February 14, 2019
Genesis Chapters
12-23
SARAI BECOMES SARAH
Wife of Abraham
Mistake
#3 ~ ABRAM had a
beautiful wife that he cherished…as long as it didn’t threaten his
well-being. Listen to his reasoning:
He said to his wife Sarai, “Look,
I know what a beautiful woman you are.
When the Egyptians see you, they will, say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. Please say you’re my sister so it will go
well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”
Genesis 12:10-20
…See
also chapter 20
Not
learning from this mistake…Abram & Sarai repeated it again when leaving
Egypt and entering the Negev to Canaan (where he was supposed to be setting up
Home!)
SARAI was an obedient wife, but
also foolish because this arrangement made her eligible for the affections of
another man!
It also caused great consequences for those
who innocently received her as Abram’s sister…such as Pharaoh who took her into
his house to be one of his wives; and God struck him and his household with
severe plagues. He told them to “go”. Abraham, SARAH and all he had acquired there…flocks,
herds, donkeys, camels and slaves.
He left wealthy!
Inching his way back to the land God gave
him; he encounters King Abimelech of Gerar and this time Sarah says he is her brother! She was brought to Abimelech…but
God said to him in a dream that he was about to die because the woman he had
taken was a married woman! All the women
of Abimelech’s household God had closed their wombs. Abraham prays for them and they send them
away with lots of money to vindicate Sarah’s honor.
It’s now about 10 years later,
and Abram questions God about being childless.
Remember, Sarai is barren! The Lord tells Abram that an heir will come
from him and his offspring will be numerous…more than the stars and the sand! The Lord made a covenant with him.
The Egypt Mistake has more repercussions
– they got more than wealth from there; they brought back slaves…and SARAI
owned an Egyptian slave named, HAGAR!
*BAD
IDEA ~”Since
the Lord has prevented me from bearing children,
go to my slave; perhaps
through her I can build a family”
…And Abram agreed.”
Genesis 16:16 ~ Abram
was eighty-six years old when HAGAR bore Ismael to him.”
We leave HAGAR here for a brief
conclusion later…
ABRAM becomes ABRAHAM and SARAI
becomes SARAH
When Abram was 99 and Sarai was
89, the Lord appeared and said he was setting up His Covenant and promises to
multiply him greatly. He changes his
name and says: “I will make you the
father of many nations…for generations to come My covenant between Me and you will
be marked in your flesh, and every male will be circumcised…throughout
generations when a male is 8 days old.”
Ismael was 13 years old when he
and Abraham were circumcised.
SURPRISE! ~ God also says that SARAH is going to have a
son, and you will name him ISAAC!...(Genesis 21)
“Sarah said: God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears
will laugh with me. Who would have told
Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?
Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age…Abraham was a hundred
years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”
SARAH now resents HAGAR and has
her sent away…
Genesis 23:1 ~ “Now SARAH lived 127 years. Sarah dies in Hebron in the land of Canaan
and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her…Abraham buried his wife
SARAH in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Hebron in the land of Canaan.”
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