“Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, ‘Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’…But God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.’”
Genesis 17:15-17,19 (NASB)
“Then they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘Behold, in the tent.’ And he said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’ And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ ‘Is anything too difficult for the Lord?’”
Genesis 18:9 (NASB)
That is too Funny—it is impossible.
Abraham and Sarah shared a joke. They both heard the promise of God that Sarah would bear a child with Abraham. They both knew that at age ninety and one hundred, they were well past the age when people have children. Laughter was the reaction they had when told they would have a child within a year. Can you imagine the conversation they had when they were alone? Can you imagine the faith it took to try to produce a child? They knew God promised to make them a great nation. They had already devised a scheme to make it a reality. But God had a different plan.
Surprise! God can do anything!
I wonder if God was offended at the laughter from Abraham and Sarah. God fulfills His promises in surprising ways. He made a nation of Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac, whose name means “he laughs.” God fulfilled the promise of a Messiah to deliver His people by coming as a baby, born to two ordinary people, in an occupied country. The odds of this baby changing the world were, well, about the same as ninety and one hundred year old people becoming parents. This baby, Jesus, grew to the age of 30 without much notice. Then He gathered a small group of followers who were mostly uneducated, poor, disenfranchised and ordinary. This small group was empowered by the Holy Spirit to influence the entire known world in a couple generations.
What makes you laugh?
Do you laugh when you read the promises of God? I wonder if He is offended when we, His people doubt his ability to do great things. Does it seem impossible that He can work in your life and in your situation? When you look back on how God has done amazing things in your life, do you laugh?
Vicki French 2/24
Great insight. Do we offend God with our unbelief often revealed by our laughter? Sarah’s laughter did not amuse God but He is true to His word and He promised a child and a child was born to this elderly couple.