#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.