Why does God rename Sarai and Abram? What effect does it have?
Compare the two accounts of God’s promise to Sarah and Abraham being fulfilled (Genesis 16 and Genesis 21). What interests do the different authors have in their accounts?
How is sexual fidelity understood in Sarah and Abraham’s story?
Application Questions:
Sarah deeply mistreats her enslaved servant Hagar throughout their story. Can we find a sympathetic reading of Sarah’s behavior? Should we?
Sarah and Abraham think they are far too old to ever have a child, but they have Isaac anyway. When has God done something in your life that you thought was impossible?
Does Sarah and Hagar’s relationship reveal anything about contemporary relationships between women with unequal amounts of power?