Faith of Sarah - considered God faithful who had made the promise!

Introduction

Faith is only as valid as its object. You could have tremendous faith in very thin ice and drown.… You could have very little faith in very thick ice and be perfectly secure.

Stuart Briscoe

The thing about faith is what does it reflect when we are talking about Jesus.

We can liken faith in three different ways.

Relational Faith is like a promise you make with your best friend. You're not just saying you believe in them; you're promising to stand by them through thick and thin, just like they promise to stand by you. It's all about trust and loyalty, like when Joshua told his people to stick with God and forget about worshipping other gods.

Insightful faith - Imagine you've got these special glasses that let you see the world the way God sees it. It's not about believing blindly; it's about seeing things in a way that shows God's hand at work, even when others might miss it. Like when Paul talks about living by faith, he means seeing the world through a God-given perspective.

Apocalyptic Faith uh·po·kah·lip·tik- (Eschatological Faith) Picture holding onto a ticket for the best show ever. Right now, things might seem confusing and messed up because of all the bad stuff in the world. But one day, when the big finale comes, everything will make sense. The good stuff you've done will be celebrated, and the bad stuff will be put right. So, having faith means living each day with hope, knowing that the best is yet to come.

So if the word “faith” means to trust, then “obedience” has to be part of faith! Just like Abraham was called and trusted by faith, so was Sarah as well. Let us look at Sarah and her faith.

Sarah's Journey of Faith

Who is Sarah?

In discussing Sarah’s faith we will see that at pinnacle point in Sarah’s life, God changed her name…. from Sarai to Sarah, and it's essential to acknowledge the complexities of her story, including aspects that might be uncomfortable or challenging for us to understand today. While Sarai's faith is often celebrated, her journey also includes moments that prompt deeper reflection.

For instance, Sarai's decision to give her servant Hagar to Abraham to bore a child raises questions about cultural norms and ethical considerations in their time. This action, though part of a cultural practice common in ancient societies, challenges our modern practices and prompts us to wrestle with difficult questions about faith and human frailty.

While we may not fully comprehend all the finer points of Sarai's story, we can still draw inspiration from her unwavering trust in God's promises. Despite the complexities and challenges she faced, Sarai remained steadfast in her belief that God would fulfil His covenant with Abraham, demonstrating profound faith in the midst of uncertainty.

As we reflect on Sarai's journey, let us not shy away from engaging with the complexities of her story. Instead, let us be encouraged by her example of faith and trust in God's faithfulness, even when circumstances seem uncertain or difficult to understand.

Sarah- Sarai began her life in the pagan world of Ur, in the land of the Chaldees (Cal-dees). She was the half-sister, as well as the wife, of Abram. Sarai and Abram had the same father but different mothers.

Genesis 20:12 NIV

Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.

Anyone see a red flag here? /

In the context of the time and cultural context, such relationships were not uncommon. However, it's worth noting that the concept of incest as we understand it today wasn't necessarily applied in the same way in ancient times. Additionally, the narrative in Genesis does not seem to focus on the legal or moral issues of their relationship in the same way modern perspectives might. Instead, it emphasises the faith of Abram and Sarai and their role in God's plan.

So, Sarai and Abram got together and married, even though they were half-siblings, likely due to cultural norms and the customs of their time, as well as their own personal circumstances and beliefs. There are a few cultural differences for this era which we would probably see differently, like slaves, marrying two women at once as a couple of examples but we do stuff today which they may not agree.

Let me get back to Sarai - she was 65 years when God called Abraham [75 yrs. old] to go to Canaan and It took 2 years to make the trip from Ur to Canaan by way of Haran (ha·ruhn)

From Ur to Haran (ha·ruhn) is 600 miles, The majority view locates UR in the southern Mesopotamia (meh·sa·puh·tay·mia) but a few scholars prefer a northern Mesopotamian location closer to the ancient city of Haran - but i suppose the point is, it took time.

The call took place in about 1921 BC and they arrived in Schechem (Che-chem) in 1919 BC. A famine drove them to Egypt in 1917 BC and they returned in 1916 BC and Abraham and Lot separate. [5 total years from leaving Ur to actually settling in Canaan].

What sort of woman was Sarai?

Sarai willingly left her home and stepped out into the unknown to follow Abraham, as he followed the directions of a God with whom she was unfamiliar at the time. She endured much to try to provide an heir for her husband and to keep her husband safe in dangerous lands. She lived in a world of danger and confusion but remained faithful. They both travelled far and wide to follow the call of God on their lives. They were a partnership in marriage

But lets go back…

Abraham was given the promise in Genesis 12:1–3

Genesis 12:1–3 (NIV)

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Alan shared about the narrative of Abram/ Abraham but needless to say, in trying to fulfil the promise from God of Genesis 12, both Sarai and Abram took matter into their own hands.

