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The God Who Sees (El Roi) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking, where we unpack ideas that shape
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our understanding of God and the world around us.
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Today, we're taking a deep dive into a question that, well, it
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really touches every human heart.
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Does anyone truly see me? And this isn't just a general
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sentiment or, you know, a a personal feeling.
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It's actually a theological question.
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And as our sources show, Scripture offers a pretty clear
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answer, particularly through a really dramatic desert
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encounter. We're going to open up the
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material that examines a special name for God, first spoken by a
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very unexpected figure in a dire situation.
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Elroy. It means the God who sees.
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This deep dive aims to show how this name reveals God's very
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being, His far reaching knowledge, His careful ordering
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of all things, and His tender covenantal heart.
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It's a concept that has shaped theological thought for ages and
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has, well, why practical bearing on how we live our lives.
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We'll bring out how the seemingly simple name points to
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God as described in the Westminster Confession, Most
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Wise, most Holy, most Free, and most absolute, and how these
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attributes work together without any hints of conflict.
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That's right, this name, Elroy, it does more than just show us
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God's perception. It helps us grasp attributes
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that are, well, central to who He is.
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Our sources demonstrate how God's all seeing gaze isn't just
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passive observation. Not at all.
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Instead, it's a purposeful, sovereign gaze, connecting every
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detail into His meticulous care. Yet at the same time, it is the
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tender gaze focused on those often overlooked, even a
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marginalized, pregnant foreigner like Hagar.
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And this points ahead, really, to the inclusion of all nations
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through Christ. This understanding offers solid
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comfort to those who struggle and brings a sense of
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accountability, maybe to those who might be complacent.
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It allows us to view God's comprehensive knowledge,
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meticulous care, and covenantal love as harmonious parts of His
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simple, unified nature. OK, let's unpack this by
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beginning with the story where the name Elroy first appears in
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the Bible. Our sources are experience in
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Genesis 16 into 4 distinct steps or maybe movements.
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The structure helps us see the raw human struggle, the sure
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action of God's grace, and the, well, the altering effect of
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being seen by Elroy. It's a sequence that really
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makes the divine action stand out, doesn't it?
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Yes, this narrative unfolds as a careful sequence, shining light
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on how God works, even through human failures, to bring about
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his good purposes. It demonstrates that God's plan
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isn't derailed by human actions, but rather works through them.
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All right, so let's dive into that first step.
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OK, step one, the problem. This is Genesis 16 verses one
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through 6. It sets the stage by introducing
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the core human problem here. It starts with Sarai's inability
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to have children. Now, this put a huge question
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mark over God's earlier promise to Abram, the promise that he
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would have countless descendants.
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I mean, think about it. This was a massive central
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promise tied directly to their covenant with God.
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How could it come to pass if Sarai couldn't conceive?
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And as our sources point out, Sarai's solution to this this
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dilemma was common for the time she gave her servant Hagar to
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Abram as a surrogate. It was a culturally accepted
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practice then, designed to secure an air.
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But what our sources also make clear is that while culturally
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acceptable, this was spiritually compromised.
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It showed a reliance on human methods rather than, you know,
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trusting in God's timing and his.
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Abraham's involvement here is also notable.
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Our material draws a parallel. His compliance in this human
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scheme is sort of an echo of Adam's action back in Eden.
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In both cases, there's a departure from trusting God's
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direct guidance, leaning instead on self-reliance.
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This decision quickly led to a cascade of sin, didn't it?
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Hagar, now pregnant, began to look at Sarai with contempt.
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Sarai reacted harshly, expressing her anger.
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And Abram? Well, instead of stepping in to
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mediate, he basically abdicated his responsibility, Told Sarai.
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You know, do as she wish with Hagar.
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This rapid growth of sin shows the real shortcomings of human
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planning and how fragile God's promise can seem when left to
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human efforts and ingenuity rather than divine faithfulness.
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Right. And from a reformed perspective,
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this entire episode powerfully illustrates human fallenness,
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what we often call total depravity.
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Now, total depravity doesn't mean we're as bad as we could
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possibly be, or that we're incapable of any good thing.
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It means that sin has corrupted every part of our being, our
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minds, our wills, our affections, making us inherently
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unable to save ourselves or truly seek God without His
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initiative first. Even this patriarchal family who
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were recipients of covenant grace, they fell into disbelief
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when they tried to get God's blessing through their own,
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well, fleshly methods. They tried to take matters into
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their own hands instead of waiting on God's timing and His
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sovereign action. But what's remarkable, and our
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sources stress this, is that this very failure sets the stage
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for God's action. It shows us that where sin
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grows, God's grace is more than enough.
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God uses even our missteps and human messiness for his larger
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redemptive story. Which brings us neatly to the
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second step in the narrative, divine pursuit.
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This is Genesis 16, verses 7 through 12.
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The text tells us the Angel of Yahweh found her in the
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wilderness. Now that wording is crucial.
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It stresses that God sought Hagar out.
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She wasn't looking for him. He initiated the encounter.
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This really highlights God's proactive initiative in reaching
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out to those in distress, especially those who are lost
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or, you know, forgotten. And what's particularly
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interesting, according to our sources, is the identity of this
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Angel. Reformed understanding generally
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identifies this Angel not as a created being like Michael or
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Gabriel, but as a Christophany, which is a pre Incarnate
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appearance of the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ.
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Before he was born in Bethlehem, John Calvin himself referred to
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him as the Eternal Word. So this isn't just any Angel
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sending a message. It indicates a direct divine
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encounter. It stresses the personal and
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authoritative nature of God's intervention in Hagar's life.
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And this meeting happened at a spring specifically on the way
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to shore, which symbolically points Hagar back towards her
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old life of bondage in Egypt. It's quite poignant.
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And the angel's words to Hagar offer a wonderful, almost
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pastoral summons to transparency.
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He called her by name, Hagar, servant of Sarai.
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This is both an affirmation of her individual worth, God knew
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her name, and at the same time a gentle reminder of her proper
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household, her place within Abraham's family, despite the
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conflict. Then come his questions.
