“as Sara obeyed Abraham”

Just as when Peter first penned God’s instructions to wives in 1 Pet 3:1-6 ,
from that day until this:
wifely submission remains a powerful, redemptive, God-given response of a wife who is married to a disobedient husband!

Sarah was God’s chosen role model and God must have His reasons for His choice Soooo, in order to better understand and obey God’s instructions to me, I spent quite a bit of time reading, studying, meditating upon, and praying about just how Sarah was:

1 Pet 3:5-6 They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah , who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.Sarah is not a shrinking violet, not a doormat, definitely has a voice in the relationship.

Sarah is assertive and has quite a bit of power in her marriage relationship with Abraham! I learned from Sarah’s role model that godly submission can have an assertive face and is not always going to be pleasing to the husband. Look at this:

Gen 21:10-12 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; … And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham… But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased… whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you,

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I did some study on how Sarah was. I found a clear before and after picture.

Before she was Sarah, she was Sarai. This is significant when one takes a close look at God’s Word: Sarai handles it badly. Sarah is the role model.

When she was Sarai, she allowed and enabled (even invited ) her husband into sin (with Hagar). (Gen 16:2ff).

Ge 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee

Sarai attempts to “fix it” but handles that badly and ineffectually:

Ge 16:6 Then Sarai dealt harshly…

But we are not to follow the example of Sarai. We are to follow the example of Sarah:

The same sin is addressed in a different way by Sarah:

Gen 21:10-12 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; … And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham… But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased… whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you,

-She is assertive, (confronts the sin, not a doormat, not enabling, not ignoring the sin)
-She yields the responsibility for addressing the sin to Abraham (without playing the blame game).
-She does not take it upon herself to “fix it”.
-Abraham finally checks with God on it and God tells him to listen to Sarah.
-Abraham takes responsibility and deals with it himself.

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Seems to me that Gen 12-15 is “like” the pre-Christian days. God is calling Abram out (in Gen 12) but there is not yet a “covenant”.

In Gen 15 God makes a covenant. That is “like” becoming a Christian.

Gen 17 is the covenant of circumcision. That is “like” a deeper work of God, resulting in deeper intimacy. And their names are changed.

If you read through the account of their life and times carefully, you will see that God’s presence and voice is far more evident following the circumcision covenant in Gen 17.

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I heard a sermon about Sarai which mentioned that the very name Sarai MEANS “contentious”! 😦
…while Sarah means “princess”. 🙂
Which leads me to identify even MORE with that transition Sarai made to Sarah!
(Here is a link to a similar teaching: Ray Stedman: The Circumcised Life )

To me, this discovery was another thread in the very beautiful, harmonious,
(and very personal and intimate) tapestry of God’s Word! 🙂
When I misunderstood submission as a state of wifely powerlessness, I obeyed but I was bitter and resentful- (contentious???) When I came to understand my status in Christ, my dominion, my place as co-heir, queen, God’s princess beside my husband NOT beneath him… my spirit quieted within me.

My submission to my husband is-to this day- a powerful missional response. Here is link which describes the 1st century historical context of 1 Peter- Click Here.