God’s Handmaidens
Women of the Old and New Testament
Exerpts taken from the book titled : Every Woman in the Bible.
There were many women in the Bible of notoriety, some good, and some evil.
The women we will focus on are the ones God chose for very special tasks, and who heard His call and answered in faith.
[OT] EVE: [means “life-giver”].
She was the first woman who was fashioned from the flesh and bone of the first man Adam. Eve who knew such happiness and freedom and such ease of life in the Garden God gave to her and Adam, lost it all by saying NO to God and listening to the lies of Satan. Her NO caused her hardship, and death.
[OT] DEBORAH [DEB uh rah, means, “honey bee”].
Her Role in Scripture
Deborah served as a “judge.” This title was given to individuals who served as political, military, and spiritual leaders in
Two things set Deborah apart from other judges. First, she was a prophetess. None of the other judges aside from Samuel, who was a priest as well as a prophet, is so identified. Second, she was not a military leader. When Deborah was about to call on her people to fight the Canaanites of Hazor she first summoned Barak, a military man, in the name of the Lord. She then passed on the instructions from God, which Barak was to follow.
Deborah’s Relationship with God
Deborah is introduced as a prophetess. Prophets were significant persons in Old Testament times. God chose these men and women to communicate His will to His people. God called men and women to be His spokespersons and called whomever He wished. In addition, those He called He confirmed as prophets and prophetesses in the eyes of the people.
The first thing we learn of Deborah is that she had a special relationship with God. She had been called by Him and commissioned to speak in His name. All
In the words of Deborah’s song, this prophetess was one who loved God, and as a result was “like the sun when it comes out in full strength” Judges
Deborah: A Close-Up
Deborah was a woman whose confidence was rooted in a close personal relationship with God and in her awareness that God had chosen to use her to guide His people. It is certainly true that Deborah’s role was not a typical role for a woman in a strongly patriarchal society. Yet Deborah clearly did not draw back, concerned about what others might think. Deborah had heard God speaking to her, and she was willing to put herself forward only because she knew that God had also chosen to speak through her.
At the same time, Deborah was sensitive to the limitations that her sex seems to have placed her. Deborah would settle disputes, like any other judge, but Deborah would not lead the army. The military role was one God chose to give to Barak, and Deborah clearly concurred. In fact, Deborah was not even comfortable with the role Barak insisted she fulfill. She would have preferred it if Barak had simply trusted God and gone off to battle without her. Deborah neither needed nor wanted any credit for the victory.
What an unusual combination of traits Deborah displayed! She was self-confident and assertive, and yet modest and self-effacing. She was bold enough to step out of the shadows in which most women of her time lived, yet she was unassuming enough to seek to avoid the spotlight in a military campaign whose results would define her own leadership.
Deborah: An Example for Today.
Deborah reminds us that God does gift women for spiritual leadership. We do violence to Scripture if we rule women out of leadership solely on the basis of gender. God says however in His choices that not every leadership role is appropriate for women, for example a military commander.
[NT]
She was the wife of the priest Zacharias, and the mother of John the Baptist. She was also the cousin to Mary the mother of Jesus.
Luke 1:5, 6 gives
In
[OT] Esther [means “star”].
The heroine of the book that bears her name, Esther became queen of
Esther was the niece of Mordecai, a Jewish official in the royal court. Haman a higher official of the court disliked and hated Mordecai and sought revenge against the whole race.
Through a series of God-ordained events, King Ahasuerus discovered that Mordecai had once saved his life. When Queen Esther exposed the “wicked Haman’s” plot to destroy the Jewish race the king ordered Haman’s execution on the very gallows Haman had erected to hang Mordecai.
Esther’s Relationship with God
It is clear that Esther and her uncle had a deep abiding faith in God. Her faith was expressed in fasting and praying for three days to save her people from destruction by asking for God’s help.
Esther: A Close Up
When we first meet Esther she is a young girl of marriageable age living in Mordecai’s household. She is selected as one of the empire’s beauties, to be considered by the king as a possible queen. It is significant that when Esther was chosen and placed in the royal women’s quarters to undergo a year of training and beauty treatments she quickly won the allegiance of Hegai, the custodian of the women. Esther’s sweet spirit and personality matched her physical attractiveness.