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Where have you come from and where are you going?
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These weren't asked because God lacked knowledge.
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Of course not. He knew exactly where she came
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from and where she was headed. These questions served as a call
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for Hagar to truly reveal herself, to be honest about her
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situation before God's all knowing sight.
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It's much like God questioned Adam and Eden after the fall.
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You know, inviting confession and self-awareness.
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And then the Angel delivered this dual message command and a
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promise. The command was clear.
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Return to your mistress and submit to her.
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Now that had to be difficult, a call back into a really painful
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situation. But immediately following, there
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was this incredible promise. I will surely multiply your
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offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.
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This was a sweeping promise, echoing the very one given to
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Abra himself. It's quite stunning.
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Then he instructed Hagar to name her son Ishmael, a name that
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means God hears, underscoring God's personal attentiveness to
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her cry, her specific distress. The description of Ishmael as a
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wild donkey of a man also give a realistic, even prophetic
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foretelling of ongoing conflict related to his descendants.
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It wasn't sugar coated. Right.
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And here, in this interaction, we see the contours of what
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Reformed theology calls unconditional election.
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Even though Hagar and Ishmael are outside the Direct Line of
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the promise given to Abraham and Sarah, God nevertheless binds
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himself to gracious purposes for them.
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He freely chooses to show them mercy.
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This makes it clear that God's mercy extends beyond ethnic or
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social lines, or even specific covenant boundaries we might
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draw. His grace isn't limited only to
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those within the immediate covenant family of Abram, but it
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reaches out to a marginalized foreigner, a slave woman.
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This demonstrates God's free and sovereign choice to show mercy
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to whomever He wills, not based on their merit or human
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expectations. It's all of grace.
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This brings us to the third step, Genesis 16, verse 13,
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which is really a theological turning point in this story.
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It's a summit in the narrative, Hagar utterly astonished that
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she survived an encounter with the Holy One.
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Because, you know, the Old Testament understanding was that
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to see God and live with a miracle.
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She exclaimed. Has I really seen him who sees
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me? It's a cry of wonder, maybe
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disbelief, and certainly overwhelming relief.
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She then named the Lord Elroy, meaning God the Seer.
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She stressed this as an intrinsic attribute, something
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about who God is, not just an action he performed on that
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particular day. Our sources highlight something
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quite remarkable here. Hagar, an outsider, an Egyptian
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slave woman, a person of low status.
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She was the first individual in Scripture to give God a
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theologically charged name, a name that reveals a deep truth
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about his character. This shows the personal side of
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revelation. It demonstrates that God reveals
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himself to anyone he chooses, regardless of their social
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standing, their background, or their perceived standing in
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human society. It just underscores that God's
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revelation isn't limited to prophets or patriarchs.
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It can be experienced by anyone whom he chooses to encounter.
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Hagar's response clearly illustrates what we call
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effectual calling. This is that moment when God's
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Spirit not only calls us externally through His word,
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like the Angel calling Hagar in the wilderness, but also
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inwardly and irresistibly draws us.
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He opens our eyes to truly understand and embrace the truth
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of who He is. God's grace enlightened her
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understanding, helping her grasp the truth that God is the all
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knowing Shepherd whose eyes are everywhere.
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Her testimony also brings out the experiential dimension of
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doctrine. God's all knowingness isn't some
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abstract philosophical concept. It's a lifeline for the
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oppressed, a source of rescue and hope.
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Her wilderness experience, a place of utter despair, became a
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setting of worship precisely because she encountered Elroy.
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She didn't just understand a doctrine, she experienced it in
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a way that truly changed her despair into an act of worship.
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And that leads to the 4th and final step in this narrative,
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Genesis 16 verses 15 and 16. It quietly but powerfully
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demonstrates God's faithfulness. The nerd closes with Hagar
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returning and burying Abram's son just as the Angel had
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promised. She obeyed.
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And Abram named the son Ishmael, obeying the angel's word.
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Now this is quite significant, isn't it?
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It shows that this revelation given to an Egyptian handmaid
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carried such authority that it held sway over the patriarch
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himself. Abram listened.
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This reveals the authority of God's Word even when spoken
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through maybe an unexpected channel.
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The mention of Abrams age at Ishmael birth also subtly
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connects Ishmael natural birth to the unfolding redemptive
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timeline, sort of foreshadowing the later supernatural birth of
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Isaac, the son of Promise. This ending vividly highlights
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meticulous Providence. Meticulous Providence means that
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God not only knows everything that will happen, but he also
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actively orchestrates everything that does happen, working out
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his purposes in every single detail, every step.
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In this story, Hagar's pregnancy or desperate miles in the
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desert, the interpersonal conflict, even Abraham's in
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action, all of it is fitted into the larger pattern that will
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eventually lead to Christ. It's a potent reminder that God
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is working all things together for His purposes, even the messy
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parts. Our sources stress that the
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story reframes what might seem like a disadvantage or just
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suffering. Being seen by Elroy is to
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discover that. And I quote, wilderness
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wanderings are never wasted but are ordained arenas for
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encountering the living God. So even in difficult
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circumstances, in moments of isolation or despair, God is
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present and active, using those very moments for his revelation
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and for our good. It's a message that really
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resonates when you're going through tough times, doesn't it?
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Finding purpose even there. That's a powerful start, and it
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becomes even more compelling when we realize that the name
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Elroy isn't just about Hagar's story.
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It's like a small window that opens up a view into core
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Reformed doctrines. It allows us to view God's
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attributes through three interconnected lenses.
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These lenses help us understand God's character in a deeper,
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more cohesive way. These lenses are distinct, yes,
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but they don't function in isolation.
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You can't really separate them. They reveal God's simple unified
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nature, showing that His attributes aren't separate parts
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of Him, but harmonized facets of His one indivisible glory.
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Think of it maybe like looking at a single diamond through
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different angles, each angle revealing a new sprinkle, but
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it's still 1 unified stone. OK, so what's the first lens?
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The first lens is a Sadie and omniscience.
