In our Genesis readings- I noticed a while back that it says that even though Sarah was well past child bearing age she was still beautiful- enough so that Abraham made her lie that she was his sister (well not EXACTLY lie- but bend the truth or omit the fact that she was his wife).

Also more recently in our Genesis readings where it talks about all of Jacob's sons from his wives etc.. I am wondering what the significance is that the children through the maidservants or concubines count as legitimate heirs--- I mean if God is the one controlling Rachel and Leah's womb-- why go through maidservents???

and in our NT readings- when the Pharisees demand a sign and Christ says he'd only give a sign of Jonah-- I'm not sure really what that means other than maybe that he'd rise from the dead-- kind of like Jonah was int he whale --


I can paste refernces later if need be- but now with the baby needing to eat- I have to just type what I can when I can.

Yes; but considering the ages to which people lived in those days, I am not surprised that Sarah was still beautiful in her later years.



God was indeed controlling their wombs; but He was not controlling their responses to this trial.

The record tells us that Leah and Rachel both decide to have sons "through" their midwives when they found themselves unable to bear children. This entire fiasco was a direct result of jealousy and competition between the two women:

• Genesis 30:1-13
  And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
  And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
  And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
  And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
  
  And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
  And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
  And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
  And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
  
  When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
  And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.
  And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
  And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.
  And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

This perverted competition was renewed when the two sisters became fertile again:

Genesis 30:14- 24
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

You've got it exactly right; the "resurrection" of Jonah from the whale was equivalent to the literal resurrection of Christ.

I've wondered if Sarah underwent some kind of external rejuvenation as well being miraculously enabled to conceive Isaac. This is Heb. 11 v 11:

"Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."

It sounds like she was expecting to breast-feed too, unless we take Genesis 21 v 7 metaphorically:

"And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age."

In his morning's reading (Gen 37) I noticed the brothers saying:

32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

Not 'our brother's coat', or 'Joseph's coat' but 'thy son's coat'.

There is more than a deep tinge of bitterness in those words. Very very sad really. And Jacob's response is equally depressing:

33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

'My son's coat' - not 'your brother's coat'.

The relationships within that family must have been awful, really.