Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 15:3 (Summer 2001)
Article: The Woman Beside The Man: Sarah’s Place In God’s Plan.
Author: Dan Gentry Kent

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The Woman Beside The Man: Sarah’s Place In God’s Plan.

Dan Gentry Kent

The Baptist men’s group in the little West Texas church had wanted me to speak on the traditional topic “The Woman Behind the Man.” (Priscilla Papers, Spring 2001, p. 22). But the more I studied the Scriptures in order to prepare my message, the more the assigned theme changed. As I made my partial survey of the Bible, I had to do it under the revised heading that I have given to these modest columns: The Woman Beside the Man.

In the story of Abraham we have God’s dealings with him and God’s promises to him. He is commonly known as the father of the faithful. In the vital story of God’s establishing his covenant with Abraham, we may think that Sarah played an almost passive role. She was the woman behind the man.

However, at times Scripture gives Sarah a much more prominent place than we usually realize. For example, her maid Hagar could not take Sarah’s place in God’s plan. Hagar could not become a substitute for Sarah in providing the child of promise.

You will remember that God changed Sarah’s name, too, at the same time that he changed Abram’s name (Gen. 17:15). Both forms of her name mean “princess.”1 And God said, “I will bless her . . . I will give you a son by her.” She shall be a mother of nations. “Kings of peoples shall come from her” (17:16, NRSV).

Sarah had a prominent place, didn’t she? God realized that she was as vital to the completion of his purpose as Abraham was. No wonder mention of her is made in Isaiah, Galatians, Hebrews, and First Peter. She is referred to 113 times in all.2

Genesis 18 records the visit of Abraham’s three mysterious visitors. I was then that the aged Sarah overheard the prediction that in a year she would have a son, and laughed in response.

Here is an interesting treatment I came across of the incident:

Sarah is the one who displays an agnostic faith, a faith that wrestles. Not content to bake a meal and stay in the background while the men had dinner and talked, as was the custom in oriental society, she eavesdropped at the door of the tent. Overhearing the promise made by one of the angelic visitors . . . ‘Sarah laughed to herself.’ . . . Contrary to some interpreters, this is not the laughter of ridicule or mockery. Sarah’s half-suppressed laughter arises from the comic disproportion between what is announced and what is possible, between the dream and the reality. Out of her own womanly longing through years of barrenness to find fulfill...

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