Women of the Bible

It is very difficult to picture the women of the Bible realistically in our minds because their time is so far removed from ours, and their way of life so vastly different. But there are many things in daily life, which every woman comes up against regardless of time. In our last article, about Eve, we mentioned that she was a pioneer woman because she was the first to experience the true ways of a woman’s life such as wife-hood and motherhood.

This time, let us look at another pioneer woman, Sarah. She was more like the pioneers of our own land, North America, for she left her native land where she had been born and raised, and with her husband Abram, journeyed to a land which God showed them. They left all their relatives, except Lot and his wife, and went into a new land they had never seen before, and started a way of life completely strange to them.

Surely, there are many of us who are sympathetic with this experience of Sarah’s ! How many young brides, today, have left their families to go away—clear across the Continent, and sometimes Oceans, with their husbands—and learn to cope with altogether strange ways of living. Others have had a mysterious call to leave their native land years after their marriage, and have crossed continents to begin anew. So Sarah’s experience can be brought nearer to our own hearts and understanding.

It is recorded that Abram was seventy-five years old when they left Ur of Chaldees, and Sarah was 10 years younger. Theirs was a life of the nomad. No special resting place, but constant travel, and strangers all around them. At the time when Abraham was “walking through the length and breadth of the land” as God had commanded him to do, they may have stayed a month at one place, and at another only a day or so. Any of us who have been called upon to travel with the family for long distances—either for pleasure, or for more pressing reasons —will be sympathetic with the task that lay in Sarah’s hands. Most men, while they will put up with all sorts of inconveniences in connection with their own business if they understand it to be necessary for a time, nevertheless will be most hurt and distressed if their home is not running smoothly when they return. The “little woman” must be cheerful at all times, and show her ability to cope with any situation. Sarah’s task was no less great. Abraham was a man of means : he had many servants, herds of cattle, much goods and all the responsibility that goes with owning a lot of property. Sarah, meanwhile, was equally responsible for her own share. She was the mistress of the household for as long as she lived. She managed her household affairs much the same as any woman does today who has a large household to look after. She did not do any of the menial tasks—that was for the servants to do– but she was in full charge, and all orders had to come from her. The servants of a household, in these days, were as much a part of the family as though they were blood relatives. This is understandable when we realise how very closely they lived with one another. Perhaps the only comparison with another period of the world’s history that we can make is when the Plantation owners of the deep south used to take full responsibility for their slaves and their families. These people used to register all the births on their plantations under their names, hence, many a little dark-skinned baby was given an English name simply because his parents had been slaves on a plantation at the time of his birth. In the household of Abraham and Sarah, although their home was transient, all their servants were bondmen, and bond-women : completely the property of Abraham.

Apart from the duties of her household, Sarah, like many another wife, had to deal with situations brought upon her through her husband. While Abraham had utmost faith in God, he apparently did not have faith or confidence in the Kings of Egypt, or men like Abimelech ! Because Sarah was a beautiful woman (at the age of 70) he feared that she would be taken from him, and he would be killed, in order that these men might keep her. His fear was justly founded, for this sort of thing did happen occasionally, when an un­scrupulous Prince of the land saw a beautiful woman he wanted for himself. For Abraham to say that Sarah was his sister, was not entirely untruthful, for we do remember that she was his half-sister, through their having the same father, Terah. But what a position for a wife to be in! Imagine being inside the court of a prince, or king, and not being able to be with your husband. Imagine being specially prepared to become the wife of the prince, and having to live for some time inside the women’s quarters of his household, afraid to raise your voice in protest because it might endanger the life of your husband, yet knowing also what might be in store for you. Sarah had to do all that twice for Abraham : and in each case, the Lord delivered them out of the difficulty.

Abraham was faithful, and believed God. Whatever Abraham was commanded to do by God, he did. Whatever Sarah’s husband expected of her, she did. That can be a lesson to all of us. Sarah never questioned her position : she knew that she was “subject unto her husband”, and he was subject unto the Lord. Their way of life must have been remarkable to other people with whom they came in contact. Everywhere they went, they were treated with the utmost respect—Abraham was counsellor to kings at one time. They could travel through the courts of kings and be made welcome, and given the very best consideration. Abraham was respected because he was a man of God, and lived accordingly.

