WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - TAMAR - JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED DUE TO UNWED PREGNANCY UNTIL PATERNITY PROVEN

TAMAR – JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED DUE TO UNWED PREGNANCY UNTIL PATERNITY PROVEN

Genesis 38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

In three months, Tamar began to show – it was obvious she was pregnant. People assumed she had been unfaithful to her promise to wait for Shelah and reported the pregnancy to Judah. The people in the village were happy to be gossips and had no regard for Tamar’s reputation. Judah was extremely rigid (since he had no idea it had been Tamar posing as the prostitute he used) and acted as judge and jury telling the men to bring her out to be burned to death. Mosaic law would later proscribe this form of execution in specific cases:

John MacArthur Study Bible:

38:24 let her be burned! Double standards prevailed in that Judah, no less guilty than Tamar, commanded her execution for immorality. Later Mosaic legislation would prescribe this form of the death penalty for a priest’s daughter who prostituted herself or for those guilty of certain forms of incest (Lev. 20:14; 21:9).

Genesis 38:25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

Tamar then played her trump card. She sure did need one! Even though she acted sinfully, God provided her this “get out of jail free card” by giving her the wisdom to ask for these items that would serve as ID cards of Judah. She sent the signet, bracelet, and staff that belonged to Judah back to him, saying that she was pregnant by the owner of these things!

Genesis 38:26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Judah recognized the proof that he was the father and acknowledged the fact. He finally realized he had been wrong to go back on his word about giving Shelah to Tamar as a husband. He took Tamar under his protection but never had sexual relations with her again.

We see the grace of God toward Tamar that she was spared from being executed as an adulteress. Judah may not have realized it, but God was gracious to him in allowing the lineage of Jesus to continue through him. Unequivocally, without question, God showed grace to Tamar and Judah because He could have slain them as He did Er and Onan.

Genesis 38:27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

Birth order was extremely important since a greater share of property passed to the firstborn son. So the midwife put a scarlet thread on the hand that pushed out of the womb first. But that baby withdrew his arm.

Genesis 38:29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

Pharez (Perez) means “breach, breaking forth,” so the baby that traded places with the one with scarlet thread and broke out of the womb first was thus named. Tamar preserved the line of Judah by bearing Perez, and ultimately he would be in the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus.

Genesis 38:30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

The second baby to be born, the one with the scarlet thread around his wrist, was named Zarah, meaning “a rising of light.”

Much later, in the book of Ruth, when the people find out that Boaz is serving as kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth and produce offspring for her late husband (another levirate marriage), they bless him in the following way:

Ruth 4:12 (KJV) And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

And HIS story continued: Boaz and Ruth had Obed who fathered Jesse, the father of David. The promised Messiah would be a descendant of David. Thus, by the grace of God, Tamar played an important role as a Woman of Christmas! It is only by the grace of God that any of us mere mortals are included in His plan!

Ponder this: Do you ever feel you are too bad, or not smart enough, too “rough around the edges,” to be used by God? Think again! Adam and Eve brought sin into the world. Sarah and Abraham were as old as dirt. Judah lacked integrity and Tamar slept with her father-in-law. But God graciously used each of these couples, each of these women, to tell His story and to continue the lineage that would produce the Savior, Jesus Christ, GOD’S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON! God can and wants to use you when you surrender all you are to His control. God’s glory can be revealed to others even through YOU!

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - TAMAR - SHE WHO WAS DECEIVED BECOMES THE DECEIVER

TAMAR – SHE WHO WAS DECEIVED 

BECOMES THE DECEIVER

Judah superstitiously thought if he gave Shelah to Tamar, he too would die; so he did not keep his promise to give him in marriage.

Genesis 38:12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Genesis 38:12 (AMP) But quite a while later, Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

The Amplified version makes it clear that Judah had mourned his wife an appropriate amount of time before attending the sheep shearing.

Sheep shearing was a time of celebration and partying often accompanied by licentious behavior.

John MacArthur Study Bible

38:13 shear his sheep. Such an event was frequently associated, in the ancient world, with festivity and licentious behavior characteristic of pagan fertility-cult practices.

