Genesis 58 – Abraham's Laughter

The word of God is from Genesis 17:15-22:

 

“God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.' Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?' And Abraham said to God, 'If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!' Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.' When God had finished speaking with Abraham, he went up from him.” Amen.

 

From Sarai to Sarah: The Meaning of the Name Change

Today's passage, Genesis 17:15, begins, "God also said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.'" In the same chapter, Abraham also received a new name, changing from Abram to Abraham.

 

However, the change of Sarai's name to Sarah might not seem as clearly significant as the change from Abram to Abraham. This is because the meanings of the two names are not vastly different. Sarai means 'princess,' and Sarah also means 'princess.' Considering that the name Abram originally meant 'exalted father,' it's likely that Sarai also carried the meaning of 'a princess among exalted ones.'

 

Nevertheless, Abraham was now to call Sarai no longer Sarai, but Sarah. Even though the meaning of the name Sarah does not show a great change, the Bible treats this as a very significant transformation. This is because, just as Abraham became the 'father of nations,' Sarah was now to become 'the mother of many nations and kings.' The key word here is 'mother.' Friends, what was Sarah's greatest difficulty? It was precisely that she had no children. But God declared to this barren woman that she would now be the mother of many nations and kings.

 

Abraham's Laughter: Human Limitation and God's Promise

Friends, let's consider Abraham's faith. What had Abraham believed until now? First, he believed the promise that God would bless him and his descendants greatly, and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. We remember that this faith was credited to him as righteousness. He also believed that God had given the land of Canaan to his descendants.

 

When Abraham, who possessed such faith, heard God speak about Sarah this time, we don't know exactly what was in his heart, but the Bible records that he laughed. You are well aware of the journey Abraham had taken to reach this point. Thirteen years prior, Abraham had a son through Hagar. Look at how he named that son. Genesis 16:15 records, "Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she bore." Abram himself named him Ishmael. But as we know, the name Ishmael was actually given directly by God to Hagar. God told Hagar, "You will have a son, and you are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery." Abram giving that name to his son implies that Abram and Hagar knew this, and Hagar conveyed God's voice and message to Abram. At that time, God had also promised Hagar that He would make a great nation through Ishmael.

 

So, from Abraham's perspective, did he think that God would fulfill His promise through Ishmael? Or did he think something completely different would happen? It's very clear. Since God gave Ishmael, telling Hagar, "I have heard your misery" (the meaning of Ishmael), and promised to make a great nation through him, Abraham would have considered this to be the same covenant he himself had received. You, too, would have thought this was a confirmation of the promise. So, he would naturally have thought that Ishmael was the son of promise.

 

Thirteen years passed. Then God appeared to Abraham and seemed to repeat the same promise, yet asked him to change Sarah's name. Abraham replied, "All right." But why did the name change? It was because she would now become the 'mother of nations,' and God would give Abraham a son through her. At this, Abraham laughed. Friends, that laughter probably carries several meanings. 'Why is He talking about Sarai again? She's ninety years old now, and I gave up a long time ago. Is God teasing me?' In fact, the word 'laugh' can also mean 'to joke' or 'to mock.' He might have laughed thinking God was teasing him. However, from our perspective, Abraham's laughter here doesn't seem to be a positive response to God.

 

We gain many lessons here. First, as we hear Abraham's story, it seems utterly natural for him to react this way. But in such a natural reaction, isn't he, with his common sense and natural way of thinking, actually limiting God? When God intends to perform an astonishing work, isn't Abraham unable to accept it, viewing his own limitations as God's limitations? In that sense, he could be seen as displaying arrogance. As we observe Abraham's actions, we also discover aspects of ourselves. Are we limiting God? Are we confining God within the framework of 'me'? This is certainly a good opportunity to examine ourselves. Therefore, we might call this laughter 'closed laughter.' It's a laughter closed in on oneself, thinking only of oneself, and weighing God by one's own limitations.

 

Such attitudes often clearly influence how we interpret the Bible or understand God's Word. How do they influence us? We tend to cut God's Word to fit our situations and experiences. Instead of bringing our circumstances to God's Word, letting our misguided thoughts, our limitations, and our circumstances be cut away and turning back, we try to make God's Word conform to our circumstances and cut out the parts that don't fit our reality. So what did Abraham think? "God, please just let Ishmael live well before You. That's enough for me. God, in my opinion, there's no problem at all. Isn't it enough for You to make a great nation through Ishmael? Why would God bother to do this now?"