But one thing made Sarah’s faith falter. She couldn’t seem to have a child. In those days, this was most grievous to any woman, for that was her duty to her husband. She must have sons to carry on the family name, and bear her husband’s burdens at the end of his days. A woman was not completely fulfilling her purpose as a wife, if she did not accomplish this. Now, although Sarah had known God’s promise to Abraham, she could not understand why it took so long for God to fulfil His Word. So, after fretting about it within herself, obviously, she started to reason with Abraham. Like many another man, Abraham was out of his depth here. Having children was the woman’s department, not his. He was persuaded, by Sarah, to take Hagar her handmaid, and Abraham did as she suggested. There is nothing vulgar, or shocking in this when we understand that it was quite often the custom of their day to do this. Hagar was her own personal handmaid, and so a member of the household and thereby of the family—as we illustrated previously. The handmaid’s child would be Abraham’s son, and so heir to the promises which God had made—all this was in Sarah’s mind. But, by taking things into her own hands, like many a woman since, Sarah made an awful mess of things. A child was born to the bond-woman, and Sarah was no longer supreme mistress over her household. The maid became superior, and haughty, over her mistress. Sarah’s days were made a misery because of her.

And because of Sarah’s actions, history was made. For the son of the bond-woman has never ceased to be a thorn-in-the-flesh to the Israelite. His descendants today, are still shedding blood over what they feel is their birthright. Sarah had a lot to learn, and the greatest lesson of all was that God’s Will shall be done. He has the power to perform miracles. She learned that too, when later she had a son of her own—when she was past the age of child-bearing. It was truly a miracle which only the Hand of the Lord could perform.

But because of her anxiety to hurry along the course of natural events, Sarah would never have the full enjoyment that she might have had. Although she undoubtedly was happy at the birth of Isaac, nevertheless she had Ishmael to contend with. He was Abraham’s son, and his first-born also. Abraham loved Ishmael, we see, when we read how he appealed to God for him. And it was a deeply grieved Abraham who had to abide by the Will of God, and turn his son from his household. Sarah, therefore, could never have the complete joy that might have been hers had she been patient and awaited the Hand of the Lord, instead of taking things in her own hands. There is an old saying which is well-known: “the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world” —in Sarah’s case she certainly upset the world, even to our own generation thousands of years later. But the results of Sarah’s actions are not to be considered without the Hand of God either. He knows the end from the beginning, and the over-all plan which is in His Almighty Power, has already taken into consideration the workings of mankind, and in this case, womankind. God had made provision for Ishmael.

As women, living in our present turbulent world, we look for guidance from some of these patriarchal women of long ago. They are put in the record as a guide to us. Whatever we see there with our own discernment we must put to good use in our own lives. If Sarah’s actions as a good wife give us food for thought, then let us, by all means try to follow her example. If her actions in taking things into her own hands, and showing her weakness of faith in God, also teaches us a lesson, then let us abide by it. Women’s ways are not always the ways of men, and we find it hard to hold back and be in submission. Remember Sarah. She was a good wife, and submitted to her husband in all ways that were expected of her, until there was something she wanted more than anything in her whole life—a son. Pride was involved, perhaps, more than anything.

Undoubtedly, Sarah had great enjoyment from Isaac, her son. We do not hear much about her after his birth, until after her death and at the time that Rebecca is brought to Isaac. Then we are told, “and she became his wife ; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death”. In those few words, we are to glean a meaning that the mother and son were closely knit.

Sarah died at the age of 127 years ! We only know of her for the latter 67 years, yet, in that time there lies a tremendous life of faithfulness, work and patience, and love. If Sarah made a mistake in her life, who are we to condemn? In all those years of active life, that is the only recorded serious mistake she made. (Except, perhaps, the time when she laughed at the words of the angel regarding her having a child in old age.) Do any of us feel that we could do better than Sarah ?