Genesis Chapters 16-21: Profile of a Doubter: Sarah

 

 

Genesis Chapters 16-18: Profile of a Doubter: Sarah

(Note, this is part 1 from a 6-part series I wrote few years ago.  The links for the other 5 parts will be at the end of this writing.) 

I wrote this series as much for me as for my readers, because God has been dealing with me in the area of doubting Him.  Because I have so much to say on the subject, this will be in several parts, each one focusing on different people of the bible.  

As I prayed over this series, one story sticking with me the most is the story of Abram & Sarai, also known as Abraham & Sarah.  I am not going to copy and paste their entire story, but I will sum up a small portion of their lives.  You first learn about them in Genesis 11.  By Genesis 12, God first promises He will make Abram into a great nation.  Although they have no children, God continually promises Abram that his "seed" will inherit the land.  At one point, he shows Abram the stars and tells him his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. 

By Genesis 16, Sarai no longer trusts she is supposed to be included in God's plan to bless Abram with children.  She does not believe God is capable of opening up the womb of an old barren woman.  In her disbelief and impatience, she goes against the will of God and wants Abram to have a child through her young servant Hagar. 

This could be seen as an act of love for her husband because she wants God's best for her beloved.  Sarai wants to make sure Abram is blessed even if she cannot be the one to help assure this blessing.  However, also because of her great love for Abram, she is very jealous of Hagar's pregnancy.  By going against God's plans, she is now wallowing in jealousy and has created tension between Hagar and herself.  She abuses Hagar and sends the servant away. Also, because Hagar has begun to despise Sarai as well - we don't know why.  Maybe she never wanted to have a child with an old man, or maybe the opposite: she loved Abram as well.

This shows that when we go against God's plan for our lives and try to take matters into our own hands, that not only do we suffer, but those that get dragged into our schemes suffer as well.  We must remember this when we attempt to step away from God's plans.  Hagar and Ishmael became innocent victims in Sarai's schemes.  God did ultimately care for them, but were they ever happy?  

Yes, God had mercy on Hagar and her son Ishmael, and continually took care of them.  God eventually sent them back home so Ishmael could benefit from being raised by his father.  (Although Ishmael is cursed and told he will be "wild" and "his hand will be against everyone" and the feelings will be mutual - Genesis 16.)

In chapter 17, God appears to Abram and changes his name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah.  He again renews his promise of many heirs.  When God reestablishes his covenant with Abraham by saying Sarah will have a son, He says they will call him Isaac, which means "he laughs."  Isaac will be the father of many nations.  Abraham initially laughs because he is now 100 years old and Sarah is 90.   When Abraham laughs, I believe his laughter is more out of amusement than of disbelief.  After all, the bible says he fell facedown before the Lord, which shows humility, not arrogant doubt.     

In chapter 18, the Lord and two angels visit Abraham's camp.  He asks Sarah to fix their guests a meal.  The Lord tells Abraham that by this time next year, Sarah will have given birth to a son.  Sarah has been listening to the conversation.  She also laughs.  The difference in her laughter is that there seems to be more disbelief in her heart than that of her husband.  

(Genesis 18:12-15) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord [husband] being old also?”

And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’  Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”  

These above verses are what have been sticking with me - how much I am like Sarah.  Evidence can be staring me in the face, and I will still not believe.  The Lord Himself gives signs asked for (in Sarah's case, Jesus appeared in bodily form), and yet I still laugh and say, "Are you sure?" 

Not only did Sarah laugh, but she lied to the Lord and denied her disbelief.  But God knows all and, as you just read, He says, "but you did laugh!"   We may also be afraid of God knowing what is in our heart, but we cannot hide our feelings from God.  Besides, God understands our human nature, so we do not need to be afraid to admit when we have fear or doubt. 

(Acts 15:8) So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us.  

By Genesis 21, Isaac is born! 

(Genesis 21:1-7) And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.  For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac...  Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” 

In spite of Sarah's disrespect in the presence of God, He is faithful and merciful and will honor His promises; He will not let anyone get in His way. 

