When we read the biblical story, we assume Abraham and Sarah loved each other. I don’t know whether they did—I kind of hope they did, since I am a good individualist. But we certainly shouldn’t superimpose our motives back onto them. Ancients married in order to have children, to cement alliances, and to gain strategic relationships. When Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 7:8), it wasn’t because they had fallen in love at some royal ball. When we superimpose our values back on these ancient characters, we will miss something
