If you have ever asked the question, what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible, this article will be of great benefit to you. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is one of the most famous women in the Bible.
There are many lessons learned from Sarah in the Bible when studying her. Few women in the Bible are as intriguing or inspiring as Sarah. When we read the story of Sarah in the Bible, it’s easy to be inspired by her faithfulness and devotion to God.
Sarah was one of the most influential women in Bible history. She was the wife of Abraham, mother of Isaac, and grandmother of Jacob and Esau.
Despite being tested by God repeatedly throughout her life, she was a figure of unconditional love and devotion to her family. Throughout Sarah’s life, we can learn valuable lessons on honoring and obeying God in our lives, no matter the cost.
Sarah is the only woman whose name was changed by God. At first, her name was Sarai, but it was later changed to Sarah. The meaning of Sarah in the Bible is “princess”.
In Genesis 17:15, we see why the change occurred. The Bible said, “And I will bless her and also give you [Abraham] a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”
God blessed Sarah to become a royal princess. She would be a mother of nations to come. She would be the mother of kings of different people and establish royal families. She would be the mother of the royal line of King David from which the Savior would come.
The Background Of Sarah
Sarah was to give birth to a son, and he was to be called Isaac. God would confirm this with an eternal covenant. God would also establish His covenant with the descendants of Isaac. For many years Sarah couldn’t conceive.
Desperate to be a mother, she agreed to give her maid Hagar to her husband to get a child. This is not how God meant for Abraham and Sarah to have an heir, but he intended it as a lesson in faith for them both.
One of the lessons from Sarah and Hagar we can learn is never to try to help God in what He has promised us. Sarah, who had waited for a long time without the manifestation of the promise, wanted to achieve it by helping Abraham bear a child through her maid Hagar.
But as soon as Hagar had Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn son, she despised Sarah. To reciprocate, Sarah had dealt very poorly with Hagar. And after many years after Ishmael was born, Sarah remained childless.
But eventually, at the age of ninety, God promised Sarah a child. In Genesis 18:10, God told Abraham: “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah, your wife shall have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent door behind him.
Genesis 18:12-13 tells us, “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ And the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?'”
Despite her initial laugh, Sarah believed God could and would do what He said. Hebrews 11:11 tells us, “By faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged Him faithful who had promised.”
10 Lessons We Can Learn From Sarah In The Bible
There are many lessons from the life of Sarah in the Bible, and in this article, we will look at some of them. So here are ten lessons we can learn from this incredible woman from the Bible.
1. Nothing Is Impossible With God
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? First, we can know that nothing is impossible with God. The angel of the Lord had asked Abraham in Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
And went on to assure him, saying, “I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” So also, in Luke 1:37, the Bible says, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
So we serve a God of all possibilities, and nothing is truly impossible for Him. Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
Matthew 19:26 tells us, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Scattered across the scriptures are the assurances of the possibilities that exist with our God.
And as in the life of Sarah, we can see that nothing is truly impossible for God to do. So as you read this, you may wonder if God can do a remarkable thing in your life the same way He did it in the life of Sarah.
What promise are you waiting for God to fulfil? Have you invited God into your impossibility? And just like He did in the life of Sarah, He will do a miracle for you as well.
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? First, we can trust the Lord to do what people consider impossible because nothing is impossible with God.
2. God Always Keeps His Promises
Have you ever broken a promise to someone? Has anyone ever broken a promise to you? Unfortunately, it happens to all of us. Broken promises come in many shapes and sizes.
They can be one of the most disappointing and hurtful aspects of our relationships with others. However, there is one who will never disappoint us in this way. God is all-powerful and all-knowing.
He can perform and complete every word He speaks. God always keeps His promises. You see, humans may promise and fail, but not God. While it is our nature not to be faithful, it is in God’s nature to be loyal to whatever He said He would do.
The Bible in Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?” (NIV)
2 Timothy 2:13 also tells us, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” In Hebrews 6:18, the Bible says, “Thus by two unchangeable things in which God can’t lie,….”
