#25: Sarah's Laughter

Genesis 21:1-7

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Comments

Sarah had lived a long life with little joy in it. As a young woman she had followed her husband from the civilized and lush land of the Chaldeans to the uncivilized and barren desert of southern Judea. Twice her husband had passed her off as his sister and allowed her to be taken into the harem of others.

Through all of this she bore the shame of being unable to give her husband a child. In Sarah’s culture, to be childless was considered to be under God’s curse.

Sarah’s decision to give her servant, Hagar, to Abraham in order to have a child brought no joy either. Sarah and Hagar made each other’s lives miserable.

Sarah laughed when first told she was to have a child in her old age, but it was a laugh of derision not delight. Through it all, however, God remained faithful and did what he had promised. God told Abraham that when Sarah gave birth to her son, he was to be called Isaac, which means “laughter” in Hebrew.

Sarah rejoiced that this child would bring laughter into her life and others would join her in her delight.

Reflections

Sarah’s story tells how God brought joy into a life that until then had little. What joy has God brought into your life?

Can you think of a time when God made you laugh? Might there have been times when you made God laugh?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who finds joy in bringing laughter into our lives.

#24: Sarai's New Name

Genesis 17:15-21

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”

Comments

The change from Sarai (my princess) to Sarah (princess) is the difference between perception and reality. The former says you are at least a princess in my eyes if in no others; the latter says you are a princess in reality.

The transformation from Sarai to Sarah is a study in God’s patience and Sarai’s impatience. She had given her servant, Hagar, to Abraham in order to have a child, and then had treated Hagar cruelly when her plans bore fruit. By the time God gave her a new name, Sarai had been mistreating Hagar and her son, Ishmael, for thirteen years. The honor and blessing given by God to Sarai was certainly not based on any intrinsic righteousness on her part, but entirely on the goodness of a loving God.

Reflections

God was exceedingly patient with Sarah even though she was impatient with God. During what crises and challenging times in your life have you been most impatient with God? In what ways have you sensed God’s patience with you?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose patience with us stands in stark contrast to our impatience with you.

#23: Abram's New Name

Genesis 17:3-8

 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ^“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

Comments

Abram was now 99 years old and no longer childless because he had a son (Ishmael) by a servant (Hagar) of his wife (Sarai). This was not exactly one big happy family because Sarai despised Hagar for giving Abram the son that Sarai could never give him.

In the midst of this God gave Abram a new name. His old name, Abram, meant “exalted father” which was rather ironic given the jealousy and discord within his family.

Abram’s new name, Abraham, meant “father of nations.” Given that he only had one son, this must have seemed a bit ironic as well until God explained that Sarai would give birth to a son as promised.

Abraham’s new name was significant because God’s strong promises came with it. Notice the initiative God took by saying, “I will make…I will make…I will establish…I will give…I will be…”

God’s direct involvement served as the guarantee that Abraham’s new name would go down in history as a name to be remembered by multitudes. Today more than three billion Jews, Christians and Muslims are descendants of “Father Abraham.”

Reflections

Are the ties binding families together as strong as the ones pulling them apart? Is there hope that Jews, Christians and Muslims could ever learn to live in harmony?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose love connects us with family, friends, neighbors and even enemies.

#22: God's New Name

Genesis 17:1-2

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Comments

God reveals himself to Abram as “El Shaddai,” or “God of the Mountains,” often translated as “God Almighty.” Mountains are massive and majestic in their grandeur; from them you can gain perspective and see for miles around. The giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and other key events in the Old and New Testament would take place on mountains.

“El Shaddai” asks Abram to be faithful and blameless. These are not terms that demand moral perfection of Abram, but ones that invite him into personal relationship. Abram will “walk faithfully” if he continues to trust God’s promises; he will be “blameless” if he does nothing that breaks the relationship.

In return for Abram’s faithfulness, “El Shaddai” will “make my covenant” by continuing to fulfill the promises already given in Genesis 12 and Genesis 15 and the ones that follow here in Genesis 17.

Abram may have already been 99 years old when “El Shaddai” appeared to him, but his future was as bright as the promises given him.

Reflections

What has been your experience with seeing, climbing or driving through mountains? What does the name “God of the Mountains” communicate to you about God?

What might it look like in your life to be “faithful and blameless” in your relationship with God?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who invites us into faithfulness and offers a future and a hope. 

#21: One Who Sees

Genesis 16:9-13

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
    and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
    for the Lord has heard of your misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man;
    his hand will be against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
    toward all his brothers.”

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Comments

Although God had promised Abraham a son, years passed and nothing happened. Sarah decided that something had to be done, and told one of her slaves, Hagar, to sleep with Abraham.

Hagar indeed became pregnant and began to look down on childless Sarah. Unwilling to tolerate such insolence from a slave, Sarah became abusive to her. Hagar decided her situation was impossible and there was no hope other than to run away.

God came to Hagar in the midst of her despair with words of hope and the promise of a remarkable future.

Reflections

God did not deliver Hagar out of her slavery, but gave her the hope she needed to survive it. Has God ever come to you with words of hope and comfort in a time of despair? Would you let God lead you to someone who might be encouraged by your story?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sees our despair and brings words of hope and comfort to us.

#20: God's Covenant

Genesis 15:7-11, 17-18

He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land…

Comments

In ancient times the most solemn agreement was a covenant in which the parties would pass between animals cut in two. To do so was a way of saying, “May I be torn in two like these animals if I fail to live up to the promises made here today!”

What is remarkable about the covenant God made with Abram is that it was so one-sided: Abram was asked to promise nothing as God entered into this solemn covenant with him.

Even more remarkable is the context of the covenant. We might well assume Abram’s doubt about inheriting the land would incur the wrath of God. Instead, God responded in love by essentially saying, “Let me show you how serious I am about the promise I am making.”

