Daily Devotional For Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Happy Terrific Tuesday Southside! The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:4, “There is a time to cry and a time to laugh” (ICB). You may have heard, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Sometimes it is. Sometimes we laugh, not because something is actually funny, but unbelievable. We see this with Abraham and is wife Sarah when they are told they are going to have a son, they laugh. We see this with Abraham in Genesis 17:15-17,
“And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. (16) I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” (17) Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (ESV).
We see this with Sarah in Genesis 18:9-15:
“They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” (10) The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. (11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. (12) So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” (13) The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ (14) Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (15) But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh” (ESV).
Nearly every sermon I have heard on this, both Abraham and Sarah are criticized for laughing. The Hebrew word used for Abraham and Sarah laughing is [וַיִּצְחָ֑ק, wayitzchaq]. Abraham is no expert in gynecology, but he knows that he and his wife are well beyond the parenting years. He knows factually his body and Sarah’s body are past the baby making years and he is so overcome with the thought of this he laughs — not necessarily at the reality of it happening, but possibly of the hilarity of it happening.
We’re talking baby in diapers and Abraham and Sarah in depends. We’re talking a 90+ and a 100+ trying to keep up with a toddler. This is challenging even for those who are very young. Some Hebrew scholars say there are times this Hebrew word translated as “laugh, laughed, laughing” is first a shock of what is either heard, seen, learned, or experienced and then fear. But what is so encouraging in this story is what the Apostle Paul tells us later in Romans 4:18-19:
“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, `That’s how many descendants you will have!’ (19) And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb” (NLT).
In other words, both Abraham and Sarah’s initial response was to laugh as if God was joking. When they realized God was not joking, that same emotion turned to fear. But what is so encouraging here, is that the Apostle Paul affirms both Abraham and Sarah pushed through that fear to have faith in God that God would keep His word. As we read above, after Sarah laughed in surprise and shock, the angel asked her, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Like us, Sarah was simply looking at the natural, the physical and their relationship. In the Hebrew test, Genesis 18:12 says due to their age they were not even having sexual relations. So, now at 99 (Abraham) and Sarah (89), were they to attempt to resume this at their age and within a year have a son they are to name Isaac?
I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt. In this case, we all have had someone approach and say something to us and our reaction was to turn our head and laugh and even ask, “You are joking, right?” The statement just hits us in a funny way and so we laugh either out of shock or surprise. I understand why they both laughed. Both of them were taken off guard by God’s statement to them.
This was the last thing on their mind. The desire for a biological child had evaporated many years earlier. In those days, if a woman could not get pregnant, it was believed she had committed such a sin that God had “closed up her womb” as punishment. The main theme in this part of the story is now a baby. It is not Isaac. It is not even God’s covenant with Abraham. It is nothing is impossible for God. Nothing. This is where faith has to replace fact for us to experience the blessing from God.
Questions To Consider
- Is your life more based on fact or faith and why?
- Even if you say publicly, “I believe there is nothing impossible for God to do,” does your private thoughts express the same thing? Why or why not?
- Have you ever prayed in faith for someone to be healed, or for an answer to a prayer, but you did not get what you wanted? Why do you think this is?
- Why do you think God waited so long to answer their prayers for a biological son? And what does this tell you about your prayer wait for answer?
- Pastor and actor A. W. Tozer said this: "Anything God has ever done, He can do now. Anything God has ever done anywhere, He can do here. Anything God has ever done for anyone, He can do for you.” Has this been and is this presently your experience with God. How or why not?
Scripture To Meditate On: Hebrews 11:11, “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep His promise” (NLT).
Prayer to Pray: “Dear Jesus, it does seem to me at times that in the Bible You did far more miracles for people. It seems in the Bible Your power and presence were more visible and real. I know I am to walk by faith and not sight. Please help me to do that. I know I have the Holy Spirit living in me. Please help me to have faith in You, Your Word and Your Ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside—Pastor Kelly