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Now to understand this, let's breakdown a Sadie first.
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It's a theological term. It means God is a Sadie.
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He's self existent. He is not dependent on anything
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outside himself for his being or for his knowing.
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He is most absolute, as the confession says, operating all
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things by his own immutable and righteous will.
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Because he exists from himself. His knowing isn't something he
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learns or acquires over time. It's not derivative, it's not
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progressive and certainly not uncertain.
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He doesn't learn new things. He knows all things for eternity
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past. So because he is a set his own
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missions, his all knowingness is effortless and eternal passages
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like Psalm 139 show God knows our thoughts before they're even
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spoken, before they even fully form in our minds.
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It's staggering. Our sources tell us this isn't
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like a forensic investigation where God has to, you know,
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gather data or piece things together.
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It's an effortless, eternal intuition.
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God dwells in eternity, which means all creaturely moments,
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past, present and future are simultaneously present to him.
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He sees it all at once. And this knowledge has a moral
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weight to it. Hebrews 4.13 strikingly tells us
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that all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom
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we must give account. This connects his knowledge
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directly to moral accountability.
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This seeing acts like a Searchlight, exposing guilt,
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yes, but also guiding the penitent.
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It leads to conviction for the wayward and a path to
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restoration for those who turn back to him.
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Right. And from a Reformed perspective,
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we firmly reject views that try to limit or condition God's
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knowledge based on human action. This includes ideas like open
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theism, which claims God doesn't know future free choices
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because, well, they argue they haven't happened yet, or process
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thought, which sees God as constantly evolving and learning
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alongside creation. And also Mullinist middle
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knowledge, which is a complex idea attempting to reconcile
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human free will with divine foreknowledge in a way that for
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us still seems to lessen God's complete sovereign knowledge.
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These schemes are seen as reducing God's comprehensive
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sovereign knowledge, suggesting he is somehow dependent on or
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reactive to human choices. But for the believer, this very
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knowledge offers incredible solace.
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It's a huge comfort. Imagine every hidden sorrow,
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every unspoken cry, every quiet struggle you face is already
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catalogued in God's divine remembrance.
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He knows the God who saw Hagar utterly alone and abandoned in
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the wilderness, sees his people today in their specific pains
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and joys. And because his scene is
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inherent to who He is, it's not conditional.
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It doesn't depend on us. Their assurance, Your assurance
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is as firm as his very being. You could be certain that your
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struggles, no matter how hidden they feel, are completely known
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to him. That's a powerful comfort, and
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building on that idea of God's all knowingness, the second lens
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is meticulous Providence. This concept goes beyond mere
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knowledge. It shows that what God
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foreknows, He also for orders. His watchful eye doesn't just
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observe. It truly becomes a governing
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hand, actively directing all things.
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It's not just about knowing what will happen, but actively
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directing it to happen according to His will.
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Precisely. Think back to the angels promise
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to Hagar about multiplying her offspring.
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That wasn't just a forecast based on observation data.
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It was a decree. It was a statement of what God
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would do because He intended to do it.
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Scripture clearly links God's scene to his actions.
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Think of Two Chronicles 16.9. His eyes survey the earth
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specifically to show his strength and behalf of those
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whose heart is fully committed to him.
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Classical Reformed thought understands Providence through
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what we call concurrence. You can think of concurrence
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like a conductor leading an orchestra.
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The conductor, representing God's primary operation, sets
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the tempo and directs the entire piece.
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But each musician representing secondary operations like our
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choices and actions, still plays their own instrument.
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God ensures the Symphony plays exactly as He intends, even as
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we make our individual notes without violating or removing
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our ability to play our instrument.
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He works through, not against, secondary causes.
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So this means there's no rogue molecule in the universe, as
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someone put it. Sarai's desperate plan, Abram's
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passive in action, Hagar's flight, even the specific desert
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land itself. Every single detail is fitted
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into God's larger plan, and that plan cannot fail because it
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depends on the planners unchanging nature.
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This meticulousness, which some might misjudge his fatalism or a
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lack of human agency, actually supports prayer, encourages
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courage, and fuels missionary zeal.
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Why? Because you know that no
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molecule is outside his care, no tear is wasted, and no gospel
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seed is planted in vain. Every effort, every moment is
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part of His greater design. And this brings us to a rich
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real world application. Those walking challenging paths,
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maybe feeling unseen or adrift. You can trust that the same
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sovereign eye which noticed Hagar in her desperation charts
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every unseen step you take. He will direct each one toward
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ultimate good. It means that your
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circumstances, no matter how difficult, confusing, or
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seemingly random they feel, are held firmly within His
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providential care. You are not floating aimlessly.
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He sees you and. That leads naturally to the
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third lens. Yes, our third lens is
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covenantal compassion. This lens is vital because it
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guards against viewing God's sight as cold, clinical, or, you
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know, detached. When Scripture uses verbs
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related to divine vision, verbs like saw, heard, new, they
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almost always lean towards saving action.
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Think of Exodus 3. God's gaze is warm and
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covenantly placed in the well-being of his chosen people.
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It's not just intellectual knowledge, it's active, caring
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involvement. And Hagar's story really signals
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the broad scope of God's covenantal pledge, doesn't it?
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Here's an Egyptian slave woman outside the Abrahamic line who
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becomes the first person in Scripture to give God a
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theological name like this. This hints at the later grafting
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of the Gentiles into God's covenant family, as Paul talks
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about in Romans. It's a wonderful illustration
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that God's mercy extends beyond immediate boundaries, reaching
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out to those whom society might overlook or deem insignificant.
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And this divine compassion is not a sudden emotional reaction
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God has when he sees us suffering.
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It's not like he's surprised by our pain.
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It's an eternal disposition, something that has always been
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true of Him, consistently shown through his covenant with his
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people. This brings in the concept of
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divine impassibility again. Now, this might sound cold or
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unfeeling to some modern ears, but divine impassability
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actually means that God's love is perfectly constant and
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dependable. It's never swayed by fickle
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human emotions or temporary circumstances.
