Sarah – Joy in Service
Pastor Fred Calkins
Midland SDA Church
March 20, 2021
Most of the Abraham stories, include Sarah
– she is just not mentioned much.
She was a half-sister to her husband.
Modern folk want an explanation
– that sounds too much like incest.
The marrying of close relatives goes back to the beginning.
Adam & Eve’s children only had siblings to marry.
The race was pure then.
There were no genetic diseases.
Apparently, this practice continued for
several generations after the flood.
In the Holy line, we have both siblings and cousins.
Be careful not to judge another culture
by your cultural standards.
On the other hand,
The rules in the 10-Commandments are fixed.
As are Design Laws like gravity and genetics
Sarah and Abraham both participated in lying!
This is sin – see Commandment # 9.
Notice: Sarah was still very attractive
when she was 70 - 90 years of age.
Genesis 12:11-13, 17
They did it again in Genesis 20:2-7
The mess in Egypt gained her a servant – Hagar.
We need to look a bit at Hagar’s story.
She had a personal connection with God.
Twice God spoke with her:
1. When pregnant and running away
Accept your servant role.
2. When Ishmael was a teen
and they were sent away.
She made the best she could with the
servant/slave life she was given.
God calls us to Accept circumstances of life,
Refuse to complain,
Avoid controversy,
Surrogate motherhood was accepted in that time.
Traditions were different: Mesopotamia vs. Egypt
Mesopotamia, where Sarah grew up the
Surrogate got little recognition or gratitude.
The baby became the child of the adopting mother.
Much as the practice in USA today.
Whereas in Egypt,
the literal mother was acknowledged as another wife and
her child advanced her to first place status.
As you can imagine;
both Sarah and Hagar felt blindsided!
Hagar thought she had advanced when she got pregnant.
Sarah still thought of Hagar as a slave.
God had to intervene to sort things out.
1. Hagar was still a slave
2. God seems not to have recognized Hagar
as a legitimate wife.
3. He did however,
accept her child when she asked Him to.
Ishmael is now a teen!
Seen by most as the heir!
Back to Sarah:
Everyone was surprised with Sarah’s pregnancy
– especially her.
She was decades past menopause.
Laughter became a theme of Isaac’s life.
90 year old Sarah was proud of her baby bump.
She enjoyed showing off to the village women
her nursing ability.
Everyone was surprised those old paps could do their job.
I doubt she weaned him young.
Sarah is called the mother of the faithful –
see Galatians 4:22-29
Look at II Peter 3:1-6 Read
Her godly character is given as an example.
Oh, you think this is one-sided?
See verse 7!
A parallel passage is Ephesians 5
Some focus on wifely submission but miss v. 25 & 30
Any wife is safe submitting to a husband who
sacrifices like Jesus!
Sarah is credited for her
willingness to become pregnant
when ‘too old’ to bear children.
See Genesis 18:9-14
Nothing is too hard for God.
This is the Promise!
Don’t try to tell God what he can and can’t do!
Fulfillment comes in Genesis 21:1-3, 6&7.
What a powerful lesson for us!
1. Don’t be running ahead of God.
2. Believe His promises
Even when they sound outlandish!
God is well able to do what He says.
This life of Abraham and Sarah is a
parable of the life of Jesus.
Jesus went to a far country – Earth
He did ‘impossible things’ all for the glory of God
Indeed God’s promise – to Abraham that in him
all people of earth would be blessed is
most fulfilled in Jesus,
the Savior of mankind.
Today, be sure to live for Jesus.