By Sade Akanni
(Living Seed Vol 9 No.2 Oct 2002)
“Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who Seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him.” Isaiah 51:1-2
“For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” 1 Peter 3:5-6.
Sarah’s life is one that points people to right living. I have a burden therefore, to further consider her life in this edition for the admonition of my life as well as those who love righteousness. The Lord still says, “look to Sarah who bore you…” Both in the Old and New Testament God has given a good report about this holy woman of old and instructed us to learn from her. While she has obtained a good
report, we are still awaiting results. It becomes necessary therefore to look more deeply into this life and to learn as much as we can from her, trusting God to help our own lives also. Our constant challenge is, “What did God see in the life of Sarah that He so highly recommended her to those of us upon whom the end of the world has come? May the Lord be pleased to speak to us through her life even now, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Her Open Handedness
“So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy five years old when He departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan.” Gen. 12:4-5.
Sarah’s open handedness could be seen in the way she handled Lot, her nephew-in-law. When Lot’s father died and Abraham took him to take care of him, Sarah did not reject him. She cared for him and anywhere they went, they took Lot along with them. He was taken as part of their family. We never read that Sarah quarrelled with Lot any day even though he might have behaved in a nasty way sometimes. Even when there was famine in the land where they sojourned, Lot was still allowed to stay with them. They did not try to reduce their load of responsibility by sending him away or back to Ur of Chaldeans to go and fend for himself, though by then, he was old enough to do so. She was so kind to Lot such that they even gave him a free hand to acquire possessions for himself while still under them. So the Bible says in Genesis 13: 5 “Lot also who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. And there was Strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.” Gen 13: 5,7.
Lot became rich in Abraham’s house. He had flocks, and herds and tents. He had herdsmen. Where did he get all these from? When they were leaving Haran in Genesis 12 for the land of Canaan, we were only told that Abraham took Lot with him. By then he had nothing, he was probably just a young lad needing parental care. But in Genesis 13, he had already acquired a lot of possessions. Obviously, his riches must have been derived from Abraham’s riches. Yet, Sarah would not mind. She was not tight-fisted or possessive. She was not harsh. She was open hearted and open handed. Even when Lot chose to separate and depart from them with all those possessions, she was not agitated to think of collecting back some or all that this boy whom they brought up was carrying away. She was generous and understanding. Apart from her open-handedness towards Lot, Sarah had many people, slaves and herdsmen staying with them and feeding from their purse. When they had departed from Haran, they went with people whom they had acquired in Haran (Gen 12:5) and Genesis 13: 7 show that they also had herdsmen. Abram and Sarai were responsible for feeding and caring for all these men. There were indications that these men got married still in Abraham’s house and had children born in that house. Slaves bore and brought up children in Abraham’s house. This became evident in Gen. 14, when Abram was going to war with certain kings who invaded Sodom and Gomorrah and took Lot and his family captive.
“Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.” Gen 14: 14.
While slaves had children, Sarai, the owner of slaves was barren, yet she was not embittered against them as to hinder them from having children. While their wives got pregnant and delivered babies, Sarai took care of them and their children. That was real kindness and mercy. They were her slaves and she could have dealt with them harshly in such a way that none of them would even think of bearing children. But Sarah was not like that. She provided for them and cared for their babies. Along with her husband she brought up these children and cared for them until they became an army ready for battle at any time. Though she had no child, she was not a bitter woman. She brought up children of slaves. She was loving and kind and sweet to leave with despite her situation. Is that not a challenge? Imagine three hundred and eighteen servants (without counting women and children) eating at a woman’s table every day? This is a challenge for those of us who are married. Some of us are faced with the challenge of having to care for many people apart from our immediate families. This often becomes a load on us that it sometimes becomes difficult to bear it. Can we pray and ask God to teach us how women of old did it, so that we can learn wisdom for our own lives? There is a general need in the Body of Christ today for people who are kind and open-handed to act on behalf of the Lord as foster fathers and mothers for some of His destitute children, Whereas these may seem too big a work, some even find it difficult to bring into their families the extended members of the family. And so we miss precious opportunities to show the love of Jesus and win people to Christ. May the Lord forgive us and change this unseemly attitude of ours and make us to be like Jesus.
Who knows whether that was what God saw in the life of this woman Sarai that He changed her name from Sarai (Barren) to Sarah (mother of nations). Then God said to Abraham,
“As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her, and she shall be a mother of nations. Kings of people shall be from her.” Gen 17:15-16.