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It guarantees that God's loving kindness is not whimsical but
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firmly rooted in his unchanging character.
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A God who could change his emotions might forget us or grow
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weary of us. Elroy, the God who sees never
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will. His love for you is constant and
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unyielding. So to mirror this compassion,
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the church, as God's people, must cultivate what our sources
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call sanctified sight. This means actively recognizing
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those whom society overlooks, refugees, widows, lonely people,
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the unborn, and helping them. We are called to be agents of
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covenant grace, not just activists pursuing a social
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'cause. This involves intentionally
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seeking out where modern Hagar's might be fleeing, and combining
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practical material help with the clear proclamation of the
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gospel. We are called to be His hands
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and feet, seeing others as he sees them with His warm, active,
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covenantal gaze. That's high calling.
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It really is. Now, it's truly compelling how
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Elroy isn't just a single attribute of God, but it becomes
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a lens through which we view the entire activity of the Trinity
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in redemption. This one name unveils the
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coordinated work of Father, Son, and Spirit throughout God's
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saving plan. That's right, it shows how the
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Father plans the sun and bodies, and the Spirit applies this
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seeing love throughout the entire story of salvation.
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It's a beautiful picture of unity and purpose within the
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Godhead. Let's unpack that a bit.
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OK, let's start with God the Father.
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All right. We speak of God the Father
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seeing it's never detached or passive.
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It is eternally purpose of knowledge.
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Ephesians, one says he works all things according to the counsel
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of his will. His vision is active and
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purposeful. He sees to save, he watches to
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shepherd, and he beholds to bless.
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It's not a passive observation, but an intentional, loving gaze
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that sets everything in motion for his redemptive purposes.
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And his gaze is utterly reliable.
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Divine impassibility, which we just discussed as God's
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unchanging disposition, safeguards this truth.
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It means God's gaze cannot be manipulated by creaturely events
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or our unpredictable actions, making it the most reliable gaze
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in the entire universe. The Father looks upon Hagar not
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with temporary sympathy that might fade, but with an
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immutable, chosen love that has been within His being from all
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eternity. This means His love for us, His
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people, is unchanging, foundational and utterly secure.
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Then we come to God the Son, Jesus Christ, the Angel of
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Yahweh who found Hagar in the wilderness is traditionally
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understood, as we said, as a Christophany, a pre Incarnate
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appearance of the eternal Son. This is the very same person who
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thousands of years later walked in Galilee and said to Nathaniel
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in John 1. Before Philip called you, when
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you were under the fig tree, I saw you.
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This continuity shows His eternal nature and His personal
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knowledge of individuals across time.
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He sees us. In his earthly ministry, Jesus
21:04
consistently embodied alert Roy. He didn't just observe, he saw
21:07
into people. He discerned the paralytics,
21:10
hidden faith, cutting through the physical ailment, the deeper
21:13
spiritual need. He pierced the Samaritan woman's
21:16
past at the well, revealing her life story with a knowing gaze
21:19
that brought conviction and then ultimately belief.
21:23
He saw the vast crowds not just as a mass of people, but with
21:25
heartfelt compassion, knowing their needs, seeing them as
21:29
sheep without a shepherd. And the climax of his seeing
21:32
happens at Calvary on the cross. There He both bears and answers
21:36
the Father's all knowing gaze upon human sin.
21:39
The cross is the meeting point of God's complete knowledge of
21:41
our sin and His boundless mercy. Christ, who knew no sin, was
21:46
made sin for us, so that the Father's all knowing I could
21:48
rest unforgiven sinners without destroying them.
21:51
In Christ, the God who sees us in our sin becomes the God who
21:54
is seen in His salvation. Beautifully put, and even now in
21:57
his ascended state, he continues to be Elroy.
22:00
He is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for
22:03
those still going through their own difficulties, ensuring that
22:06
His seeing love continues to be active on their behalf.
22:10
His watchful eye is still on His people, His church.
22:12
Which brings us to the Holy Spirit.
22:14
Yes. So if the Father plans salvation
22:17
and the Son accomplishes it, then God the Holy Spirit applies
22:20
Elroy Seeing love to individual hearts.
22:23
He makes this divine truth personal and real for each
22:26
believer. He brings it home.
22:28
The Spirit gives us a subjective persuasion and inner conviction,
22:31
what Paul calls the witness of the Spirit in Romans 8.
22:34
It's that sense that God's eye now rests on us with fatherly
22:37
favor, confirming that we are indeed children of God.
22:40
It's an inner assurance. The Spirit also clarifies
22:43
Scripture for us. He opens our eyes to understand
22:45
God's all knowingness so it becomes a source of praise and
22:48
joy, not just a dry doctrine we assent to.
22:51
Exactly. The Spirit also strengthens our
22:53
perseverance. Believers are kept by God's
22:55
strength, Peter says, and are never outside his celestial
22:58
sight, even in isolation or times of doubt.
23:02
Our growth in holiness, our sanctification, involves
23:05
becoming more comfortable, you could say, with being completely
23:07
known by God, letting see everything.
23:10
The Spirit steadily molds Saints into Christ's image to be like
23:13
Christ, who is fully transparent before the Father.
23:16
It's truly wonderful how this motif of divine vision traces
23:19
the entire redemptive timeline, which theologians called the
23:23
ordo salutis, or order of salvation.
23:26
It ensures that no stage of our salvation is left to chance or
23:28
falls outside God's comprehensive view.
23:30
Yes, from election right through to glorification.
23:34
God's seeing is continuously at work in election.
23:37
The Father saw His people in Christ before the foundation of
23:40
the world, as Ephesians one tells us, choosing them in His
23:42
perfect wisdom. In justification, God declares
23:45
believers righteous because their sin was already seen and
23:48
judged at Golgotha. The payment was made and God's
23:51
just. I saw it as complete in Christ.
23:54
In sanctification, God constantly observes, prunes, and
23:58
refines us through His Spirit, guiding us towards greater
24:01
Christlikeness. He's watching over our growth.