How often do we try to do this, we share a problem with the Lord and guess what - we come with a solution which which we have already outworked. Sadly, this is true probably for everyone here including myself.

We are great problem solvers and that is amazing but we must understand what faith in Jesus Christ looks like and how it is outworked. We are called to pray to God and trust in Him with our struggles and he will provide ways but you know what, them struggles we face await God solutions not our solutions prayer should be our number one way of seeking solutions to our troubles. Can you imagine if we become people of promise who will not move until God moves. You know the problems you have but can i encourage you to wait upon the Lord.

The Promise of a Son

Imagine with me, if you will, the scene in Genesis and we must cross a culture and covenant promise to have any chance to grasp what Sarai & Abraham went through, we see scripture through our western eyes in 2024 but at times we need to put ourselves in the sandals of the period of time which we are reading from.

Culturally child birth was sign of being a proper woman, it was the defining factor, providing an heir was important. When Sarai left Ur with Abraham, she was 65 years old and barren, but she received the same promise Abraham did but it wasn’t until she was in the twilight of her years 89 years old (24 years later), Abraham and Sarai then receive a visitation from three heavenly messengers. Most of you may know the background here for Sarai who become Sarah. In the landscape of her barrenness, she is greeted with a promise so profound, it defies human logic—a promise of a son. Yet, in the face of the impossible, Sarah's faith emerges as a beacon of hope.

Like i said, we often try to do God’s plans and purposes without Him. They had already attempted to self fulfil the prophecy with Sarah giving her slave girl Hagar as a wife but that only produced trouble, a son not born out of the promise but born in slavery. Like Sarah, we are called to embrace our faith, believing in the fulfilment of God's promises, even when the odds are stacked against us.

Genesis 18:1–15 (NIV)

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

He said, “If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.

“There, in the tent,” he said.

Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Let’s look at this, The Lord, aware of Sarah's laughter, questioned Abraham about it. Sarah, feeling fearful, denied laughing, but the Lord affirmed that she had indeed laughed. There is something significant here - Sarah had waited years and years for a child and now she was past the child bearing age and what seems impossible to have the promise of God fulfilled, her response is to laugh because she was carrying this burden herself for all these years; a burden that Abraham’s would be produce descendants as many as the stars. Her laughter reflected her disbelief and skepticism at the prospect of experiencing the joy of childbirth at such an advanced age.

An interesting thought is in:

Genesis 17:16–17 NIV

I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Abraham laughed as well when he first heard from God about the same.

The Birth of Isaac

As the sands of time continued to trickle down the hourglass of Sarah's life, the day of reckoning arrived—the day when God's promise was fulfilled in the form of a baby's cry echoing through the tents of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac, the child of promise, was born—a living testament to the faithfulness of God.

How does this OT story echo what is to come through Christ, why is Sarah in heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11

By connecting Sarah's faith in God's promise to the broader narrative of God's redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we see a beautiful continuity of faith throughout salvation history, where God's faithfulness endures from generation to generation.

In Genesis 1:1-2 we read:

Genesis 1:1–2 NIV

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The earth was formless and without form - BARREN AND WITHOUT LIFE

In Genesis 1:26 we read:

Genesis 1:26 NIV

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So creation made from nothing and then we see perfection in the Garden of Eden but we lost it… Imagine sin as a dark and tangled forest. At first glance, it may seem inviting, with lush foliage and promising pathways. However, as one ventures deeper into the forest, the path becomes obscured, and the foliage thickens, making it difficult to find a way out. Each step taken deeper into the forest leads to further entanglement, with thorns and brambles tearing at the flesh and hindering progress. The deeper you go, the more disoriented and lost you become, until you are surrounded in darkness and despair. Sin, like this tangled forest, may initially seem appealing, but it ultimately traps and ensnares those who venture too far into its depths, leading them away from the light and into darkness.

This happened and so the next step in the redemptive plan of God was for God to make a people of promise on whom salvation would go through, the promise of God to Abram happens.

Again - there was a barren place to bring to life - Sarai womb was barren and through God’s promise, life came

Now through history we see the plan of salvation being outworked - through Issac, Jacob, being saved to Egypt and then enslaved to Egypt, the promised physical land, the judges, the kings, the exile to the return of the people of God, then being captured and enslaved again by the Romans. Now that covers a lot of history of the Jewish nation but then comes the next step - Like us, when we come to the end of ourselves that is when God takes over, the people of promise had come to the end of themselves and then Jesus appeared.

