Genesis 18 1-14
Pentecost 9, Genesis 18:1-14, August 1, 2004
The Last Laugh?, After Rev.D. Smith
Introduction: George W. Bush, in an airport lobby, noticed a man in a long flowing white robe with a long flowing white beard and flowing white hair. The man had a staff in one hand and some stone tablets under the other arm. George W. approached the man and inquired, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man ignored George W. and stared at the ceiling. George W. positioned himself more directly in the man’s view and asked again, "Aren’t you Moses?"
The man continued to peruse the ceiling. George W. tugged at the man’s sleeve and asked once again, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man finally responded in an irritated voice, "Yes I am". George W. asked him why he was so unfriendly and Moses replied, "The last time I spoke to a Bush I had to spend forty years in the desert....
Relevant Context
Laughter is a God given ability. In our text from Genesis the laughter of Sarah is an important part of the account. Unfortunately her laughter is the laughter of unbelief. Fortunately, for Sarah and us, God turns her laughter into the laugh of faith and joy because God fulfills what seem to be His impossible promises. It is important to understand basic elements of the text of Genesis. This passage is significant as the fulfillment of the promise of God to Abraham that he would have a child in his old age -- And not just any child, a child of promise. Ishmael was born to Hagar, Abraham’s and Sarah’s maid servant. He was not the child promised by God. As an old man, Abraham had taken matters into his own hands in the case of Ishmael, which provided nothing but dissension in his home. The child of promise was one that would come by faith, even when nature ruled it impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have a child, God would give them one. Miracle of miracles was brought about by the power of God, just as promised. This first child of promise, Isaac, would establish the line for the child of promise who would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth—Jesus Christ. But even as God reminded Abraham of the promised child Sarah laughed out loud. After all, how could this be?
From time to time you hear someone say that God must have a sense of humor. We know the word joy is found frequently in the Scriptures. What about the word laugh? Laughter is mentioned 33 times in the Old Testament and 6 times in the New Testament. Sometimes laughter is brought about by doubt and unbelief, almost a laughter to scorn. At other times, there is, for lack of a better term, a laughter to salvation, which is a laughter of joy over the salvation God has won for us.
God wants us to laugh out of joy for the salvation he has won for us. Jesus tells us in his own words, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” There may be sorrow in our earthly lives, reasons for us to weep. There will come a time when the weeping will be replaced by laughter over all that God has done for us, and we will weep no more.
In our text we find reference to Sarah laughing. In Genesis 17 we hear that Abraham laughed. Though the world laughs at our faith, we laugh in response to God’s promises, sometimes in Christian joy and sometimes in unbelief. The question is, Who Gets the Last Laugh? After all, the adage says, “He who laughs last laughs best.”
I Take for example, Abraham laughing at God’s promise. When God promised Abraham a son, “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’?” Abraham did not think it could be. Abraham had a son by Sarah’s maid. Oh, maybe God was talking about him. God was not. God was talking about Sarah his wife. God had invited Abraham to “look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be.” Is it surprising that at age 100 Abraham laughed at such a promise? Yet, God would work a miracle. Abraham laughed in doubt when the promise was made. God would keep the promise. Abraham would laugh again, not in doubt but in joy over the birth of his son. God kept his promise.
In our text three visitors came to Abraham. Who were they? We know that one was the Lord himself. The other two were angels. God was now going to let Sarah in on all of this. God wanted Sarah to laugh for joy. God wants us all to laugh for joy in his unique and astonishing promises.
God tells the events that will occur. Sarah would have a child by the time they returned a year later. “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” All the while Sarah is listening behind the tent flap. When she hears these words she could not help but laugh. Only, it was not laughter of joy. By no means! It was the laughter of doubt. It angered God. The laughter of unbelief always angers God. He asked, “Why did Sarah laugh?” To Sarah, the promise seemed utterly ridiculous. Sarah was just too old to have children. It could not be possible. Sarah did not believe. God’s promise brought the laughter of unbelief, not the laughter of joy.
Oh, people laughed at the Savior too. Remember how he came to the house of Jairus, whose daughter had died? When Jesus told them she was just sleeping, they laughed in unbelief. But the laughter of unbelief changed to laughter of joy when the Lord Jesus raised the little girl from death.
Do we laugh at God’s promises? Do we laugh in unbelief that sinful people like us will actually wind up in heaven? Do we laugh at the promise that Christ has done all to save us? Do we laugh at God’s promise to forgive us for the sins that we do over and over again in our weakness? Do we laugh when we think God will provide for all we need every day? We at times have laughed in unbelief at the promises of God. When we are struggling with temptation, when we are beaten down by the world, when we are sick, when we are fighting financial troubles, we laugh inside at God’s promises. They just can’t be. They’re too good to be true. No way! God asked Sarah and Abraham a question, and this question is for you and me too: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Is there a time when your troubles are too big for God? No. God can change your laughter of unbelief to laughter of joy, most certainly?
Sarah would soon be laughing for joy. God convicted her for her unbelief that day. She came to believe the promise made. For the writer of Hebrews says, “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered him faithful who had promised” How was that again? By faith! By faith in the promise of God, promises he always keeps, the laughter of unbelief is changed to the laughter of joy. Abraham and Sarah did laugh for joy when their son Isaac was born.
II There would be another special Son born. A Son of promise, promised by God to the world. In him all nations of the world would be blessed. This, too, was the promise to Abraham. From his seed would come forth one who would be a blessing to all people. Yes, they would laugh at this Son. They would laugh because he said he was the Son of God. They would laugh at him when he would not come down from the cross. They laughed in unbelief, scorn, and mockery. Still the promise is sure, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” No way, they said. Yet, once again God keeps his promises. The most astonishing promise is that through Jesus Christ you have eternal life.
Through faith in Christ you are sons and daughters of God. Just as a son of promise was born to Abraham and Sarah, so we are children of the promise that would come through Jesus Christ. He was the Promised One from Abraham’s line, from David’s line. He has conquered our unbelief! He is living proof that God keeps his promises, for he rose again on the third day and is alive today. “To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”, through faith.
Today God wants you to laugh for joy. He wants you to know he will keep his promises made to you. Sarah confessed, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me” (Gen 21:6). God has brought you to laughter too. Others laugh at your faith, as His witnesses in this world. But who cares! You can laugh for joy in his promises. You will stand before the throne of God someday and laugh for joy for you are in heaven forever. God fulfills his promises so that over and over again now and forever we can laugh for joy.
Now back to our original question: Who got the last laugh? Sarah laughed at God, and Abraham did too. But God got the last laugh. For he said the name of the son born to them would be Isaac. In this we find a touch of God’s sense of humor, because the Hebrew name Isaac is translated “he laughed.” God got the last laugh. God will give you the joy of laughter in his forgiveness, in his salvation, and in his promises. Believing in his promise, you will laugh forever.
Conclusion: There was an add in the lost and found section of the paper. It read, - Lost dog, brown fur, some fur missing due to mange, blind in one eye, three legs, slightly arthritic, goes by name of Lucky. Lucky, sounds like you and me. Though we might get a little messy and haggard in this life we are not just lucky we are blessed, blessed by God. Can you think of any greater reason to laugh out loud with joy?