Sheep shearing was an event attended by men only. Any women even near it were assumed to be prostitutes.

Genesis 38:13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

Someone tipped Tamar off to the fact that her father-in-law was attending the sheep shearing. We do not know the motivation of this person. Perhaps they thought she might want to see Judah or confront him about the fact that she was still not married to Shelah.

Tamar posed as one of the temple prostitutes covering her face with a veil so that Judah would not recognize her. It speaks to Judah’s unrighteous character that she would presume he would proposition a prostitute. Her plan was to lure him into a sexual encounter in order to preserve her husband’s lineage and provide herself with a child since Judah had not allowed her to marry Shelah. The Hittite culture of the time condoned the practice of having a child with one’s father-in-law if the brothers of the deceased husband would not or could not give the woman a child. Pregnancy was her end game. She figured she had waited long enough.

Genesis 38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

Judah’s wife had died some time before, and he was now past the time of bereavement; so he sought out who he thought was a pagan temple prostitute.

Let us put this conversation between Judah and Tamar in plain language:

Judah says, I want to have sex with you. Tamar says, what will you pay me to have sex with you? I’m not giving it away for free!

Thus, she purposely deceived Judah into believing she was a prostitute. Her assessment of her father-in-law’s lack of respect for God’s ways, proved to be correct.

Genesis 38:17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

Judah promised to pay her with a baby goat which would have been a high price to pay and only affordable to someone who owned multiple herds. Since he did not have said goat with him, she asked what he would give her to hold until he sent the goat.

Genesis 38:18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

She demanded three forms of identification which was a common legal proof in those days. She wanted his signet used to seal deals, the bracelet or cord the signet hung from, and his staff which must have been identifiable as being his rather than someone else’s. This would be like giving someone your driver’s license, social security card, and credit card! Judah must have been dense or desperate because he gave her what she demanded.

They had intercourse and she became pregnant which had been her plan. She was using worldly wisdom to accomplish her desire for a child and to carry on the lineage of Er and also of Judah instead of asking God to intervene and waiting on Judah.

Genesis 38:19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

After tricking Judah into lying with her in order to conceive, Tamar went back to wearing her widow’s clothes and living in her father’s house.

Genesis 38:20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. 22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. 23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

Judah asked his friend to deliver the promised baby goat to the prostitute, but she was nowhere to be found. To continue searching for her would bring dishonor to Judah, so he just resigned himself to letting her keep the items he had given her – his signet, its bracelet or cord, and his staff.

Ponder this: Tamar who posed as a prostitute, deceived Judah, and committed incest with her father-in-law is listed in the lineage of Jesus! It is a brain-twister. Think about it! However, this is a demonstration of God’s grace to His people. Judah’s line would have ended had Tamar not deceived the deceiver. The Messiah was to be called “The Lion of Judah,” so Judah had to have an heir to carry on his line for there to be a tribe of Judah. 

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - TAMAR - WIDOWED DUE TO WICKED WAYS OF HUSBANDS

TAMAR  - WIDOWED DUE TO WICKED WAYS OF HUSBANDS

This story of the escapades of Judah falls in the middle of the account of Joseph the dreamer. When his jealous brothers wanted to kill Joseph, his older brother, Judah, the second born son of Jacob intervened on his behalf:

                   

Genesis 37:26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

Therefore, they sold him to some Midianites instead. The Midianites then sold him to be a servant of Potiphar, the captain of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s guard. Before Joseph’s story continues, there is this one chapter interlude about Judah’s escapades. The point may be to contrast Judah’s unrighteousness and disregard for God’s way of doing things with the future righteousness of Joseph. You may remember that when Potiphar’s wife propositioned Joseph, he literally ran out of his clothes to flee temptation!

But now to the story of Judah and our woman of Christmas, Tamar.

Genesis 38 (KJV) And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

Instead of staying with his tribe, with the chosen people, Judah went and lived among Canaanites. He even married the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shuah. We are never told the name of the woman Judah married!

