Who was Sarah in the Bible?

Wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. Abraham said she was the daughter of his father but not of his mother, therefore he called her 'sister'; but God preserved her in His mercy to Abraham, who had, through fear, denied his true relationship to her in the land of Egypt and before Abimelech. Sarah, being barren, gave to Abraham her Egyptian handmaid Hagar, who, when she had conceived, despised her mistress. Sarah then dealt harshly with her and she ran away; but the angel of the Lord sent her back, and Ishmael was born.

When God promised Abraham that a son should be born to him of Sarah, He altered her name from Sarai to Sarah, which signifies 'princess.' The meaning of Sarai is uncertain. Jerome gave 'my princess;' others 'princely;' others 'contentious;' Fürst says, 'Jah is ruler.' (See NAMES.) When Sarah heard that she was to have a son, she laughed within herself, for she was old, but it was known by the Lord, and then, being afraid, she denied that she had laughed.

In fulfilment of God's promise, Isaac was at length born. When he was weaned, Ishmael was seen mocking, which roused Sarah to demand the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. Though it was grievous to Abraham, God bade him do what Sarah desired. This is taken up in Galatians 4 as a figure of Christians being children of the free woman, that is, of Jerusalem which is above, which, says the apostle, is our mother. Ishmael represents the man born after the flesh, who persecutes him born after the Spirit.

Sarah lived to the age of 127, and died in Kirjath-arba, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, which was purchased as a burying place. Her history is given in Gen. 11 — Gen. 23. Sarah is held up in the N.T. as an example of faith, Heb. 11:11; and also as a wife who was in subjection to her husband. 1 Peter 3:6.

The first woman in the Bible after Eve to receive more than a passing notice is Sarah. Evidently she was a woman of vigorous personality. She was no weak plaything, without mind or will of her own. On the contrary, we should gather she was a masterful woman. But she stands as the example of “the holy women who trusted in God, being in subjection to their own husbands,” for we read, “Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well” (1 Peter 3:5-6).

God does not only change Abraham's name, however, but tells him that Sarai's name is to be changed to Sarah. Sarai means "my princess," as being Abraham's property, but Sarah means "the princess," giving her the wider honor of being "a mother of nations." She stands for the grace of God. Is there not a lesson in this that we must learn the grace of God personally first, before we shall be glad to share that grace with all who may be brought to desire it? Sarah was to be greatly blessed: even after 90 years of age she would have a son: she would be blessed and others would be blessed through her: she would be a mother of nations, with even kings being among her descendants.

Sarah, however, persisted longer in her unbelief; and when Jehovah at a subsequent day set a time for Sarah to have a son, she laughed incredulously and stood gravely reproved — the more because she denied it. But all this makes the grace of God so marked and cheering, as we find an entire oblivion of these early failures, and the later triumph alone here recorded. How undeniable the proof that He loves to speak well of His own! "Is anything too hard for Jehovah?" He overthrew all the thoughts and reasonings of her mind. Her doubts, her equivocations, deepened her self-judgment. His own word carried its own convincing light along with it; henceforward she "counted him that promised faithful." May we not ask, Is anything too good for Jehovah? Abraham appears to have been peaceful in faith before the turning-point came for his wife. But come it did; and God singles it out for the permanent blessing of souls, tried with doubts as she had long been, that they may rest as she at length did on the word of Him who cannot lie.

Sarah is a delightful woman in many ways. She was not perfect, neither was her husband, and this is true in our homes. Husbands are not perfect and wives are not perfect, but it is good to see husband and wife pulling together in connection with the things of God. In some cases the wife can be more spiritual than her husband, as Sarah was in this particular incident. Abraham desired that Ishmael might live before God (Gen.17:18), but Ishmael was no good for God, he did not come of the right line, he was the son of the bondwoman. It was the promised seed Isaac who was the one to whom the blessing was to come. Sarah said, 'That child has got to go, he is a bad influence, he will not help, there will be no blessing through him'. And Abraham said, 'I cannot do that, he is my son, my flesh'. The power of nature was strong in Abraham. He did not realise at this time what the mind of God was. Sarah was more spiritual and that juncture. Abraham bowed to that instruction and Sarah proved herself to be a woman of discernment, a woman understanding what the will of the Lord was.

So dear sisters, you can encourage your husbands because sometimes they can be wrong, and if you discern that they are wrong put them right from the word of God, and be a help and an encouragement to them. Sarah feared God, she was desirous of doing what was pleasing in the sight of God. Abraham often failed in nature, great man of God that he was. He failed in relation to his father (Gen.11:31-12:1-5), failed in relation to Ishmael (Gen.21:9-12), failed in relation to his wife (Gen.12:11-20, and 20:1-18), because the power of nature was so strong in him; but he succeeded in many other ways, and at the end, when that supreme test came, he soared above the power of nature and was ready to offer up his well beloved son Isaac (Gen.22:1-19, Heb.17:17-19). What a man of God! However, in this particular case, Sarah was indeed a holy woman; she understood the mind of the Lord when Abraham did not.