I don't know how much time passed from when Abram is first promised to be the father of many nations until the time when Isaac is born.  We do know it took him a long time to travel from Ur to Canaan, so it was a bit of a wait.  It may sometimes seem like a long time before God fulfills what has been promised to us.  This is where faith plays a major role.  It is sometimes difficult to focus on the big picture of what we know lies ahead.  It is easier to focus on the here and now staring us in the face.  It is hard not to become discouraged while waiting.  We wonder if maybe God changed His mind, or if we were really promised what we thought. Are we being punished?  God can sometimes withhold a blessing until we have our hearts right with Him, but we have to also consider certain circumstances are merely a timing issue.  God goes before us and prepares the way so that by the time we get to where the promised blessing can be fulfilled, it will all easily fall into place. 

(Hebrews 10:23) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  

In spite of Sarah's laughter, she is still remembered in history as a woman of great faith.  She is even mentioned in Hebrews 11, also referred to as "The Hall of Faith" chapter.  This shows that an occasional doubt in God's limitless abilities does not have to ruin our relationship with Him.  It is okay to be like Sarah and have doubt and maybe even laugh when we think something is impossible.  The key is to repent of our ignorance and ask the Holy Spirit to help increase our faith.  It is never too late to trust again. We apologize to One who makes all things possible, and rebuild our faith, even if it takes a brick at a time.

(Hebrews 11:11) By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.  

Links to the Profile of a Doubter Series:

Part 2, Elijah: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/02/profile-of-doubter-part-2-elijah.html

Part 3, Zacharias: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/02/profile-of-doubter-part-3-zacharias.html

Part 4, Gideon: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/02/profile-of-doubter-part-4-gideon.html

Part 5, Thomas: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/03/profile-of-doubter-part-5-thomas.html

Part 6, Moses & Jeremiah: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2024/03/profile-of-doubter-part-6-moses-jeremiah.html

Genesis 12:1-4: Abraham Was a Man of Faith, Obedience, & Courage

 

Genesis 12:1-4: Abraham Was a Man of Faith, Obedience, & Courage

Abraham was a man of great faith in the Lord.  I tend to also think of him as an example of great patience as he waited many years for his sons to be born as promised. 

I also think of him as a man of great obedience as he was willing to sacrifice Isaac as God commanded, not knowing God would spare Isaac's life.    

But going backwards to Genesis chapter 12 before his sons were born, I see Abraham also as a man of great courage mixed in with his faith and obedience.  When God tells Abraham to leave his country to a yet-to-be-named land and then tells the seventy-five-year-old he will be blessed as a great nation, Abraham, then called Abram, leaves his family and goes without question.  

Wherever and whenever God tells me to "go," I pray I always have the faith and courage to obey.  

(Genesis 12:1-4) Now the Lord had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Genesis Chapters 6-8: Among the Wicked, Noah was Found Righteous

 

Genesis Chapters 6-8: Among the Wicked, Noah was Found Righteous

Genesis Chapter 6-8 tells the story of the Great Flood upon the whole world that destroyed those actively living in rebellion against God. 

6:5-6 & 12-13 says that man was so wicked, they acted on "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."  It even says that God regretted making man.  God chose to destroy most of His creation because of their non-stop evil lifestyles.

(Genesis 6:5-6, 11-13) And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."

Going back 6:8-9, it says "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord," because God saw Noah as a " just man," or righteous.    

It is no secret that people today are just as they were back then, living corrupted lives of continual evil. Just as God found only 8 people living holy lives, He will again search the world for pure hearts striving to live right for the glory of God, and for the love of Jesus Christ.  Allowing the Holy Spirit to convict them so they may be found faithful when God again pours out worldwide wrath during the tribulation.  And therefore, the elect will be kept safe in designated places just as God kept Noah and his family safe when they followed God's instructions (see Matthew 24 & Revelation 12).

I pray God never regrets creating me and that I may be found righteous in the midst of an evil world.  May I always find favor with my Lord as I shun evil and live in obedience to the laws of Jesus Christ. 

Genesis 2:18-24: They Shall be One Flesh

 

I started my Bible journey in the New Testament with Matthew through Revelation, so now let's explore the Old Testament and go back to Genesis through Malachi!

Genesis 2:18-24: They Shall be One Flesh

Genesis 2:18

God created woman for man to be his helper.  I count it a very high privilege to be my husband's helper.  I get to be his cheerleader and encourager.  To lift him up when he is down.  To help him build and follow his dreams.  To make him feel wanted, desired, and loved.  To show him the love of God and lighten his burdens.

Of course, husbands can and should also support their wives.  Mel is my helper as well.  When we read Ephesians chapter 5, we learn even more how a husband and wife are designed to honor, respect, and love one another with the pure love of Jesus Christ.

