This moment really stuck out to me because this is the first time that a woman suggests something/makes a demand that God backs up. See, after Sarah demanded that the slave woman and her son be sent away, Abraham asked God if that's something he should really do. And God said, "Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." (Ge 21:12)
If we remember previous women in the Bible - Eve, Job's wife, and Sarai (Sarah before her name change) - we know that God punished these women for suggesting to the men in their lives that they do something wrong. Eve convinced Adam to eat the apple, and the two were banished from the Garden of Eden. Job's wife told Job to "curse God and die," and she ended up having to give birth to and raise seven kids at a very old age. (The Bible doesn't specifically say this is punishment, but Job's wife clearly wanted Job to do the wrong thing, and I think raising a family when you're super old isn't exactly an enjoyable task.) And then Sarai suggested that Abram sleep with Hagar, which is where Ishmael came from. Ishmael is the father to the Arab nations, and we all know what's going on with the Arab nations right now - extremist groups left and right at war with the world. Imagine how things might have been different today had Abram never slept with Hagar...
But then Sarai has her name changed to Sarah, and Sarah tells Abraham to send away Hagar and Ishmael, and God says to listen to her. For the first time, we see good in what the woman has to say. I've told y'all that a huge reason I've started reading the Bible is so I can be a good wife and mother one day - so I can raise a good family. But until Genesis 21, it seemed only negative moments came from the women in the Bible, and it's caused me to struggle with understanding my role. Now I see some goodness, and I'm feeling much more positive about continuing on through the Bible and learning about other women and the parts they play in my religion. I want to be able to use the stories of the women in the Bible to help strengthen my own faith. And I'm praying it'll be an empowering experience for me.
We then learn about the Treaty of Beersheba, which is kinda confusing to me. I understand what happens, but I guess I don't understand the point. Abraham didn't seem to be feuding with Abimelek, so what's the use in a treaty? I understand that Abimelek's soldiers were filling in Abraham's wells, but again, why couldn't Abimelek just command them to stop or something? And why was it all that big of a deal anyway? I'm just not understanding the significance here. It all seems so minor to me.
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How has Sarah cemented herself into a place of authority in her household? Why do you think God supports her demands? How do you view Sarah; what's your analysis of her? How would you describe her role in the Bible?
And what are your thoughts on the Treaty of Beersheba? What significance do you see in the treaty? How do you think things would have been different had a treaty never been made?
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