“And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.” (Genesis 25:11)
The well Lahairoi which is interpreted “well of the Living One” or “well of the One Who lives and sees me,” is first mentioned when Hagar ran away from Saria. Hagar got pregnant when Sarai allowed her to conceive by Abraham. Sarai felt hated by Hagar and so Sarai treated her harshly. Hagar was probably going back home because she was at the well Lahairoi when the angel of the Lord spoke to her. The well is south of Canaan and on the way to Egypt. (Genesis 16:2-16) It was Hagar who named the well because it was there that the Lord spoke to her and comforted her.
Isaac was living in the “south country” near the well when he saw his father’s servant with the camels that had been sent to Mesopotamia to get a wife for him. (Genesis 24:1-62) “And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.” (Genesis 24:66-67) There was a draw to that well. The angel of the Lord had spoken to Hagar there and Isaac lived near there and had left the well to pray in the field when he saw his father’s camels with Rebekah. (Genesis 24:62,63) Later Isaac settles there by the well. (Genesis 25:11)
It's a reminder to us that God is “El Roi,” the God Who sees us. He saw Hagar’s plight. And He sees our plight. And He speaks to us from that well even today. “And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.” (Genesis 16:9) When we are distressed and afflicted, we want to run away and go far from our trouble. But God, “El Roi,” sees you in your distress and affliction and He says return, go back, retreat again (original Hebrew.) He tells us to submit. How we hate that word. But it’s God’s will for us.
And the Lord made promises to Hagar if she submitted and returned to Sarai. “And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 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. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” (Genesis 16:10-12) And Hagar obeyed and God fulfilled His promise to her.
The Lord also makes promises to us when we submit. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1Peter 5:6-11)
In those times of affliction, we feel like we’re all alone, abandoned even by the Lord, but He assures us in these verses that He is there with us even in the hardest times of our affliction. We need to believe His Word that He cares for us and that even if the time is hard and unbearable, He is present, He cares and He will turn things around for our benefit and His glory.
The enemy would have you believe that God doesn’t care and that He’s abandoned you. Resist him the Lord tells us. These afflictions are common to all believers. We’ve all been through them. And we all will go through them because there is an enemy of God who would destroy all that God has given you and will give you. But the Lord’s grace will enable us to push through and bring us on the other side victorious, bringing glory and praise to the Lord, “El Roi” Who sees us.
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