24:04
And finally, in glorification, He will present the Church
24:07
without spot or wrinkle when our faith turns to sight and we see
24:10
Him face to face as Revelation describes.
24:12
So a believer's entire story, their past, their present, and
24:15
their future is written in the light of a gaze that cannot
24:18
fade. This offers immense assurance
24:20
and stability, knowing that your whole life is seen and held by a
24:23
good and sovereign God. This sense of Elroy saturates
24:26
our ecclesiology, our understanding of the Church and
24:29
the means of grace too. The very life of the Church is
24:32
shaped by this truth. When the Word is preached,
24:36
Christ searches minds and hearts, discerning our innermost
24:39
thoughts and intentions. He sees us in our pews, in our
24:42
homes, truly knowing us. As the Word goes forth in
24:46
baptism in the Lord's Supper, the Spirit affirms that the God
24:49
who saw Hagar now publicly identifies with his covenant
24:53
community. These sacraments are visible
24:55
signs of His continuing care and His seeing presence among us.
24:59
So weekly corporate worship then becomes a regular practice of
25:02
being seen and known by God. When we confess our sins
25:06
together, we acknowledge what the Father already discerns
25:09
about our hearts. When absolution is declared, it
25:11
announces Christ's answer to that gaze, declaring our
25:14
forgiveness based on his finished work.
25:16
And when the benediction is given, it assures the
25:18
congregation that the Spirit will preserve them under God's
25:21
watchful eye as they go out into the week.
25:23
It's a powerful reminder of God's active presence in our
25:26
communal life. It really frames the whole
25:28
experience of church life, doesn't it?
25:29
It does. Now.
25:30
This understanding of God's seeing has a rich, long history.
25:35
It's not a new idea, obviously, but one that has been discussed
25:38
and developed over centuries. Let's maybe touch on how
25:41
theologians throughout time have reflected on Elroy.
25:44
Yes, it's helpful to see the continuity.
25:47
The idea that God perfectly sees and governs has been a constant
25:50
theological line, adapted, of course, to address the pastoral
25:53
needs of each era. Where should we start the early
25:55
church? Let's in the early church you
25:58
have figures like Augustine. In his confessions he wrote
26:00
about God being more inward than my inmost self.
26:04
He took the idea of God's complete knowledge and turned it
26:07
into solace for his own restless soul.
26:10
Seeing God's eye is lovingly present and directing all things
26:13
towards set ends. This countered those Pagan ideas
26:16
of blind fate. Then he has John Chrysostom.
26:19
His homilies on Genesis linked God seeing Hagar in her distress
26:23
to God seeing the poor and the suffering in his own day,
26:26
grounding a clear call to social responsibility for believers
26:29
based on God's own seeing nature.
26:31
And Gregory the Great encourage pastors to shepherd their flocks
26:34
under the gaze of the pastor past Storm, the chief shepherd
26:36
who knows every single sheep's trouble intimately.
26:39
Moving into medieval scholasticism, what do we see?
26:42
Well, you see Thomas Aquinas refining the understanding of
26:45
divine knowledge. He rooted it very carefully in
26:48
God's simplicity and self existence.
26:50
ACD as we discussed, his approach was perhaps more
26:53
theoretical, more metaphysical. Alongside this, though, you have
26:57
Mystics like Julian of Norwich. She found comfort not in complex
27:01
philosophical arguments, but in Christ's simple promise.
27:04
All shall be well. She rested in the idea that the
27:08
One who promised this sees every situation simultaneously,
27:12
holding all things in His loving knowledge.
27:14
But our sources also mentioned some limitations in this period.
27:17
Yes. They note that while there was
27:19
deep thought, sometimes God's side was treated more as a
27:22
cosmic principle, maybe an abstract truth about the
27:25
universe, rather than a personal covenantal pledge rooted in
27:28
redemption history. Some of the personal relational
27:31
warmth scene in Hagar's story was perhaps less prominent in
27:34
certain scholastic discussions. Then came the Reformation.
27:37
How did that change things? The Reformation really brought
27:39
the personal and relational aspects back to the forefront,
27:43
especially connecting God's seeing to justification, Martin
27:46
Luther contrasted. Human seeing are limited, often
27:49
self-serving perspective with the active seeing of the gospel.
27:53
For Luther, God sees believers in Christ, and because he sees
27:57
them clothed in Christ's righteousness, he declares them
27:59
righteous. Justification wasn't based on
28:02
their works, but on God's gracious side of them in his
28:05
Son. His focus was on God's saving
28:07
action. And John Calvin, he seems
28:09
central here. Absolutely.
28:11
Calvin truly integrated Elroy into the doctrine of careful
28:14
Providence. He wrote The God's Eye, the same
28:17
eye which observed Hagar in the desert, stops the mouths of the
28:20
wicked and gives quiet rest to the faithful.
28:24
For Calvin, being seen by God brings both a powerful restraint
28:27
for those who would do evil, knowing they are observed, and a
28:31
tremendous relief for those who are suffering, knowing they are
28:33
not forgotten or unseen. This understanding became
28:36
foundational. Both the Heidelberg Catechism
28:39
and the Westminster Confessions, central documents of Reformed
28:42
theology, codified this. They define Providence as God's
28:45
fatherly hand, and Hagar's story offers a key scriptural basis
28:48
for this idea of God's seeing eye governing all things for his
28:52
glory and the good of his people.
28:53
What about after the Reformation with the Puritans?
28:56
Moving to the post Reformation era and the Puritans, you find
29:00
even deeper theological reflection and application.
29:03
Francis Tureton, a major Reformed theologian, used
29:05
Genesis 16 to argue that divine foreseeing is decreedive, not
29:09
hypothetical. That means God sets Ishmael's
29:12
destiny by his decree rather than merely observing what he
29:15
will do or reacting to possibilities.
29:18
Petrus van Maastricht urged believers to pray under the rays
29:21
of that omniscient light which first dawned upon an Egyptian
29:24
handmaid, grounding prayer directly in God's present active
29:27
knowledge revealed in this story.