 

Circumcision and Isaac, and God's Laughter: From Death to Life

Friends, we gain clear lessons from this passage. Firstly, as mentioned before, it's our tendency to limit God ourselves. Another is that we tend to interpret the Bible, God's Word, in a self-serving way, adjusting it to our own level and circumstances. This is a very common mistake we make. The more desperate we are, the stronger this tendency becomes. So, we constantly try to make God's Word fit our circumstances, hoping that God will consider our situation. Instead of bringing our circumstances to God's Word, repenting and turning from what is wrong, we want to adjust God's Word to suit us.

 

Despite this attitude of ours, throughout the entire passage we read today, God does not quarrel with Abraham or rebuke him. He doesn't ask, "Hey, Abraham, what kind of answer is that? Why did you laugh?" Moses, in recording this part of the Bible, writes something he could never have known unless God revealed it to him: that Abraham laughed inwardly. He laughed without showing it outwardly. The fact that Moses, a third party, recorded this signifies a divine revelation. God knew Abraham's heart, but He didn't bring up, "You laughed inwardly, didn't you? You ignored my words, didn't you?" Friends, it might sound strange to us, but consider it from God's perspective. God said He would give Abraham a child through Sarah, but Abraham laughed inwardly, and outwardly couldn't bring himself to say anything, instead saying, "Ishmael, whom You gave, I desire for him to live well before You." How frustrated God must have been! Yet, God did not bring up his inner laughter. Instead, through this event, we get the feeling that God's intention was not so much to point out and rebuke Abraham, but to lead him to a profound realization.

 

Even more important is the structure of this passage. Friends, a week ago we looked at the first part of Genesis 17. What was that story about? What did God command Abraham? It was about circumcision. And then, suddenly, the story of Sarah and Isaac appears. And what comes next, do you know? The story of performing the circumcision appears again. That is, there is the command "be circumcised," followed by the story of "he was circumcised." And in between these two parts is today's passage. We call this a sandwich structure, right?

 

When you eat a sandwich, is the bread on the outside more important, or the meat inside? Of course, it's all delicious, but usually, people say the meat inside is more important. There was a famous catchphrase during an old presidential election: "Where's the beef?" In Korean, it wouldn't be translated as 'Where's the meat?' but more like 'What's the main point?' It implies the beef is the key ingredient in a sandwich. So, we have the story of circumcision, but there's no explanation about what circumcision actually means. It just says to do it, and then it says he did it. So, what is the story in the middle explaining? It's explaining the meaning of circumcision. Through the story of Sarah and Isaac—that is, God holding onto this narrative until the end—He reveals the most essential meaning of circumcision. It's precisely what Abraham said: "I am 100 years old and Sarah is 90. We cannot have a child." It's impossible.

 

The fundamental and most important meaning of circumcision is that we can do nothing on our own, and therefore, we are described as 'like the dead.' Abraham and Sarah were in a state like the dead. They could no longer have children. In other words, God teaches that the command to be circumcised signifies death, thereby making Abraham understand why he must be circumcised. To them, who could not conceive children, God promises descendants. Abraham believed he would become the father of many nations. However, God deliberately waited to tell him that this would happen through Sarah, who was utterly unable to bear children. Until then, there was no mention of Sarah. Finally, He speaks, telling him to be circumcised there.

 

When Abraham first received the command to be circumcised, he might have thought that by performing it, God would give him great blessings. He might have thought, 'If I obey this, God will give me all these things.' But then God reveals an enormous meaning. What is it? Circumcision speaks of death, and it says that you can do nothing. So, who alone can do it? God alone will accomplish this work. Therefore, Abraham and Sarah were both like the dead, yet how would they have a son? God would give him.

 

God’s Laughter, 'Isaac'

Abraham was the first to laugh. But God is amazing. When Abraham laughed, God named the son He would give 'He laughed.' This wasn't to show that Abraham, you laughed. As it will be mentioned later in Sarah's story, this laughter was given the name Isaac even before Sarah laughed. The name Isaac in Hebrew is 'Yitzhak (יִצְחָק, H3327)'. If you remove the 'Y' from it, the original is 'tzhak', meaning 'to laugh.' With the 'Y' attached, 'Yitzhak' means 'he laughed' or 'he will laugh.' This is one of the characteristics of the Hebrew present tense.

