Faith’s Hall of Fame – Part 5

Faith is Relational

• ¹¹ 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. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • Their faith had to affect their relationship before the effects of the promise could be seen.  They each had to deal with relational brokenness.
  • Marriage isn’t just about happiness. It’s about holiness.
• ¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. ¹¹ And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. ¹² Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” ¹⁴ So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. ¹⁵ The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. ¹⁷ But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. ¹⁸ And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” ²⁰ So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. Genesis‬ ‭12:10-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
• ¹ And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. ² Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” ⁴ But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? ⁵ Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” ⁶ And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” ⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. ⁹ And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?” ¹¹ And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. Genesis‬ ‭20:1-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • In both of these situations God was merciful to Abraham and Sarah. In spite of their weakness, He miraculously protected both of them and allowed them to return to Canaan. His promise to bless them was also fulfilled in spite of their brokenness. It was through the trial of them getting healed and coming together that the blessing took place.
  • We aren’t told how these encounters affected their relationship. On these occasions Abraham clearly wasn’t trusting God for protection, and it would have been easy for Sarah to doubt the character of the man she married and for her to wonder if Abraham really cared for her. That’s what drove her to give him an Ishmael.
  • After Ishmael Sarah has forgiven Abraham… She was healed.
• ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
• ¹¹ 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. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:11-12‬ ‭NKJV
• Two kinds of knowledge are needed:
  • 1. What God has said
  • 2. His faithfulness
• ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