Genesis 11:27-32 gives the account of the generations of Terah, the Father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. Interestingly though in the middle of the account of Terah’s generations there is a note about Sarai, the wife of Abram, which seems odd. It states in verse 30, “But Sarai was barren; she had no child.”
Haran the son of Terah had a son Lot and two daughters, Milcah and Iscah (Genesis 11:27, 29) in his native land, the Ur of the Chaldees.
There is no mention of Nahor, traveling with Terah from the Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan, and later we learn that Nahor had sons and daughters and dwelt in a town named after his own (Genesis 22:20-22 and 24:10).
But Sarai was barren and had no child, in Ur of the Chaldees.
Why is the barrenness of Sarai, which seems like an unusual piece of detail, of any significance, when the generations of Terah is being listed. One plausible reason, is that, to ensure that the promised seed of Abram, who was to come, would come from the promised land and not any other place, her womb was stopped. Sarai was made barren so that her son could not be born in the land of the pagans (the Ur of the Chaldees), where Terah, her father-in-law, served many other gods (Joshua 24:2).
Points to ponder:
Jesus Christ, the promised seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16) would one day come to us, not from any unrighteous place, but from the presence of the Holy of Holies in heaven, where only God is worshipped. He affirmed that he came from God in heaven (John 3:13). So if you are wondering as to why you are barren and not fruitful, you can be assured of one thing that, even in and through your barrenness, God’s purposes will always be fulfilled! So be ye of good cheer for God is just working through you!
Genesis 11:27-32 (KJV)
27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
