Have You Ever Imagined Nursing at 90?
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to nurse a child at 90 years old?
Yeah, I mean seriously to actually have a child on your breast at 90, sucking milk.
It sounds kind of hilarious, doesn’t it?
Well, that’s exactly what Sarah thought when the angel told her and Abraham that they were going to have a child. Sarah was 89 years old, and Abraham was 99 years old when they received this incredible promise.
Sarah’s reaction was completely understandable. After decades of barrenness, after her body had long passed the natural season for childbearing, God was telling her she’d become a mother. No wonder she laughed!
But God’s timing isn’t our timing, and His plans often defy our human logic.
There’s another fascinating part of this story that many people miss. Remember Abimelech? He unknowingly took Sarah as his wife, not realizing she was already married to Abraham.
God had mercy on Abimelech because he acted in innocence, not evil. But God shut the wombs of all the women in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah.
The only way to reverse God’s judgment? Abimelech had to get Abraham the prophet to pray for him and his household so that his wife and servants could bear children again.
This shows us something profound about the power of a prophet’s prayer. Sometimes God’s judgment falls on people who act out of ignorance rather than evil intent. In these cases, the intercession of a righteous person can reverse that judgment and restore what was lost.
Abraham’s prayer didn’t just restore fertility to Abimelech’s household – it demonstrated God’s mercy toward those who truly didn’t know better.
I explore all of these incredible themes and more in my latest podcast episode: Vayera: The Prophet’s Prayer from Perfect Body Podcast! A Torah Portion Afterthought.
Join me as we unpack the beautiful complexity of Sarah and Abraham’s story, the power of prophetic intercession, and what it all means for us today.
Listen to the full episode of Vayera: A Prophet’s Prayer here where I offer up a prayer for you fertility struggles.
God bless, Shirah Chante, Your Relationship Coach
PS – You can also watch the full episode on the Perfect Body podcast here.