IMITATE THEIR FAITH/SARAH - "GO OUT FROM YOUR LAND"

Sarah likely grew up in Ur. Today, all that is left of that city is a desolate ruin. But in Sarah's day, merchant's vessel plied the waters and canals of the Euphrates River, bringing precious goods from far and wide to this thriving city. People thronged Ur's narrow, winding streets, ships jostled one another along its wharves, and goods overflowed in its  bazaars.  Imagine Sarah growing up in that bustling city, coming to know many of its people by name.  They surely remembered her too, for she was an extraordinary beautiful woman. She also had a large family there.

Sarah is known in the Bible for her great faith-but it was not faith in the moon-god widely worship in Ur, where a tower to that god loomed over the city.  Rather, Sarah worshipped the true God, Jehovah.  The inspired record does not say how she gained her faith.  Her father, for a time, at least, was an idolater. At any rate, she married Abraham, a man ten years  her senior.  (Genesis 17:17)  He later became known as "the father of all those having faith." (Romans 4:11)  Together they built a fine, strong marriage, one that was marked by  respect, good communication, and mutual willingness to work through difficult problems together.  Above all, though, their union was marked by their love for their God.

Sarah loved her husband dearly, and the two set up their home among their relatives in Ur. Before long, though, they faced disappointment. The Bible tells us that Sarah "was barren; she had no child." (Genesis 11:30)  In that culture and time, Sarah's condition was particularly trying.  But Sarah stayed true to her God and to her husband. Their fatherless nephew Lot evidently became like a son to them.  Life went on-until the day when everything changed.

Next time: IMITATE THEIR FAITH/SARAH - Conclusion of "GO OUT FROM YOUR LAND"

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