Genesis: Abraham And Sarah Essay Samples

Because of their old age and Sarah’s barren womb, the idea of having a child was ridiculous and hard to believe. However, Abraham’s reaction differed tremendously from that of his wife. From his past relationship with God, Abraham readily accepted and believed that he would be the father of many nations without any questions. In other words, the Bible portrays Abraham as a man of extreme faith. After all, the promise of a great nation coming from his loins came before Abraham left his father’s home. At that time, when God commanded Abraham to leave his home and go to an unknown land that God has bestowed upon him and his descendants, Abraham willingly obeyed (Genesis 12:1-2). On the other hand, Sarah was more skeptical and doubted the legibility of God’s promise. For instance, when the three men from the Lord promised Abraham that he would have a son within the year, Sarah laughed (Genesis 18:10-13). On a personal level, Sarah’s reaction is more plausible. When many years of trying to have a child prove fruitless, one is bound to lose faith and in most cases, give up entirely. Although religion calls for more resilience, in such cases, logic often wins.
Sarah’s decision to give Hagar to Abraham to beget him a son was careless and risky. Foremost, though polygamy was legal in most parts of the Old Testament, Abraham proved to be a loyal husband by standing with his wife despite having no children. As a result, Sarah’s apprehension was unfounded and a betrayal to their marriage bed. Next, as a maidservant, Hagar was beneath Sarah in status. Allowing her to sleep with her husband made them equals and in turn, rendered Hagar useless as a maidservant. Finally, yet importantly, by giving Hagar to Abraham, Sarah showed her lack of faith in God. Sarah’s actions were a big risk especially after seeing God punish the Pharaoh of Egypt for taking her from Abraham (Genesis 12:10-20).

Work Cited

The Holy Bible: New King James Version (NKJV). New Edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005. Print.