Week 1 We will start in Genesis with Sarah. Here are our Focus Scriptures for the week:
Focus scriptures:
Genesis 16:1-16 - Sarah and Hagar
Genesis 17:15-21 - Isaac's Birth Promised to Abraham
Genesis 18:1-15 - The Lord's Visit to Abraham and Sarah
Genesis 21:1-21 - The Birth of Isaac
Is this your first time studying Sarah? Is there anything that stands out in these scriptures that resonate with you?
This is the thread we will discuss these scriptures. Please feel free to post any comments after reading these scriptures.
Women of the Bible Sarah
Good morning! I wanted to share you with some thoughts I had while reading these scriptures.
In previous chapters, God made the covenant with Abram and promised he would have a son as a heir (Genesis 15:1-5). And Abram believed God (Genesis 15:6) and Abram had acquired wealth (Genesis 12:16). Abram and Sarai had more than what they had in Haran because Genesis 12:1, God tells Abram to leave his father's house. Abram was 75 years old when he left his father's house (Genesis 12:4) and Sarai was 66 years old.
In Genesis 16, for the first time we are witnessing Sarai making her own moves. I imagine Sarai looking at the life that her and Abram built the last 10 years and she had not had a child. My perspective, I believe Sarai thought God was withholding children from her. She thought that God was preventing her from having child based on her age. To prevent is to keep something from happening. Sarai came up with the idea for her husband to conceive a child with her servant, Hagar.
Do you think Abram was wise to listen to his wife, Sarai?
Do you think Sarai felt like God forgot about her in her old age?
Have you ever felt like God forgot about you?
Have you ever felt like God was preventing you from doing something?
We witness how Sarai started to look at Hagar differently, when Sarai's plan actually worked! Sarai was in her feelings about Hagar and I feel like she may have taken out her frustration on Hagar about not having a child. But God took care of Hagar and her son Ishmael. Hagar states, "You are a God of seeing,"(Genesis 16:13).
In chapter 17, God establishes His everlasting covenant with Abram when he was 99 year old through circumcision. Abram's name becomes Abraham, which means father of many nations. Verse 17:19, God tells Abraham that he will have a son, called Isaac. This is where Sarai becomes Sarah. I thought it was interesting to point out that Sarai and Sarah both mean Princess.
In Genesis 18, "The way of the woman had ceased to be with Sarah," meaning Sarah had stopped having her period. And when the Lord said she would bear a son, she laughed (Genesis 18:12). She did not believe God.
God's promise came to pass and we see Sarah bears Isaac in Genesis 21:1. Ironically, Isaac's name means, "he laughs." After Sarah birthed Isaac, she stated, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me,"(Genesis 21:6).
God had already established Isaac's name in chapter 17. How could God know what Sarah was going to do afterwards? I believe it is the same reason why Sarai and Sarah both mean princess. Regardless of Sarah's age, God was standing on His promises with Abraham. Because, God is the God that sees us! God sees if we really believe Him or not. God sees our afflictions, like Hagar. He knows everything about us. Even when we make mistakes and try to run our own lives, God is there to make things right!
You have to remember, it is in His time, not ours. Remember, Abraham was 75 years old when he left his father's house in chapter 12. Sarah was 91 years old when she birthed Isaac and Abraham was 100 years old. God did not forget. And God did not forget about you, no matter what situation you are in. If God promised, it shall come to pass.
Have you ever thought that God did not see you?
Have you even been in a situation where you thought there was no way out?
Have you ever had a problem that you wanted to go away?