Sarai’s Sadness

Laura Digan September 04, 2022 0 0

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Genesis 12: 1-20 (NRSVA)

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring[ I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages towards the Negeb.

10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, ‘I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance; 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, “This is his wife”; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account.’ 14 When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 When the officials of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.

17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram, and said, ‘What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, “She is my sister”, so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and be gone.’ 20 And Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him; and they set him on the way, with his wife and all that he had.

Reader note: This week Laura takes us through the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar with some hard-hitting monologues and reflections that explore some darker and more sensitive themes of the stories of these complex characters.

SARAI: “When I married Abram I never expected I’d find myself here, in Pharaoh’s harem. I love Abram, with all my heart. The thought of another man touching me disgusts me.

But what can I do?

We left our country behind to follow God’s call. God has promised the land of Canaan to Abram and his descendants. We believe in that promise.

But the land is engulfed by famine. The earth is as barren as I am. No life is growing there.

The only way to feed ourselves and our animals was to come down here, to Egypt, until the land in Canaan recovers and life can grow again.

But Abram was worried that if the Egyptians knew we were married they would kill him and take me for themselves. God has made a promise to Abram. I cannot have children so I have to help keep Abram alive.

So when Abram suggested we say I was his sister, what else could I do but agree. We both knew what it meant, but what else could we do?

There didn’t seem to be another option other than to stay in Canaan and die of starvation.”

PRAYER:

Lord,

When all seems lost

When all seems impossible

When it seems we don’t have a choice

Enter our hearts

Guide us

Strengthen us

Help us to see all the options available to us,

And to trust you are with us.

Amen

ACTION:

Reflect upon the countries around the world experiencing famine. Consider what has caused the famine. Is it war or climate change or both?

Pray for people around the world who have had no other option but to enter sex work in order to feed themselves and their families.