Abraham & Sarah

Genesis 11:27–28 “These are the family records of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot. Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans, during his father Terah’s lifetime.”

Genesis 11:29–31 “Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child. Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.”

ABRAHAM

His Death

Genesis 25:7–11 “This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years. He took his last breath and died at a good old age, old and contented, and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hethite. This was the field that Abraham bought from the Hethites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.”

His Challenges [Be Encouraged]

LIES. [Genesis 12.10-20]

Genesis 12:11–13 “When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.””

[[Also, Genesis 20.1-18. (Repeat offender [double down]…adding ‘justification.’)

Genesis 20:11–12 “Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.”]]

((While we’re here—notice that Abraham and Sarah share this challenge…Sarah LIES. [Genesis 20.1-18]

Genesis 20:5 “Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.””))

DISOBEDIENCE. [Genesis 16.1-6; they knew God’s plan…and would further be reminded of it after this stunt!]

Genesis 16:2 “Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”

**We see for ourselves yet again that our biblical heroes were imperfect—as inconsistent as we often are—in following God’s way.

His Triumph(s) [Be Challenged]

BELIEVED GOD. [Genesis 15.1-6; Genesis 22.1-19]

Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (This verse is significant!)

Genesis 22:5 “Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.”” [This situation is another, intensifying, example of the truth of Gen 15.6.]

Genesis 22:8 “Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.” (context of v.7)

PRAYER FOR MERCY FOR OTHERS. [Genesis 18.16-33]

Genesis 18:23–25 “Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it? You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?””

Genesis 18.27-31…(number countdowns)

Genesis 18:32 “Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose ten are found there?” He answered, “I will not destroy it on account of ten.””

SARAH’S DEATH. [Genesis 23]

Genesis 23:1–2 “Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.” [Such endearing devotion…to his wife—whom God put him with.]

Genesis 23:12–13 “Abraham bowed down to the people of the land and said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “Listen to me, if you please. Let me pay the price of the field. Accept it from me, and let me bury my dead there.””

SARAH

Her Death [Genesis 23]

Genesis 23:5–6 “The Hethites replied to Abraham, “Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in our finest burial place. None of us will withhold from you his burial place for burying your dead.””]]

Her Challenges [Be Encouraged]

LAUGHS. [Genesis 18.6-15; ??—there’s something wrong with laughing??…scoff, doubt]

Genesis 18:12–15 “So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?” But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid. But he replied, “No, you did laugh.””

((While we’re here—notice that Sarah and Abraham share this challenge…Abraham LAUGHS [Genesis 17]

Genesis 17:17 “Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?””))

DISOBEDIENCE. [Genesis 16.1-6]

Genesis 16:2–3 “Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years.”

((Genesis 16:6 “Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.”))

Her Triumph [Be Challenged]

FAITH & REJOICING [Genesis 21.1-7; God-honoring laughter]

Genesis 21:6–7 “Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.””

CONCL—

SARAH

Hebrews 11:11–12 “By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful. Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.”

[[1 Peter 3:6 “just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.”]]

ABRAHAM

Hebrews 11.8-12.

Hebrews 11:17–19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.”

Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:3 “For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:9 “Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.”

Romans 4:22 “Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.”

Galatians 3:6 “just like Abraham who believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness?”

James 2:23 “and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.”

Previously — FAITHFULNESS, COURAGE, PERSEVERANCE

Abraham & Sarah — FAITH, OBEDIENCE, DEVOTION

INVITATION:

Salvation

Obedience

Genesis 15:6 CSB

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

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