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SARAH DID NOT ACT FAITHLESSLY

It has become an established teaching among Christians that Sarah, wife of


Abraham, did not act in faith by giving her maid (Hagar) to her husband as
wife. It is taught that she felt that the promise of GOD for a promise son will
not materialize, and so she came up with a plan to help GOD.

This is a clear misunderstanding of the events that occurred in the Bible. I will
present the facts below and leave you to determine whether Sarah acted out
of faith.

1. GOD called Abraham out of Haran (not Ur of the Chaldeans) to a land HE


will show him. GOD’s promise to Abraham was that I will “make you a
great nation”, “bless you”, “make your name great”, “you shall be a
blessing”, “bless those who bless you”, curse him who curses you” and
“in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”. (Genesis 12 : 1 – 3)
2. At the time of the call, Sarah was barren and had no child. (Genesis 11 :
30)
3. At Abraham’s request, GOD promised to give him an heir from his own
body. By this Abraham’s descendants will be many like the stars of the
heaven. (Genesis 15 : 4 – 6)
4. Nothing in the promises above, mentioned Sarah.
5. Sarah gave Hagar (her maid) to Abraham as wife, knowing fully well that
“the LORD has restrained her from bearing children”. (Genesis 16 : 2)
6. The giving of Hagar to Abraham to marry was in order. Why? (1.) Earlier,
when Abraham lied to the Egyptians that Sarah was his sister and she
was taken to Pharaoh’s house, GOD plagued Pharaoh’s house to avert
Pharaoh taking over Abraham’s wife. (Genesis 12 : 14 – 20) If the act was
wrong, GOD would have moved to stop the eventual takeover. God
accepted Hagar’s son, Ishmael, as the son of Abraham. In HIS
conversation with Abraham when announcing HIS covenant, GOD
promised to make Ishmael a great nation and Isaac will be the inheritor
of the covenant. (Genesis 17 : 20 – 21) (2.) It is an acceptable practice
for a woman to give her maid to her husband as wife and the maid’s
children will be counted as her children. Leah and Rachel (Jacob’s wives)
did the same.
7. GOD’s promise to give Sarah a son was when she was ninety years old,
about fourteen years after she had given Hagar to Abraham as wife.
(Genesis 17 : 15 – 22)
8. References to Sarah in the New Testament referred to her as a holy
woman and a woman of faith.
Heb 11:11
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.
1 Peter 3:5-6
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in
God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are,
as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Now, should we keep on teaching that Sarah acted wrongly and ‘out of faith’
by giving Hagar to Abraham so that he can have a child?

The Bible is clear.

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