She was open-handed and caring. She had a mother’s heart. So the one that was called “Barren” became a mother of many nations. Even though you may seem barren physically today, if God sees this attitude of Sarah in you, who knows whether He will not also change your situation as He did to Sarah? And if yours is a spiritual barrenness, as you open your heart and hands to show kindness and care to people God may see this and cause them to come to the knowledge of the saviour by your hands too. He will change your barrenness to fruitfulhess.
Her Hospitality
“Then the Lord appeared to him by the Terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, do not pass on by your servant. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, in as much as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measure of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” Gen 18: 1-6.
It happened one day in the heat of the day, the Lord appeared to Abraham unknowingly in form of three men. Abraham himself being very humble and hospitable, ran to greet them and pleaded with them to wash their feet and eat and be refreshed. Though it was in the heat of the day when such things are generally not convenient, Abraham still did it. Hospitality was his life style and together with Sarah his wife, they were generous at it. As soon as he succeeded in persuading these three men to eat, he ran quickly into the tent to meet Sarah and gave her instructions on what food to prepare for these three strange men. The challenge I am having here is that Sarah did not refuse or argue with Abraham over that matter. She went in straight and did as Abraham said. Of course, we may say it is because they were rich and had abundance of provisions. But even if they had little, that is how Sarah would have behaved because hospitality is an attitude, not just an action. You may also say, “Abraham must have been aware of what was available in the house before uttering such a word of command, otherwise it would be difficult to do exactly that.” That is quite true. And that is a challenge for men who love hospitality but lack the knowIedge of the situation in their homes. You will put your wife in a difficult situation many times as you speak big and make bogus promises of provisions before visitors, only to discover such a thing is not available at home. You will find yourself unknowingly making her a ‘bad stingy woman’ before strangers. Such a thing should not be so. Every man should be fatherly to know the state of his house from time to time. Nevertheless, that must not be an excuse for women to dodge hospitality. We must not run away from continually developing and practising this age long godly attitude. It has a great recompense of reward.
As they set the food before these three men and they ate, they suddenly asked for Sarah. Abraham must have been surprised that they knew the name of his wife. Then the Lord said
“I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son. Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him” Gen 18:10.
This must have been another surprise, that these strange visitors knew their problem. As they continued discussing, Abraham eventually recognized that it was the Lord they entertained. It is important to know that it was not Abraham and his wife, the Lord was going to see primarily that day. He was actually going to Sodom and Gomorrah, “to see whether those cities have done altogether according to the out cry against it that has come to me; and if not, I will know.” (Gen 18:21). The matter of his barrenness’ was not God’s primary reason for coming on that day. But as the Lord passed by and they welcomed Him unknowingly and lavishly entertained Him, He decided to open the chapter of their need for a child. The Lord would not go without leaving them a blessing. They would have a son the very next year! The child they have been crying to have was brought to them at their doorsteps as a result of their hospitality. What would have happened if they had not persuaded those three strange men to wait and eat? The men would have passed on without waiting a minute at Abraham’s house. And even though God promised them a child long before, the timing of the child was not known. May be the timing would have been prolonged further if not for their hospitality. As they entertained those strangers, their time of waiting for the blessing of the womb was shortened. This is a great lesson to learn from their hospitality. Even if you may not receive your reward of hospitality immediately, you will surely be rewarded. Hospitality is a godly heritage being passed down to us by father Abraham and mother Sarah. So the Bible says,
“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Rom 12:13 (NIV).
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing” Heb 13:2 (NIV).
Her Submission
The evidence of Sarah’s submission to her husband could be seen right from Gen. 12, when her husband was going to obey the voice of the Lord.
“Now the Lord had said to Abram. Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. So Abram departed as the Lord has spoken to him… Then Abram took Sarah his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they have gathered and the people whom they have acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.” Gen12: 1,4-5.
