Sarah: Obey Your Wife

Sarah, the mother of our faith, was a strong and stubborn woman. Such women are often demonized in religious communities. However, G-d shows us in Sarah’s story that he appreciates a strong woman. In fact, G-d tells Abraham obey your wife, Sarah.

Sarah Doesn’t Beleive G-d

The story begins with G-d making a promise to Abraham to give him and Sarah a child.  Sarah being the stubborn woman she is, does not believe that she can conceive a child in her old age. Sarah tells Abraham to go into her handmaid since she herself is too old to conceive. Abraham obeys his wife and goes into Hagar, who becomes pregnant. We might expect to see Sarah get killed for doubting G-d’s word, but G-d doesn’t punish Sarah at all.

Surprise! G-d Always Keeps His Promises

G-d always keeps his promise, so Sarah becomes pregnant too. Sarah says that Hagar has become angry with her and she tells Abraham this is his fault. As the two children grow Sarah becomes fearful of Hagar’s child Ishmael inheriting alongside her son, Issac. So, Sarah tells Abraham to cast Ishmael and his mother out into the desert.

Sometimes, men think they can’t listen to their wife, because she is being crazy or emotional. No woman has ever been as emotionally driven and “crazy” as Sarah is in this story. She didn’t believe G-d. Then she told Abraham to have sex with her handmaid. Then she blamed him for the consequences. Finally, she told him to cast out the child she had told him to conceive and let it die. She is completely irrational.

Obey Your Wife

The text tells us Abraham was disturbed by this, for the sake of his son. He did not want to throw out his child. This was no small matter. Sarah was basically asking him to kill his child. Yet, as irrational as Sarah sounds, G-d tells Abraham “Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Issac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Too often, men forget that their greatest blessing comes through their wives. G-d reminded Abraham to obey his wife, Sarah, because obeying your wife is what brings blessings.

In the end, G-d also saved Hagar and Ishmael. G-d always has a plan to make things turn out for good. Therefore, when you find yourself trying to make a decision about listening to your wife or doing what seems logical, remember what G-d told Abraham and obey your wife. Through her will come your greatest blessing, and G-d will work out the rest for your good.

This story teaches us that G-d values a strong woman. He values marriage and family. This story teaches us that a man should also value his marriage and family above all else. Sarah’s story assures us that a husband should harken to the sound of his wife’s voice. The founders of our faith had a marriage where the strong, emotionally charged, irrational woman was in charge, and G-d said that it was good.

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