Genesis 38:3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

She bore him three sons: Er which means “watchful,” Onan which means “strong,” and Shelah which means “request.” They were still living in a Canaanite village when Shelah was born, living among people who were not Israelites. Judah was living among people who did not worship the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and his own father, Jacob. Their customs were not in keeping with the ways of the Lord.

Genesis 38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.

We can surmise that Tamar was a Canaanite since Judah was still living among them instead of back with his father’s people. We do not know specifically what Er’s transgression was, but it was so perverse that God struck him dead. Tamar was now a widow which in that era would have made her a beggar and a burden unless she remarried.

Genesis 38:8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

There was a tradition which later would become a part of the law called levirate marriage.

Archeological Study Bible (Zondervan)

Genesis 38:8 refers to the social and legal obligation of the levir (Latin for “husband’s brother”) to marry his widowed sister-in-law in the event his brother had died and left her childless.

This practice later became a part of the Jewish law. See Deuteronomy 25:5-10.

The brother would then have children who would be seen as the heirs of the dead man. This would serve two purposes: 1) the dead man’s family line, his legacy, would continue in his name, and 2) the widow would now have children to care for her in her old age instead of being left completely bereft.

Genesis 38:9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

Onan did not want to give up his inheritance of having children in order to carry on his brother’s line. He knew the children would be seen as Er’s children rather than his own. So he slept with Tamar but made sure he did not impregnate her. He was deceitful by giving the impression that he was fulfilling his duty to take care of Tamar in this way when he really was not completing the requirements. He was really withholding intimacy from her.

Genesis 38:10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.

God knew of Onan’s deceptive heart that led to his “spilling his seed on the ground,” and so the Lord caused his death. This is now two sons Judah has lost due to their wickedness. This story reminds us that God could extinguish evil doers at any time; but in His grace, He does not. As we read on, we will see that it would have even been right for God kill off the whole family if He so chose, but His grace prevailed.

Genesis 38:11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

Judah pledged to give Shelah to Tamar as a husband when he was old enough. He thought in the back of his mind that Shelah might die like his brothers if he had him marry Tamar right away. Women could not earn a living reputably in those days, so Tamar had to go back home. Her father assumed responsibility for her once more. Needing to move back home was probably a major frustration.

Ponder this: We enjoy hearing about and talking about God’s love, but we do not often explore His wrath. God is perfect and holy and cannot tolerate wickedness. If He chose to, He could wipe out the world as He did in the days of Noah. This story shows that He can also say to an individual, “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.” Why doesn’t He deal with all sinners the way he did with Er and Onan? GRACE.

Praise the Lord for the grace He has extended to us in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus, who died in our place on the cross. For those who trust in Jesus, God placed their judgment on Him. He did execute our sin by placing it on Jesus. Praise the Lord!

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - SARAH - BOY TO BE BURNT OFFERING

SARAH – BOY TO BE BURNT OFFERING

A bit of history before the next section of scripture. Sarah became upset that Ishmael, Abraham’s son by her handmaiden Hagar, was present at the weaning celebration and was mocking Isaac. So she asked Abraham to send them away. God reassured Abraham that Ishmael, too, would become a great nation, and instructed him to do as Sarah asked. He sent Hagar and Ishmael away with some provisions, but the provisions wore out. God preserved them, showing Hagar a well of water. God kept his promise to make Ishmael the father of kings and nations as well. But His covenant relationship was with Isaac.

Time passed, and Isaac grew into his teenage years. God tested Abraham by commanding him to journey to Mount Moriah and offer Isaac, the son of promise, as a burnt offering. An animal offered as a burnt offering was first slaughtered and then burned until consumed. It must have been a painful journey walking up that hill. Abraham confidently told his servants to wait while he and the boy went to worship and that THEY would return. It was perplexing for the teenaged Isaac as he carried wood and his dad carried a pot of hot coals to start the fire. He asked his father, “Where is the lamb for the offering?” Abraham’s mind was already in the state of thankful worship, and he assured Isaac that God would provide the lamb.

