Louise Norved .: april 2002 Have you ever wondered why Sarah is presented in the New Testament as a model woman? What's so important about a 90 year old woman who had a baby? Well now's the time to find out, as Louise Norved takes a look at what the bible has to say about Sarah. There are 2 particular things to note about Sarah: 1. Sarah was the wife of Abraham (Gen 11). Abraham was also married to Hagar (Gen 16:3-4) whom the bible says Sarah gave to her husband so that she might have a family through her. 2. A major and significant part of the narrative concerning Sarah is barrenness. As early as the first mention of Sarah in the bible we're told that Sarah is barren, and has no children. Its interesting that we should get both of these statements, 'that she was barren, and had no children', because if she is barren you wouldn't expect her to have any children. This is particularly difficult since Abraham was told by God that he would become the father of a great nation. The comment highlights the way in which she tries to fulfil the promises to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) by herself. In an effort to have children, Sarah gives her maidservant Hagar to Abraham to be his wife. When Hagar falls pregnant however the two women fight. The bible tells us that Hagar began to despise her mistress (16:4), and Sarah for her part mistreated Hagar. The child born to Hagar, called Ishamael is not the heir of the promises. In chapter 17, the LORD explicitly states this and clearly states that it will be Sarah who will be the mother of this great nation. In keeping with his promise, the LORD was gracious to Sarah and she became pregnant (Gen 21). She gave birth to Isaac when she was about 90. And Abraham was about 100. So what's so important about a 90 year old woman who had a baby? Well, Sarah is referred to a number of times in the bible after Genesis where she is mentioned as a example of God's work in the world, as a model of our salvation, and is praised. 1. The woman in whom God does the impossible. In Isa 51:1-2 we see that God does the impossible. The passage tells us that when God called Abraham he was but one, and now look at him. He is the father of many. Both he and Sarah are examples of God's faithfulness to his promises, even in the face of something that seems impossible - their age and Sarah's barrenness. We say that it is impossible for a barren woman to have a child, but God is so committed to his promise that he does the impossible. Abraham and Sarah are mentioned because God did great things for them. So for us who do pursue righteousness and do seek the LORD Sarah is an example that encourages us when life seems so hard. It may not specifically mean child for the barren couple (though Go can certainly do that), but that God can achieve what to us seems impossible. We need to be so convinced of God's faithfulness that when bad things happen, and things are hard, that we don't loose heart. We should look to Sarah for whom God did the impossible. Jesus himself said that what is impossible with man, is possible with God (Lk. 18:27). 2. Another passage which speaks about Sarah is Gal 4:22-26. Here Paul explains the spiritual difference between Sarah and Hagar. Hagar is the woman of slavery, whereas Sarah is the woman of freedom and the promise. Hagar represents the covenant givn at Mt. Sinai and bears children who are slaves. Sarah represents the new covenant and bears children who are free. Hagar represents the present day city of Jerusalem, which is in slavery, whereas Sarah represents the Jerusalem that is above, and she is free. They represent the contrast found in Galatians between grace and the law. Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman, and Jesus is in the line of the free woman. Likewise followers of Christ - those who rely upon the grace of God in Christ, are children of the free woman, not of the slave woman. This is why Paul says that we should continue to trust in Jesus who represents freedom, and not go back to works of the law, which only make us slaves. 3. In 1 Peter 3 Sarah is presented as a model of beauty. You'll notice that its in the context of beauty that Peter talks about Sarah. He says first of all that our beauty should not come from outward adornment, and then lists ways that we do this: braided hair, gold jewelry, fine clothes. That's not where our beauty is to come from. Our beauty is not to be outward, but inward, seen in the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. What is a gentle and quiet spirit like? Peter gives us an example in Sarah of what a gentle and quiet spirit is like, which is quite different to what we might call beauty. (We know from the OT that Sarah was actually a very beautiful woman, which is why Abraham tells her to say she is his sister Gen 12 & 20). Peter speaks about Sarah as a model of submission. Here he refers back to those instances in Genesis where Sarah obeyed Abraham (Gen. 12 & 20). The conclusion Peter draws is that Sarah was submissive to her husband calling him her 'master'. We are her daughters if we follow her example. 4. Finally and most importantly, Sarah is, as I said, the wife of Abraham; and its through her that Jesus traces his descent. Jesus is the heir of God's gracious promises to Abraham, that through him all nations on earth would be blessed. Louise Norved edits and compiles ewe-turn, out of a passion for seeing women as devoted followers of Christ. Send Feedback    |    Printable version of this article