29:29
And the Puritans were masters of applying this truth to daily
29:32
life, weren't they? Oh, absolutely.
29:34
John Owen famously described God's all knowingness as a
29:38
pillow to the St. and a bridle to the Sinner.
29:41
Comfort for the righteous, restraint for the wicked.
29:44
Thomas Boston warned that secret sins hidden from human eyes are
29:48
known in the glare of God's noon.
29:50
There's no hiding. Jonathan Edwards, the Great
29:53
American theologian and philosopher, argue that divine
29:56
foreknowledge and human choice go together precisely because
29:58
God seeing is causal, not just cognitive.
30:01
It's an active, directing knowledge that brings things to
30:03
pass while still upholding human responsibility.
30:06
And tracing this closer to our time.
30:08
In the 19th and 20th centuries and up to the present day, the
30:11
truth of Elroy continued to resonate.
30:14
Charles Spurgeon, the great London preacher, often used
30:16
Hagar's story to reassure weary people that it is better to be
30:21
out in God's world with him who sees than in your mistress's
30:24
tent without him? His point was the presence of
30:27
the seeing God means more than comfortable circumstances.
30:30
The Princeton theologians like BB Warfield and J Gresham Megan
30:34
used God's all knowingness as a defense against liberal finite
30:37
God theories, ideas that tried to limit God's power or
30:41
knowledge. They stated clearly that a God
30:43
who does not completely know cannot reliably act to save.
30:47
Karl Barth, despite other theological differences with
30:49
traditional Reformed thought, agreed in denying any reality
30:52
that could possibly exist outside God's comprehensive
30:55
site. And contemporary reform figures.
30:57
Yes, figures like RC Sproll, Ji Packer, John Piper, and John
31:00
MacArthur, among others, continue to uphold this classic
31:03
position, stressing that not one maverick molecule is outside
31:06
God's vision and sovereign care. So to summarize this long
31:09
historical line, our sources show that God, God's gaze, has
31:12
consistently been understood in the mainstream of Christian
31:15
thought, and particularly in Reformed thought, as complete,
31:19
effective, and centered on the gospel.
31:21
When any of these fancets his complete knowledge, his
31:25
effective governance, his gospel focus is removed or diluted, the
31:29
church's assurance, and it's called a holiness.
31:32
Both tend to suffer. This historical consistency
31:35
really reinforces the enduring message of Elroy.
31:38
OK, so this deep dive into Elroy isn't just about history, or
31:41
even just intellectual understanding.
31:43
It's also a vital defense against modern theological
31:46
challenges, isn't it? Our sources show how this
31:49
doctrine stands as a kind of keystone against views that try
31:52
to diminish God's attributes, preserving the true nature of
31:55
the God revealed in Scripture. That's right.
31:57
And these aren't just academic debates happening in seminaries
32:00
or theological journals. These are vital safeguards.
32:03
They ensure believers truly meet and understand the unchanging
32:06
God who saw Hagar. They protect the very foundation
32:09
of our faith and how we relate to God day by day.
32:12
So what are some of these challenges?
32:14
Let's start with open theism. OK, open theism.
32:17
This view claims that God cannot infallibly know future free
32:19
choices because, they argue, those choices do not yet exist
32:23
to be known. It suggests God takes risks and
32:26
learns as events unfold. But Genesis 16 offers a pretty
32:29
direct counter to this, doesn't it?
32:31
The Angel who spoke to Hagar not only predicts Ishmael's nature
32:34
that he'd be a wild donkey of a man, but he actually decrees it.
32:38
This is what will happen. This means God foreordains
32:40
whatsoever comes to pass, as the Westminster Confession puts it.
32:44
So he knows the future not merely because he observes it
32:45
unfolding, but because he authored it in his eternal plan.
32:48
So this demonstrates that God's knowledge is decretive, meaning
32:51
it's tied to his sovereign decrees rather than merely
32:54
reactive. Open theism, while maybe aiming
32:57
to make God seem more relatable by portraying him as genuinely
33:01
experiencing the future alongside us, ultimately offers
33:04
sympathy but no certainty about his plan or the outcome.
33:07
Elroy, as understood in Reformed theology, offers both compassion
33:11
and certainty. Our sources highlight that
33:13
Hagar's comfort came from the certainty that she and her child
33:16
had a fixed, known place in God's saving plan, a certainty
33:20
that open theism simply cannot provide because it leaves the
33:23
future truly open, even, in a sense, to God himself.
33:27
A second challenge comes from process theology and certain
33:29
forms of passable ISM. These views portray God as
33:32
dynamically affected by creaturely events, suggesting
33:35
his emotions are fluid and his compassion awakens only in
33:38
response to human struggle or suffering.
33:40
They might even use Hagar's story, seeing God's interaction
33:43
with her as proof of a changing God, a God who learns, adapts,
33:46
and is moved by events rather than moving them.
33:49
And the reformed counter argument rests on.
33:51
It rests on what we discussed earlier, divine simplicity and
33:54
impassability. Classical Reform theology
33:57
counters this view directly. God's compassion is not a sudden
34:00
emotion that flares up when he sees our distress.
34:03
It's not reactive, instead it is an eternal disposition,
34:07
something that has always been true of him, consistently shown
34:10
through his covenant promises and actions.
34:12
He isn't moved to pity as if it were a new feeling he didn't
34:14
have before. He possesses perfect compassion
34:17
eternally as part of his very nature.
34:20
The Angel who met Hagar in the desert was not surprised or
34:22
unsettled by her plight. He was simply showing a
34:25
compassion that has always been present within the Triune God.
34:28
And this concept of impassibility, far from
34:31
lessening divine tenderness, actually protects it.
34:33
It ensures God's loving kindness is not whimsical, not dependent
34:37
on temporary stimuli or our actions, but firmly rooted in
34:40
his unchanging character. A changing God might forget or
34:44
grow tired of our struggles, or even be overwhelmed by the
34:46
world's suffering. Elroy, the God who sees, never
34:49
will. His steadfast love is guaranteed
34:52
by his unchanging nature. Then there's a point often
34:54
raised regarding continuing revelation.
