Sarah's Say

Genesis 22:1-19

Marriage is at times, very difficult even if no one really wants to admit it.

There are so many different reasons for difficulty including financial issues,

illness, family conflicts and pressures, and often just life in general. All of

these things can place an enormous strain on a marriage even a good

marriage, and without a firm commitment and the help of God, couples can

find it very hard to stay together.

In Genesis chapter 22 we read the familiar story of God telling Abraham

to take his son Isaac to a place God would show him, and to offer him there

as a sacrifice. We read that, the next morning Abraham rose up early, gathered

the supplies needed, and set off with his son. In that same chapter, we also

read how God, in the end, supplied a ram for the sacrifice instead of Isaac

because it was never God’s intention that Isaac be sacrificed but rather it was

to test Abraham. To see if he would be willing to give up something he loved

so much. In the end, as stated earlier, God was faithful and provided an

alternate sacrifice, and together Abraham and Isaac set off for home and

continued to live their lives. We often read this story only thinking of

Abraham and what he had to have gone through and how he passed the test,

but what about his wife Sarah? After all, Isaac was her son also- her only son

at the time. Did she have a say in all of this? What were her feelings regarding

this command from God, the same God who had told her she would give

birth to a son in her old age?

The Bible does not state whether or not Sarah was told in advance of

what was to happen, and it doesn’t give any indication of what she had to say

about it. One would guess, most likely, Sarah found out after the fact, for that

information would have been about impossible to keep quiet, especially on

Isaac's part. Take a moment if you will and try to imagine what Sarah must

have thought upon finding out all of this, and the horror she must have felt.

Most likely she ended up having an in-depth conversation with Abraham, and

maybe even with her son as well. She had to have been feeling anger, relief

and maybe even some confusion. Yes, God did provide the ram in the end,

but to have had your child go through this experience must have been beyond

comprehension for Sarah. Perhaps she was even angry God felt He needed to

test Abraham in this manner by using their son. Let’s also not forget this was

not easy for Abraham as well. He had to have felt immensely grieved on many different levels but was above all being obedient to his God. For Sarah

though, she ended up not having any say in the matter. Perhaps God was

sparing her the immense struggle that would have taken place in her heart and

mind. Either way this not only affected all three of them individually but

surely had an effect, I’m sure, on Sarah and Abraham's marriage. One doesn’t

know the words that were exchanged between the two of them but one does

know their marriage survived it! Their marriage survived the most difficult and

heart wrenching test imaginable, and God was faithful to their family.

For us of today there will always be times of struggles and times of

enormous strain. Times in where even you as a wife may feel you have no say

in certain areas, times where you feel your left out, and times where you’re

even left in the dark, so to speak, about things, but know that God is faithful.

Know that God sees and hears all, and is very aware of everything you are

facing as a wife, as a mother and as a woman. Even for Sarah, she may not

have had previous knowledge of what God was asking her husband to do but

in the end, it worked out and I'm sure their communication, love for each

other and their family, and most of all their love for God was even stronger

than before.

So, learn today to trust God even in the hardest and most difficult times

in your life and marriage. Learn to rely on God and His strength and

goodness. Know that even in the hard and struggling moments God is with

you, and His plan is not to harm you or to take something away from you but,

in the end, to make Himself more aware to you and those in your life. So,

while you may at times feel even like Sarah that you have no say, know that

God is watching out for you and your family, and He will cause all things to

work together for good.

From The Noble Woman Book, by Gina Burns.