“even as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him lord”
Did you know that Abraham also obeyed Sara calling her “ruler”?
GOD HIMSELF changed her name from Sarai (contentious) to Sarah (ruler)… which means that every time Abraham addressed his wife by name, he called her “ruler” and he would have been very much aware of that. (so its only fair that she addressed him as lord- like a queen calling her husband king and vice versa)
“But I thought ‘Sarah’ means ‘princess’?”
Right.
What is a ‘princess’?
One has to get past our disney fairy tale image to “get” the impact of her GOD given name. One also has to remember that a name- in Hebrew culture- was understood to identify truth about a person.from Net Bible Dictionary-
SARAH; SARAI [ISBE]
SARAH; SARAI – sa’-ra, sa’-ri: ….Sarai was the name this woman brought with her from Mesopotamia. On the other hand there can be little doubt that the name Sarah, which she received when her son was promised, means “princess,” for it is the feminine form of the extremely common title sar, used by the Semites to designate a ruler of greater or lesser rank. In the verse following the one where this name is conferred, it is declared of Sarah that “kings of peoples shall be of her” (Gen 17:16).
‘Sarah’ means ruler. GOD Himself instructed Abraham thus:
Genesis 17:15
God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
Do you think Peter’s readers knew that? I do. Do you think Peter’s readers knew that Sarah had a great deal of authority in her household? I do. I think they knew their scriptures and I think they honored Sarah. Sarah/ruler/so-named by God was a powerful woman, so much so that when she told her husband that his son must go… “a matter which greatly displeased Abraham”
Abraham had the spiritual integrity to check with God:
Gen 21:10-12 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; … And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham… But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased… whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, Abraham… But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased… whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you,
Exactly how much more authoritative can one get?
All at once she speaks with authority into Abraham’s life, into history, and right into the Word of God in the new covenant:
Gal 4:29-31
I think Peter’s readers knew all that.
I also see that the instructions of 1 Peter 3:1-6 are directed exclusively to wives. In other words, no male is given any authority by Peter to interpret those instructions for wives. WIVES are trusted by Peter and by GOD to figure out for themselves what was meant by the instructions given to them. WIVES with Scriptures and prayer (and not much education when Peter wrote down those instructions). WIVES who don’t know ancient languages, haven’t read church fathers (and wouldn’t). That GOD HIMSELF trusts a mere female WIFE to read and interpret her own mail speaks volumes. 
When I was researching Sarai/Sarah I came across the following from a modern day Jewish britah. It demonstrates the HONOR and ESTEEM that is accorded to Sarai/Sarah in the Hebrew culture. When did Christians loose that HONOR? If we are to aspire to be “Sara’s daughters” per 1 Peter 3, does that not make her our MOTHER in faith whom we should HONOR?
from “What’s in a name?”
Madison, WI; August 24, 2005
First I’d like to thank you all for coming for Sarai’s naming ceremony or britah (In Judaism this means a covenant between a woman and G-d or a welcoming of Sarai into the ongoing covenant between between mankind and G-d)….
Sarai, who later had her name changed by G-d to Sarah, is a more well known figure, although I think there is a lot about her that people do not know.
-the name Sarai means “my princess” in biblical hebrew and “contentious” in modern Hebrew.
-She was the wife of Abraham.
-Although a lot is said about about Abraham and his leaving his home, Sarai, his wife, also had to leave her home and went with him to Canaan.
-Talmud – she was so beautiful that all other persons seemed apes in comparison.
-The Talmud even goes further and says she made Adam, who was made in the image of G-d look like an ape.
-Besides being beautiful however, she was also considered by Jewish commentators as the only woman prophetess to be addresses by G-d directly and was superior to Abraham in prophetic vision and he obeyed her words because he recognized her superiority..
-Sarai was also the only woman to have her name changed by G-d and was named Sarah.
-Knowing her relationship with Abraham it is impossible to believe that as the Bible states “Abraham took Sarah with him.” She always stated her mind and if she left her home, it was definitely on her terms and was her decision as much as his.-There is obviously a lot written about her as Sarah, but it was Sarai that earned her G-d given name.
-In fact it says about Abraham in the Talmud that he is not to be called anymore by his birth name “Abram” and nobody should name their children after him as Abram. About Sarah , however it states that she can be called by both her birth name sarai and Sarah and that people can name their children with her birth name. They explain that Sarai was both admired by the people of the world and the Jewish people, therefore both names could be used. She was a prophetess of both the Jewish people and the World.-Sarai we have given you this name and we hope that you too will be a prophetess or leader of both the Jewish people and the world. That you will be a woman of immense beauty, which you’ve already accomplished, and that you will earn your name in the world, whether it is given by G-d or the people of this world, your family or your friends.