34:57
Some interpretations, especially within certain charismatic
34:59
traditions, might believe that if God still sees and acts like
35:03
he did in Genesis 16, then he must continue to give new
35:06
personal revelations through dreams, prophecies, or direct
35:09
voices today. Similar to Hagar's experience,
35:12
Reformed Thought generally replies that the sufficiency of
35:15
Scripture is the primary way God's seeing His guidance.
35:18
His will is now given to the Church.
35:21
So what does that mean? Practically?
35:23
It means the complete and final Canon of Scripture of the Bible
35:26
is the regular, established, authoritative way God addresses
35:29
His people. Now.
35:31
Hagar's encounter was a specific, unique historical
35:34
event in the unfolding of God's special revelation leading up to
35:37
Christ. It wasn't necessarily intended
35:39
as a normative pattern for every believers daily experience After
35:43
Pentecost. The Holy Spirit primarily works
35:45
to clarify and illuminate what has already been revealed in
35:47
God's Word. He doesn't typically add new
35:50
infallible insights to the written Word.
35:52
And this approach actually magnifies divine compassion in a
35:56
way. Because God has spoken with
35:57
clarity and finality in His Word, believers don't need to
36:01
live in anxiety, worrying about missing private messages or
36:04
wondering if they've heard God correctly.
36:06
We have all we need for faith and life in His sufficient Word,
36:09
assuring us. He sees us, guides us, and hears
36:13
us. OK, one more clarification
36:15
point. What about ideologically driven
36:17
readings? Right, we need to defend the
36:19
truth of Elroy against certain ideologically driven readings.
36:23
For example, some feminist or post colonial critics might
36:26
interpret Hagar primarily as a proto martyr of patriarchal
36:29
oppression, viewing her story mainly through a lens of
36:31
societal injustice, perhaps becoming suspicious of the
36:34
biblical text itself. Now Genesis 16 certainly shows
36:37
human injustice and sorry as cruelty, that's undeniable.
36:40
But our sources point out that its main biblical purpose within
36:43
the flow of Genesis is to highlight the faithful covenant
36:46
Lord whose faithfulness actually remedies and overcomes that
36:49
injustice. So removing the story from the
36:51
broader context of the Abrahamic promise and God's overarching
36:54
redemptive plan reduces it, perhaps to merely a moral tale
36:59
about human conflict. A canonical reading, on the
37:01
other hand, sees Hagar's relief and God's intervention is coming
37:05
from her being included, even tangentially, in God's saving
37:08
progress towards Christ. This Christ centered approach
37:12
allows us to acknowledge the real human oppression shown in
37:14
the text without cynically undermining the text primary
37:18
message of God's sovereign and gracious intervention.
37:21
It holds both the human brokenness and the divine
37:23
faithfulness in proper view. A necessary balance.
37:27
So let's bring this all together.
37:28
This deep dive into Elroy isn't just for our minds.
37:31
As we've said, it has tangible applications for how we lived.
37:34
Every single day. Our sources unpack what it truly
37:36
means to live Corndeo, that Latin phrase meaning consciously
37:40
before the face of God. This is where the truth meets
37:43
our daily walk. This is where Hagar's astonished
37:45
cry Have I really seen him? Who sees me truly shapes our
37:50
entire Christian way of being. It's a liberated life, one lived
37:53
with vigilance, with a missional focus, and with tenderness.
37:57
It's a life that flourishes when God, seeing gaze, is embraced
38:00
not as a threat, but as our true environment, the very air we
38:03
breathe. Let's talk about some specific
38:05
applications. What about comfort for the
38:07
afflicted? Yes, first and foremost for the
38:10
afflicted. For those who are suffering or
38:12
feel overlooked, it offers unshakable comfort.
38:16
Imagine lying in a hospital bed, facing a difficult diagnosis or
38:19
wrestling with a private struggle no one else knows
38:21
about. Every sorrow, every hidden cry
38:24
is already catalogs in God's divine remembrance.
38:27
He knows, He sees. This understanding allows
38:30
suffering people to express their distress openly, to pour
38:32
out their hearts without reservation, knowing God neither
38:35
misplaces their sorrows nor misjudges their motives.
38:38
Hagar's comfort rested precisely in God's certainty that her
38:41
place in His plan was fixed. Even in the wilderness, your
38:44
hidden pain is not hidden from Him.
38:46
He sees you there. And this understanding of God's
38:48
all knowing vision also serves as fuel for holiness and
38:51
accountability, doesn't it? It certainly does.
38:53
The idea that secrecy is an illusion, that nothing is truly
38:57
hidden from God, means the private screens, expense
39:00
reports, our thought lives, even the things we think no one else
39:04
sees become settings of worship or potential areas of sin.
39:08
Knowing Elroy sees us isn't meant to be primarily a threat,
39:12
but an invitation to live with integrity and sincerity in every
39:14
area of life, knowing he sees our efforts too.
39:18
Churches should encourage habits that help keep God's eye
39:20
lovingly present in our awareness.
39:22
Things like accountability groups, intentional family
39:25
worship, and structured teaching that reinforces God's ever
39:28
present knowledge and care. How does it reshape our ethics
39:30
of care? Well, because God noticed Hagar,
39:33
a marginalized, overlooked individual, his people are
39:37
called to notice society's invisible ones.
39:39
Think about foster children, elderly people who are isolated,
39:42
trafficked, workers who are exploited, or the unborn.
39:45
We are called to help them not just as activists for a social
39:48
cause, but as agents of God's covenant grace, reflecting his
39:52
seeing heart. This involves actively seeking
39:54
out where modern Hagar's might be fleeing, combining practical,
39:57
material help with the clear proclamation of the gospel
40:00
message. It means getting involved where
40:02
there's real need, seeing people as God sees them.
40:04
And prayer. How does Elroy change how we
40:06
pray? It truly revolutionizes prayer.
40:09
Think of a time you've struggled to pray, perhaps feeling like
40:12
you had to catch God up on your situation, giving them all the
40:15
background details. Elroy changes this completely.
