Sarah

The story of Sarah and Abraham has been of utmost significance to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, who together compose a large portion of the global population. Isaiah portrays the pair as "the rock" from which the Israelites were hewn. 1 In a letter to gentile Christians, the apostle Paul describes Abraham and Sarah as the father and mother of all.

Sarah's life is largely a saga of suffering, even though one must read between the lines of the patriarchal narrator to discover it. Although she is sometimes underminded by Abraham, she does not always accept the doormat role.

Gen 12:10 There was a famine in the land, and Abraham descended to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

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The land, which Abraham had been promised and which he had traveled a long way to find, was in the midst of a famine. This did not make any less of a promised land because THE LORD was bringing about a plan to bless Abraham with very great wealth. Sarah, Abraham's wife, was also his half-sister. She is in her seventies now and still absolutely gorgeous because Pharaoh wanted her. (Later, when she is in her nineties Abimalech wanted her for the same reason.). God intervenes and Pharaoh pays Abraham in many goods and possessions.

Abraham and Sarah decide they will help THE LORD out with the problem of getting a child. (I do not imagine I am the only other one who has falsely reasoned "If I just do 'thus and so' then, THE LORD will be able to 'do this and that'"). They take Hagar, Sarah's servant, as another wife for Abraham and she becomes pregnant. As you may expect, this causes some trouble around the tent. Hagar runs away but is sent back by an angel and gives birth to Ishmael. The law is not against multiple marriage, particularly in the matter of preserving the family line, but counsels against having to many wives.

Now the promise that Abraham and Sarah will have a son is repeated. Sarah laughs at the idea but is quickly silenced with the question "Is anything beyond THE LORD?" (This is a question that confronts us all!) We then come to the key verses of this whole story:

Gen 18:17-19 "And THE LORD said, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I do, now that Abraham is surely to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by him? For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of The Lord, doing charity and justice, in order that THE LORD might then bring upon Abraham that which He had spoken of him.'"

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A Sister and a Sacrifice

Once again, Sarah--the gorgeous ninety year old--is taken away by someone who wants her for a wife. This time it is Abimelech. Abraham, who uses the slogan 'if you're on a good thing--stick to it' has once again told people that Sarah is his sister so he will not be killed to get him out of the way. THE LORD tells Abimelech in a dream he will die for taking Abraham's wife. Not only that but THE LORD punishes everyone in Abimalech's household. 6 Once again Abraham is given more flocks, cattle, servants and stuff as compensation. When you are being blessed and you keep on being obedient--the blessings increase!

Gen 21:1-5 "THE LORD remembered Sarah as He had said; and THE LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. Sarah conceived and bore a son unto Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time which THE LORD had spoken. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him--whom Sarah had borne him-Isaac. Abraham circumcised his son Isaac at the age of eight days as THE LORD had commanded him. And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him."

Although we are aware of the blessing of Sarah, which was honoured by the birth of Isaac, we also need to see that at one hundred years old Abraham had been blessed too. In fact, Abraham's blessing was so effective he fathered four more children after the death of Sarah some thirty-seven years later to another wife.

NOW Sarah died a little while after, having lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. They buried her in Hebron; the Canaanites publicly allowing them a burying-place; which piece of ground Abraham bought and both Abraham and his descendants built themselves sepulchers in that place.

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SUMMARY

Sarah, Abraham's wife, was taken from her home into an unknown land. Try to imagine how she felt about bidding farewell to her friends and leaving her home. We learned about her great disappointment of not having a son, and how she ran ahead of God's plan, causing her great grief. Despite her disappointments and mistakes, Sarah brings us a message of faith.

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