Sarah continues

Ladies Bible Study July 21^st- Study of Sarah

We continue in the first section with question #4

We read chapter 16 of Genesis, with question 4, Sarah, Abraham and Hagar all had their part in sinning.

Sarah didn’t wait upon the Lord; she tried to “help” God.  There was a divine promise and she tried to engineer it.  Her sin still affects us today with the peoples in the Middle East and the warfare that continues there today.  But, God in his sovereignty uses this in his plan.  We too can be easily influenced by family and friends, the custom of the day.  We need to be careful of opinions and turn to God’s word for guidance.  They knew the culture around them; God had to remove them from the culture.  They still had the influence from their culture and had to “re-learn” to follow God.

Reference was made as to “Who are we dancing for?” Who are you following, do you “dance” for idols or do you dance for the Lord? Looking at the culture of home lives and work, or school, are we careful to follow the right path.

p.28 The consequences of such a carnal life nearly tore her life apart and leaves a scar on our personalities.  Through our trials, others see the hurt and circumstances in our lives and wonder how we hold fast to God.  They need to see our faith through trial.  People assume that God allows the bad, but Adam through the fall of man brought sin into the world.

How do we feel about Sarah’s response and behavior to what was happening with Hagar? We don’t understand the cultural circumstances that led Sarah to this decision.  Sarah was holding on to this promise, but ignore other scriptures.. like man should cleave to his wife and become one flesh.  We need to be careful to not ignore God’s word! Are you reading God’s word?

Looking at historical facts of Abram, we know that there were worshipers of God at this time, but we don’t know exactly how they worshiped.  Noah’s Law – a man of true faith, he had laws: Not to worship other idols, not to blaspheme, to follow laws, and not to commit adultery, not to kill, and not to rob. They were descendants of Noah and they knew of God.

Abraham sinned in that he offered his wife as his sister, opening his marriage to give her to another man as the other man’s wife for fear of his own life.   Abraham could have refused to take Hagar as his wife. The fruit of sin is bitter, but God is sovereign in his dealings with us.  He was torn as a father and seeing the strife in their family and sending his son away when he was 16, even though he did come back.

God still says that they were faithful, God looks at us and says precious and treasure.  God said faithful.  Even when we act the same way that Sarah did, God still judges us. We are his and he knows our hearts just like he knew hers. 

Hagar- her sin, she had bitterness and contempt. Contempt= to make little.  Hagar placed Sarah as beneath her.  But Hagar was a servant, she wasn’t a wife, was she looked on with contempt from the other servants? She didn’t have a choice in becoming Abraham’s “wife”.  Her fruit was to return to being a servant.  God restored her to her position.  She called God “the God of seeing, truly here I have seen him who looks after me”, knowing that God was watching over her as well.  

We need to keep our eyes on God.

Sarah Continues

Ladies Bible Study July 7^th -Study of Sarah

Last week we finished question one and listened to the Old Testament scripture readings that involve both Abraham and Sarah.

Returning to question one, one thing we didn’t do was apply her characteristics to us:  Impatient, temperamental, conniving, pouty, erratic, naggy, beautiful, unreasonable, great faith, hospitable, having a hope that never dies.  Did she truly have all these characteristics? We looked at the word- naggy.  Did she nag or are those our words? Looking at the positives and negatives what do we glean?

She was barren and she had a hope and a promise, but it also caused her grief.  Some of our strengths can be our greatest weaknesses. Like her we can use our strengths in ways to get our own ways which leads us into sin.  We too have a fight within our members, saved but full of flesh.  Our characteristics depending on how we use them could bless or be sin.  Nagging could be used positively as exhorting or in the negative.  She was probably a very strong woman, and possibly a little spoiled in nature. Sarah was a total woman, full of emotion and illogic at times, searching for the correct answers.  She was preeminent in her relationship with her husband, but she did not have a direct voice from God. So, in the process of waiting, wanting to accomplish God’s will, she stepped out and sinned in giving Hagar to her husband.  It probably seemed right at the time, but the result brought heartache and trouble to the nations throughout history.  She acted in desperation and turned to the ways of the world.

Sin is any personal lack of conformity to the moral character of God or the law of God.

Question #2.

 She moved with her husband and began their journey through a land that God led them through. What was her response to leaving Haran for this “unknown land of promise”? They went forth and didn’t look back, Hebrews 11:15.  She left with family and servants, but it involves leaving what is known to move to the unknown, not knowing what was ahead. Whether there would be danger or hardships they went.

We too, when called by God have to leave friends and family, following God in the direction he wants us to go.  We have to surrender our children into God’s hands.  We want to have control of things, but it is God who must reign and to whom we have to let have control  .

Romans 1:20 – none of us are in a vacuum, we are all without excuse.

Question #3-

From the time she was 65 until death she lived a nomadic life. What made it bearable?

Tents, servants, family, her husband and her dedication to him, her faith in God’s calling and leading.

McArthur suggested that Bethel was their anchor of their faith.  Both had the need to return to it to refresh their faith. 

God’s timing and plans are way different than what we think they should be. We need to learn how to give over our worries and concerns and efforts to fix things, to God.  God is soverign.