It is the more instructive and important to note that in this transaction Abraham was weak, and Sarah strong. He did not give glory to God as she did; hence God called on Abraham to hearken to Sarah's voice, whatever might be the natural subjection of wife to husband — a subjection in which the apostle Peter expressly cites this very Sarah as an admirable pattern to christian women generally. But here the weaker vessel was by grace the stronger of the two, and Abraham must not regard Sarah's feeling as the mere affronted pride of the mistress who could not brook the airs of aspiring and mocking Ishmael. She was in the secret of Jehovah more deeply than her husband; while he was allowing unduly the claims of flesh, and was grieved at the proposal of expelling the bondmaid's son from the house. But so it must be according to God. Sarah was right. Her child was of promise, as the word was which declared Jehovah would return at the time appointed and Sarah should have a son.

It was not so with Hagar and Ishmael, though God would make a nation of him because he was Abraham's seed. But there must be liberty in the house for all that are of God, and no entangling with the yoke of bondage. Every remnant of law, world, and flesh must be expelled, and what was of promise alone abide. But it is all ever thus judged till the day of "a great feast." Then comes the decisive moment, and what is of the flesh persecutes what is of the Spirit, and grace gives the Sarahs to speak out, and God will have it heard and acted on, though an Abraham may be grieved: but then, and not till then, is the bondmaid cast out with her son. The Sinai covenant that genders to bondage and her child after the flesh can be no longer tolerated in the household of faith.

Therefore Peter was led to speak of ancients witnessing for God in this respect. "For thus also heretofore the holy women that were hoping in God adorned themselves accordingly, being subject to their own husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children ye became, doing good and not being afraid with any dismay." On God their hope rested, not on themselves. Sarah stood at the head of these pious matrons of Israel; but though not alone (for there were not a few saints of like spirit), she was far from forgetting the true ornaments that became saints.

Favoured as Christians were by Christ and redemption come, the wives now ought not to fall short either in moral adorning or in subjection. Sarah obeyed her husband and reverently addressed him (Gen. 18:12); she was not carried away by the common ground for vanity, though she had beauty more than most. Her children such wives now became as were doers of good and not frightened by any scare from propriety. Why should they be who know that Christ's Father is their Father, and Christ's God is theirs? Why be perturbed since He sent His servants to comfort them with the same peace He gave them? The enemy works by fear; God by His love in Christ against every source of alarm.

Abraham accordingly hastens, making Sarah the partner of his kindly toil, and soon after stands by them under the tree as they eat. Then comes their turn before us. They said to him, "Where is Sarah thy wife?" Perhaps it was then that the first word, intimating the divine power of Him who deigned to be there, fell on the attentive ear of Abraham. "I will certainly return unto thee." It does not become man to talk of certainly returning. Was this lost on Abraham? Assuredly not; more particularly when his long-cherished hope is about now to enjoy the promise of a specified, and, I may say, dated accomplishment. "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son." If it appeared vague before, it was henceforth distinct and defined. But the one who was immediately concerned had not the same sense as Abraham of the presence of God. There was not the same preparedness of heart for it. Sarah, no doubt, was an honoured woman, but her state was spiritually different from that of Abraham. We hear of her during this conversation behind the door. I dare say she ought not to have been there, but there she was; and if she was where she ought not to have been, need we wonder that she indulges in feelings that little became her? She laughed in her doubt of the word. Could any of us imagine Abraham behind a door? Was there not a simple dignity in him incapable of hiding and listening behind a door?

The Lord takes this occasion by this moment of holy intimacy to confirm the faith of Abraham by assuring him of the coming birth of his son. This concerns Sarah, so the LORD asks, "Where is Sarah thy wife?" Then the LORD says, "I will certainly return to thee at this time of the year; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son" (N. Tr.). For any but a Divine Person to have spoken thus would have been mere presumption. We cannot count upon a day. God can say, "I will certainly return." Thus the faith of Abraham is confirmed by the assurance of the LORD'S own words. And still the Lord delights to assure our trembling hearts with the certain word of the One who can say, "I will." "I will come again, and receive you to Myself." "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:3-18).

Abraham hears this great promise with the full realization of the glory of the One who speaks, and therefore expresses no astonishment, raises no difficulties, and expresses no doubt. In marked contrast Sarah's faith and discernment is not equal to her husband's. She hears what is said, but has little realization of the glory of the Speaker. She doubts what is said because of what she finds in herself. She is old and her body worn out, therefore she argues that what the Lord has said cannot come true, and in her heart she laughs in unbelief at the very suggestion of having a son. She is rebuked for her unbelief and Abraham is reminded that, however impossible the fulfilment of the promise on the ground of nature, there is nothing too hard for the Lord.

Charged with her unbelief, Sarah is ashamed to own the truth. As so often, fear of consequences leads to lying and deceit. She "denied, saying, I laughed not." It may have been true that she did not laugh aloud; but she laughed in her heart and has to learn that she is in the presence of One who can read the heart and see behind tent doors.