living waters, is good. [1 Sam 14:27, Jam 1:21, Psa 19:10; 34:8]
As the man in the gospels said, let us say too, for it is truth: “one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see;” [Jn 9:25] for we have been made to see by the touch of our Savior’s hands, who “openeth the eyes of the blind.” [Psa 146:8] Praise God who has opened our eyes, that just as Hagar saw a well of water, we too might see Christ, the fountain and well of living waters.