Barren to Fruitful: Women in the Bible Who Overcame Infertility (Part 1)
Unfortunately, infertility is something you hear about often in today's world. The medical diagnosis is defined as "the inability to get pregnant." However, infertility doesn't only affect women desiring children. Infertility, in its widest sense of meaning, is the inability to conceive seed.
The Bible is a profound book inspired by God and filled with His wisdom. Over and over again, the theme of fruitfulness appears. The LORD wants His children to have, what I call, a "seed mentality." In this series, we will examine five women of the Bible {Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, Manoah's Wife, & Elizabeth} who overcame infertility. Each of these women took God's Word in faith (the seed), conceived, and overcame barrenness. You may be desperately yearning to conceive a child or encountering barrenness in your life in another form, such as an unfulfilled dream, hope, or desire. Or maybe you are currently experiencing stagnation in your walk with the Lord - simply put, you're no longer bearing the fruit you would like to. In this series, we will unpack the biblical keys of bearing fruit and overcoming every kind of infertility in your life.
We will begin our study with Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Let's look briefly at her story...
Sarah received a name change from God in Genesis 17:5 which included a promise of her inheritance...
"God also said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of people will come from her."
God made this promise to Abraham & Sarah in their old age, far past the years of childbearing...
"Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?'"
The LORD answers Abraham's doubtful thoughts by reaffirming His promise...
"Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him...But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."
A little later on, three messengers appear near Abraham's dwelling in Mamre, one of them being the LORD. Abraham invites the men to have a meal with him and offers them his hospitality. He instructs Sarah to quickly knead and bake some bread for the guests while a servant prepares the tender calf for the meal. As the guests are enjoying their meal, they ask where Abraham's wife, Sarah, is...
"'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him, 'There, in the tent,' he said. Then one of them said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.' Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind Him."
Sarah's reaction to the prophesy of her son's birth was laughter in disbelief for the Scripture says that...
"Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, 'After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure {of having a child}?' Then the LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old? Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.'"
The LORD's promise is fulfilled in Genesis 21:1-3 where it states...
"Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him."
Here are two keys from the Scriptures above that enabled Sarah to overcome barrenness and conceive her precious son, Isaac:
The LORD gave Sarah a new identity by changing her name.
Both Hebrew names, Sarai & Sarah, mean "Princess" or "Woman of Strength." The LORD changed the spelling of her name to reflect His own:
"It is likely that Sarai is simply the possessive form of Sarah (i.e. “My Sarah”)."
"the "ah" of "Sarah" implies in some way "yahu" or "yah" (the "Yhvh/Yhwh" element)."
In other words, both names are identical in meaning: Princess/Woman of Strength. However, the change came when God removed the "i" from her name and replaced it with "h." This is a significant change because many Hebrew names reflect God's name by having "yahu" or "yah" added to it.
*side note - "yahu" and "yah" are abbreviations for the name of the LORD which was revealed to Moses in Exodus 33:19: YHVH (pronounced Yehovah) or YHWH (pronounced Yahweh); the exact pronunciation of the name of God is unknown because in the Hebrew language only the consonants of the name were written (YHVH) and the vowels were read aloud. Over time, the Jewish people under the direction of the rabbis, were instructed that the name of the LORD was too sacred to even pronounce or they would make it common and take it in vain. Therefore, they forbid the pronunciation and, eventually, it was lost. However, modern-day research is currently underway on thousands of ancient Hebrew transcripts (pre-rabbi ruling) that do contain vowel markings for the name of the LORD.
Now, Sarah's name reflected God's possession. She became "My Sarah" - belonging to Him and enabled by His strength. She could never have possessed the strength within herself to conceive seed, as Hebrews 11:11 describes. She became a "Woman of Strength" (as her name indicates) because the LORD empowered her and supplied her with the power she needed to cause His purpose and plan to come to pass.
"And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise." -Hebrews 11:11
Sarah received a name change to remind her of her new identity, as well as God's plan and purpose for her life. Likewise, you've been given a new identity at the moment you received salvation in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Your new identity in Christ declares:
you are a child of God (John 1:12, Ephesians 1:5)
you have been forgiven of your sins (Ephesians 1:7)
you are accepted as His own (Romans 15:7)
you are united with Christ and have received His fullness (1 Corinthians 6:17, Colossians 2:9-10)
you are no longer a slave to sin because your old nature is dead (Romans 6:6)
you were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)
you are a member of God's family and a part of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27)
you are a member of God's chosen people, His royal priesthood, and His holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)
you are God's special possession designed to declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9)
you were called out of darkness and, now, live in His glorious light (1 Peter 2:9)
you are clothed in Christ (Galatians 3:27-28)
you are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
you were bought at a price (with the precious blood of Jesus - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
you were chosen for a purpose (to bear fruit for the Kingdom - John 15:16)
you have a citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20)
you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37)
you are a friend of God (John 15:15)
you live by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20)
you are greatly loved (Galatians 2:20)
One day, the Bible says that you will receive a new name that no one will know except you and God (Revelation 2:17). Friend, you are intimately known by your loving Savior. It is by His power alone that you will overcome any barrenness or infertility in your life. This is what Sarah's name change indicated. She became "My Sarah" - God's Sarah, His special possession (His "princess" as her name entails) to accomplish His purposes by His strength. Likewise, you are His princess and His beloved child. You can be certain that He wants you to bear much fruit. Infertility and barrenness do not come from Him! His Word says, "When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father" (John 15:8).
