passion play

Women of Genesis: Sarah

September 30th, 2007

Today we discussed Sarah and her role in the foundation of God’s people, through whom would come Christ. Here’s some notes, and at the end, resources leading you into being a woman both like Sarah, and not like her. Take what is good from her life, redeem what is bad. She makes mistakes, like all of us: the key is to learn from them and not make the same ones she did.

Notes

Leaving Ur was no small feat for Sarai and Abraham: they left family, property, comfort, financial stability, and friends all because Abram had “heard from God”. Did Sarai have faith? Yep.
When Abram whored Sarai out, Sarai had a responsibility: first to Christ/God. Yes, women, you should submit to your husbands, but at the same time, you have to keep them in submission to Christ. Guys: don’t whore your wives out. Not a good idea.
After Sarai has waited for a while (20+years), she decides to take matters into her own hands. How often do we do this? We try to save ourselves via success in the business world, being “good a Christian”, etc. But the bottom line is this: our attempts at salvation only make things worse. It’s a good thing that our Christ is gracious.
When the visitors show up, Abraham and Sarah are very hospitable: killing a cow on the spot. That’s hospitality: being gracious and polite to people not like you. How many relationships do you have with people not like you? How many sinners that are still deep in their sin do you know? How close is your relationship with the holy God of the universe, Jesus Christ?
When Sarah laughs at Jesus, it’s a much deeper problem than simply laughing at the idea of having a kid at 90. It’s laughing at the very Word of God, and indeed at God Himself. She has been hearing for 25 years that God will come through, but she still doesn’t believe it/like it/accept it. How many times do we do this? How many times do we laugh at the Word of God, even after we’ve ‘accepted it as true’? How many times do we laugh in God’s face, daring Him to do something about it? Not cool. Not cool at all.
All in all, Abraham’s role in Genesis 21-22 is a shadow of the Father’s role in the story of redemption. Sarah’s role is the shadow of the virgin Mary. And Isaac’s role is, of course, the shadow of Christ. All Scripture shadows Christ. Period.