SARAH OUR NOBLE WOMAN- By Pst Serena Olayebi- Edwards
Right after Eve, the next woman to be mentioned by name in the Bible is Sarah.
Our first encounter with this matriarch is recorded in Genesis 11: 29-30 as Sarai, Abram’s wife and she was identified with a BUT- bareness.
God later renamed husband and wife as Abraham and Sarah at the annunciation of the coming of their son Isaac. God re-established the covenant of His promise to make them The Father and Mother of nations, in addition Sarah will be the mother of KINGS. Genesis 17:16.
Sarah was in the picture of Abraham’s calling from the beginning and believed in the God that had called her husband, she had an unwavering commitment to her husband Abraham, If not, how else would she have left comfort, relationships and stability to follow her husband to a destination directed by God at 65 years!
She was extremely beautiful, this was a source of concern to her husband lest they take his life to marry her. His fear was not unfounded.
Twice, great Kings wanted to take her from him and but for God’s intervention, he came out with great wealth as Peace offering, all because of Sarah.
Time was passing, the promise of a heir did not show!
But Abraham and Sarah were old and were stricken in age and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Genesis 18:11. So Sarah decided to fast-track the promise by giving her maid- Hagar the Egyptian to her husband in order for her, Sarah, to obtain children. (It is worthy of note that in those days, slaves and their children and possessions belonged to their Masters).
But when the maid conceived, she despised her mistress but Sarah, being assertive and authoritative, dealt with her maid decisively. Later on when the promised child was born she noticed that the bond-woman’s child was going to be a problem for her young son-Isaac, she did not have a second thought about sending them away.
Sarah had a great sense of humour in that when she overheard Abraham and the visitors discussing her having a son, she laughed and said, “after I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”and after the promise came to pass, alas, she said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me, who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah would have given children suck? For I have born him his son in his old age. Genesis 21:6-7 (very mischievous I would say stressing the old age factor).
Sarah’s turning point of her faith walk with God for conception and become the Mother of Nations and Kings came after the Lord confronted her husband about her laughter or rather mockery which was within herself. Yet He heard, and declared what was in her mind to Abraham. Even though she denied, this must have jolted her especially when the Lord reteirated with the question “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” And reassured her that she will have a son according to the time of life.
This must have jolted her from unbelieve to believing.
Faith, strength and newness came and she conceived and carried her child to term. Hallelujah! This became a record breaking faith for women in all generations and it is recorded in Hebrew 11:11
Sarah lived 127 years before she died. Her husband loved and treasured her even in death.