It is very easy to be my husband's help meet (mate) because God gave me the gift of being Mel's wife.  It is a joy to take care of one I love so deeply.  Thank you, God, for making me just for Mel and hm for me!

Genesis 2:21-24

When God created Eve, He took one of Adam's ribs to create her.  When Adam declared, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh," he meant it quite literally!  

When it says in verse 24 that "a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh," it was clearly speaking of everyone after Adam and Eve, including us, as neither of them had a parent to leave.  

Make no mistake, when we marry, we become one flesh, and we are to put our spouse above everyone and everything else.  The definition of cleave means "cling to," but also "to be faithful to."  That means we are to be loyal to our loved one above all and place them first, with the exception of God of course.

It is a beautifully blessed thing to be united as one flesh with your spouse; treat that honor like gold!

(If you are interested, I also write a blog on how to have a great marriage titled, The ABCs of a Joyful Marriage https://abcsofajoyfulmarriage.blogspot.com/ )

(Genesis 2:18-24) And the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him." And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Revelation 21:7-8: "We do not want to be eternally separated from those we love."

 

 Revelation 21:7-8: "We do not want to be eternally separated from those we love."

This is another blog inspired by a dream I had last night (Originally posted on July 19, 2021). I am not certain if this dream was from God or from my own imagination.  Either way, the dream has a message I feel I should share.   

I dreamt my husband and I ran into a man (I will call him Friend, even though he did not have a name in the dream) that had been a close friend to my late brother.  Now, let me stop right there; I have never had a brother. Therefore, if this dream was from the Lord, the "brother" in the dream may have been symbolic of my spiritual brothers and sisters.  While Friend was speaking to me, I noticed another man (I will call him Watcher) standing somewhat behind Friend and listening very closely to the conversation.  My husband also often has angels in his dreams silently watching all that transpires.  I am not certain this second man represented an angel or not, but I believe he did.  Friend took a wild trip down memory lane and was telling me all about my brother's crazy ways and how funny it had been when my brother had wrecked his vehicle when he was drunk.  In fact, all Friend's memories of brother were of rules broken and all-around rebellious ways.

Watcher studied me very closely and looked at me with an expectant expression as if he wanted me to stand up for the things of God instead of silently listening to all the bad acts that had been committed by my late brother. Friend then began to complain that he and Brother had grown sick and tired of all of their family members always preaching to them.  He said it was what had ended his friendship with Brother because Brother eventually caved in, became a Christian, and gave up his ungodly habits.  Friend said he was angry with those that had taken his best friend away from him.

Again, Watcher gave me a look that let me know I was expected to speak up for the Truth.  It was then that it seemed the Holy Spirit took control of my words.  I began to boldly explain to Friend that the reason those with holiness beliefs preach so often about what the Bible says about sin is because those sins can keep them from the kingdom of God.  I pointed to my husband and said that I love him so very much and I cannot stand to be away from him for even an hour. I then said, "Imagine being separated from someone you love for all eternity. The reason we talk about the things of God is because we do not want to be eternally separated from those we love.  We cannot stand the thought of anyone going to hell. The idea of being separated from our loved ones for all eternity is what drives us to speak out and risk rejection and humiliation.  It is out of love for you and others that drives our actions to warn against the sins that can lead you to hell. Not judgmentalism, not legalism, not self-righteousness, but love. Pure love.  Now imagine that kind of love magnified greater than you can fathom.  It is how much God loves you, and He does not want to be eternally separated from you either."

By the time I had finished my speech my husband, Watcher, and Friend's eyes were all filled with tears.  I had said enough to make Friend willing to listen to more things about God and holy living. 

Are you willing to risk being separated for all eternity from those you love?  Time is very, very short.  If you are a believer, now is the time to speak out for holiness.  If you are not a Christian, now is the time to study the Bible and learn what it says about holiness. Be humble enough to allow the Holy Spirit to gently convict you of your sins, repent, and return to God.  

(2 Peter 3:9) The Lord... is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

(Galatians 5:19-21) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

(Revelation 21:7-8) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

Daddy's Girls & Hallelujah! (Poems)

Daddy's Girls & Hallelujah (Poems)

Because I shared my short story, "Streets of Gold" in my last post, I figured I would also share these as well. As I mentioned in the note before the short story, my dad, Otto, went home to be with Jesus on January 23, 2022. I am not a very good poet, but writing these poems was very healing for me.

