Hebrews 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Sarah, the wife of Abram was an interesting personality, like most women are.  She was beautiful. (Standards of beauty differ from one culture to another). In hers, she was considered beautiful not just to her husband but twice in her life she caught the attention of kings. In both instances, by agreeing with her husband to say she was his sister, she could have compromised her marriage if God had not intervened. Sarah was beautiful but also barren.  Not a happy situation. She had faults too – she was manipulative of both her husband and her maid at times.

After Pharaoh had instructed Abram and his family to leave and take his belongings with them, they left Egypt. Years later, the Lord appeared to Abram again and entered into a new covenant with him concerning his circumcision and that of all male descendants in his household. At that point God changed his name to Abraham (“father of a multitude”) and revealed that the name of his firstborn with his wife would be Isaac. The Lord also told him that his wife’s name henceforth would be Sarah (“mother of nations”) instead of Sarai. (See Genesis 17) A defining moment indeed – divine purpose was established for both of them. She laughed at the notion of becoming a mother at age ninety and the Scriptures say she lied when confronted with the fact that she had laughed. (Genesis 18:15). After her son Isaac was born, Sarah manifested a malicious streak as she demanded that Abraham send Hagar and her child away to ensure they would have no inheritance with Isaac.

With all of this evidence, one is tempted to ponder how it is then that, in general, Sarah seems to have survived in our consciousness as someone who was squeaky clean. It is interesting to me that Abraham had also laughed when he first received the promise that he and Sarah would have a child in their old age. It was a normal human response to what seemed impossible. They were not perfect people.

My conclusion from the life of this couple who clearly loved each other deeply is that God is sovereign and he chooses whom he will, despite their shortcomings, to fulfill his purposes. That means even you – God gave you a new name ‘beloved child’ (1 John 3:1) when you were born again and he desires to work his purpose out in your life. Be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. Abraham and Sarah made it into the Hall of Faith because they were pliable in the hands of a covenant-keeping God.