Barren and Desperate

Sarai was a prestigious woman, wife to a wealthy, influential husband, but something was missing. She was childless. To complicate matters, Sarai and her husband, Abram, were past childbearing age. Decades earlier God had promised He would bless them with a child, but the years passed, and the promise remained unfulfilled.

Sarai became desperate and devised her solution to the problem. Unfortunately when we go outside God’s plan and fail to trust and obey, we suffer the consequences. Sarai convinced Abram to take Hagar, her Egyptian maid, as a second wife and surrogate mother through whom they could have children. After Hagar became pregnant, she began acting superior to Sarai, looking at her with disdain. When she persuaded Abram to take Hagar, little did Sarai think she was opening the floodgates for rivalry and hatred that still exists today. Sarai was distressed and blamed Abram for Hagar’s attitude toward her.

Abram told Sarai, “Hagar is still your maid, so do whatever you think is best with her.” Then Sarai exerted her authority as Abram’s wife, but Hagar refused to submit. Instead she ran away with no specific destination in mind. In the desert she encountered the God who sees and knows everything. He admonished her to return and submit to her mistress. He also made her a promise of hope and a future for her and her unborn son.

In His forgiving love and mercy, God appeared to Abram when he was ninety-nine years old and assured him that his long-barren wife, although now ninety years old, would conceive. To confirm His promise, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s to Sarah (Genesis 17:5, 15). The aged pair laughed at the announcement, both for different reasons. Abraham’s laughter was the joy of a man of faith. Sarah’s was that of doubt.

But God assured her, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14, KJV). At the time appointed, God fulfilled His promise to Sarah and Abraham. Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son, whom they named Isaac. Sarah now had good reason to laugh—for joy. As Christians may we always remember that God keeps His promises and that our intervention is unnecessary.

E. May Clarke