Sarah followed Abraham?

Those in Christian Domestic Discipline try to say that because Sarah followed Abraham, that you should follow your husband. Yes there is a verse in 1 Peter that says just that, but in order to understand the 1 Peter verse, you must understand Sarah and Abraham.

So let me explain, and then we will get back to 1 Peter.

Abraham’s name was first Abram.  Genesis 12:1-3 says “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Now Abram did what he was told, he and God did make him into a great nation, for the Israelites are Abram’s physical descendents.  Christian’s were grafted into the tree later on and are considered by God as Abram’s descendents also.

Abram married Sarai, whose name was later changed to Sarah.

Genesis 2:10 says “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.”

Abram told Sarai to tell everybody in Egypt that she was his sister and not his wife. She did this, and disastrous consequences followed.

When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they took her to Pharaoh, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, menservants, maidservants, and camels in return.

Genesis 12:14 “But the Lord inflicted serous diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife, Sarai.”

Now why did the Lord do this?  He did it because he was upset that Sarai had lied, and that Sarai wasn’t living with her husband but with the Pharaoh. He was upset that Sarai had sinned.  Sarai had followed her husband, and God was upset with her. Huh?  You say. Yes, God was upset that Sarai had followed her husband.

What can we learn from this? We can learn that God doesn’t expect the wife to follow without asking questions.  He not only doesn’t he expect it, but he doesn’t like and considers it a sin.

Wives DO have an obligation to notice when their husband wants them to do the wrong thing, and they DO have an obligation to say “No I will not do that.”

To be continued…