Reflections

Abram believed God could give him a child in old age, but had doubts about ever receiving the land God promised to him. Do you find some of God’s promises easier to believe than others? When it comes to miracles, does it make sense to place limits on what God can do?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who loves and reassures us even in the midst of our doubts.

#19: God's Extravagance

Genesis 15:1-6

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

       “Do not be afraid, Abram.
              I am your shield,
              your very great reward.”

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Comments

Even though God promised Abram that he would be greatly blessed in life, Abram said it would be of little use to him if he had no son to inherit it someday.

This line of thinking may sound strange to us, but in Abram’s day, there was little concept of life after death. Without children to carry on for you, life essentially ended at the grave.

Rather than chastise Abram for thinking so negatively, God made an extravagant promise to Abram: not only would he have a child, but his offspring would be as countless as the stars. This was more than Abram could imagine, and yet he believed.

Reflections

Righteousness is understood here not to be a consequence of obeying God’s commands, but of believing God’s promises. Which of those is more difficult for you: obeying or believing?

God’s promise of countless offspring for Abram was an extravagant one. Can you think of other biblical examples of God’s provision being far more than people expected or imagined?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who surprises us with blessings beyond measure.

#18: Shalom

Genesis 15:1

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
        I am your shield,
        your very great reward.”

Comments

Abram lived in a dangerous world not unlike the lawless days of the American west. In this “every man for himself” world, it was necessary to form alliances for protection. God offered such an alliance to Abram in a remarkable covenant. Genesis 15:1 gives the initial elements of that covenant.

• Abram did not have to be afraid of God because he was loved and chosen by God. The phrase “Do not be afraid” is the typical prelude to God’s appearance; humans need frequent reassurance that God is not mad at them and coming to punish them.
• God promised to be Abram’s shield, protecting him from attack by whatever weapons his enemies might have. Because the shield is for defensive purposes only, God was not promising here to defeat Abram’s enemies, but simply to protect him from them.
• God promised to be Abram’s reward, providing for his every need. Here is the concept of “shalom” that includes prosperity and well-being among the many blessings of peace.

With God as his Protector and Provider, Abram would never have reason to fear no matter how dangerous his world might be.

Reflections

If God appeared to you today would “Do not be afraid” likely be the first words God would need to say?

Though our world is now filled with laws, armies and police to protect us, it is still easy to feel vulnerable. What do you perceive as the greatest threats to your safety and security? Do you find it possible to trust in God’s protection?

Do you see ways in which God provides for you or do you more often feel like you are on your own in this world?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who comes to us tenderly and powerfully as Provider and Protector.

#17: Abram's Call

Genesis 12:1-4

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing
 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

Comments

Adam had been innocent as life began, but all too soon succumbed to temptation and brought evil into his life and world.

Noah had been righteous, a blameless man in an evil world, but even as he became the father of a new humanity after the flood, God realized every inclination of his heart was toward evil.

With Abram a new chapter in God’s story began, yet Abram had neither Adam’s innocence nor Noah’s righteousness to qualify him as the central character in this story. The main thing we know about Abram is that he was old and childless, not much of a qualification for one who would be the father of a great nation.

Actually, there is something else we know about Abram: he trusted in God’s promise and followed where God led. That set the stage for the blessings that were to come to him and through him.

Reflections

The message that came to Abram from God was intimate and specific, though perhaps no louder than a whisper. Do you ever listen for that quiet voice of God?

Other than a willingness to believe and follow, there was nothing remarkable about Abram’s life. Do you feel you need to be special in some way in order to be blessed by God and to be a blessing to others?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who gives promises and blessings even to those of us who feel we have so little to offer in return.

#16: The Rainbow

Genesis 9:12-17

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

Comments

A covenant is usually a contract or agreement between two parties in which promises and commitments are made by each. A modern example would be a marriage covenant.

What is unusual about God’s covenant in this instance is that it was totally one-sided. It was initiated by God alone, asked for nothing in return, and covered not only all humanity, but all life on earth.

The rainbow was given as the sign of the covenant. Its purpose was to be a reminder to God of the universal covenant God had made. For humanity, the rainbow is simply a beautiful reminder that God remembers.

Reflections

God has promised never to destroy life on earth and yet, in this instance, has asked nothing of us in return. Do you respond to this with love, faithfulness and gratitude or do you see within God’s covenant a license to live as you choose?

Understanding the science of what causes a rainbow to appear does not explain the affect its appearance has on us. Do you marvel at the beauty of a rainbow and feel a sense of peace and hope whenever you see one?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who gives us the beauty of the rainbow as a sign of peace and hope.

#15: Respect for Life

Genesis 9:1-6

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

 “Whoever sheds human blood,

by humans shall their blood be shed;
for in the image of God
     has God made mankind.”

Comments

At first glance, this passage appears to endorse both the killing of animals to satisfy our desire for food and the killing of murderers to satisfy our desire for justice.

A closer reading, however, gives a somewhat different picture. The death of animals may be justified, but for humans even the killing of killers demands an accounting.

Moreover, in all cases respect for life must be given the highest priority. Our desire to end the life for of either an animal or a human being even for a justifiable cause never gives us the right to despise what God has created.

Reflections

This passage makes the remarkable statement that God holds animals accountable for the shedding of blood. Rogue animals are those who kill for a reason other than to satisfy their hunger. Should humans who kill solely for sport be considered rogue animals as well?

What does this passage say about those who send others into battle for the purpose of shedding blood? Will God not also hold them accountable? Is there a way to wage war that respects life?

Is abortion not also a shedding of blood for which those involved will be held accountable by God? 

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who holds us accountable to respect the life of all your creation.