Before we get to the name of the next woman mentioned in the Bible, we have to wade through hundreds and hundreds of "begats" where men begat sons, sons who have names.  Sometimes it mentions that they also had daughters, but the daughters are never named.  Only the men.  Hundreds and hundreds of Biblical years pass before another woman is given recognition.

When you start looking for women's names in the Old Testament, the books are pretty empty.  I counted over a hundred men's names before I came to the next time a woman was mentioned.  I wonder if this was because of the culture at the time, or because the books were written by men?  And some of these men--such as Methuselah and Noah--lived over 900 years and had multitudes of other children who were not named.  It simply says they had many sons and daughters.

But in Genesis 11:26, we come to an end of the "begats."  For awhile.  We come to a man named Terah who has three sons: Nahor, Haran, and most importantly, Abram--later called Abraham, the father of the Jews.  And at this point, we finally come to the next woman who has a name--Sarai.

This woman is someone that you and I can equate with.  I especially sympathize with the requirement that was made by God that she leave her home, her mother, father, sisters, brothers, and everyone else in her life--and go with her husband Abraham to a strange land.  Never to return to her people.  I bet she spent a few days weeping.  Sad.  Preparing for loneliness.  Abraham's father went with them, but  there is no mention of any of Sarai's people leaving with them.  You know she felt alone.

The first words concerning Sarai--later called Sarah-- are found in Gen. 11:30.  And these words are very telling:  "But Sarai was barren; she had no child."  So, as she was leaving her people, her home, her parents and siblings, she already knew that she would never have a child.

I have friends who have not been able to have children.  And unless you have been in their position, you cannot possibly understand the heartbreak they have.  Their friends seem to have no trouble bearing children, but year after year they are unable.  And with each month that goes by, they lose more hope, and a terrible sadness descends.  And just like Sarah, sometime the day comes when they know that the possibility of ever having a child is behind them.  It's over.