Walking with the Patriarchs

Imagine that you are a married woman, aged 65. You have just celebrated your golden anniversary. Although your husband and you had hoped for a large family, you were unable to have children. Although you are religious, you don't have a relationship with the God of the Bible. One afternoon your 75-year-old husband comes home and says the following. “Honey, we are selling the house, buying a tent to live in, forfeiting the family land and inheritance, and taking off for … actually, I don’t know where we are going. A God told me that if I do this he will bless me and give me children and I will be a blessing to others!” How would you respond? Would you say, “Let’s go” and start packing? Or would you call 911? Would you believe him or wonder about his sanity? This is effectively what Sarah faced when God called Abraham to step out in faith. We don’t know how she responded, as the biblical text is silent about that. We only know that she went with him, whether from receiving a call as well, out of dependency on Abraham for survival, out of guilt at being barren, or something else. But as they moved at least nine times over the course of several years she had to wonder. The hope and belief that all of the promised descendants would come through her had to loom large. But it would be one which seemed less and less hopeful as time passed.