Sarah - Women of the Bible

Genesis Chapters 15 -21
The wife of Abraham. A unique woman. She was very beautiful and this got Abraham into trouble - Genesis 12, Genesis 20.

She agreed with her husband to lie about her real relationship with him. Pharaoh took her in as one of his concubines. God supernaturally protected her Genesis 12. This was as a result of God's promise to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:2-3).

When God inflicted a disease on Pharaoh and his household for taking Sarah He was acting on His word in Genesis 12:3.

All the promises in the scriptures are given to man and women alike. God loves His children and he will protect us. You too are a daughter of Abraham. Find out what the promises of God are in the scriptures and claim them by faith. Note that there was nothing special about Sarah and Abraham. The fact is they were both cowards. Abraham was particularly pathetic. Imagine lying about your own wife and exposing her to the certain risk of being raped.

God Himself protected Sarah supernaturally on two separate occasions from being defiled. Who said God treats woman as second class citizens?

Woman, maybe you too have an unreliable husband who exposes you to danger or unnecessary stress. Don't be bitter against him. Take your protection from God's promises. Pray that God will touch your husbands heart. Sarah made Abraham into the man of God we all know him to be today. She played her part in God's plan for the human race.

Sarah was a compassionate woman. Having no child, and erroneously thinking it was her fault, she asked Abraham to have a child through their servant Hagar (Genesis 16). What a mistake.

If only she had waited for God's time. Children are a blessing from the Lord. We look to God for children. Sarah must have been blaming herself for their lack of children. This was wrong. God's blessing is not subject to biological conditions.

The result of Sarah's mistake, which Abraham willingingly endorsed, was trouble in the home. Sarah took it out on Abraham. Maybe this was justifiable. Abraham should have known better. Nevertheless Sarah had a big blame in it too.

How often have you blamed your husband for something that you caused?

God intervened in Sarah's life again. He changed her name (from Sarai to Sarah) and promised them a child (Genesis 17).

The changing of Sarah's name was more than a play with words. Sarah meant mother of nations. >Every time someone called Sarah or anytime she introduced herself to someone she was making a statement of faith, calling herself the mother of many nations even before she had a child. By this time she was already 90 years old.

Faith calls those things that are not as if they are. This is what all women of faith should be doing. Speak God's words and promises constantly over yourselves and over your families and children. There is power in words.

Initially neither Sarah nor Abraham believed God's promise to them (Genesis 17: 17-18, Genesis 18: 11-12) .

God's power and blessing was with Sarah and Abraham despite their situation and apparent lack of trust in Him.

Abraham, the man who had no children, prayed for others and they had children (Genesis 20). Can you imagine what Abraham and Sarah must have been going through. Seeing others receiving the blessings they themselves longed for.

Yet they faithfully kept serving God. This is what faith is. They believed that God was a rewarder of those that diligently served Him.

Sarah eventually gave birth to Isaac.

Questions

1. Who was Sarah?
2. What were her good qualities?
3. What were her weaknesses?
4. Did she love her husband?
5. How did God protect her during difficult times?
6. Do you think God cared about Sarah?
7. Do you think God cares about you?
8. What things have you learned from the life of Sarah?