When the Lord gave Abraham that instruction, I don’t think he spoke to Sarah. God believed that once He has spoken to a man, He has spoken to his wife. As Abraham rose up to obey the Lord, he simply took Sarai along and she simply followed. Though the instruction did not specify where they were going, Sarai followed. She followed her husband to an unknown destination. Sarai must have looked like a foolish woman for agreeing to follow such a man. For some today, they actually prefer to tell the husband to go ahead and know the place first or face the labour personally first. When things become easy, when he knows what he is doing and where he is going, then he can come back home and the wife will be ready to follow him. But that will be unbelief and lack of submission. Jn 20:29 says “–blessed are those who have not seen but yet believed.” Sarai, though not knowing where her husband was taking her, followed him in submission and by faith. She saw the place afar off by faith and embraced it. It is not submission when your husband’s will and opinion is actually what you have desired in your own mind. But it will be real submission when his will and opinion differ from yours, and you drop your own to embrace his own.
“Now there was famine in the land and Abraham went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife. “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife,’ and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my Sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you. So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken back to Pharaoh’s house.’’ Gen 12:10-15.
That was the climax of submission. If not that submission had become her way of life, her true colour would have been known on that day. Here was a contrary decision that was dangerous to her personality and integrity. First, the decision to go ahead to Egypt because of famine in the land where they lived seemed unreasonable. There is a saying among my people that if you find that you cannot’ go forward because of difficulty at least you know where you are coming from, and you can return there. So for Abram not to think of going back to the Ur of the Chaldeans at that time of difficulty seems confusing to the natural mind. Yet Sarai did not question his authority. I don’t know the discussion they might have had, but discussion or no discussion, she submitted and followed. Later in Heb 11:15, God commended them that had they been mindful of the country from where they had come out, they would have had opportunities to return. That means actually that it would have been wrong if they had ‘chosen to return to the Ur of the Chaldeans no matter the difficulties in the land of promise. Again, the decision to go down to Egypt because of that famine was dangerous and it is clear that God was not in it. The journey seemed smooth initially but the danger started unveiling as they were about entering Egypt. Abraham rightly predicted what would happen to them in Egypt. As a result, he made another dangerous and selfish plan. Because of Sarah’s beauty, he was afraid the Egyptians would kill him and take away Sarah if they knew that he was his wife. He therefore instructed Sarai, “please, say you are my Sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, that I may live because of you…” Obviously, Sarai agreed and they went on. What was predicted actually happened. Even though Gen 12:19 eventually tells us that it was Abraham that said to the people “‘she is my sister” and not Sarai saying, “‘he is my brother’ yet, silence means consent. They told that lie together. Sarai submitted to her husband’s plan though it was to her disadvantage. Submission was her normal life style. Though it was costly, she did it by faith, trusting God to deliver her even before Pharaoh could lie with her and violate her.
“But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abraham’s wife. Gen 12:17.
Not for the sake of Abraham did God plague Pharaoh’s house, but because of Sarai. God saw her submission and faith and delivered her. You may say it is because Sarai agreed with her husband to tell a lie that they entered into that trouble. If she had declared the truth that she was his wife, they would not have had that problem. I don’t think that is completely true. They would still not have been free. The Egyptians would have killed Abram as he said, because that was the order of the day, and because he was already outside God’s will. Then they would have still taken Sarai and violated her and had her forever. Yet to have submitted to her husband in that condition was dangerous to her personally. She would not want her husband killed. But to be violated sexually was not going to be an easy condition to experience. She was at a cross road. She rather chose to defer to her husband in submission trusting God to deliver her. Within the short time she had, she made that decision and God delivered her.
At another instance in Gen 20 the same kind of situation occurred again and Abraham instructed Sarai his wife as they journeyed to Gerar. “This is your kindness that you should do for me: In every place where we go Say of me, He is my brother.” (Gen 20:13). So Abimelech king of Gerar took Sarah to be his wife after he had enquired from Abraham and he said, ‘she is my sister’ and from her and she said, “He is my brother.” ( Gen 20:5). Again she submitted to her husband this way. And God arose and rebuked Abimelech because of Sarah (Gen 20:3) and delivered her. God kept showing mercy to Sarah and consequently to Abraham to deliver them. The Scripture says ,
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church, and He is the saviour of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” Eph 5:22-24
There is a reason why God says wives should submit to their own husbands. The reason is because the husband is the head of his wife. If you see a body that works contrary to and differently from the head, that life would be in confusion. So also is a home where the wife works contrary to the husband and acts independent of her head. The husband is the head of the wife not by choice but by making. That is the manufacturer’s design according to His eternal wisdom. No matter who your husband is, that is your own husband. And that is not to oppress you but to make it work perfectly together for your good. Rather than struggle with that instruction, it is better to surrender to God and His will and ask him for wisdom in submission. Though Sarah submitted this way and God in His own counsel delivered her, there are other acts of submission to authority seen in the Scriptures. Each woman must be persuaded as to what step of submission God wants her to take especially in conflicting situations as this. There are other situations in which an unbelieving man asks his wife to bow down and worship gods other than the God of heaven and earth. There is need to seek God’s face instantly and ask for wisdom to handle the situation especially if it happens between you and your husband.
