Of all the women (cont'd)

And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Interesting that the portion known as Sarah's life starts with her death. And after her death, she is only briefly mentioned again.

When I think of a story about someone's life, I expect to find references to her birth, youth, adulthood, old age and finally death. I expect to learn who her parents were. Where did she live as a child? Did she move? Did she marry? Whom? When? Did she have any children? Did she have a happy marriage? What was it like to be a mother in those times? What were the surrounding peoples like? Did she have a career outside of the house? Did she stay at home? What work did she do? I can find out some of the answers to these questions from previous stories in Genesis, but not in this portion.

In this portion, we know that Abraham wept for Sarah and then bought a burial place from Efron the Hittite. Abraham then sent his trusted servant out on a mission to find a wife for his son Isaac. A wife from the land of his birth. Not a woman from the land where Abraham now resides. And the woman is to come back to Canaan. Isaac is not to go there. And the servant brings Rebekah back. And Abraham marries again and has more children and then Abraham dies.

This is Sarah's life? We know almost nothing about her from this portion. We know her age at death from the first verse of this portion. (See previous post). But that's about it.

So, why is this called "Sarah's life"?

Perhaps it would be better called Sarah's legacy. Or Sarah's obituary. The life of a person cannot be fully written until she has shuffled off her mortal coil and gone to that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.* While we still draw breath, we affect those around us for good or ill. Shakespeare wrote that the evil men do lives after them, the good is oft interred in their bones. (Julius Caesar). I think both live on.

Sarah is remembered for banishing Hagar and Ishmael. And she's remembered for laughing when God said that she would bear a child when she was well past the age of having her period. Is that all?

What do we learn from this portion? Abraham was promised the land of Canaan. For sixty two years, Abraham never had a piece of land to call his own. He told the Hittites that he was a stranger among them. Upon his beloved wife's death, he finally purchases a piece of land. Sarah, through her death, helped Abraham realize the fulfillment of God's promise to possess the land.

Abraham was told that he would be the father of many nations. That kings would come from him. That all nations of the earth would bless themselves through him. God established a covenant with Abraham and Abraham was to teach his children after him the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right. God also established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham for all future generations. But the only generation after Abraham that would inherit the covenant was Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael had been banished already, at Sarah's insistence. But Isaac was unmarried. Isaac had no children. How would the covenant continue? Isaac must needs be wed and father children. Sarah's great need to become a mother was finally realized when she gave birth to Isaac. The line, however, cannot end with Isaac. And so Abraham sends his servant to get a wife for Isaac. Marriage and parenthood is also part of Sarah's legacy.

And also notice that in this portion there are no conversations between God and Abraham. While Sarah was alive, Abraham could talk to and hear God. And God Himself told Abraham to hearken unto Sarah's voice. After Sarah's voice fell silent, so too did God's. Abraham had to figure things out on his own. I figure the same was true for Sarah in her life. We don't know if there were any conversations between the Lord and Sarah. I wonder if she was ever jealous of her husband's communing with the Almighty. Did she ever pray to God? Not hearing any answers from God, did she decide to take matters into her own hands? Is that why she told her husband to lie with Hagar? How hard it is to know what the right thing to do is when we don't hear God. And now Abraham knows this too and must do what he thinks is best for Isaac. And this too is part of Sarah's legacy. For as a mother, she wanted what was best for her son. And when she saw Ishmael laughing (playing, sporting) with Isaac, she decided that Ishmael could not share in the inheritance with Isaac.

What did Ishmael do? Many commentators have spouted many opinions on this question. Some say that based on the Hebrew, it refers to sexual abuse, others say idolatray, others say Ishmael was physically violent towards Isaac. Whatever it was, Sarah didn't like it. She did not have a vision from the Lord telling her what to do. She acted with her maternal instincts. Any danger to her son (perceived or real) would have to be removed.

Abraham's concern was with the covenant. And there was a real danger to the covenant dying with Isaac. And that danger had to be removed. And so Abraham sent off his servant to find a wife for Isaac. And after Rebekah is brought back, Isaac takes her as his wife.

And where did Isaac take Rebekah? To the tent of his mother Sarah. And Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.


*Shakespeare, Hamlet.