She kept in close contact with her uncle Mordecai and when he uncovered a plot to murder the king, he gave the information to Esther and she forwarded to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.
When Mordecai informed Esther of the danger Haman posed to the Jewish people and urged her to intercede to with the king, Esther was afraid. The king had not called for her in over a month, and if she should go to him uninvited, it would mean her death. Esther asked Mordecai to gather all the Jews in the capital city to fast for three days. This was to be done in order for the Jews to focus and concentrate on their prayers, asking God to act for them. Esther and her maids fasted also. Only when Esther was sure that God’s help had been sought earnestly did she risk approaching the king.
In the end Esther found in her faith the courage to approach the king and appeal to him. Moreover, her appeal was successful. Because of the great deliverance she won for the Jewish people, her courage is commemorated in an annual celebration called the Feast of Purim, and Jewish women’s groups everywhere have adopted Esther’s Jewish name, Hadassah.
Esther: An Example for Today.
Mordecai reminded Esther that perhaps God had made her queen to meet the challenge that Haman posed to her people. Esther showed great wisdom and patience in a terrible situation while dealing with a difficult husband. She operated within God’s will in the situation, and used every gift He had given her. We too are to do what is right, but also to do it wisely, using our God-given gifts.
[OT] Leah [means “wild cow”].
Leah was the older of two sisters who married Jacob around c.1760 B.C. Although unloved, Leah bore her husband six sons and thus became the mother of half of the Jewish people.
[OT] Rachel [means “ewe”].
The daughter of Laban and sister of Leah, Rachel was Jacob’s true love. Tricked into marrying Leah first, he also wed Rachel after serving another 7 years in labor to Laban. Rachel bore his favorite sons, Joseph and Benjamin.
Rachel and Leah were sisters whose lives were closely intertwined. They were the daughters of Laban, and both were married to Jacob, the son of their Uncle Isaac. Rachel was loved while Leah was ignored. Ironically, it was not Jacob’s beloved bride Rachel who was laid to rest with him in the tomb of his father and mother, but Leah.
The two sisters grew up in the family of a sheepherder. As is sometimes the case, one daughter was beautiful, the other unattractive. The biblical text says Leah’s eyes were “delicate” [rakkot] better-translated “weak.” This may imply nearsightedness, light sensitivity that made her squint, or some other defect. The Jewish rabbis resisted this conclusion, and the Talmud argues that there could be no physical blemish in the righteous Leah.
It remains clear, however, that Rachel was far more attractive than her sister was. When Jacob first met Rachel in the fields taking care of her father Laban’s sheep, he fell deeply in love with her. When Laban offered to employ Jacob and asked him to name his wages, Jacob did not hesitate and offered to work for Laban for seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel. Jacob had no money to offer Laban for his bride, as custom required, so he offered his services instead.
However, when the seven years were completed, Laban substituted Leah for her sister Rachel, and Jacob awoke to find that the woman he had lain with was not the one he loved. Therefore, Jacob had to work another seven years in order to wed Rachel.
Needless to say there was great rivalry and jealousy between the two sisters and great feelings of hurt. However, when trouble came they stood as a united front.
Rachel and Leah’s Relationship with God
We do not know a great deal about Rachel’s relationship with the Lord and remember it was she who stole and took with her idols from her father’s house. Jacob had already been chosen by God as the one through whom the Abrahamic Covenant would pass. It is perhaps a significant comment on Rachel’s spiritual insensitivity that the line of Christ runs through Leah and not Rachel.
Yet after Leah had borne six sons and a daughter, and felt at last that she had received justice, God opened Rachel’s womb, and she bore a son named Joseph, and a son named Benjamin. Rachel’s focus now shifts toward God, evidence of a relationship with Him.
Leah’s life, like that of many women since Eve, reflects unhappiness symptomatic of the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God told Eve that one of the consequences of her choice of listening to Satan would be the twisting of husband/wife relationships. “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16. Leah kept looking for love, approval, and acceptance from Jacob, and she was continually disappointed until she reoriented her life toward God. No matter how many sons she bore for Jacob she did not win his love.
Rachel and Leah: A Close Up
Rachel like her great-aunt Sarah and her aunt Rebekah before her was a woman of great beauty. As a shepherdess, she was probably physically fit from walking many miles each day and doing the many other physical tasks that went with that occupation.
