ABRAHAM CAME TO MOURN FOR SARAH
Genesis 23:2
A Funeral Message

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who was this woman whose passing moved Abraham to mourn and weep for her? What commends her to us?

I. Sarah was a constant and faithful companion to her husband. We often speak of the faith of Abraham in following God (Genesis 12:1-5; Hebrews 11:8-10). In obedience to God he left his homeland and family and confessed he did not know where he was going because he did not to where God would lead him. He dwelt in the promised land as though in a foreign country, moving about from place to place in tents while waiting for a city he never occupied – although he yet shall. The world would consider him a fool. But Sarah recognized him as a man of God and faith. Being a woman of faith she constantly and faithfully accompanied her husband wherever he went, and is blessed with him (Hebrews 11:8-10; Isaiah 51:1).

II. Sarah recognized her faults. We will not here say much regarding her personal faults because she was for the most part exemplary in her outward conduct (but see Genesis 18:9-15; 20:1-5). Rather, we here will emphasize the faults Sarah shared in common with you and me and all the rest of our human race. She sinned and died in Adam our head (Romans 5:12ff). She was therefore, like all the rest of us, born "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). In and of herself she never performed a righteous deed, nor uttered a righteous word, nor imagined a righteous thought. "As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; ... there is none who does good, no, not one'... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10-12, 23). Abraham surely considered Sarah the perfect wife - and rightly so; but Sarah surely did not consider herself the perfect person.

III. Sarah believed in God to do the humanly impossible (Hebrews 11:11): "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." When Sarah and Abraham were told a son would be born to them, they knew this was humanly impossible. He was ninety-nine years old, and she was ninety years old, not only well past child-bearing years but barren of womb as well. She had tried repeatedly in her youth to conceive, and failed every time. However, when God promised she would conceive and bear a son, "she judged Him faithful who had promised", and God fulfilled the promise.

Sarah also believed in God to do the humanly impossible in the spiritual realm. But all this changed when the preincarnate Christ preached the gospel to her husband (Genesis 12:1-5; Acts 7:2; Galatians 3:8). As did her husband, "she judged Him faithful who promised" (see Romans 4:18) and believed in Him to the salvation of her soul. The same God who opened her barren womb to conceive opened also her barren heart to believe unto salvation (as He did to Lydia in Acts 16:14). And as she from God "received strength to conceive", so did she receive strength and faith to come to Christ (as in Ephesians 2:8f) – because "she judged Him faithful who had promised". And she "died in faith" (Hebrews 11:13).

IV. Sarah was "a woman of beautiful countenance" (Genesis 12:11ff). She was physically so "very beautiful" that Pharaoh of Egypt wanted her for his own, and may have killed her husband for her. But her spiritual beauty was far more commendable. Peter the apostle refers to this when he exhorts Christian women to "Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror" (1 Peter 3:3-6). Physical beauty may please men, but it is only skin deep. Spiritual beauty pleases God who looks not at the outward appearance, but at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

It is with good reason that Abraham came to mourn and weep for such a woman. May we be blessed today with many daughters of Sarah – women who are faithful to Christ, and therefore also to husbands, families, and friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~