The Birth of Isaac

This week we’ll continue our walk through the highlights of the Old Testament with “The Birth of Isaac.”

Genesis 18 & 21 focus on God’s promise to Abraham—and Sarah—to build a great nation through their children.

By ch. 18, however, this promise has been hanging before them without fulfillment for many years. Abraham (as we saw last week) and Sarah have begun to have doubts about whether or not this promise especially will come to fruition in any meaningful way to them. Then God shows up. 

He appears to them as three men (surely an early reference to the Trinity), and they’re greeted hospitably by Abraham. We don’t know for sure what Abraham if Abraham suspected anything more about these men than that they were travelers, though he seems curiously eager to serve them. Over the course of their time together, they promise that in a year’s time, Sarah will have a son.

Sarah, understandably and famously, laughs at this suggestion. 

But three chapters later this is indeed what has happened, and the boy is named Isaac, which means, “he laughs.” This child will be the one from whom the whole glorious nation of God’s people will descend, most importantly Jesus of Nazareth many hundreds of years later.

And as Sarah sees the fulfillment of God’s promise and her desire she laughs again, but to a different tone as the sardonic gives way to the joyful. 

Scripture to consider:

• Gen. 18 & 21

  
  

Question for your kids

• I wonder: have you ever doubted that God could do something in your life? What kinds of things?

• I wonder: did Sarah’s doubt stop God from giving Sarah good things? What might that mean for you?

Peace,

Danny+