Because she was lovely, she was undoubtedly well liked by those around her .She grew up feeling accepted and loved. When Jacob came on the scene, he loved her too. It must have been difficult for her when she realized that the man she loved and had waited seven years to marry had been given to another woman. She would never have him for herself. She was the beloved wife, but she always had to share Jacob with her sister.
How painful it must have been when her sister bore child after child and Rachel’s body was barren. Then at last she was blessed with Joseph. Her heart must have rejoiced as she held him in her arms. Then again she conceived and had Benjamin. However, both her hopes and then she herself died giving birth to Benjamin, leaving Leah to be the sole wife of the man she loved. No wonder she named that infant, Son of My Sorrows.
Leah’s name means “wild cow.” This is not exactly an attractive appellation with which to brand a young lady, especially in Old Testament times when names were chosen to capture something of the essence of the one named. The physical description we have of Leah is that her eyes were “delicate.” Did this mean extremely light sensitive? That remains uncertain. However, what is sure is that Rachel is described as beautiful, Leah’s eyes are highlighted, and she is given the unfortunate name, Wild Cow.
Leah’s character and her relationship with God did develop. Leah learned to pour out her grief to God. Leah wanted her husband to love her and she wanted children. While God did not change Jacob’s heart, God did love Leah. He gave her seven children, and in the process God taught her to seek comfort in Him. In the end, Leah felt God’s love, and also felt vindicated. At last surrounded by her children, she experienced the love of a family who did not care that she was the sister with the weak eyes.
Rachel and Leah: An Example for Today.
Leah’s life reminds us that people are overly impressed by appearance. Sometimes it seems that God alone cares about what He sees in the heart. Yet from Leah we learn to keep our focus on God. He, not the spouse we love, is the one stable force in our existence. We can also see in Leah’s experience that God blesses each of us in different ways. We need to praise Him for the gifts He gives us and not mourn for what we do not have.
Rachel reminds us again that being beautiful does not bring contentment. Nor does a loving husband guarantee happiness. In the end, only an intimate relationship with our Father can provide true contentment. All other things may fail us, and to the extent we pin our hopes on them, we will remain unfulfilled and hurting. Rachel reminds us that despite disappointments we can be a blessing to others.
[NT] Mary: [the Greek form of Miriam means, “Loved by Yahweh”]. Mary was a common name in first-century
Mary was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. She violated custom by sitting at the feet of Jesus as a learner rather than retreating to the kitchen. Jesus supported her action, saying she had “chosen the better part.” See Luke 10:39-42, and John 11.
[NT] Martha: [means “lady”]. The sister of Lazarus and Mary close friends and followers of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel Martha represents the traditional woman satisfied with her role in society. In John’s Gospel Martha with her sister represent overcoming faith in Jesus’ power.
Mary and Martha the two unmarried sisters lived with their brother Lazarus in
How did they differ? Martha held firmly to traditional values. She saw her place a being in the kitchen. Mary was more “liberated,” comfortable in the role of a disciple and eager to learn all she could at Jesus’ feet. Because Mary was willing to break the traditional mold, we know more about her than we do her sister.
Both Mary and Martha were women of faith. When their brother fell sick the sisters immediately sent a messenger to Jesus, completely confident that Jesus could heal him.
Mary and Martha’s Relationship with Jesus
While Martha may have been too concerned with performing tasks, Martha did not lack faith. John notes “Jesus loved Martha and her sister” John 11:5-not only naming Martha but also identifying her first and by name as an object of His love.
When Lazarus died and heard Jesus was coming she hurried out to meet Him while Mary stayed in the house. Martha expressed great faith in Christ knowing that “whatever you ask of God, God will give you” John 11:22. It is helpful to compare the two sisters’ responses in John 11 when Jesus finally came.
How like Martha most of us are. We have faith in Jesus-even great faith. Yet when we are called to exercise that faith in impossible situations, we focus on the obstacles rather than on God’s unlimited ability to act.
While John highlights Martha’s relationship with Jesus, both Luke 10 and John 12 highlight Mary’s relationship with Him.
Luke reports Jesus’ commendation of Mary for choosing “what is better” by giving priority to listening to Him rather than being preoccupied with preparing a meal. John 12 portrays Mary’s special love for and sensitivity to Jesus.
