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Sarah:
Wife Of Abraham

Sarah is one of the only two women mentioned by name in Hebrews chapter 11, the “Heroes Of The Faith” chapter. Her original name was Sarai, which means “princess.” She was Abram’s half-sister [same father, different mothers] and later became his wife. She was a very beautiful woman…so beautiful that she would attract the attention of kings.

We first meet Sarai in Genesis 11. There we learn that she had an unsolvable problem. She was physically unable to have children. In today’s society, many women would not consider that a problem. Being self-centred, they do not want children and often murder the ones they do have. But in ancient society, children were considered a blessing, and large families were not only a delight to their parents but also a benefit to society. So, for Sarai to be childless, though it was no fault of her own, meant she would have been looked down upon by the women around her and thought cursed.

Her husband, Abram, received a call from a strange God, far different from what they worshipped in Ur, to go to a strange land where they knew no one. At first, Abram didn't even know where they were going, only that God had told him to leave. Doubts and fears may have plagued Sarai about this move, but she faithfully went with her husband.

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As they set out on their travels, Abram had made a strange request of her. This man, who would become the Father of the Faithful, did not start out with much faith. He knew Sarai was a beautiful and desirable woman, and he knew that leaders in the countries that they would be travelling around had murdered men in order to marry their wives. So he asked Sarai to simply tell people they met that she was his sister and forget to mention that she was also his wife! We do not have a record of what Sarai thought of this arrangement, but on two occasions she faithfully carried it out and found herself in the harem of kings. However, God protected her even when her husband did not - yet in both cases, she was returned to her husband unharmed.

When she was 77 years old she despaired of ever having a child. Even through this great disappointment at not having children, Abram had remained faithful to her. In an age when powerful men like Abram often had several wives, Abram remained loyal. Now Sarai really wanted a baby, so she suggested that Abram marry a slave girl that she had acquired, so that she could have a child through her. Abram agreed, and the slave girl, Hagar, got pregnant.

When Hagar saw she was pregnant, she despised Sarai as a childless old woman. Sarai was now furious. Her plan had backfired; however, she did not take responsibility and instead blamed Abram for going along with it. Abram wanted family peace and so told Sarai she could do as she pleased with Hagar. Sarai took her womanly vengeance out on Hagar, who fled into the desert to escape her wrath. An angel met with Hagar and instructed her to return to Sarai. We don’t know how she was treated on her return, but she gave birth to a son, Ishmael, and they both lived with the family.

Earlier [Gen. 15] Abram entered into a Blood Covenant with God. As part of that covenant, God introduced circumcision and changed his name. Abram becomes Abraham, and Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah. During this time, God told Abraham, and I’m sure he passed it on to beloved Sarah, that Sarah would become the “Mother of Nations,” and kings would come from her descendants! For an 89-year-old, childless woman, this would be incredible, and she may have wondered if Abraham had been drinking wine.

Later that year, the Lord and two angels, in the guise of men, visited. Again, they confirmed to Abraham that Sarah would have a son within a year. Sarah was listening by the tent door and laughed to herself when she heard it. The Lord asked Sarah why she had laughed and, in fear and embarrassment, she lied about it. Although she doubted at first, Hebrews 11 said she came to believe the promise…and it was fulfilled. When Abraham was 100, and Sarah was 90, she gave birth to Isaac.

Family peace was to be interrupted once again, though. One day Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of her beloved Isaac. All her womanly protective instincts flared up, and she demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be sent packing. Abraham was hurt by the thought of sending them away. He loved Ishmael, as well. But a word from God confirmed it was the right thing to do. So with gifts to start them on a new life, they were sent away.

Sarah lived to the age of 127 and was buried in Hebron in Canaan. Sarah knew much sorrow, disappointment, and danger, but she also experienced great joy and became one of the most honoured women in the world. She had her faults, as we all do, but God still used her to begin the nation from which Jesus Christ would come.

Biblical References

Genesis 11-12, 16-18, 20-21, 25, 29; Is. 51:2; Rom. 4:19; Rom. 9:9; Gal. 4:21; Heb. 11:11, 1 Peter 3:6

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Glenn Davis is a Christian author and Bible teacher whose work draws on more than 40 years of study, writing, and teaching in local churches. He has written 700+ articles, created five Bible courses, published three books, and shared 300+ Bible videos on YouTube. Readers can find his books on Amazon, follow his teaching on YouTube or visit Glenn Davis Books. Away from the keyboard, he enjoys time with family, reading, walking, and board or card games.

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