Sarah: Wife, Mother, Follower
Notes
Transcript
Introduction (Me)
Introduction (Me)
Women have made some of the biggest impacts on my life as a Christian
Mother
Grandmothers
Ladies in the congregation
The women at Central are hard workers and dedicated to the faith
Sarah is a heroine of the faith. She is the one of only two women mentioned in detail in Hebrews 11. The other is Rahab.
Her commitment as a wife, mother, and follower of God are examples for each of us in our relationships.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
While Sarah faced times of doubt, insecurity, and confusion she remained faithful until the end.
Her flame flickered but it never went out
Let’s look at three areas of her life
Sarah the wife: If looks could kill
Sarah the Mother: From barrenness to blessed
Sarah the Follower: Laughter to laughter
Sarah the Wife: If Looks Could Kill
Sarah the Wife: If Looks Could Kill
Sarah’s beauty is mentioned: Abraham is called to leave his home country and go to an unknown land. His wife, Sarah, is right by his side. She is age 65 and agreeably steps out into the unknown. This shows remarkable faith.
Sometimes God calls us to the unknown. Doubts and uncertainties creep in until we remember that while the place is unknown, the person of God is known.
Sarah trusts her husband and she trusts God even when times get tough.
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
IF LOOKS COULD KILL. This saying means something different, but in this context, Abraham believes that her beauty could get him killed.
Abraham is suggesting a situation that compromises his faith and his wife. Sarah still agrees. This will lead to trouble for them.
Application: Sarah and Abraham try to take matters into their own hand. They lean more into the ways of the world instead of the ways of God. This misstep leads to trouble for Pharoah and trouble for the followers of God.
Application: Sarah and Abraham try to take matters into their own hand. They lean more into the ways of the world instead of the ways of God. This misstep leads to trouble for Pharoah and trouble for the followers of God.
God still takes care of his people “those who bless you will be blessed, those who curse you will be cursed”
When we decide to give in to the world, we miss the mark on what is commanded in the Word
God will still take care of us, but we must be willing to follow His lead instead of creating our own.
God calls us out of the world. Our inner beauty must reflect this.
Even when trials and troubles come, we stand firm in God knowing that He will provide for our needs.
God is calling us then to focus on the inner beauty and not outer beauty. We must not redefine good and evil for ourselves, but live out his original calling.
Sarah certainly had outer beauty, but her inner beauty was seen much more in her obedience and trust.
In talking to wives, Peter reflects on this inner beauty
but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
When our inner selves reflect the nature of God we will not give in to the nature of the world
Sarah the Mother: From barrenness to blessed
Sarah the Mother: From barrenness to blessed
Sarah’s barrenness dominates her story throughout Genesis. However, it is what God does through her barrenness where we learn our greatest lesson.
The first mention of Sarah is in Genesis 11:30
Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Being barren was a big deal back then just as much as it is for so many today. For women it was seen as reproach or disgrace. If a woman was not able to have a child, especially a son to carry on the family name, then they were seen as cursed by God.
There are several women throughout Scripture who struggled with having children. However, God worked through their barrenness to bring great blessing.
This is not without controversy though. Once again, we see Sarah make the mistake of trying to take matters into her own hands.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!”
Sarah is now 75 years old. She was promised children from God through the promise He gave to Abraham. She is growing in age and certainly in her doubt. So, she takes matters into her own hands. This led to years and years of fighting, terror, and strife between the Ishmael and his descendants and Isaac and his descendants.
Application: When we try to do God’s job we stay barren instead of blessed.
Application: When we try to do God’s job we stay barren instead of blessed.
God wants us to follow Him, not tell Him how to do his job
God’s plan might mean we must wait a little longer than we want, but think about how much greater we will appreciate the blessing after that long wait.
The old adage: good things come to those who wait is as true as it ever was. Beyond this, we know that God things come to those who wait.
Scripture instructs us to wait upon the Lord
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
God is asking us to patiently wait for His timing. When we do our barrenness will turn to blessedness.
Our plans must involve God. We don’t offer Him suggestions or try and force Him to concede to our plans. Rather, we allow Him to direct our plans and walk by His path. He is not simply our copilot, but He is the pilot of our lives.
We see this further in Paul’s writings to the Galatians
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
This is grace versus the law. Promise versus our plans. His Word verses our work.
God says, lean into me and I will care for you.
Sarah the Follower: Laughter to Laughter
Sarah the Follower: Laughter to Laughter
A laugh is funny. It can be from a place of joy, silliness, or even snide. Sarah laughs twice in Genesis shows a remarkable transformation.
It all starts with a laugh from Abraham.
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
Sarah is now 89 years old. It appears that both she and Abraham have a hard time understanding or believing God’s promise and timing. Sarah is given a name change that is tied to the promise.
Sarai means princess. Sarah means princess of the multitude.
It appears Abraham’s laugh is one of joy in the hope fulfilled. Paul tells us that he still believed in God’s promise.
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
Later, Sarah laughs.
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Sarah laughs in sarcasm. She cannot believe what she is hearing. Almost if she is saying “Oh, now when we are old you are going to fulfill this promise?!”
Remember, God’s timing is perfect whether we understand or not.
Even though Sarah laughs in sarcasm, the Hebrews writer tells us that she always believed and trusted God. She was a true and faithful follower.
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
Because of this, the Lord was cause her to laugh once more.
The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
This laughter is much different than the first!
Laughter from disbelief turns to laughter in joy. Even God laughs. He instructs her to name the child Isaac which means “he laughs”
Application: Ridiculous laughter can turn to radiant laughter in the sight of God’s promise fulfilled.
God is just and faithful to fulfill His promises
God always does what He says He will do. His timing is perfect and His ways are without flaws.
Even in our confusion and doubt, God’s love reigns supreme.
God desires us to laugh in joy knowing His promise is being fulfilled in time.
We may never see His deliverance in our time, but we will certainly see His deliverance in the end.
Conclusion: Follow God’s Path, Wait for God’s Plan, & Trust God’s Provision
Conclusion: Follow God’s Path, Wait for God’s Plan, & Trust God’s Provision
It’s interesting that the New Testament never mentions the flaws of Abraham and Sarah. It doesn’t mention their fears, doubts, confusion, or mistakes. Instead, it mentions their hope and faith.
Like digging for gold or a diamond; we must siphon through all the dirt and silt and grime to see the treasure.
We will face struggles, doubts, fears, and make mistakes, but in the end what will be seen is the beautiful treasure of being blessed by Christ.
Find your inner beauty in Him, allow Him to turn our barrenness to blessing, and laugh in joy at the fulfillment of His promises.