While reading Genesis today, I read about Sarah’s death.

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 23:1-2 (NIV)

The record of Sarah’s death is remarkable because it’s the only record of a woman’s age at death in the Bible. Another reason Sarah’s death is unique is that it appears to come “right after” the events in Genesis 22:1-19, where Abraham goes to sacrifice Isaac.

When I read Genesis 23 today, I was reminded of a dramatic presentation of the Bible I saw within the last couple of years where a big deal was made about Abraham taking Isaac to be sacrificed. In this presentation, Sarah and Abraham were distraught over what God had told Abraham to do. While Abraham obediently went to do as he was commanded, Sarah stayed home, still troubled. After Abraham is told to not sacrifice Isaac, we see Isaac run home to an angry Sarah. I don’t recall the program’s name because I turned it off. I thought it was silly, contrived, and a poor representation of those events. However, it must have stayed with me because I remembered it today. Hence, my search into Sarah’s death.

Apparently, there’s a lot of conjecture about what happened between the events of Genesis 22 and Genesis 23:1, where Sarah dies. According to the midrash (commentary) from Pirke D’Rebbe Eliezer, the events between Genesis 22 and Genesis 23 are explained as such.

When Abraham returned from Mount Moriah, Satan became infuriated. He had not gotten what he desired which was to thwart Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. What did he do? He went to Sarah and asked: “Did you hear what happened in the world?” She answered, “No.” He said, “Abraham took Isaac his son and slaughtered him, offering him up on the altar as a sacrifice.” Sarah began to cry, and moan the sound of three wails, which correspond to the three blasts of the shofar (ram’s horn), and her soul burst forth from her and she died. Abraham came only to find that she had died. From where had he come? From Mount Moriah.

Weinstein, 2017

I found similar stories from other Jewish sources, and all of them were entertaining and interesting. However, despite the intriguing nature of these stories, that’s all I see them as. Stories. However, what bothers me is how these myths seeped into whatever show I had seen about the Bible.

I like programs about the Bible. Seeing people putting the Bible into formats that appeal to more people is fantastic. However, the Bible isn’t fiction. Still, as Christians, we must be careful about the shows we watch and the things we read. This goes doubly so for anything that claims to present the Bible, which is why the best Bible programs and shows use Scripture to tell the stories of the Bible.

Do you know God? God knows you, and he loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, and he wants you to know him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, freed from death, and live eternally with him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe that you died on the cross, were buried, and on the third day, God the Father raised you from the dead. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart and receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

References

Weinstein, R. A. (2017, October 26). Where was Sarah? My Jewish Learning. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/where-was-sarah/