Word of the Day: Submissive
Meekly, compliant: docile
Sarah appears to be in the Bible as God's paragon of a married woman her two main characteristics were beauty and barrenness. The name of Sarah means "a princess" and the name of Sarai means "my princess". Sarah was her husband's half-sister from her dad's side Terah whose father was Shem Noah's son.
Genesis 11:27
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram…
Genesis 11:29
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai…
Terah dies when was two hundred five years of age what a long life I can't imagine living all those years. Abram was born when his father was one hundred and thirty years. The Bible mentions Abram first even though he was not the oldest son but God had already chosen him for the messianic line.
Genesis 11:26
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran
Sarah was a woman who followed her husband on every single journey that God had commanded him to do. As we mentioned before Sarah was barren but this couple was a strong couple and God makes a covenant with her husband. I would assume that Sarah was a great woman because God would never make a pact with a man whose wife was not submissive. Sarah at this point does not know that she will become the mother of all Jews, her husband was a rich man and well respected among others. He was married to a beautiful wife, had many servants, and with a pedigree that went back to Adam but he was a poor sinner who needed God.
This time God was asking Abram to move out of the country where he was living and that new land was going to be Canaan. Abram was seventy years old when he departed with Sarah from Haran. Haran was a commercial center on the main highway linking the Mediterranean coast. Haran is also the land where Abraham's servant came in search of a bride for Isaac. Jacob fled to Haran when he was running away from Esau, there also Jacob married Leah and Rachel.
God wanted Abram to follow Him and with that came the break from his nation and his family as well and so Sarah followed her husband as he followed God.
Genesis 11:30
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Genesis 12:1-5
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
There came a time when Abraham lacked faith in God on his journey to Canaan he did not expect to find Canaanites or famine so decides to make a detour and arrives at Egypt instead of Canaan. Abraham deceives Pharaoh by saying that his wife was his sister because he was afraid of getting killed and used her beauty to save his life but that was a half-truth. I wonder what her thoughts were when her husband was lying to Pharaoh the one thing I noticed here is that she was not like me or you to have the tendency of correcting our husbands in public.
Genesis 12:9-13
And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Sarah was sixty-five years old at this time which means that she was well preserved for that age. Pharaoh had chosen Sarah as one of the women of his house or as one of his wives. The Lord plagued Pharaoh's house, Pharaoh knew right away that is was because he had taken Sarah as one of the women of his house. Pharaoh calls Abraham and demands an answer but Abraham did not have an answer for him. In the end, they both got kicked out of the Pharaoh's house, what a bad testimony from Abraham's part! The Lord's name was never exalted here in front of a pagan diplomat. How embarrassing!
Genesis 12:14-20
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
God decides to change Sarah's name from Sarai (my princess) to Sarah (a princess), this is where she becomes a noble or royal lady. Sarah was soon to be the mother of many nations at the age of ninety years.
Genesis 17:15-17
And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Sarah stayed with her husband through the blessings and difficulties, through the good choices and bad decisions in youth and in old age. Sarah died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven years.
Genesis 23:1-2
And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
Sarah is the only wife named in the heroes of the faith. Perhaps more than any other biblical woman, she stands out to teach other women two supreme Characteristics of godly womanhood: her humble submission to her husband in marriage and her commitment to nurture the next generation. Even though Sarah fell into sin, God still kept his promise that she would be "a mother of nations".
Hebrews 11:11
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Conclusion: With this story, we see that this couple was not a perfect couple. God teaches us in this story that He is the main character and that he wants to use our lives for His glory. In the end that was Sarah an imperfect lady used for His glory.
*Please let me know if this post has been a blessing to you through a comment, for it would be a blessing for me to know.
have added some verses down below for those who are not sure if heaven is your future home. Please share with me if you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior through this post. I will be happy to rejoice with you!
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:9–13
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