 

Who does 'he' refer to here? First, it's not Isaac himself, because it's not talking about Isaac laughing. So, will Abraham laugh, or will Abraham laugh later? Of course, there's some meaning to that, but Abraham already laughed. Then who is laughing here? Many Bible commentators, including the famous Jewish scholar Sarna, say that Isaac, meaning 'he will laugh,' refers to God.

 

While I think this is truly possible, I wonder what its meaning might be. Friends, 'he will laugh,' that is, 'God will laugh,' is a laughter that sharply contrasts with Abraham's laughter. Abraham's laughter was a closed laughter. To be precise, it was a laughter of death. But now, God is laughing the laughter of life, not death, with His own laughter. It is not the work that was confined within Abraham's closed thoughts, something Abraham could never do, but an open laughter showing that El Shaddai, the Almighty God, can accomplish all things.

 

We will explore a little more how that works. Perhaps through this, we will see how Abraham's laughter culminates in God's laughter. Friends, in that very situation where he could do nothing, Abraham laughs. Because he can do nothing. But it doesn't end there; the Bible therefore says to be circumcised.

 

Abraham’s Faith: Human Limitation and God’s Promise

Let's look at the conclusion of this story in the New Testament and consider its deep meaning together. The conclusion of what we have explored so far is clearly stated in Romans 4. Let's read verse 17 together.

 

"As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not." (Romans 4:17)

 

Here, in Romans, the Apostle Paul explains what Abraham's faith was like. Abraham believed the promise that 'He made him a father of many nations,' and the core of this faith was that God is He who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

 

Shall we continue reading verse 18?

 

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So numerous will your offspring be.'" (Romans 4:18)

 

It's clear enough, isn't it? God made a promise, and Abraham believed it. This is something we already know well. But there's an important point here. When God told Abraham, "Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky," did Abraham believe that word? Yes, he did! The reason I emphasize this is because you, too, believe in God. You believe that God saved you, will lead you to God's kingdom, and that you will live there eternally. Although not 100%, most of you here make that confession of faith and are sitting in this very place. You might say, 'Though I am lacking and have no merit, by Your grace, Lord, I believe I will be a child of God and live in God's kingdom eternally.' Usually, when I say this, people say 'Amen,' but right now, you seem to be staring at me, thinking, 'Is he setting another trap?'

 

But that's not the case. What happens most often in our lives is that we fail to believe in the things that are happening right in front of us, even when we believe in something magnificent. Abraham was no different. Think about it. He believed the tremendous promises that God would give him the land of Canaan and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, but when it came to Sarah giving birth to a son, he again said no. Friends, how ironic is that? Abraham, who believed such a huge promise, says he cannot have a son through Sarah.

 

This isn't just Abraham's story. Isn't it our story too? If God says, 'I will comfort you,' or 'I love you,' we might say, 'God, not that, not that... but I do believe in heaven.' Someone who believes in heaven and in living eternally in God's kingdom after death, if God says today, "I will take responsibility for your life," do they not respond with "Really?" Abraham is in a similar situation now. So, this story of Abraham is by no means someone's else's story.

 

Now look at verse 19. From here, we encounter a surprising passage. Let's read it together:

 

"Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead." (Romans 4:19)

 

Friends, is this different from, or similar to, what we read in Genesis? It's different. What did Abraham do? He laughed. But here it says that 'his faith did not weaken.' Isn't one of these problematic? Let's also read the next verse, verse 20.

 

"He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." (Romans 4:20-21)

 

Doesn't this sound a bit exaggerated? Abraham laughed because of what God said! It's not just that 'we might think he could have laughed'; the Bible records, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" Isn't this clearly not believing what God said? Yet in Romans, the conclusion is that he 'did not waver in his faith but was fully persuaded.'

 

Friends, imagine you came to church with two hundred-dollar bills in your pocket, but when you reached in to give an offering, your pocket was empty. It's true you had the money, and it's also true your pocket is empty, right? So, something must have happened in between, correct? That's common sense. The Bible is the same. We often say to God, 'God, I just want Ishmael to do well. Lord, please don't interfere. I'll give offerings, I won't miss worship, I'll do my best, so please, don't hinder me and let me prosper in the world.' And it seems God just leaves us alone, gives us things, and we live that way. But then God suddenly says, 'No! I will give you blessings beyond your imagination.' We respond as if to say, 'God, I don't even want to win the lottery. Just let my sales go up tomorrow.' We only ask for our sales to go up. But even if our actions clearly indicate a lack of belief, if there's nothing there, then something must be in the middle, right? What could it be? If the beginning and end of the Bible are both true, and these two accounts seem to contradict each other, then surely something must have happened in between, right?

