You facing giant-sized obstacles in your path? It is easy to be discouraged, even hopeless, when we encounter roadblocks. But perhaps if we view these barriers from another perspective, our attitude might change and hope could refresh our drooping spirits. Let’s focus on the perspective that the Bible provides.

The Bible Concentrates on Barrenness

I’ve been meditating on how frequently God’s covenant people encounter obstacles to progress early in God’s redemptive program. For instance, God had promised that the seed of the serpent would ultimately be defeated through the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). That promise requires childbirth. He also assured Abraham and Sarah that she would bear her husbands’ child and that it would be through his seed that the promised blessing would come (Genesis 12:1-5). Childbirth is again a non-negotiable requirement.

But to appreciate a clear view of the size of the problem, we need to rewind this story a wee bit.

When Abram and Sarah (Sarai[1]) are first introduced to us in Genesis 11, Sarah’s problematic condition is conspicuous. Two wives are introduced. Milcah is introduced as “the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah (Genesis 11:29). Milcah has a family tree, a past. But observe how differently Sarah is introduced:

“Now Sarai was barren, she had no child.”

Sarah is presented not only without a beginning, a past but also with little hope for the future. She has no beginnings and no future. See the giant-sized obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s promise?

Yet, it is through the seed of Sarah and Abraham that God’s blessing would come. Childbirth is a requirement. But Sarah is infertile. Sounds complicated and problematic: Sarah (Sarai) cannot contribute to the continuity of the family. Predictably, Sarah spent many years in barrenness, waiting to bear this child of promise.

But when God’s promise to Sarah is finally fulfilled and she bears Isaac her son, a woman’s barrenness once again becomes the center of the narrative when Isaac marries... and yet again when Jacob marries.  Count the number of barren women in Abraham’s family line. Abraham’s wife Sarah, Isaac’s wife Rebekah, and Jacob’s wives Rachel and Leah. That’s three generations of barrenness in a row. The Genesis author concentrates on the obstacle of barrenness. He seems to be preoccupied with the roadblocks to the fulfillment of Gods promises. Why?

Barrenness is No Small Barrier

The barrenness in Abraham’s extended family is an obstacle to the ultimate fulfillment of Gods promises and His redemptive plan.  But Sarah’s barrenness is also a personal challenge to her faith in the promises of God.  Because of Sarah’s advanced age, the odds of her bearing a child, from a human standpoint, are next to none. If a sports writer was asked where this plan was headed, most would predict that these promises were headed to the loss column. And most folks would agree with such a gloomy projection.

Barrenness multiplied over and over again, is not merely a minor roadblock. Barrenness is like the road itself has been washed away by a flood.

Why the Bible Concentrates on Barrenness

Clearly, the concentration on the barrenness in Abraham’s family as an obstacle is intentional. The author repeatedly accents this roadblock to God’s plan of redemption history. Why does Scripture emphasize the problem?

The Bible concentrates on repeated barrenness so that it can reiterate a key point: the promise of God’s blessing (Genesis 12:1-3) and the victorious seed of the woman over the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15) will not be fulfilled by human effort. The fulfillment of His promise is only possible at each crucial juncture because of a specific act of God. Read the crucial junctures in the stories of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah and you will see those specific acts of God.

The author of Scripture, under inspiration, reiterates the point that God’s promise to Abram of blessing will not come to fulfillment by human talent, effort, ingenuity, or because we follow Robert’s Rules of Order. Let’s examine a few examples of those crucial junctures.

The Example of Barren Rachel

When carnal Jacob defaulted in his responsibility to pray for his barren wife (Genesis 30:1-2), in contrast to his godly forefathers who prayed for their wives (Genesis 24:7, 12-15; 25:21), Rachel petitioned God directly. This was a crucial juncture. God listened to her prayer. He opened her womb (Genesis 30:22-24). It was a specific act of God at a crucial juncture that overcame the barrier to the fulfillment of God’s promise. It was God alone who removed the obstacle.

The Example of Barren Hannah

Barren Hannah also went directly to God in prayer, independently from her uninterested husband and the dismissive attitude of the high priest, Eli. He even challenged her with a biased, judgmental attitude. Clearly, Hannah’s husband and Eli the religious leader are not part of the solution, but part of the problem.

Rather than cower under such injustice, barren Hannah spoke up and defended her right (1 Samuel 1:15-16). This was a crucial juncture in Israel’s history. And it was a specific act of God at that crucial juncture that overcame the barrier of barrenness. In response to God’s answer to her prayer, Hannah named her son, “Asked of God,” the meaning of Samuel, and dedicated him to the LORD. It was the turning point in Israel’s history. From the deep ditch of its spiritual history and political misfortune, Hannah’s prayer started Israel on its upward ascent to glory under King David. A barren mother’s prayer at a crucial juncture and a specific act of God saved Israel.

God makes the promises for his redemptive program. But standing in the way of those promises are numerous impediments, high walls, and discouraging realities. The Bible concentrates on those insurmountable hurdles. Why?

The concentration of those obstacles enables the biblical writers to reiterate the point that God’s promises will not come to fulfillment by human effort. His promises will only be fulfilled because of a specific act of God at each crucial juncture.

His covenant people—facing those obstacles—ask for His miraculous intervention. God, then, at those crucial junctures, acts specifically on their behalf and transforms tombs into pregnant wombs. It is God alone who provides the breakthrough.

The Examples of Elizabeth and Mary

This pattern, of course, prepares us for two crucial junctures in God’s redemptive story. Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, was also barren and aged, well past the age of childbearing. Who would even expect an older woman to give birth to a child? It appears to be an insurmountable barrier. But, as in the case of aged Sarah, God heard their prayer at a crucial juncture and acted specifically on their behalf. He removed the obstacle (Luke 1:13). Aged Elizabeth gave birth to John, the one appointed to pave the road for Jesus, THE seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).

This crucial juncture in Luke’s story prepares us for the ultimate obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and of the victorious seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). The case of aged, barren Elizabeth paves the way for the unparalleled obstacle, the case of Mary, a virgin, mother of Jesus, the triumphant seed of the woman. Each story of barrenness, beginning with Sarah and ending with Mary, form a link in a long, chain of women who faced major obstacles in their path.

Yet, God fulfilled His promises at each crucial juncture with specific actions. God’s Word concentrates on barren wombs, obstacles to his promises. But at crucial junctures, he acts specifically in human history and plants fruit in barren wombs. He alone gets the glory.

A New Perspective

You facing giant-sized obstacles in your path? It is easy to be discouraged, even hopeless, when we encounter roadblocks. The perspective that barren women shows us can change the way we look at obstacles. Even with disinterested husbands or insensitive religious leaders, barren women asked God for his miraculous intervention. At God’s appointed time, and at crucial junctures in each story, He acted specifically on their behalf, removed the barrier, and transformed a barren tomb into a fruitful womb.

No doubt the Psalmist had these women in mind when he wrote:

He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Hallelujah.

Psalm 113:9

Thank you for reading.

www.redeemerbible.org

[1] The name Sarai is derived from the Akkadian sarratu, meaning “queen.” Sarratu was the wife of Sin, god of the moon and chief god of Harran.