40:18
Instead of trying to inform God, we pour out hearts that are
40:21
already completely known. You don't need to explain the
40:24
back story. He already knows every detail,
40:26
every fear, every silent cry you have.
40:28
This frees you to pray with raw honesty and candor, transforming
40:32
what might feel like silent cries into spirit interpreted
40:35
communication, knowing He fully understands even before you
40:39
utter a single word. What about reimagining corporate
40:42
worship? Reimagining corporate worship
40:44
through this lens means it becomes a regular practice of
40:47
consciously being seen and known by God together.
40:51
When we participate in confession during worship, we
40:54
acknowledge what the Father already discerns about our
40:56
hearts and our weak. When absolution is announced, it
40:59
declares Christ's answer to that gaze, confirming our forgiveness
41:02
based on his finished work. And when the benediction is
41:05
given, it sends the congregation forth with the assurance of
41:08
God's shining face upon them. His watchful care, the means of
41:12
grace, the preached Word, baptism, and the Lord's Supper
41:16
are saturated with Elroy. They confirmed that the God who
41:19
saw Hagar now publicly identifies with his covenant
41:22
community, making his presence tangible among us.
41:24
Does it give courage for mission?
41:26
Immense courage. Awareness of God's eye provides
41:29
incredible courage for missions both local and global.
41:33
The same Lord who tracked Hagar in the vast desert has already
41:37
scouted every unreached area of the world.
41:39
He knows where his sheep are. He goes before his missionaries,
41:43
ensuring the gospel work will never be in a drawing blind
41:46
spot. Missionaries can step on the
41:48
foreign soil into unfamiliar cultures, trusting that the
41:51
shepherd already knows every sheep yet to be gathered, and he
41:54
will guide them to where he has already prepared hearts to hear
41:58
the good news. He sees the end for the
42:00
beginning. How about in our digital age?
42:03
This seems relevant. Very relevant in our modern age
42:06
of constant surveillance and social media where people are
42:08
always curating an image trying to be seen in a certain way.
42:12
Believers find stability in the truth that the only gaze that
42:15
truly counts, the only like, that ultimately matters, is
42:18
God's all knowing, holy and full of grace.
42:21
This helps us filter through the endless noise and the pressure
42:24
for superficial validation. Parents in particular can use
42:26
this. They can guide young people to
42:29
value the lasting joy of being completely known and loved by
42:32
God over the fleeting pleasure of likes and online recognition.
42:37
It's a foundational truth that offers an anchor in a world
42:39
obsessed with outward appearance and virtual affirmation.
42:43
It. Really is.
42:44
And it undergirds perseverance, too.
42:46
When you're struggling, when you feel abandoned, or like your
42:48
prayers are hitting the ceiling, the doctrine of Elroy supports
42:52
your perseverance. Wilderness seasons in our lives,
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periods of dryness, doubt, or difficulty are not proof of
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abandonment. God hasn't stopped seeing you.
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Instead, they could be opportunities for God to reveal
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himself anew, just as Hagar's desperate spring encounter was
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part of God's wise plan for her. Simple practices like regularly
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recording God's provisions in a journal or rehearsing answered
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prayers help keep believers from forgetting God's faithfulness in
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those unseen moments when he was still watching over us.
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And finally, how does Elroy reshape our hope for the future,
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our eschatology? Elroy shapes our Christian hope
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for the future in a significant way.
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The future is not some unknown haze that God must discover
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along with us. It's a city He has built, a new
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heaven and new earth where believers shall see his face.
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As Revelation promises, that's the ultimate goal.
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This perspective makes funerals, not just moments of grief but
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rehearsals of restored sight, a comfort that we will see our
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loved ones in Christ again and ultimately see God in our
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everyday vocations, our daily work, our callings.
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They are reframed as rehearsals for a world full of unveiled
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glory, where everything we do is truly done.
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Corumdeo before his face. What a rich, deep dive into the
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truth of Elroy, the God who sees.
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We've covered up this name, first uttered by Hagar in her
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distress, gathers the expansive scope of Reformed theology into,
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well, a single beam of desert light.
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We've seen that the trying God, the Father who plans, the Son
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who embodies, and the Spirit who applies, all work together in
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this continuous seeing love, bringing wandering hearts into
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fellowship with Him. Indeed, the revelation of Elroy
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in Genesis 16 truly stands as a canonical microcosm, a small
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picture of the whole. God's self existence, his
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meticulous care, and his covenantal compassion all
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converge there to bring solace and hope.
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Because God, seeing is decreedive, died to his plan.
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The future is fixed in his good purpose.
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We can rest in that because His seeing is unchanging yet
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affectionate. Our comfort is certain, not
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conditional, because it's seeing.
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His will is now primarily given through complete Scripture.
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Our assurance rests on a firm word, not fleeting feelings.
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And because His seeing centers on Christ, our liberation is
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found not in our own efforts, but in union with our crucified
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and risen Redeemer, who saw us and gave himself for us.
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So living corumdeo consciously before the face of God truly is
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the logical outflow of grasping this truth.
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It's how we should live. It means we pray with honesty,
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knowing He already knows. We pursue personal purity
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knowing He sees our hearts. We reach out to overlook
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neighbors reflecting His sight. We move ahead with courage in
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Our Calling, trusting His oversight.
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And we can face even the final moment with the calm certainty
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that the God who sees us now will soon be seen face to face.
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Our sources show that throughout history the Church has thrived
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when it rested on the strong foundation, God's complete
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knowledge, His effective governance, and His gospel
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focused mercy. When these are firm in the
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Church's heart and teaching, believers truly flourish, even
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perhaps especially in challenging times.
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So as you go about your day, perhaps consider this thought.
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How might living with a constant awareness of Elroy, the God who
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sees you right now in your specific circumstances?
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How might that alter your next steps, your next conversation,
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or maybe just your next quiet moment alone?
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Thank you for joining us for this deep dive on reformed
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thinking. We trust you found this
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discussion thought provoking and encouraging.