October 20, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.” (Genesis 23.1)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

No one knows for sure, save God Himself, why Sarah was not a part of the story of Abraham, Isaac and the call to sacrifice at Moriah. Her absence is notable in that we have no conversation between Abraham and Sarah about the call of God on Isaac’s life. Sarah had defended the legacy begat by God for Abraham demanding that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away into the desert. It is clear that Sarah trusted Abraham’s decisions previously concerning her disposition when it came to dealing with foreign kings as she allowed herself to be known as his sister and not his wife (she was both.) Was this an example of “what they don’t know won’t hurt them?” Obviously, that wasn’t the case because of what happened to both Pharaoh and Abimelek when they took Sarah to be a part of their household. Was this a disconcerting illustration of a male-oriented society and Abraham did not feel he needed to ask or inform Sarah or ask for her permission or blessing? I would hesitate to venture a guess or make such a conjecture. Perhaps it was that Sarah was already ill. Perhaps she had gone to Hebron for medical reasons, a retreat for her health. We just don’t know. Except, two facts are presented. The first is in today’s scripture for reflection: Sarah died in Hebron. The second was presented as a fact after the fact of the substitutionary sacrifice: Abraham and Isaac went back to Beersheba and stayed a long time. Of course, timing is everything and exact days, months and years are not presented. The passage of time was relevant and specificity not germane. It does, however, cause me to look further to see if there isn’t something that had been missed in the story of the “call to sacrifice.” I spent several days writing about the foreshadowing of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ woven into the “call to sacrifice.” What was missing, and mostly by a simple assumption, was how old was Isaac when this happened. Did that have something to do with the silence of Sarah in the story?

In reading from several sources, one possibility stood out. It was presented by Adam Clarke. Of course, there is no way to prove which scholarly opinion was fact. To a storyteller, such as myself, my imagination was piqued and my curiosity queued. Clarke suggested that, perhaps simply reading back into the story with a Christocentric viewpoint, that Isaac was thirty-three at the time. Josephus suggested he was in his late twenties as did other historians. Some offered he was in his late teens. I have heard it taught many times that he was in his early teens and the call came after Isaac had come of age and was circumcised. Considering the alignment of the two events of the sacrifice of Isaac and that of Jesus for the securing of the legacy of an “eternal blessing of life,” you see why I grabbed on to Clarke’s suggestion that Isaac was thirty-three. That was the age when Jesus was crucified. It carries for me special significance because of the restraint Isaac had to show being led to slaughter. All those prophetic images take on greater meaning. Isaac wasn’t just a trusting son of Abraham, but he was trusting in the God of Abraham. When Abraham declared “God will provide,” there was no question. Even when Isaac was bound to the altar and his father bared the blade that would cut his throat, he “uttered not a word.” What faith Isaac had to have in both his earthly and heavenly father. In this regard, Jesus was at a disadvantage because we know nothing of Joseph following the Temple scene when Jesus was teaching the elders on the steps following His bar-mitzvah at Passover. Who was at the cross of Jesus but His mother. In this regard, Isaac was at a disadvantage because Sarah was in Hebron ill and perhaps near death. It is important to see the similarities as well as the differences in the two stories. They have a story to tell all on their own; a story of transition and transformation. Isaac was spared. Jesus was not. Mary would live on for some time. Sarah would not. Would the news of God’s call to sacrifice Isaac been the death of Sarah before her time? Was the death of Joseph early in Jesus’ life a projection of Him being the “man of the house”? I mean that in both senses of the word: earthly and heavenly, home and Temple. Yes, as I suggested in a different venue today, I would offer here: sometimes we must read between the lines to find the power of God’s Word to be clear.

TODAYS’ PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness endeavor, but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.