Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

Saraha character study by Jeff S. SmithIntroductionMany Bible women are known simply for their husbands or sons, more than for themselves, and that isprobably true of Sarah as well. Sarah, however, carves out her own special place in Bible history, as thepragmatic wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. A few episodes in her long life will illustrate hercharacter and give us some points of application also.DiscussionI. About SarahA. Abraham’s Sister and Wife1. until Genesis 17:15, Sarah is known by the less familiar name, Sarai, and “appears to bederived from the same root as Israel,” meaning “She that strives” and indicating a contentious persona. that kind of name was sometimes given during childhood as the person’s characterdeveloped, but it was also often just indicative of a difficult birth, as in the case with her grandson, Jacobb. when the birth of her son was predicted, her name was divinely altered to “Sarah,” or“princess,” which seems fitting (Genesis 17:15-16)2. we first meet Sarah back in Genesis 11:29, where we learn that she was the wife Abram tookwhile still in Ur of the Chaldees; Abraham and Sarah were born 10 years apart (cf. Genesis 17:17)a. in a strange twist at least to modern readers, she and her husband shared the same father,but had different mothers, and thus were half-siblings (cf. Genesis 20:12)b. such a thing was not unheard of in Old Testament times (cf. Second Samuel 13:13), andcreates a convenient dodge for the trouble when they feel threatened3. the first fact that we come to know about Sarah is a sadly prophetic one (“But Sarai was barren;she had no child” (Genesis 11:30)B. An Expedient Half-Truth1. the famous three-part promise to Abraham that inspired the rest of his life and promised him aposterity in spite of Sarah’s barren womb, was clearly shared by his wife2. so they both got out of their father’s country, left behind their family and began travelingtoward a land where God promised to make of him a great nation (cf. Genesis 12:1-3)3. this initial journey was also the occasion for the first use of their expedient half-truth abouttheir relationship as brother and sister, and husband and wife (Genesis 12:10-20)a. knowing the pharaohs as we do from Exodus, we do not expect to find superior morality inEgypt, but in this case, it is the idolater who rebukes the man of God, and for good reasonb. Abraham was cowardly seeking his own safety by sacrificing the honor of his wife, butGod would not allow it4. yet again years later, Abraham and Sarah resort to their expedient and misleading half-truth(Genesis 20:1-13)5. just how much we should attribute any of this to Sarah is debatable, for she had little choice butto go along with her husband’s plans–the real point is that God disapproved of their deception even if itwas based in some morsel of truthC. Hagar and Ishmael1. when it comes to the other stain upon the couple’s combined character, there can be but littledoubt of Sarah’s participation, for it was her idea that Abraham should bear his son of promise throughher servant (Genesis 16:1-6)2. Sarah lived to regret introducing Hagar to Abraham, and negative things in the character of allthose involved appear, even in Ishmael, or at least, his descendants, who had not yet been born3. the mistreatment of Hagar is somewhat understandable, and was even sanctioned by Abraham,but poor Sarah actually brought this problem on herself and had only herself to blameD. Isaac’s Birth1. Abraham was 86, Sarah 76, when Ishmael was born, and Sarah’s womb was still barren and allreason would suggest that it must stay that way, except that God intervened in his own time (GenesisCharacter Studies! 151