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Sara: A Life of Faith
January 14, 2012

Older than most grandmothers and even some great grandmothers, Sara conceived and gave birth to Isaac. This is shared in the faith chapter in the Bible.

Hebrews 11:11-12
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Imagine what it must be like to be old enough to be a grandparent or great grandparent. Then imagine what it must be like to be told you will become a mother, and all in a time without the marvels of modern medicine that might be able to make something like this happen. Most would be unbelieving. Many would be resentful. In the modern age, the idea of being a mother after a certain age is not seen as a blessing, and can be fodder for jokes and humerous birthday cards. I recall seeing such a birthday card that read, "just think, you could be this old and pregnant!" So how did Sara handle this situation when she was presented with this. The Bible records that she laughed.

Genesis 18:1-15
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

Sarah probably realized that she was laughing at God and this fear of offending God by laughing at what was said most likely prompted her to lie. In many ways what she heard was probably funny to Sarah, or it might have made her nervous. We do know that Sarah was beyond the age that women are mothers, and Sarah probably coould see in her mind how she would be as a much older women who was also a mother. But she did not doubt God or lack faith. If she had, she would not be listed in the faith chapter, and later, God delivered on his promise.

Genesis 21:1-13
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

God followed through with his promise and Sarah became a mother at a very old age. Her husband was one hundred years old. This caused a problem with Ishmael, the son ofHagar the Egyptian who was also the son of Abraham. He appears resentful becausehe probably thought hewould inherit Anraham's wealth, and now with the birth of Isaac, Isaac would inherit his father's fortune. So Abraham listened to his wife, and sent Hagar and Ishmael away, and Ishmael became the father of a great nation, and many think the Arabs come from Ishmael. The life of Isaac continues the story of faith and the history of the Bible and what we will look at next time.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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