Genesis 22: 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

Abraham had to gather large stones and build the altar. All the while, he must have been praying, wondering how the Lord could command him to kill the son of promise, the child of the covenant. It probably made his brain go tilt. Isaac could have overpowered his father, but he was willingly, submissively obedient to his father and to God. Isaac had observed his father’s complete trust in God all his life and had been told the miraculous nature of his birth. Abraham may have had questions but was confident God was in control of the situation.

Genesis 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Abraham was fully prepared by faith to obey his God and sacrifice the son of promise.

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

The only other time we see the phrase “only begotten son” is to describe Jesus as the Son of God. The near sacrifice of Isaac is what is called a “type,” a foreshadowing of another event. Abraham’s willingness to offer his only official heir to the Lord foreshadows God’s sending His Son Jesus as our perfect sacrificial Lamb. Abraham had reasoned that even if he slayed his son, God could and would raise him from the dead. I do not recall any account prior to the time of Abraham of God raising someone from the dead, so Abraham was believing that completely by faith rather than past experience.

Genesis 22:11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

Abraham stopped his hand in mid-air and breathlessly awaited the command given by the angel of the Lord. Isaac may have been closing his eyes and holding his breath at this point, waiting for the pain of the knife before death. Then he, also, hears the angel of the Lord. “Angel of the Lord” many times refers to the pre-incarnate Jesus. So Jesus, God Himself, stopped Abraham from actually sacrificing Isaac.

Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

You can breathe again, Isaac! The Angel of the Lord praised the faithfulness of Abraham in not withholding even the treasured, miraculous son of his old age from God. By faith Abraham knew that God would somehow fulfill His promise of making Isaac into a great nation, and did not hesitate to obey the command to offer him as a burnt offering. God staid his hand at just the right moment. We have to be sensitive to listen to the voice of God. Had Abraham not listened... Perhaps God would have raised Isaac from the dead. There is a tuning that takes place in those who trust and believe in the Father and are listening for direction, insight, and understanding.

Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

Another foreshadowing seen in this account: God Himself provided the substitute to be sacrificed to Him instead of Isaac. He provided a ram rather than a lamb because the Lamb was yet to come in the fullness of time. We are under the death penalty for our sins, but God has provided the perfect, spotless, sinless Lamb of God, His only begotten son, Jesus, to die in our place as the final sacrifice to provide the only way to right relationship with God for those who believe.

Genesis 22:15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

The Lord swore an oath upon His own name. There is no greater power to swear by! God reiterated His promise that Isaac’s descendants would be as innumerable stars and endless grains of sand, they would be blessed, and they would overtake their enemies. As stated before, all nations are blessed through the seed, the descendant of Abraham and Sarah, Jesus Christ. Salvation – freedom from sin and freedom to live in right relationship with a holy God – is available not only to the chosen people, Israel, but to any person in the world who by faith trusts in Jesus as the only way to the Father (John 14:6)

But back to our main reason for studying Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. Sarah’s faith and contribution to the birth of the nation of Israel is of equal importance with that of Abraham. She was the mother of Isaac through whom the Messiah would come. She was another one of the Women of Christmas.

Hebrews 11:11 (KJV) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Therefore, Sarah received a place of recognition in the Faith Hall of Fame found in Hebrews chapter 11.

Ponder this: Christianity is often accused of treating women like second-class citizens. However, as we have seen with Sarah, the Lord went overboard to remind us of her important role in the birth of the nation of Israel. Women are of equal importance in the Lord’s plans. 

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - SARAH - A CHILD IS BORN TO ONE OLD AND WORN

SARAH – A CHILD IS BORN TO ONE OLD AND WORN

Genesis 21:1 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Flash forward to the time the Lord had predicted, and Sarah did deliver a baby as promised! God reminds us that Abraham was over 100 years old, but think about poor Sarah! She had the hard part of carrying and delivering a baby at 90+ years old! Who got the better and easier end of this deal? However, Sarah must have been delighted to finally hold her own baby in her arms. Abraham was extremely pleased to finally have a son by the wife of his youth. He finally had an heir to receive all the Lord had given him in blessings as well as the promise of becoming a great nation.

