Why did Sarah not refuse Pharoah?

[tonychanyt]

Gen 12:

10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

They were at the mercy of the Egyptians. Abram came up with a solution:

13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

Why didn't Sarai say no to Pharaoh?

She could, at the risk of her life. In the Bronze Age, kings had absolute power, and women had little. Saying no would bring trouble to Abram as well. To protect Abram, she had to go along with it.

16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

As far as her conscience was concerned, she did the right thing. She obeyed Abram, and it went well for him.

Some years later, a similar thing happened. Why didn't Sarah refuse Abimelech?

The same reasons she didn't refuse Pharaoh.