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Her original name was spelled Sarai which meant "My Princess." No doubt we are to
understand that she was a princess in the sight of God. However, He changed her name just as
He had changed the name of Abram to Abraham. So her name was changed to Sarah and she was
not just God's princess but princess to the entire nation of Israel. Apparently, her name was
changed at the same time her husband's name was changed.
1. She is first mentioned in connection with her marriage to Abram. We are told that Nahor
married Milcah and Abram married Sarai. That is the first knowledge we have of her. Genesis
11:27-29.
2. The very next thing we are told by the Bible is that Sarai was barren and could bear no
children. In those days childbearing was very important as they passed on their lands to their
heirs. It was so important in the scheme of things, that this fact is immediately stated. Genesis
11:30-32.
3. The next fact that is brought to our attention was her physical appearance. The Bible tells
us that she was a beautiful woman. Because of hardships, they were forced to travel about among
strange nations of people. Abraham feared someone would kill him to take her to wed because
of her beauty. So her beauty was mentioned by Abraham. Genesis 12:10-13.
4. Even though God promised her and Abraham a child, her impatience became evident as she
devised a way to have a child through her handmaid Hagar. He was not the heir God promised,
Isaac came about twenty years later. Like many, she became impatient and brought many
heartaches to their lives. Genesis 16:1-6.
5. In spite of her infirmities of the flesh and the human weaknesses we all experience, she was
indeed honored by God. He not only changed her name as previously mentioned but also
promised her special blessings and called her the "Mother of Nations." Such remarkable blessings
even caused Abraham to doubt God and laugh. Genesis 17:15-17.
6. Even though the child of Hagar was special to Abraham, he was not the seed of promise.
God reaffirmed His promise and after all the years of waiting, Sarah laughed at the promise of
God. She knew it was wrong to disbelieve God and even denied laughing. Genesis 18:9-15.
7. She bare a son by miraculous conception and his name was Isaac. Because the Jewish line
was carried through her son, we see why God called her the mother of nations. He was indeed
the seed of promise and she was ninety years old when he was born. Genesis 21:1-5, Genesis
17:17.
Sarah lived a long life filled with rich blessings but like all mortals she died. She was
one-hundred and twenty-seven years old at her death. She died some thirty-eight years before
Abraham. Abraham buried her in a cave on property he had purchased especially for that
purpose. (Genesis 23:1-2 & 17-20. She is mentioned in Numbers 26:46 and in the New
Testament in Hebrews 11:11 and 1 Peter 3:6. She will be lovingly remembered as long as faith
fills the hearts of God's children. Let us thank God for His goodness to her and learn by her
example things we should and should not do. She was not without sin but then neither are we.
She was a great woman and her life is worthy of our study.
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