While Martha trouble and worried over preparing a meal, “Martha served.” One could always count on Martha.
On that occasion Mary took ointment worth a year’s wages, and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. When Judas complained that the ointment should have been sold and money given to the poor, Jesus rebuked him. “Let her alone,” Jesus said. Mary apparently sensed the imminent suffering and death of her Lord while the others remained unaware. She displayed a unique spiritual sensitivity. Mary’s gift showed a love and appreciation for Jesus that we might well imitate. For Mary, nothing was too good for Jesus, and nothing was so precious that it should be withheld from Him.
Martha and Mary: A Close Up
Martha and Mary were quite different persons. They were bound together by family ties and by a common faith and love for Jesus.
Martha was one of those dependable persons we can count on to do what is needed. We see her working in the kitchen and serving. Martha was a significant person in the family and her contribution to its well-being was vital.
Mary on the other hand was a free spirit. Her first priority was spending time with Jesus- not cooking in the kitchen. Mary was spiritually sensitive, displaying an awareness of Jesus’ moods that none of the disciples seemed to have. Mary was also emotionally expressive, weeping freely, and loving generously.
Mary and Martha: An Example for Today.
There is room for different personality types in Christ’s kingdom. Indeed God made us all different with our own strengths and weaknesses. Let us be careful not to force other believers into our molds, assuming that our personality is “Christian” and theirs is not. Instead we need to learn from one another because Christ is speaking to us through all our brothers and sisters.
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. She knew that she would not always have Him nearby, but while she did, she drank in everything He had to say. It is so easy to become oriented in our fast-paces lives. However, when our frenzied pace denies us time to draw near to Jesus, the quality and meaning of our lives begins to drain away.
Mary wanted to do something special for Jesus. Therefore, she met His personal need by anointing Him. Christ tells us that when we do anything, “for the least of these,” we do it for Him. Jesus is not physically present with us today, yet we can help meet His needs by offering food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing for the naked, hospitality to strangers, and visiting those in prison.
Martha is also an example in her faith and by her acts of service. She may not have been at the feet of Jesus listening, but her work was food for the body, preparing food and serving is what Martha was best at doing. Both Martha and Mary served Jesus in their own ways and when you combine the two, they are an awesome pair.
Here are two more Mary’s to look at.
Mary, Jesus’ mother. It is not known for certain how old Mary was when she conceived Jesus, it is guessed she was between the ages of 14 to 17 years old, when the angel Gabriel appeared to her to announce to her that she was to be the mother of the Savior. Mary’s immediate and trusting response makes her an appealing example of faith for all.
When Mary was betrothed to an older man named Joseph, the angel Gabriel announced to her that she had been chosen by God to give birth to the promised Messiah. Mary responded with simple faith, accepting the privileged role despite the fact that her pregnancy would seem to Joseph to mark unfaithfulness and might mark her as a harlot in her community and the penalty was death by stoning for such an act. God guarded Mary’s reputation and sent the angel to speak to Joseph. Mary and Joseph were wed, but they had not sexual relations until after Jesus’ birth in
Some mistakenly cast Mary as the “mother of God.” She was indeed the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. However, the Son existed from eternity; Mary was the source only of Jesus’ human nature. Even so, it is appropriate to honor, NOT WORSHIP Mary and the faith she displayed throughout her life. Mary was a truly remarkable woman; her faith and faithfulness set an example for us all.
Mary’s Relationship with God
Mary’s relationship with God is beautifully portrayed in the account of Gabriel’s visit to her Like 1:26-38 and in Mary’s psalm of Praise known as the Magnificat. Luke 1: 46-55.
Mary: A Close Up
Even as a young girl Mary showed herself to have great faith. Her response to God was immediate and selfless, and her words of praise reveal an appealing simplicity. Quite possibly no other Bible person so clearly displays the truth of God’s love than Mary’s love for God and pleasing Him by doing His will.
Mary was human and as her family grew, she cared for her husband and hers sons and daughters. She must have thought often of the strange events that surrounded her oldest Son Jesus which made him stand out and special. She mothered Him as she did her other children and He submitted to his parents’ authority.
