Epaggelia

SARAH – The Free Woman – Galatians 4:21-31

The wife of Abraham was very beautiful, she was so attractive that twice, Abraham felt threatened with losing her to two different Kings. This is recorded in Genesis 12 as Pharaoh wanted her, and also in Genesis 20 when Abimelech the King of Gerar desired her. There are two amazing facts about both of these incidents. 

Firstly, Sarah had to be over 60 yrs old when Pharaoh took her and close to 80 when Abimelech took her, even though she was barren when Pharaoh took her and past the age of child-bearing when Abimelech took her (Gen. 18:10-14), But Sarah obviously maintained her beauty (Gen. 12:11-14 & Gen. 20:5-18) This was not an advantage to her, it was a problem! How did Sarah know the solution to the problem her beauty presented? Somehow by the fact she insisted on calling her husband “Lord” when aged, (Gen. 18:12) The apostle Peter points out that because of her virtuous courage and obvious obedience, she was blessed with safety, honor & “incorruptible beauty” from her spirit! Read 1st Peter 3:1-6.

Secondly, Sarah was barren (Gen. 11:30), and even though she couldn’t conceive, Abraham was still willing to lie twice about their identity to save his own life without any regard for Sarah’s integrity! Amazingly, Sarah went along with Abraham’s lie even when it made her vulnerable to the possible loss of her own life because they both had no assurance that there was any “fear of God” in Abimelech (Gen. 20:11). Ironically, Abimelech ended up being blessed by God, because of God’s intervention and Sarah’s courageous obedience!  See Genesis 20:14-18.

The Apostle Paul uses Sarah as an allegory for spiritual freedom. Please read Galatians 4:21-31. He calls her the “free woman” because she was literally a free person in her social status, unlike her servant Hagar who was an enslaved woman. Paul then uses this literal status to represent the freedom Christians have through God’s grace rather than human effort. She represents the new covenant of grace (Heb. 10:29) Her son, Isaac, was born through God’s miraculous promise and supernatural power when she was past childbearing age. In contrast, Hagar (the enslaved woman) represents the old covenant of the Mosaic Law. Her son, Ishmael, was born through normal human effort and attempts to fulfill God’s plan by human works. The meaning of spiritual freedom is in Sarah’s child Isaac, he was a gift born by God’s promise, spiritually free people are children of God’s promise and grace. Trying to earn salvation through religious rules of human effort keeps a person in spiritual slavery (like a slave mother’s child). Trusting in Christ brings spiritual liberty (like a free mother’s child) Sarah therefore is an amazing example for a woman of God to follow in courage & obedience!