Chapter 7:21 also says, “but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.'”
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? First, God always keeps His promises. He told Abraham, “I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
And although Abraham and Sarah were already old, this didn’t affect God from keeping His promises. Therefore, you can trust the Lord to fulfil that He has spoken to you. Men may change their minds but not our God.
One of the ways that we can know that God is a promise keeper is by looking at the lives of people of faith who came before us. So when we study the Bible, we will see that God has been keeping His promises in the past.
Genesis 9:9 -13 says, “Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “Now behold, I myself am establishing my covenant with you, and with your descendants after you;.”
In verse 10, he says, “and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, every animal of the earth.”
Verse 11 says, “I establish My covenant with you, and all flesh shall never again be eliminated by the waters of a flood, nor shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
In Verse 12- 13, God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations;
I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall serve as a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.” (NASB) God has faithfully kept His word never to destroy the earth by flood waters.
In Genesis 12:2-3, God also made a promise to Abraham; “…I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing, and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.”
When God made this promise, Abraham did not have any children. Before God could make Abraham into a nation, He had to give him an heir. God kept His promise to Abraham in His perfect time and in His perfect way.
Also, when King David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, God promised David that his descendant would be the one to build a house for His name and kingdom. And many years after, David’s son King Solomon built a temple for the Lord.
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? We realize that God always keeps His promises. So trust Him. He will never fail, He has never failed, and He doesn’t intend to start now.
3. God Is Never Late
You can probably think of a few times when you were late. Maybe it was because you were rushing and couldn’t find your keys. Or you couldn’t find a parking spot. Either way, we’ve all been there at least once.
But when God is involved, He’s never late, even if it seems that way to us. We see this over and over again with Sarah from the Bible. God told her she would have a son even though she was barren and very old, yet God came through for her.
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? God is never late. His timing is perfect! When faced with difficulties, it can be easy to lose hope and feel like nothing will ever change.
But God is always faithful and takes care of what we trust Him to do. He may not always answer our prayers according to how we want them answered. Sometimes, He has a better plan than we could have ever imagined!
But we must understand that He always answers them according to His perfect timing. We often think that God is late. He doesn’t show up on our time, and sometimes we must wait for His plan.
But even though it may not seem like it at first, everything happens on His schedule and when He says it will happen.
And when we can’t see why things are happening, we should trust that all the pieces are coming together for something bigger than us. As Sarah was waiting for her miracle baby, she had to learn this lesson repeatedly.
4. Patience Is A Virtue
Patience is the ability to wait without complaining. It is the ability to endure something negative that’s found its’ way into our environment without letting it control our behavior.
And this was seen in the life of Sarah. So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? Her ability to wait and hope for the promise of God to be delivered.
It’s hard to be patient when you’re waiting for something and even harder when you’re waiting on God. But while we may not always see the immediate results of our patience, we can reap the benefits of this character trait in many ways.
God rewards our patience by helping us become more resilient and stronger. For example, Abraham waited twenty-five years before God fulfilled His promise and gave him a son. And then, his wife Sarah conceived Isaac at age 90.
5. God’s Plans Are Better Than Our Alternatives
In Sarah’s desperation to give her husband a child, she offered her servant Hagar to her husband. Although in comparison, this seemed reasonable considering her age and the fact that she was barren, God had better plans.
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? We can see that while she was trying other alternatives to the promise God made to Abraham, she ignored God’s ultimate plan.
From this, we can learn that God’s plans are always better than our alternatives. And trusting God’s plans for us will always bring better results than the alternatives.
God’s plans always reveal His will for our lives. While we can do many things without God, like acquiring wealth, starting a business, getting an education, etc., we can only find true joy, fulfilment, and faithfulness in God’s will.
6. God Loves You Beyond Your Mistakes
In her desperation to give her husband a child, Sarah forced her husband into having a child with her servant Hagar. This mistake of hers was not enough for God to stop His promise to Abraham and open the womb of Sarah.