The many tasks of a first century housewife was typical: grinding grain, cooking meals, weaving cloth, directing her children’s activities, talking with her husband. In this she was indistinguishable from other women in her village.
Mary comes across as loving, giving, caring, warm, and friendly, a model believer. Mary is a sister in Christ to be admired, appreciated, and honored.
Mary: An example for Today.
Every believer should have a faith similar to Mary’s and each day we should pray, “Behold the servant of the Lord! Let it be according to thy word” Luke 1:38. In the case of us women we should be saying “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. This is a simple prayer of faith and submission to God’s will.
Mary valued her commitment to God far above others’ opinions. Rather than hesitate to accept the angel’s commission because of what others might think, she chose God’s will. It is not what people think of us that matters, but God’s assessment.
Even Mary did not fully understand the import of Jesus’ teachings. She had been inseminated by the Holy Spirit and visited by an angel telling her to name her son “Jesus” (Savior). She had also been told that the “Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” She did not understand God’s plan and at times we do not understand His plan for us and our children.
Mary’s life reveals meditative wisdom. Mary remembered the wise men’s words and “pondered them in her heart” Luke
Mary called Magdalene after the city from which she came, became a dedicated follower of Jesus after he expelled a demon from her. She was also the first witness of the resurrected Christ. (Does it seem strange to you that it was a woman who was given the honor of being the one to see Christ after His resurrection? I think that it was a kind of restoration given the fact that it was a woman who was disobedient to God in the Garden of Eden. It was through a woman that Satan brought death into the world and it was through a woman that God brought life into the world.)
Mary Magdalene is mentioned more frequently in the Gospels than any other woman other than Mary, Jesus’ mother. We know her as a woman Jesus released from the domination of seven demons (Luke 8:2), and who had become one of His most devoted followers. Along with other women, among them Joanna and Susanna, Mary had provided funds to support Jesus and His disciples as they ministered (Luke 8:3). This suggests that Mary had independent means. (There is speculation that this is the same woman that was caught in adultery and thus could be the reason she had the finances to help the disciples. No mention of her name is given when Jesus stops the men from stoning her.)
The Gospel writers also place Mary near the cross when Jesus was crucified, and Mary is given an extremely prominent role in the account of Jesus’ last moments. Mary was present at the cross and at Jesus’ burial, and was the first to discover the stone had been rolled away.
Mary Magdalene: A Close Up
Mary totally dedicated herself to Jesus and His cause. She joined the group of women who accompanied Jesus as disciples. Mary contributed funds to help Jesus continue teaching and preaching. She was mentioned first during Christ’s early Galilean ministry, and she was still with Jesus at the crucifixion. While most of the men who were Jesus’ followers fled after His capture on the
Mary: An Example for Today.
It is all too easy for Jesus to save us and then go our own way. We are faithful when we need His help, but then our prayers lose their intensity. Mary never seemed to lose her intensity. She was healed of demon possession, and from that point on she never wavered in her commitment to Christ. Mary loved her Lord, not with a passion that would burn out, but with unceasing intensity. We should all be like Mary and show this kind of passion.
It is fascinating that Jesus chose Mary to be the first to see Him after the resurrection and the first to share the good news. It is curious that if Mary Magdalene were with us today, many church pulpits would be closed to her. How wonderful that whatever hindrances to ministry may exist, no one can keep us from sharing Christ with neighbors and friends.
[OT] Naomi [means “pleasantness]. She was the mother-in-law of Ruth. After the death of her husband and sons in
[OT] Ruth [this meaning is unknown]. Ruth was the Moabite wife of Mahlon, the son of Naomi. Ruth accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi to
Ruth was a Moabitess who married an Israelite. Her husband’s family had left
Only one course of action seemed open to Naomi. She would return to
Naomi and Ruth’s Relationship with God
Ruth’s relationship with God began the way that most relationships with Him do. Ruth came to know and value someone who knew Him well. For Ruth that person was Naomi.
Naomi spoke easily about God because He was real to her. We see this in the blessing she gave her two daughters-in-law after Naomi had decided to return to
The biblical text clearly shows that Ruth realized that this decision called for a faith- commitment to Naomi’s God. Ruth with these words showed her commitment to Naomi:
“For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. Ruth 1:16, 17.