Esther and other wives of the unbelieving kings of Babylon had a law of their husband to obey any time they were to go in and see the king. If he did not send for the woman, she must not go in. And if she goes in to see him without invitation, she will be killed except if the king holds out the golden scepter to her (Esther 4:11). That was a law that the queen was required to submit to. But it happened that a dangerous situation arose in which Haman, one of the king’s officials made plans to kill all the Jews in all the province of Babylon. Esther was in a fix: to obey the king and refuse to go in and plead for the Jews, they would all be killed and she also would not be spared. To refuse to obey the king and go in without the king’s invitation, she might be killed as one rebelling against his orders and all her people will still not be spared. That was a serious conflict. She refused to act in human wisdom. She went into fasting and praying with her maids and all the Jews. From there, she received God’s direction and wisdom. She decided under God to disobey her husband’s order but to submit to the punishment (death) if that would be the king’s decision. That was still submission. That was the wisdom God gave her and the Lord Himself was with her and gave her favour before the king. If God leads you this way and you go the other way, you will fail and God is not bound to deliver you. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God. Submission is God’s own instruction to wives anywhere, any time. Sarah submitted to her own husband and the Lord God fought for her and delivered her from all her afflictions. God’s testimony of her life was that she was a holy woman who submitted to her own husband.
“for in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned them selves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” 1 Peter 3:5-6.
She adorned herself with the life of submission. Submission was her beauty. Submission is an important aspect of holy living. So Sarah was regarded as an holy woman. Are you holy? Are you submissive to your own husband? Is submission your life style or an exceptional behaviour rather than the rule? One thing we must note here is that she was able to submit as a life style not by her strength or cleverness but because she was a woman who trusted in God. That was the bedrock, the ground of her submission. She trusted in God. She knew that the Lord will not allow her to see corruption. She was persuaded that God is not wicked. She believed that God does not sleep. She knew that as long as she submitted to her own husband, the Lord would arise and deliver her out of her resulting situation. And God never failed her. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them from them all (Ps 34:19).
What makes many women today to argue with God about submission is nothing but the flesh, the human nature, as well as unbelief in whom God is, and in the ability of God. Somehow we sometimes think that our husbands may not only lead us into trouble but that they would escape and we may have to face the trouble alone. We forget God who says,
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the river, they shall not overflow you; and when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scourge you. Isaiah 43:2.
God is not unrighteous. Though the head of the woman is the man, the man also has a head. Christ is the head of every man (1 Cor 11:3). Your husband is not head-less. He is also not the over-all head. He has a head, who can instruct him, guide him, direct him and discipline him. Even if your husband is an unbeliever, Christ still has authority over him and over his heart. The heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord. As streams of water, he turns it withersoever he wills (Prov 21:1). Sarah submitted to that ungodly command of Abraham, trusting God not just to deliver her but to rescue them both. We never read in the Bible that God rebuked her for that submission. Rather it was Abraham that God later rebuked for his sins and imperfections. The Lord is just and righteous in his dealings. Put your trust in God and submit. Your personal struggles will not solve the problems. Even if by your personal struggles you seem to be achieving some success in making your husband to yield to your will, it is only temporary and it will not work God’s righteousness in your home. It will only make matters worse sooner or later. It will delay your deliverance.
Finally, though dead and buried, Sarah’s life still speaks volumes to us today. To all those who love righteousness and holy living; to all who delight in seeking the Lord and leaning on him, the Lord still says, ‘Look to Sarah who bore you. She is the pit from where you were dug. Whenever we behave contrary to her godly character, the Lord God wonders whom we resemble. We are her daughters only if we do good (as she did) and are not afraid with any terror. She was not afraid of the future. Fear of unknown and fear of men had no place in her. She put her trust in God in all situations.
For further information and counseling :Please call, 08189591591, whatsapp +2348021688883. Email : https://peacehouseabuja.org/contact/
Check more for your Spiritual Growth:https://peacehouseabuja.org/