Sarah—Mother of Promise

Genesis 21:1-3

INTRODUCTION: At last, the great day came: the promised son was born. The hope and longing were finally realized. It had been twenty-five years since God had given Abraham the promise of a son, twenty-five long years. Now, the waiting was over. Sarah bore Abraham a son, the promised son, the son from whom kings and nations were to be born and from whom the Savior of the world was to come. God always fulfills His promises.

Sarah, the mother of Isaac, received proof positive that God fulfills His promise. From her life one can learn many profitable lessons; such as, the danger of becoming impatient with God, the futility of replacing God’s plans with man’s, the importance of unquestioning faith in God.

HER BACKGROUND.
She was from Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:31).
She was Abraham’s wife and half-sister (Genesis 20:12).
She was a very beautiful woman (Genesis 12:11).
She was en route to Canaan at age 65 (she was 10 years younger than Abraham; cf. Genesis 12:4; 17:17.).
She was childless for ninety years (Genesis 11:30; 17:17).

HER NAME (Genesis 17:15).
She was first named “Sarai.”
The meaning of it: “God is Prince.”
The significance of it: it provides an insight into her parents’ spirituality, as they apparently esteemed God highly.
She was later named “Sarah.”
The meaning of it: “Princess.”
The significance of it: Sarah, who had regarded God as a prince, was to become a princess (she was a forebear of princes, kings, and the Messiah).

HER BLESSINGS.
As a mother (she bore a son in her old age).
Hebrew women regarded children as a blessing, and barrenness as a curse (cf Psalms 127:3; 128:3).
Hebrew women were especially proud of sons (because of God’s promise to Eve).
As a matron (she entertained the Lord and two angels “unawares.” Genesis 18; cf Hebrews 13:2).
The Lord renewed the promise of a son (Genesis 18:10).
The Lord announced the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 18:20, 21).

HER SIGNIFICANCE: SHE EXEMPLIFIED MARY IN MANY RESPECTS.
Both received Divine announcements of their son’s births.
Both received prior announcements of their son’s births.
Both conceived by the aid of the Lord.
Both were told what to name their sons.

CONCLUSION:

God keeps His Word, His promises, but God sometimes delays His promises just as He did with Abraham. We often need to grow in our faith…

• to learn more endurance and hardness
• to become stronger and more determined
• to learn to trust and hope more in God
• to pray and fellowship more with God

There are many reasons why God may not immediately fulfill His promises in our lives. But two facts are always true:

God is faithful to His promises. God will always do exactly what He promises He will do. He may delay for a while in order to strengthen us or to teach us some lesson. But God is faithful; He will prove Himself and fulfill His promises to us.

God is powerful enough to keep His promises. He has the power to do exactly what He says He will do, the power to fulfill His promises in our lives.

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