Naomi and Ruth: A Close Up
Naomi’s name, “pleasantness,” is suggestive. She cared for her daughters-in-law and earned their love and loyalty. Even Orpah, who chose to remain in
We should hardly be surprised that Naomi was such a powerful influence in Ruth’s life. People who truly and selflessly love others have a tendency to draw those others to them and through them to the Lord.
Ruth is one of Scripture’s most attractive women. She was a woman with a marvelous capacity for love and loyalty. While Ruth was decisive and ready to risk an uncertain future out of loyalty to Naomi, she was far from headstrong. She was wise enough to follow Naomi’s advice, ready and willing to work to support the two of them. Ruth quickly established a good reputation in her adopted homeland and won the approval of all who knew her. Her reputation rather than her physical attributes first won the admiration of Boaz, who responded by treating her graciously. The relationship that grew between them was founded solidly on the mutual appreciation of each for the good and gracious qualities of the other.
While Ruth truly is a love story, it is far from those romantic novels that emphasize passion and physical attributes. Ruth and Boaz’s love grew out of their commitment to values far more significant than mere good looks.
Naomi and Ruth: An Example for Today
Naomi is a wonderful example of how to evangelize. She did not try to talk Ruth to faith. Instead she loved Ruth and lived a life that Ruth recognized was worth emulating. Ruth wanted the peace, character, and loving-kindness she saw displayed in her mother-in-law’s life.
Naomi shows us how to be a gracious in-law. We do not know whether Naomi had counseled her sons against marrying out of their faith. We do know that she loved both her daughters-in-law enough to put their welfare above her own. Eventually she even loved Ruth to faith in God.
Many parents hesitate to offer advice to adult children. While we cannot force our will on them, we can share our thoughts and our wisdom with those willing to learn. When advice is given lovingly and with respect for our children’s independence, it will often be welcomed.
Naomi is a glorious reminder of how God can make one of the least likely to be remembered into someone who will never be forgotten. When we feel insignificant we can remember how God took a starving widow to win a woman to faith who became an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
Ruth reminds us that character does count. Good men are more concerned about finding a godly spouse than a sexy one!
[OT] Sarah [means “princess”]. Sarah was the wife of Abraham in 2100 B.C. She is honored for her faith and faithfulness to Abraham. The birth of Isaac long after she ceased menstruating remains a testimony to God’s power.
Originally Sarah’s name was Sarai which meant, “Yahweh is Prince” and it was then that God changed it to Sarah. She became a mother of nations and kings, and Jesus Christ was her descendant.
Sarah being in her 90’s became the mother of the miracle-child Isaac. God’s covenant promised to Abraham was transmitted through Isaac and his descendants. Sarah thus became honored as the mother of the Jewish People, through whom God gave us not only the Scriptures but also the Savior, Jesus Christ. Sarah also was instrumental in Abraham’s fathering the Arab people, through her handmaid Hagar.
Sarah’s Relationship with God
A major indication of the nature of the relationship between Sarah and God is that God not only changed Abram’s name to Abraham, but also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. Both changes took place in the context of blessing, for God told Abraham, “I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her. Genesis 17:16.
Not only was Sarah a recipient of God’s grace, she was a woman with a faith comparable to Abraham’s. Hebrews
The Lord watched Sarah’s faithfulness for sixty years as she waited expectantly to become the mother of Abraham’s heir. It is true that she faltered, but only after she could no longer see herself able to conceive. She still did not doubt that God would make Abraham the father of a great nation. What a wonderful gift God gave her, after she had waited faithfully so long.
(That falter was in the form of Hagar. An impatient Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham so that Sarah could have a child through Hagar, (the first known surrogate). We have no record of the relationship between Sarah and Hagar before Sarah offered her slave to Abraham. However, we have a powerful record of what happened afterward.
Hagar used her pregnancy to gloat and hold it over Sarah who could not conceive. Sarah thus dealt harshly with her, probably beating her, and Hagar responded by running away. She only returned at the prompting of the Angel of the Lord. He sent her back with the promise that her son Ishmael would father innumerable people (Genesis
Sarah: A Close Up
Sarah was a woman of astonishing beauty even well into her sixties. We have looked at passages in which Abraham was actually in fear of his life just traveling with her. She must have been exceptionally stunning in face and figure to not only evoke this fear, but then to be taken into the harems of
Nevertheless, Sarah’s beauty did not bring her a life without grief. She left the city of her birth and its comforts to spend the last half of her long life as a nomad. While God blessed Abraham and Sarah with great wealth, the thing she desired most eluded her.
