Rooted In Truth

Essence of Ishah

Part 2

Can you list one good attribute you inherited from your mother, grandmother, or even your great-grandmother??

I like to think I inherited my mother's beauty and good genes. Growing up, I was called the "pretty one" even though I didn't always feel that way. Another important character trait I believe to have inherited from my mother is hospitality. 

I love hosting and opening up my home to connect with others, building friendships, and community. I love to create an inviting and welcoming space. With the focus on loving, serving, and feeding others. I watched my mother feed the members of the congregation they were pastoring for years. Even though sometimes we would go without. God would always miraculously provide. Even though our surroundings were humble. My mother worked hard to make our home look presentable. And most importantly she had a set apart space for the presence of God to dwell in….

In part one I shared about the Essence Of the First Woman created and what I believe our Father originally intended Ishah (women) to become. Eve messed up, but that didn't define her. Within her was something divine. established and instituted from the beginning. In the Garden. She carried the very breath and spirit of our Creator. Along with that her true identity, purpose, and essence was revealed to all mankind. 

You know who else carried a special essence within her??

Sarah. AKA Queen Sarah the Mother of Nations.

Sarah was the wife of Abraham. She is the first of the four matriarchs of the Jewish nation. She is widely referred to as Sarah Imeinu, “Sarah Our Mother.”

Sarah was known for her kindness and hospitality. She was described as extremely beautiful. Her beauty is acknowledged more than once throughout scripture. She was so special she was given tribute in mention of her death and has her very own Torah Portion dedicated to the life she lived. Gen 23: 1-25:18

Sarah's Unfading Beauty

We can all learn to apply and put to practice a few character traits from our beloved heroine Sarah. 

Like, how she trusted God by trusting her husband. Even in the unknown she left her home and everything else she knew to follow him.

She was forgiving towards Hagar and allowed her to return after fleeing from her presence on the first occasion. On the second Sarah asserts her role and does not allow herself to be intimidated by Hagar. She offers hospitality to the Heavenly Messengers who deliver the message of a promised birth. Fixing up a meal on the spot without giving one complaint. 

After this we see that her whole body and youth is restored to her. I find this part so fascinating. What did that mean exactly?

Prior to giving birth to Isaac

She is taken captive by King Abimelech in her old age. Umm at 90 years old! I think it's enough to say that Sarah must have never aged or became even more beautiful. After she was given the promise. Her name is also changed from Sarai to Sarah Gen 17:15-16  

But how is this possible?

She laughed. She made a bad choice of giving her maidservant to Abraham instead of waiting on God. There we go with the negative association again. Remember the Hebrew word for essence mahut. One of the root letters was the Tet ט which is a paradoxical letter that both means good and evil. It is shaped like a mother's womb and carries a symbol of "hidden goodness."

I believe Sarah had some "hidden goodness" in her. God didn't just choose Abraham to carry out the promise to the Nations. He chose Sarah also. I believe Sarah understood her role in the plan God had for her. She knew who she was. And when things got hard. She prays as she realizes she messed up and cries out to Adonai Gen 16:5 The miracle she received was not only for her but for the Nations. All because she remained loyal to God and to the essence of Ishah that was within her.

Side note: Wouldn't it be amazing if every young girl aspired to be like this great woman of faith.

... There have been times I have messed up badly, and I felt ugly because of it. It took me seeing myself the way my Father saw me to realize that He sees past our outward mistakes.

I'm always opened to sharing my life experiences and personal stories. Because they have helped me become the Ishah I am today. Where I onced felt shame, judged, and perceived as someone ugly, unworthy, unwanted, and unseen. My Father has revealed the complete opposite. It took time to get to this place. And I'm still working through some things. But I feel more assured of WHO I AM in Him more than ever.

When we mess up God reminds us of the Identity, purpose, and call He has placed in us from the beginning. In the words of Paul may we remember to be like Sarah in more ways than one.

Don’t let your beauty be external—braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes. Instead let it be in the hidden person of the heart, with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is the way the holy women, who put their hope in God, used to beautify themselves long ago—being submitted to their own husbands just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. You have become her daughters by doing what is good and not fearing intimidation.

1 Peter 3:3‭-‬6 TLV

This is the blessing imparted to the young girls in many homes and in Synagogues all over the world. 

"May you be like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah."

And carry out the essence of Ishah and, like Sarah, share it with the world!

Ruth Camargo

Albuquerque NM,

[email protected]