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In researching for my Bible study devotional, “Abraham’s Faith,” I became intrigued with the verse “Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” 1 Peter 3:6 (KJV)
I thought it would be both enlightening, and informative, to utilize the learning tool of Biblical fiction in the form of Sarah speaking throughout the centuries to her daughters — women of faith in this present day.
Abraham and Sarah did not have any biological daughters, only a single son. Yet God, through the Apostle Peter, said that all women of like faith in Sarah’s God are all spiritually Sarah’s daughters.
So I utilized literary license and gave our great, spiritual ancestor a voice that like that of the righteous Abel, “…he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).
In every chapter (day) of this particular devotional, I give a woman’s viewpoint in the “voice” of Sarah, which is relevant to the circumstances of Abraham’s life, and was studied in that particular chapter. I wanted Sarah to address her present-day daughters — women of faith — giving her thoughts on the events in her and Abraham’s life, many times also including wise, motherly counsel applicable for women today.
Although Sarah died before Abraham, I still utilized this technique in the chapters and the events that occurred after she passed away from this physical life.
I did not intend that my chosen writing style of making Sarah “come to life” was to indicate any communication between the living and the dead, but rather, for continuity sake, using Sarah’s perspective, just as we honor the life of a loved one who has passed away with our actions accompanied with words similar to “She would be happy to know,” or “This would make her glad.”
Just as Abraham and Isaac’s life continued after the death of their wife and mother, so, too, I wanted both her voice and her words, fictional as they are in my devotional, to continue to speak to all of her daughters today.
I pray that my fictional words, accompanied with the Bible study and present-day applications in this devotional, will positively impact your own Christian life and service.
What Readers are Saying About Abraham’s Faith…
“One unique and powerful feature in this study is a message to today’s women from Sarah. The reader must understand that Sarah’s words are not scriptural. However, the words Ms. Humes shares about Sarah’s joys and her sorrows, her successes and her regrets, lead the reader to connect their hearts to hers.”
~Willo from California
Abraham’s Faith – Day 1
Below is the first chapter of Abraham’s Faith. I hope you will enjoy it!
Abram’s Early Years
Bible Reading: Genesis 11:27–32
Learning about Father Abraham: About three hundred years after the great flood of Noah, and nine generations later, one descendant of Noah’s son Shem was a man named Terah. The Bible records that Shem lived for five hundred years after the flood, so Terah and his sons, Nahor, Haran, and Abram were contemporaries of Shem.
Terah lived with his family in the city of Ur of the Chaldees. In this city, Terah’s son Haran died and left behind a son, Lot. Terah’s two other sons got married: Nahor to a woman named Milcah and Abram to Sarai. Abram’s name meant “high father,” but despite this epithet, he and Sarai could not have any children because it appeared Sarai was barren.
According to Bible scholars, the city of Ur was a rich and modern city for its time. It was filled with idol worshippers, and its major god was the moon god, Nanna. There is not much known about Abram’s life in this city, but Abram knew his history: the account of creation, the fall of the first parents, the method of sacrificing innocent animals, knowing which animals were considered “clean,” the murder of Abel by his brother, the flood of Noah, the worship of God by Noah and Shem after the flood, and the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel.
Abram also knew the mysterious promise that the Lord God gave the first parents—the promised seed of the woman that was to come would first be bruised by the serpent but would then triumphantly crush the serpent’s head. The first parents enjoyed a friendship with their creator, but, in Abram’s time, it seemed few people were interested in such a friendship.
There must have been a longing in the heart of Abram to commune with the Lord God, like Adam had when God walked and talked with him. Abram knew God wanted a relationship with His creation, and he wanted an audience with the creator Himself. Unlike others around him, Abram realized it was wrong to worship other gods such as the moon god the people of Ur worshiped. Abram reached out to worship God following the pattern that God had taught Adam and Noah. His desire and worship did not go unrewarded. One day, God appeared to Abram and gave him specific directions—he was to leave his country and family and go to an unknown land.
When Abram received this call from God, he most likely told his father, Terah, what he intended to do, Terah thought Abram had a good idea and did not want to be left out, so Terah and his orphaned grandson, Lot, accompanied Abram and Sarai when they left Ur of Chaldees to go to this unknown land. However, before they got to their destination, they stopped and settled in Haran for several years until Terah passed away at the age of 205.
Thoughts from Mother Sarah
Early in my relationship with my husband, I called him “lord.” I remembered what our creator told our first mother, Eve—that her husband would rule over her. I loved Abram and I love our creator, so I wanted to please them both while simultaneously harnessing my quarrelsome, contentious, and bossy sprit, which is what my name “Sarai” means.
Abram said that when I called him Lord, I looked so beautiful! He made it easy for me to refer to him as Lord because he was my leader, my guardian, my lover, my counselor, and my cheerleader. He encouraged me to do the things that brought me personal joy and satisfaction.
My daughters, it is not a sign of weakness when you choose to obey your husband. Submitting yourself to your husband frees you to be the complete, fulfilled, and vibrant woman that you desire to be.
Becoming a Friend of God
If we want a friendship with God, and His blessings too, Abram shows us the way. Although not recorded, Abram must have sought, learned, and researched all he could about the creator God to better worship Him.
Every relationship has its own set of protocols, and becoming a friend of God is no different. If we want to be a friend of God, worship Him, please Him, and have a relationship with Him, then we must also do things His way. Although we come to God just as we are, God loves us enough to not allow us to stay that way.
With any friendship we pursue, we need to find out how we can seek to please our new friend. Having a friendship with God is no different. We learn what God desires and then do the things that are pleasing to Him.
Like Abram, when we seek to be a friend of God, we may find ourselves in the minority. While there are many who give lip service to God and say they belong to God—and they just might—those who seek a solid friendship with God will sometimes find themselves at odds with others who do not seek the same kind of relationship with Him. But God knows the intentions and the hearts of all men and those who seek Him and desire to be His friends are incredibly special to Him. These are the people God calls closer to Him to receive His special blessings.
Words from Abraham’s God
Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Acts 7:2–3 He [Peter] said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
James 2:23 The scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
1 Peter 3:4–6 Let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, help me see the benefits of choosing You as my very best friend. Without You, I can do nothing. You have been so good to me, and You loved me before I knew You. So now help me, despite my frail, sinful, human condition, to love You in return. Help me do, daily, what honors and pleases You. Draw me closer to You that others may see my desire to be Your friend and see that You are my friend as well. I ask this in Your perfect Son’s name, amen.
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