Laughter and lies
It was Abraham who named Isaac, but God who chose the name. The name means laughter: Does God laugh? Well… Jesus wept with Mary and Martha,. Since he is the revelation of God perhaps God laughed with Sarah and Abraham when they laughed and laughed at the joy of holding Sarah's own baby son. I think he did. God’s purpose and desire for humanity is to bless them; to make them happy, and on this occasion when his purpose was so clearly achieved I believe he laughed. The New Testament says that the Master of the faithful servants says to them, “Enter into the joy of thy Lord.” Joy will surely involve laughter. Sarah said, “God has caused me to laugh so that all who hear me will laugh with me.” There has been a lot of amazed and joyous laughter since that time. You probably remember when you joined in the laughter of the blessed.
They had laughed before, laughed in bitter resignation and hopelessness, God had not been angry with either of them. Sarah had laughed silently within herself, but God had heard the laughter. Reassuring isn’t it, when we laugh in bitter resignation or laugh at the impossibility of something God hears. Do I believe that? Yes I do because there have been so many things that God has granted although I had not verbally expressed them. My marriage was one, both David and I fought to remain single so that we could be utterly absorbed in the work of the word of God, I suppressed every desire to marry, but I was completely in love, and both David and I had been lonely in our childhood. I still look back at the impossibility that David should have accidentally come to my town and stayed when he was on his way somewhere else. Through 55 years of marriage we were completely suited to each other.
Perhaps it was because the laughter was inward that Sarah thought she could deceive herself and her maker, and say that she did not laugh. I like the way God asked Abraham why Sarah had laughed, it makes it obvious that Abraham had not shared with Sarah the news that God had appeared to Abraham and told him that Sarah would have a baby. Following the custom of the time she was not included in the conversation but God asked where she was and included her. Being included is a way of being loved, respected and recognized; it is life changing.
Sarah lied, to God; the Bible does not leave us to wonder why but tells us clearly that she was afraid. It is a terrible thing to lie to the creator because it involves lying to ourselves first, and if we lie to ourselves then we do not have the ability within ourselves to know our own truth because we are so busy hiding part of it. Sarah was a believer, she had acknowledged without anger that God had withheld the joy of having babies from her. So what would happen now that she had both laughed and lied in the presence of .God? “Yes, you did laugh.” Was his response and that was all, no anger or vengeance. But what we do know without doubt is that whether we laugh within ourselves or cry within ourselves, God hears.
God understands that we are humans, with finite minds and limited understanding of the nature of deity. He is gentle and patient, but that he doesn’t mean he accepts our unbelief, instead he help us believe. For Sarah the help began immediately and she never had occasion to doubt.
Earth rings with laughter, peals of joy, relief and amazement, ring through the universe and reach the ears of angels. People who had thought that they would always be sad and lonely laugh with each other. People who have been despised laugh when they are respected. People whose lives have been arrested, turned round and changed, laugh with amazement. God hears and rejoices; his good purposes are bursting through the gray mists of earth and drawing us into his eternal joy.
Matthew 25 verse 21
Palm 126.verse 2
Psalms 2 verse 4, 37 verse 13, 59 verse 8
Genesis 17 verse 19
Genesis 18 verses 9 to 15
They had laughed before, laughed in bitter resignation and hopelessness, God had not been angry with either of them. Sarah had laughed silently within herself, but God had heard the laughter. Reassuring isn’t it, when we laugh in bitter resignation or laugh at the impossibility of something God hears. Do I believe that? Yes I do because there have been so many things that God has granted although I had not verbally expressed them. My marriage was one, both David and I fought to remain single so that we could be utterly absorbed in the work of the word of God, I suppressed every desire to marry, but I was completely in love, and both David and I had been lonely in our childhood. I still look back at the impossibility that David should have accidentally come to my town and stayed when he was on his way somewhere else. Through 55 years of marriage we were completely suited to each other.
Perhaps it was because the laughter was inward that Sarah thought she could deceive herself and her maker, and say that she did not laugh. I like the way God asked Abraham why Sarah had laughed, it makes it obvious that Abraham had not shared with Sarah the news that God had appeared to Abraham and told him that Sarah would have a baby. Following the custom of the time she was not included in the conversation but God asked where she was and included her. Being included is a way of being loved, respected and recognized; it is life changing.
Sarah lied, to God; the Bible does not leave us to wonder why but tells us clearly that she was afraid. It is a terrible thing to lie to the creator because it involves lying to ourselves first, and if we lie to ourselves then we do not have the ability within ourselves to know our own truth because we are so busy hiding part of it. Sarah was a believer, she had acknowledged without anger that God had withheld the joy of having babies from her. So what would happen now that she had both laughed and lied in the presence of .God? “Yes, you did laugh.” Was his response and that was all, no anger or vengeance. But what we do know without doubt is that whether we laugh within ourselves or cry within ourselves, God hears.
God understands that we are humans, with finite minds and limited understanding of the nature of deity. He is gentle and patient, but that he doesn’t mean he accepts our unbelief, instead he help us believe. For Sarah the help began immediately and she never had occasion to doubt.
Earth rings with laughter, peals of joy, relief and amazement, ring through the universe and reach the ears of angels. People who had thought that they would always be sad and lonely laugh with each other. People who have been despised laugh when they are respected. People whose lives have been arrested, turned round and changed, laugh with amazement. God hears and rejoices; his good purposes are bursting through the gray mists of earth and drawing us into his eternal joy.
Matthew 25 verse 21
Palm 126.verse 2
Psalms 2 verse 4, 37 verse 13, 59 verse 8
Genesis 17 verse 19
Genesis 18 verses 9 to 15
posted by Jessie Coates at 2:38 PM
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