From Wonder to Wonder pt 2 - Sarah's pregnancy

The Greek word that is often translated wonder or to be amazed in the New Testament is thaumazo. Other translations of the word thaumazo are to marvel, or to be astonished.

In Hebrew, yippale means to do something wonderful, difficult, unusual or miraculous and is usually in reference to something God has done that cannot be explained any way but that God did it. Another OT Hebrew word meaning wonder is mophet and has the connotation of a miracle or sign.

When I interact with God’s Word, I often feel something like wonder. I like to picture the events in my mind as if it were a rolling movie of what is happening. As I imagine how they would have looked, smelled, felt, I can’t help but sometimes start with an initial “no way that could happen,” followed by, “Well, this IS God’s word and He IS a big God. If the Bible says it happened, then it must have happened…WOW!”

I hope as you read the Bible you are drawn in like this. Ultimately it is a book about God’s character, His love, His mercy, His judgement, His Holiness and so much more. I can’t help but be filled with wonder as I read about God’s people and about God himself coming to earth as Jesus because He loves me and He loves you.

Last week we kicked off this new series of messages titled From Wonder to Wonder. Each week, we are going to look at biblical events and see how the people in the text transition from a doubt filled wonder to a faith filled wonder. We are only going to cover 3 or 4 events, but God’s Word is full of so many more. My hope is that as we read about these people, we’ll approach our own life events looking for areas where the wonder of God is present. We will begin to look for and see things happen that are so spectacular, that we can’t help but give God the glory!

Last week we looked at the passage in Acts 2 where the Holy Spirit comes on the disciples on Pentecost. Immediately, the disciples are speaking in tongues that foreigners all around can understand them speaking the mysteries of God in their own language. At first glance, the people around think they are drunk. This is the only way they could make sense of it. They doubted that God could be behind this crazy event…this wonder. Then Peter boldly speaks to them about what is happening and about Jesus who was crucified and then raised from the dead. As a result, over 3000 accept Jesus as Lord and Messiah and are baptized.

God showed up and doubt about a situation turned into faith because of the greatness of the wonder of God. If you missed last week, that message is on both Youtube and Facebook. The text of that message is on Faithlife.com - this is where we’ll be hosting the text version of the messages from here on out.

Today we are going to look at an Old Testament story. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 18:9-15. For a bit of context for this passage, Abraham and Sarah are older in age. God had just made some promises to Abraham that included him being the father of nations. At this point his wife Sarah did not have any children and Abraham’s only son was Ishmael who was born through Sarah’s servant with the blessing of Sarah. In chapter 17, Abraham hears from God that Sarah would get pregnant and have a son, but it looks like he didn’t share that with Sarah before she overheard him talking with three men of God who came to visit Abraham. We’ll pick up the story in verse 9:

Genesis 18:9–15 NIV

9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. 10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

From Wonder to Wonder

If you consider yourself above the age of childbearing, can you imagine being told you were going to have a child in less than a year? I imagine some of you would even laugh at that idea…just like Sarah. I have a tendency to sometimes look at some of the characters in the Bible and think that they should have known or wonder why they didn’t believe. We obviously have the benefit of being able to see history, but are there areas in your life that people would look back on and say of course God was in that, but in the moment you laughed or even cried?

I think it is wonderful that God included Sarah’s story here. Here is a woman who was hurting from not having a child and probably feeling like she was broken and useless since she could not have children. The fact is, she was a broken woman…we all are. And yet the beauty of God’s story for your life is that even with a lack of faith, even though you are broken, even though you might laugh in the face of God’s promises for you, He is still gracious enough to bless you, just like he blessed Sarah.

Let’s skip down to Genesis chapter 21. In the chapters that we skipped, you can read about Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family. That story would put soap operas and other sitcoms to shame with the craziness of what happened.

Here’s Genesis 21:1-7:

Genesis 21:1–7 NIV

1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 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.”

From Wonder to Wonder

How good is this. God’s promise to Sarah comes true. Abraham was 100 years old! I’m in my 40’s and I can’t imagine us having a baby now. People do it, but in this season of life that we are in, we like to borrow babies and then give them back.

Then Sarah admits here that she laughed and that God brought her the laughter. It was painful for her not to have children for so long and now that she has a son, laughter is what she describes. Not only that, but she says those that hear about it will laugh with her. A little confession…I chuckle to myself every time I read this. Haha…you doubted what God could do with your worn out self and He showed you. If there is ever a time where you would say: “God would never do this for me!” or “no way will I ever go, live, work, do...”…watch out.

God is in the business of being praised. He wants us to know who He is and how He works. He does this so both we and the rest of the world will know and see His majesty, His holiness, His might, His Power, His love, His grace, His everything. He wants us to know Him and what He is up to.

In a minute, I am going to open up the microphone here in building for those that are here to share something they’ve witnessed that can only be described as the wonder of God. Any event where you would say that there is no other explanation for it…but God. The world might try to explain it away, but you know just like Sarah knew - This was God showing up and showing us the wonder of who He is.

While those in the room think about it, I’d like to have a few video testimonies next week of God’s wonder in your life. Maybe it’s a healing, a restored broken relationship, some other miracle in your life…we’d love to hear about it. If you are not sure how to video yourself, give me a call and I’ll meet with you and do it for you. Once you have the video, reach out to me or Jennie and we’ll figure out a way to get it from you so we can share with others next Sunday.

So, for those in the room here, does anyone want to share a wonder of God with us?