Daddy’s Girls

Two little girls,

One redhead one blonde,

Enticing Daddy to play,

“Come on, Daddy, come on!”

Daddy prepared sermons, and worked a second job, 

But when the work was done,

There were Daddy-Daughter days,

With roast beef and ice cream cones.

We made believe we were robots,

Where pretzels became energy cells,

We sang silly bedtime songs,

And Daddy prayed all was well.

As the little girls grew up,

As all of us must do,

We began to go our own ways,

And times with Daddy were few.

Yet Daddy was still our support,

And encouraged us as we dreamed,

He would cheer every achievement,

And tell us defeat was not as bad as it seemed. 

Then came college,

And marriage for the elder,

As he walked her down the aisle,

Daddy released her to another man’s shelter.

A family became divided,

And hearts were shattered,

But we all continued to love,

And forgave when it mattered.

Father became friend as the younger remained single,

Their bond was ever so strong,

As they shared life’s ups and downs,

Until it was time for both to move on.

A husband for the daughter,

God’s gift of joy from above,

A new wife and new location for Daddy, 

They were separated but both happy with new love.

Through the distance his daughters kept in touch,

But Daddy’s health was in danger,

First a heart attack with many complications,

Many surgeries, and even cancer.

Prayers upon prayers,

Tears upon tears,

His daughters worried for Daddy

Afraid for the worst in a sea of fears.

Daddy fought like a warrior,

But his enemy was stronger,

For reasons unknown,

Daddy could stay here no longer.

They cried and screamed,

They ached beyond measure in their pain,

But they could rejoice Daddy was at peace in Heaven,

Knowing they would someday see him again.

Two grown women,

One redhead, the other blonde,

Saying, "Daddy, we will miss you,

But in our hearts, you are never gone."

Thankful for his legacy of faith,

Teaching them the Truths of Old,

Knowing God is in control,

Someday they will join him on the Streets of Gold.

-Julie 05/14/22

This poem is based on true events. I had indeed had a dream about my dad leaving in the middle of a conversation, and I was racing after him, begging him to stay longer. Four years later, and I still have similar dreams from time to time. But the truth is, I would not have him back for anything. My daddy is in perfect peace and health in Heaven, and much, much happier there!

It is also true that my dad's widow told me that my dad's last word right before he passed to Heaven was, "Hallelujah!" The last week or so of his life his cancer had spread to his brain, he had gone blind, and he was not speaking. However, his wife still played worship music for him and right in the middle of one of the songs (I don't know which one), he suddenly called out, "Hallelujah!" and was gone to glory shortly after.

As the late singer Howard Goodman once said (this is paraphrasing), it is very difficult to say good-bye to those we love, however, don't think of them as being in our past, but in our future because we will see them again. Hallelujah indeed!

Hallelujah!

I had another dream,

Where we were having a casual chat,

So much like we used to do,

When you suddenly announced you must go,

You could not stay any longer;

As you swiftly began your exit,

I raced after you trying to keep up,

Pleading, “Don’t go yet, Dad,

There’s so much more I want to say!”

But you did not reply,

And you were gone.

I awoke enveloped in a heavy cloak of sadness,

Missing you with such an ache;

Hopes and fears in my heart I want to share,

Yet these conversations we will never have;

In spite of my grief,

I could not cry,

Instead, I began to pray.

So many words came back to me then,

Our last conversation 

When you could scarcely speak,

And I said, “It’s okay, Daddy,

Just know I love you very much.”

I remembered how often you told me you loved me,

And how much you loved my husband,

And you prayed for us daily.

I remembered that your wife shared with me

Your very last word,

When you were surrounded by those you loved,

She played praise music for you;

Although you had not spoken for a while,

Before you left, you clearly said,

“Hallelujah!"

Just one word,

One word that soothes my soul;

One word to let me know

You were ready to go;

One word to give me peace;

You are in perfection now,

Walking down streets of gold,

Embraced in pure love from God;

One word to bring comfort,

Reminding me I will see you again.

Though I still have much more to say,

I must let you rush ahead,

To a place where you are safe and free,

In the holy presence of Jesus,

Where your pain is gone,

And you can rest and find joy;

Hallelujah, indeed!

- Julie 06/06/22

(Revelation 21:4-5 & 21) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.