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? We can learn that God loves you beyond your mistake. Your errors and past do not define you or affect God’s affection for you.
God loves us no matter what we do. He is there for us when we mess up and forgives us when we ask. So if you feel lost, ask God to help you find your way back home.
He will never stop loving you and wants to forgive you for everything that has happened to you so that you can start afresh with him!
And just as He did with Sarah, watch God fulfil and accomplish His purpose for your life beyond your mistakes because His grace is sufficient for you.
7. You Will Never Be Too Old To Be Tested By God
As a believer, you should come to terms with the fact that God will test you before your breakthrough. And one of the major areas where we would all be tested is our faith in Him and what He has promised.
As you prepare for this test, you must take it seriously since it determines whether God will promote and release you to fulfil your true calling. So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible?
A valuable lesson here is that you will never be too old to be tested by God. God does not test you to hurt or punish you for being wrong. Instead, he tries you so you can see His power. He tests you so you can see your strength.
He tests you so you can share the testimony of what you’ve lived and achieved. Of course, that doesn’t make waiting any pleasant, but there’s comfort in knowing that good and unique things come to those who wait patiently.
Don’t let impatience make you walk away from the door when it could open at any time.
8. Doubt Isn’t The Opposite Of Faith
When God speaks, we have a responsibility to birth the manifestation of what He has promised us. How we respond to Him determines a whole lot.
When Sarah heard she would give birth in old age, she laughed as a sign of doubt. Of course, she doubted because she was already old and considered barren physically. But, although she doubted this could be possible, she didn’t let fear stop her from believing.
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? First, we learn that doubt isn’t the opposite of faith. Fear is! Doubt is a feeling that can come when we’re faced with a new situation and don’t know what to expect.
It’s natural to have questions and concerns, but this isn’t the same as not believing. On the other hand, fear makes you focus on why things will never happen.
However, if you’re open to hearing God speak and willing to take risks for Him, then doubt won’t hold you back from making progress in your life by taking steps in faith.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” This means taking a step of faith even in your doubt and trusting God in the process.
And while you do, you may have some doubts but still do it without letting fear stop you.
9. Sarah Was A Submissive And Supportive Wife
When we see the story of Sarah in the Bible summary, we can find Sarah’s support and loyalty to her husband, Abraham. When God asked Abraham to leave their country for the new land, He showed him, Sarah didn’t rebel or go against God’s instructions.
Also, we can see in 1 Peter 3:6 Peter referred to Sarah’s submission to her husband, Abraham. The Bible says, “like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. …”
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? One vital lesson is that Sarah was submissive to her husband, Abraham and a supportive wife. This is also one of the many marriage lessons from Abraham and Sarah.
10. Sarah Was Hospitable
If you have probably asked, what are the characteristics of Sarah in the Bible? You would be right to add hospitality to your list. Many people are surprised to learn that hospitality is one of Sarah’s character traits.
It is often overlooked because of her husband, Abraham. He was known as the hospitable one. But if you read Genesis 18-19, you see how she welcomed three angels into her home and gave them a meal.
The second time she invited them back, they said they would return but couldn’t stay long because they had some work to do at Sodom and Gomorrah.
So they ended up staying for dinner again before leaving for those cities on their mission to destroy them and save Lot’s family from their destruction.
So what can we learn from Sarah in the Bible? Sarah was hospitable. Are you a generous person? The Bible tells us in Hebrew 13:2, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
As believers, we need to always be on the lookout for how we can always show hospitality because by doing so, we extend the love of Jesus to others.
Conclusion
There are many things we can learn from Sarah. And in this article, we have seen some strengths and weaknesses of Sarah in the Bible. She was a woman of faith and courage, showing us that anything is possible with God on our side.
Sarah’s story teaches us that no matter how long it takes or what obstacles we encounter if we continue to follow God’s will for our lives, He will never forsake us or leave us alone.
I hope her story and experience inspire you to be a better person and a more devoted believer.