Genesis 21:3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Abraham named his son Isaac as the Lord had instructed him, and it is certain that many people joined Abraham and Sarah in celebration and laughter at the birth of this miraculously conceived baby. God had given Abraham the command to circumcise all the males of his household. You can read about this in chapter 17 when Abraham circumcised himself and every male belonging to him. So he circumcised Isaac when he was just eight days old in obedience to what the Lord had commanded as the sign of their covenant relationship.

Genesis 17:12 (KJV) And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

So the nation of Israel began with a miraculous birth of a baby given to a couple in their extreme old age. Abraham had been told that all nations would be blessed through his seed.

Genesis 18:17-18 (KJV) And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

All nations would be blessed through Abraham’s seed because the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus, would be a descendant of Abraham specifically through the line of Isaac who was born of Sarah. Laughter, joy, would surely enter the world and spread to not only the Jews but the gentiles as well through Abraham’s descendant born in a stable and laid in a manger in Bethlehem. The Baby born to die so that we may believe and trust in Him for redemption and live with Him forever!

Genesis 21:6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

“I did it! I did it!” Sarah marveled. And she realized that only the power of God had made it possible. God had chosen Sarah as much as He had chosen Abraham. There could be no doubt that this was true because of the miraculous nature of Isaac’s conception and birth.

Genesis 21:8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Abraham and Sarah had the joy of watching their baby become a young child and celebrated the rite of passage from babyhood to boyhood with a great banquet.

Ponder this: Over and over, the Lord made it clear that Sarah was to be the mother of the promised son. Abraham even tried to settle for second best by asking the Lord to choose Ishmael. But what a blessing when Isaac was born! Do we try to settle for plan B instead of waiting on the Lord? Do we settle for good instead of best? Do we fail to remember Psalm 37:5a (ESV) “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”?

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - SARAH - NAME THE BABY "HE LAUGHS"

SARAH – NAME THE BABY “HE LAUGHS”

Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent one day under some oak trees when three visitors appeared. He invited them to rest and share a meal. It is not stated that he immediately knew them to be the Angel of the Lord (a theophany of Jesus) and two angels, but his behavior and the prophecy given suggest this to be the case. He had Sarah prepare bread and a servant prepare a calf.

Genesis 18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

Because of modesty and dignity, Sarah had remained inside the tent instead of coming out among the men. Her respect for her husband is demonstrated in her modesty.

1 Peter 3:6 (VOICE) Consider how Sarah, our mother, obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him “lord,” and you will be her daughters as long as you boldly do what is right without fear and without anxiety.

Note that Peter referred to Sarah as “our mother” recognizing her role as the matriarch of Israel. Isaiah recognized Sarah as Israel’s matriarch as well

Isaiah 51:2 (KJV) Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Genesis 18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

This heavenly visitor was reiterating what the Lord had already told Abraham. It is not clear whether or not Abraham had communicated to his wife God’s earlier promise to him that Sarah would bear a son. This may have been the first she heard of it while listening from the entrance of the tent. God gave Sarah a specific date that Isaac would be born. He is not only sovereign over her barren womb but over the timing of the birth. Likewise, we are told that Esther became queen “for such a time as this” which we will study God’s sovereignty in that later in this study. And Mary bore Jesus “in the fullness of time.” We will get into the specifics of what that meant when we get to Mary in our study. Right now, the point is that timing is everything, and God is in control of the times.  

Esther 4:14b (KJV) …and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Galatians 4:3-5 (KJV) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Genesis 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

As did Abraham before her, Sarah cracked up laughing at the prospect of two elderly people, way passed the age of reproduction, having a baby together. It seemed absurd to her. They knew how things worked even though they did not study it in science/health class as we did.

Genesis 18:13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

The Lord asked Abraham why Sarah laughed but did not wait for an answer. He asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Then He let them know He would be back, and they would see the power of the Lord manifest in their old bodies, seemingly past the age of reproduction. By the time He came back, Isaac would have been born.