Beauty, wealth, and the faithful love of a good man-even these did not bring her fulfillment. She longed to feel the life of a child quickening in her womb. She longed to give her beloved husband the heir he had been promised by the God of the universe. Therefore, she waited, decade after decade passing, until more than a half century had elapsed. Still she waited another quarter of a century.
How much it must have hurt Sarah to realize that, after maintaining hope all those barren years, her aged body had passed the time of childbearing. She had loved Abraham most of her life, but at age seventy-five Sarah assumed that while God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation, she would not be the mother of that people. How it must have pained her to give her young slave to Abraham as she tried to help God make good on His promise.
(By running ahead of God and not waiting, Sarah caused a change in God’s plan, a side road so to speak. She wanted a son for Abraham so badly that she took it upon herself to make it happen. This caused hatred toward Hagar and Ishmael the son conceived by Hagar. Sarah did not accept Ishmael as her child, he taunted Isaac when he was born, and Ishmael was a wild child, hard to control. Hagar threw Sarah’s barrenness in her face and caused Sarah much heartache.)
When Sarah finally had her son she named him Isaac which means “laughter.” Abraham and Sarah were full of joy to the point of laughter when finally at ages one hundred for Abraham and ninety for Sarah they became parents. God is so good. He then granted Sarah thirty-seven more years, to watch her son grow into manhood, to revel in the miracle of new life as mothers do, In Sarah we see both the trial of faith and faith’s reward.
Sarah: An Example for Today
Abraham and Sarah’s hearts were focused on God and faithful to Him, and God is faithful to such persons.
Abraham and Sarah were married over a century, and while each made some bad choices over the years, they remain a great example of the mutual submission Christ calls for in marriage.
God asked Sarah if anything was too difficult for Him, Genesis 18:14. She came to understand that even those things that appear impossible to us are not impossible for Him.
From Sarah we learn that God does not set His timetable according to our schedule. In His time His desires shall come to pass. He does not need us to jump in and make things possible for Him. Sometimes, this may mean we are to wait a lifetime.
From Sarah we also learn that God makes no promises that He does not keep.
Sarah’s life story reminds us that God does not normally interfere when we make a bad choice, as in the case of Sarah’s gift of Hagar to Abraham. Instead God may well let us live with consequences, and learn from them. However, as the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael illustrates, if our mistake infringes on His overall plan, He may step in.
Sarah’s life story also illustrates the importance of commitment. This, plus valuing our partner, can build a relationship that will withstand the pressures and the ravages of time.
[OT] Vashti [means, “Beautiful Woman”]
Vashti was the principle wife of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes), around 475 B.C. Her names means “beautiful woman” and she was included in Scripture because her “stand for women’s rights” or perhaps her natural obstinacy led her to refuse to the king’s command to appear at a banquet he was hosting. Vashti’s subsequent divorce by Xerxes led to the search for a new queen of
Aside from this significance, the account in the first chapter of Esther is fascinating for its insight into the terror assertive women can strike into the hearts of some men.
Esther 1:13; 15-20
13 Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment
15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18 Likewise shall the ladies of
19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husband’s honour, both to great and small.
As we might expect, this recommendation pleased the king, and he acted immediately to protect husbands everywhere from their wives.
What makes this account even more humorous is that the husband’s position as ruler of the household was thoroughly established in both law and custom in the ancient world. How amazing that the king and princes of such a mighty kingdom felt so insecure in their home life!
Now why did Queen Vashti refuse to come before the king?
In verses 10-12 we see:
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
(The reason for her refusal was because the king was drunk, and when men are drunk they can and do despicable things to women. Not only was the king drunk but also were his guests who were all men. So you can see how wise Vashti was to refuse.
It may have cost her the crown, but it saved her virtue.)
Vashti: An Example for Today
The personalities of the man and woman involved in a marriage will do far more to determine the character of the relationship and the role of each person than will the laws and expectations of society.
What is important in a marriage is that husband and wife love one another completely and seek what is best for their spouse.