Men,
It is time to take a lesson from a woman (Do I hear an “Amen” from your wives?). It is not typical to read in a devotional to men about the example of a woman. You will see it this week and a few more times in the future as we seek to learn from some of the people from the pages of the Bible.
Sarah’s life is, in a way, opposite from Noah’s whom we looked at last week. Noah lived an incredible life of faith and obedience that has gone down in history. Yet, upon close examination we see that his life of faith seemed to fizzle out at the end. Sarah’s life is the other way around.
To be fair, the issues discussed below of lying and unbelief regarding Sarah are largely due to the failures of her husband, Abraham. Here, though, lies the real beauty of this struggling couple and their faith.
A famine forced their direction to Egypt, but this was not the direction that God set them in (Gen. 12:1). Abraham knew the culture of Eastern kings and feared for his life because of the beauty of Sarah. As a result, Abraham was willing to trade the virtue of his wife for his life. It was a half truth that they told (Gen. 12:12-13), but a half truth is a whole lie. It was wrong of Abraham and wrong for Sarah to go along with it. Men, know that, as a pastor, any chance I have to speak to your wives I desire to help them know that nowhere in the definition of being a submissive wife does it also mean that they are to cover up or aid in your sin. Abraham’s idea should not have gone as far as it did. Their sin as a couple impacted others (Gen. 12:18).
You think they would have learned as God rescued them from the hands of Pharaoh and from their twisted plan. I suppose if I remain detached from the truth about myself I can easily judge them when this same sin appears again in Genesis 20. I could judge them and conclude that they should have known better. But a close examination of my life would remind me that I often do not know better. Consider this perspective:
“We can never be too careful against falling into the old sin. One might well imagine that after the bitter experience in Egypt, Sarah would never again consent to act a lie. It was a sharp lesson for both the woman and her husband, and yet we find them falling exactly where they had fallen before….When we think of the repeated lapse of good people like Abraham and Sarah, we are reminded that we can place no trust in ourselves.”[i]
Not only did this couple often demonstrate a lack of integrity, they also lacked faith. Abraham laughed and suggested a different plan when God made sure that Abraham knew that the promised child would be from Sarah (Gen. 17:17-18). Sarah had already come up with this provision for Abraham when she was found to be barren. She provided her own servant for Abraham. This was not the plan of God. When Sarah finally heard that the promised child was indeed to be from her womb she laughed (Gen. 18:12-13, 15).
Do you see the grace that is extended to Sarah? God said that Sarah will have a baby. Sarah laughed. God asked why Sarah laughed. Sarah denied laughing. God said, “No, you did laugh.” God did not change his plan. He stuck with Abraham and Sarah because of his promise to them. He could have gone back to Ur to find another couple and start all over. But he didn’t. When Abraham and Sarah were faithless God remained faithful (2 Tim. 2:13).
It gets even better! “And Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” (Gen. 21:6 ESV) This time Sarah’s laughter is different. She is not laughing at God. She is laughing with joy because God was faithful. Even though she doubted God she still could enjoy what God had done. This is grace. Men, learn this lesson from Sarah! We all have shown faithlessness at times toward God. We all have failed. God, in his wonderful grace, still allows us to enjoy his amazing works. We are not forever sidelined because of our failure. God will still allow us to know his joy.
Some of you reading this have sidelined yourselves. Because of failure in the past you count yourself unworthy to trust and follow God today. That is not how God operates. Test his grace. You will find it. Get in the game and walk with him again.
Pressing On,
Pastor Drew
[i] Donald Davidson, Mothers in the Bible (London: Marshal, Morgan & Scott, 1934), p. 18.