Genesis 18:15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

Sarah tried to deny the fact that she had laughed, but the Lord knows our hearts. He confirmed that she did laugh. We cannot hide our feelings from God. God did not discount the covenant due to their laughter.

How does this apply to me?

Have you ever felt the Lord was asking you to do something absurd? Something like going to college for eight years in a power chair and training your own caregivers? (Susan) Or becoming a ministry partner and caregiver for someone you had known less than a year? (Susie) Sometimes it seems God is asking us to do the impossible or in the least, the improbable. But if you are certain the Lord is calling you to serve Him in a specific way, laugh if you want but go forward boldly. In His timing, you will see His glory when you rely on His grace and power.

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - SARAH - CHANGE OF NAMES AND ROFL

SARAH – CHANGE OF NAMES AND ROFL

Genesis 17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Sarai’s name meant argumentative or quarrelsome, not exactly what I would want to be called. God changed her name to Sarah which means princess. Sar means “chieftain,’ so Sarah could be translated “chieftainess.” When God gives a new name it is meant to reflect a new identity in Him.

Genesis 17:16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

God renamed Sarah appropriately since she would be the mother of a son, and her lineage would be that of kings. God promised to give Abraham a son specifically through Sarah. We plan to make a chart of all the times God specified Sarah as the mother of the promised son.  Abraham was the father, the patriarch of God’s chosen people, and Sarah was equally the mother, the matriarch, of the nation of Israel.

Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Abraham was the first to laugh at the Lord’s proposal. In fact, he “fell upon his face,” ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing). His true feelings were in his heart as he questioned how a hundred year old man and a ninety year old woman could possibly have a child. However, God loves to use the people who seem unusable in order to bring glory to His name. What man says is all finished up, God can still use. God loves to display His splendor and power through weak vessels in order to draw people to Him.

1 Corinthians 1:27 (KJV) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

That could almost be my life scripture! For sure. Society sees Susan’s body trapped by cerebral palsy, limited use of one arm, unable to do many daily living tasks by herself. Yet, the Lord God in His wisdom and power has chosen her to be a megaphone for His message!

Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Abraham was missing the point, so he tried to convince God that Ishmael could be his heir. Both Abraham and Sarah tried to help God out. It was Sarah who suggested that Abraham have a child with Hagar, and out of respect for his wife, he took her advice to have Ishmael. But God wanted Sarah to be the mother of His people. God had his own, perfect plan; and He, the Potter, did not need any help from the clay!

Isaiah 29:16 (NIV) You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?

Genesis 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

God did not get angry with Abraham for laughing (and by the way, Abraham laughed first, not Sarah). Instead, God instructed Abraham to name this future son Isaac which means “he will laugh.” I believe this demonstrates that God has a sense of humor. The barren woman, the childless couple, would certainly laugh with joy to have a son born to them in their old age.

Abraham was chosen to be the father of God’s chosen people, but Sarah was equally chosen to be the mother of the nation. Since Jesus was born as a Jew, Sarah was another great-great-etc. grandmother of Jesus.

Genesis 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Ishmael did indeed father twelve sons, and some of the Arab nations (not all) are descended from him. But his is a story for another time.

Genesis 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

God went on to tell Abraham that Sarah would have this baby in the next year. I find it amazing and miraculous not only that God opened Sarah’s womb to conceive but that He strengthened her to carry a baby at 90+ years old and enabled her to live to raise him! Sarah’s son would be the one to receive the promise, and later Mary’s Son would be the complete fulfillment of God’s promise.

How does this apply to me?

Barrenness was considered a curse at the time of Sarah, but God’s plan was for Sarah to experience the miraculous – a baby conceived after menopause. The man born blind in John 9 was given that problem, so that God could show Himself mighty. After experiencing the miracle of receiving his sight, the man glorified God. What may seem like a problem today may be changed to a blessing tomorrow. Therefore, we can obey the command of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and give thanks in EVERYTHING. Also, we can never say, “Oh, God could not use me! I’m too ______________.” God can and will use you to His glory if you surrender your limitations to Him!