|
Sarah |
|
There probably isn’t anything harder to do than wait, whether we are
expecting something good, something bad, or an unknown.
One way we often cope with a long wait (or even a short one) is to begin helping God get his plan into action. Sarah tried this approach. She was too old to expect to have a child of her own, so she thought God must have something else in mind. From Sarah’s limited point of view, this could only be to give Abraham a son through another woman—a common practice in her day. The plan seemed harmless enough. Abraham would sleep with Sarah’s servant, who would then give birth to a child. Sarah would take the child as her own. The plan worked beautifully—at first. But as you read about the events that followed, you will be struck by how often Sarah must have regretted the day she decided to push God’s timetable ahead. Another way we cope with a long wait is to gradually conclude that what we’re waiting for is never going to happen. Sarah waited 90 years for a baby! When God told her she would finally have one of her own, she laughed, not so much from a lack of faith in what God could do, but from doubt about what he could do through her. When confronted about her laughter, she lied—as she had seen her husband do from time to time. She probably didn’t want her true feelings to be known. What parts of your life seem to be on hold right now? Do you understand that this may be part of God’s plan for you? The Bible has more than enough clear direction to keep us busy while we’re waiting for some particular part of life to move ahead. 1- Strengths and accomplishments
2- Weaknesses and mistakes
3- Lessons from her life
4- Vital statistics
5- Key verse "It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren. Abraham believed that God would keep his promise" (Hebrews 11:11). Sarah’s story is told in Genesis 11—25. She is also mentioned in Isaiah 51:2; Romans 4:19; 9:9; Hebrews 11:11; 1 Peter 3:6.
|
|
Sarah (or Sarai, Sara) Wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. Abraham said she was the daughter of his father but not of his mother, therefore he called her ‘sister’; but God preserved her in His mercy to Abraham, who had, through fear, denied his true relationship to her in the land of Egypt and before Abimelech. Sarah, being barren, gave to Abraham her Egyptian handmaid Hagar, who, when she had conceived, despised her mistress. Sarah then dealt harshly with her and she ran away; but the angel of the Lord sent her back, and Ishmael was born. When God promised Abraham that a son should be born to him of Sarah, He altered her name from Sarai to Sarah, which signifies ‘princess.’ The meaning of Sarai is uncertain. Jerome gave ‘my princess;’ others ‘princely;’ others ‘contentious;’ Fürst says, ‘Jah is ruler.’ When Sarah heard that she was to have a son, she laughed within herself, for she was old, but it was known by the Lord, and then, being afraid, she denied that she had laughed. In fulfilment of God’s promise, Isaac was at length born. When he was weaned, Ishmael was seen mocking, which roused Sarah to demand the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. Though it was grievous to Abraham, God bade him do what Sarah desired. This is taken up in Galatians iv. as a figure of Christians being children of the free woman, that is, of Jerusalem which is above, which, says the apostle, is our mother. Ishmael represents the man born after the flesh, who persecutes him born after the Spirit. Sarah lived to the age of 127, and died in Kirjath-arba, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, which was purchased as a burying place. Her history is given in Gen. xi.—xxiii. Sarah is held up in the N. T. as an example of faith, #Heb 11:11; and also as a wife who was in subjection to her husband. #1Pe 3:6. |