![]() ![]() ![]() As far as I could tell, the harem was just an assembly line to have a new woman primed and ready if needed for that night! Each room performed a different function-bath, perfume, nails, hair, make-up and dressing. The harem rooms were arranged in succession designed for having that night’s woman to emerge ready to meet the Sultan in his bedroom. I thought about how much fun guard duty was until I considered what it took to be a eunuch. The guard room, designed to protect the women in the inner sanctums, was “manned” by eunuchs. I soon discovered that the harem was not like that at all. As we stood in line I imagined that there would probably be one big room with a really big bed. I’m not certain that I knew what to expect behind the entry door. The chance to see a real harem doesn’t come along often. I guess that people can see gold in museums all over the world. Remember how entry to the treasure rooms was free and uncrowded? On the other hand, the ticket booth for a tour of the Sultan’s harem was crowded and the entry line was out of sight around the corner. Wasn’t the harem we visited in Istanbul fascinating! The Topkapi Palace, with all that gold, silver, and jewelry gathered from centuries of Ottoman Empire, made the treasures of the kings of Europe look paltry. How can he be the “Father of the Faithful” and fail so miserably in giving away his wife-twice? According to the Bible he was more concerned with his own personal safety than with protecting and sheltering his wife from harm. Then, why did he allow his wife, Sarah, to be taken into the King’s harem not once-but twice (Pharaoh in Genesis 12 and Abimelech in Genesis 20)? It seems to me that he had no faith at all when he claimed she was only his sister and gave her up to the harem. The list of his faith triumphs is long (Genesis 12-25 and Hebrews 11:8-19. By faith he was willing to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. By faith He left Ur, following the call of a God he had never known before, travelled hundred of miles to settle in Palestine. Abraham was known in the Bible as a man of great faith. ![]()
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