2. The LORD reaffirmed His Word with Abraham and Sarah on multiple occasions so that their faith would be established.
Every time the LORD appeared to Abraham and Sarah, He reaffirmed His promise of an heir to them. Over and over again, he tells Abraham that Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. On one of His visits, He even gives them a timeline that "by this time next year, Sarah will have a son." It didn't matter that they were both old and past the age of childbearing. It didn't matter that Sarah's womb was dead (Romans 4:19) meaning she had long-since entered menopause. It didn't matter that Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. None of these physical obstacles in the natural realm mattered because GOD SAID SO and so it shall be.
The Angel of the LORD (Jesus Incarnate) even confronted their disbelief head on. After Sarah laughs to herself upon hearing the promise, Jesus asks, "'Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old? Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.'"
In the same way, we have been given great and precious promises in God's Word, the Bible. These promises affirm to us our blessings, inheritance, and provision in Christ. Just as the LORD continually appeared to Abraham and Sarah and reaffirmed His Word to them, He does the same for us as He speaks to us from the pages of our Bibles. This is why it is so important to be engaging in daily Bible reading. His Word contains everything you need to grow in your knowledge of Christ and the inheritance He has already purchased for you (Philippians 1:9, 2 Peter 3:18). If you don't read it, you don't know what you possess (Ephesians 1:3). If you don't know what you possess, then you are bound to fall into lack, discouragement, and unbelief because you don't know God's perfect will for you nor His nature of unfailing love (Romans 12:2).
All the promises in Christ are "yes," but we are the ones that choose to say the "amen" part of that Scripture (2 Corinthians 1:20). Amen means "let it be done." Greek words like katalambanó and harpazó are used in the Bible to describe the way in which we are to possess the Kingdom of God. They translate as "taking hold of something aggressively by force" to possess it (i.e. Romans 9:30 & Matthew 11:12). Our Father wants us to take hold of His Word aggressively so that it can bear much fruit in our lives. His Word is authoritative and final. We can trust it. He promises that His Word always produces fruit and is prosperous wherever He sends it: "...so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
Therefore, the keys to overcoming any kind of barrenness and infertility in our lives is to 1.) Know your new identity in Him (as we discussed in the first point) and 2.) Plant the seed (His Word) into the fertile ground of a believing heart, water it daily by meditating on His Word, and allow it time to grow and reproduce.
I love the parable Jesus uses about the farmer who scatters His seed: "Jesus also said, 'The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come'" (Mark 4:26-29).
Jesus is trying to communicate to us that we may not understand how the spiritual seed of His Word reproduces, yet, God's promise will come to pass. It has this ability because there is life in His Word. His Word has the ability to create. He calls into being things that were not and creates new things out of nothing (Romans 4:17).
However, there is a process to it: first a blade, then the heads of wheat are formed, then the grain ripens. But throughout the process, He is there reaffirming His promise to you and I just like He did for Abraham and Sarah.
"For this was how the promise was stated: 'At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.'" -Romans 9:9
"And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." -Hebrews 11:12
Throughout this series, we will look at five principles that enable conception unto fruitfulness: Promise, Prayer, Prophecy, Presence, and Praise. The life of Sarah teaches us about the principle of promise. Abraham and Sarah received a promise from God, as stated in Romans 9:9. The promise was very specific: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son." In the same way that God gave Abraham and Sarah a specific promise that they could hold onto and trust in the process of overcoming unbelief, we have been given promises from God of provision and deliverance which He is surely faithful to fulfill. These "great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4) are found in God's Word. As I said previously, His Word is firmly established and is completely trustworthy. In other words, if He said He will do it, it is done! Click here for a small glimpse into some of the promises His Word contains for you.
In our next post, I will discuss the life of Rebekah, the wife of Abraham and Sarah's promised son, Isaac. She, too, overcame infertility and conceived. I hope Part 1 has been encouraging to you. As His disciples, Jesus instructed us that bearing much fruit for Him brings the Father glory (John 15:58). It is His deepest desire for you to be fruitful. Never forget that.
Scripture on Fruitfulness -
Genesis 1:28 - "Then God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.'"
Jeremiah 17:7-8 - "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit."
John 15:5 - "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
John 15:8 - "When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father."
John 15:16 - "You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for using My name."
Isaiah 55:11 - "It is the same with My word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."
References:
Hebrew Name of the LORD -
Sarai versus Sarah -
The Tetragrammaton of YHVH/YHWH - https://www.bereanpatriot.com/how-to-pronounce-gods-name-%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%94-yhwh-the-tetragrammaton/
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