How did He appear?

Mary a teenager who was a virgin was to be the vessel which the Holy Spirit would bring into this world the Son of God, Jesus Christ….. This time was different, there was no barrenness but rather a prepared vessel to host the Living God. Through years of faithfulness, we today can accept the gift of faith which overturns the sin which kept us away from our creator but only by accepted Him into our hearts, only be turning our back on sin and asking forgiveness.

But even more, Jesus came and gave His life for all who believe, now this is deep….. to finish and usher in the Kingdom of God after Jesus died He was placed in a Virgin tomb ( the tomb of Joseph of A-rim-a-thea) and that was when the resurrection happened. He was birthed into the world as a conquerer and to claim back what was rightfully His.

The first Adam gave away dominion of the earth to satan in the garden of Eden but Jesus became the last Adam and was crowned the conquerer, the way the truth and the life…. How many here trust and believe that He is who He says He is?

Lessons for Our Faith Today

Trust in God's Timing

Sarah's story teaches us the importance of trusting in God's timing, even when circumstances seem impossible. Just as Sarah had to wait many years for the fulfilment of God's promise, we may also experience seasons of waiting and uncertainty in our lives. However, Sarah's faith reminds us that God is faithful to fulfil His promises in His perfect timing. We can take comfort in knowing that God's timing is always right, even when it doesn't align with our own expectations.

Faith Overcomes Doubt

Despite moments of doubt and skepticism, Sarah ultimately chose to trust in God's promises. Similarly, we may face doubts and uncertainties in our journey with the Lord, but Sarah's example encourages us to overcome our doubts with unwavering trust in God. When we encounter doubt, we can lean on the promises of God's Word and remind ourselves of His faithfulness throughout history, ultimately strengthening our faith.

Perseverance in Prayer

Sarah's persistence in prayer serves as a powerful example for us today. Despite her initial laughter at the prospect of bearing a child in her old age, Sarah continued to pray and trust in God's plan. Likewise, we are called to persevere in prayer, even when we don't see immediate answers. Through prayer, we can surrender our doubts and fears to God, trusting that He hears our prayers and will fulfil His purposes in His perfect timing.

Hope in the Promise of Christ

Sarah's faith journey is ultimately connected to the broader narrative of God's redemptive plan fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As believers, we can find hope and assurance in the promise of Christ's saving grace. Just as Sarah's faith foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah, we can trust in the fulfilment of God's promises through Jesus. In times of doubt or uncertainty, we can anchor our souls in the hope of Christ, knowing that He is faithful to His Word and will never fail us.

By applying these practical lessons from Sarah's faith journey to our own lives, we can grow a deeper trust in God's faithfulness and find strength to persevere in times of doubt or uncertainty.

Testing and Waiting

Ah, but the walk of faith is not without its trials and tribulations. For Sarah, the passing of years brought with it the test of patience—a test she did not always pass with flying colours.

How many of us can relate to the agony of waiting, the wrestling with doubts that threaten to overshadow our faith?

And yet, even in moments of weakness, Sarah's faith remained resolute, a testament to the enduring nature of God's grace.

James 1:2–4 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Conclusion

Let us take heart, for in the furnace of waiting, our faith is refined, emerging as pure gold, tested by fire.

As we conclude our reflection on Sarah's remarkable journey of faith, let us not merely be spectators of her story but participants in the ongoing narrative of God's faithfulness in our lives today. Just as Sarah faced challenges, doubts, and uncertainties, so too do we encounter trials and tribulations in our own journeys. Yet, in the midst of life's storms, we have a steadfast anchor in the unchanging character of our faithful God.

Are you facing doubts that threaten to overshadow your faith?

Are you burdened by uncertainties that weigh heavy on your heart?

I urge you to take a bold step of faith and come before the throne of grace in prayer. Just as Sarah persevered in prayer, let us approach God with confidence, knowing that He hears our cries and is faithful to answer according to His perfect will.

Whether you need healing, provision, guidance, or simply a renewed sense of hope, know that there is power in prayer, power in the name of Jesus. You want your cycle to change, trust in the Saviour who saves. Let us gather together as believers, lifting our voices in faith and expectation, for where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them.

Prayer

May the example of Sarah's unwavering trust in God's promises stir within us a renewed faith and confidence in His faithfulness. Let us come boldly before the throne of grace, casting our cares upon Him, for He cares for us deeply.

Prayer Ministry awaits those who will come and lay your burdens down before the Lord? Please come for prayer during the last song but let us pray together, believing that our faithful God will meet us here and bring about breakthroughs, miracles, and transformations beyond what we can ask or imagine.