 

God’s Laughter, and the Cross

So, what happened in between? What is between Abraham's laughter and what Romans says about Abraham's faith? The most direct answer is God's laughter—namely, Isaac. There is God's laughter. Was it not because God's laughter overwhelmingly triumphed over Abraham's laughter that this remarkable change was possible?

 

Looking further, what stands between Abraham's faith in the Old Testament and his faith as described in the New Testament? It is the cross. Once Abraham's seemingly insignificant confession passed through the cross, it was transformed into what the New Testament describes: "Abraham's faith did not weaken, but he was fully persuaded." Why? Because of Jesus Christ! And the Old Testament scene that demonstrates who Jesus Christ is, is precisely 'Isaac,' meaning, God laughed.

 

God laughed. This laughter was not merely an expression of joy; it was a laughter of victory revealed to us. 'He laughed.' This laughter is utterly different from Abraham's laughter. It is the kind of laughter with which God spoke of Isaac raising up all these nations. Because it is the laughter that shows the fulfillment of God's promise through Isaac, Abraham's laughter and God's laughter are not just different; God's laughter, despite Abraham's weakness, became God's precious laughter of grace that covered and surpassed all his deficiencies. Friends, we can call this God's victory.

 

Abraham might have wanted to say: 'When he was a hundred years old and his body was as good as dead, and Sarah's womb was also dead, he despaired and asked God to let Ishmael prosper...' But what happened instead? It was not because of his weak faith, but through the Christ who was to come, through Isaac, God overcame Abraham's shortcomings, sin, and unbelief, and God laughed. Whom did Isaac prefigure? Jesus Christ!

 

Holding on to God's Promise in Our Lives

Dear brothers and sisters, we are all on a journey of faith, much like Abraham's. Abraham laughed because he kept thinking in his own way. However, God astonishingly transformed him. It was declared that his faith did not weaken, even when he faced a situation that was as good as dead. How did God accomplish that?

 

Abraham laughed because he did not understand the true meaning of circumcision. But then, God revealed to him what circumcision truly meant. It was about his own death, a death to sin, and a covenant sealed with blood. It meant that a part of him, representing death, had to be cut off, and that cutting was essentially the circumcision of Christ, which is the cross. That is why Paul emphasizes this truth so meticulously in Galatians and Colossians. "This is the circumcision of Christ. What is it? The cross!" Once Abraham understood this, he finally became circumcised. It was not a condition for him to approach God, nor was it a merit he could present to God. It was simply a confession: "Yes, Lord, I must die with Christ on that cross." It was then that God credited this to him as righteousness. Regarding Abraham's faith, God declared that his faith did not weaken, but that he trusted in Christ. His faith, even within the human limitations of one hundred and ninety years old, did not collapse; instead, it clung firmly to Jesus Christ.

 

Do Not Make God’s Love Cheap

Dear friends, we persistently cling to our own stubbornness in the face of God's promises. God promises us, "You are one who has overcome the world," but we constantly complain, "Why is my life like this?" God promised, "You are my eternal inheritance, and I am your eternal inheritance. You are one who possesses Me," yet we insist, "My life is so poor, I have nothing, and what little I had is gone. I am failing again." God cherishes you as a beautiful jewel beyond compare and says, "I love you quietly and rejoice over you," yet we relentlessly insist, "I am not only a failure, but my life is worth nothing more than this."

 

God says, "I died for you, and My promise is fulfilled in your life." Yet, we refuse to cling to the crucified Jesus Christ and keep dwelling on "I am a hundred years old. Sarah is ninety years old." Paul cries out, "That is precisely what Christ died for!" For you who are troubled, who feel weak, who think 'I can't do it'—those thoughts like 'I am a hundred years old and Sarah is ninety years old,' 'I have nothing now and my life is in ruins,' 'I may not be able to get up again,' 'I am in pain every day and still wander without knowing where to go'—for you, Christ died for that very reason. The Bible declares, "Your life is beautiful, precious, and honored. You have become one who believes and is persuaded."

 

Therefore, beloved ones, please do not cheapen this love of God. Please do not dismiss it as cheap grace. This love of God is the love that gave you Jesus Christ; it is the love extended to you through the death of Jesus Christ. Do not make this love cheap by saying, 'Is that so, Lord? Even if I am not a hundred or ninety, will God eventually praise my faith? So I'll just live carelessly.'

 

Please, do not do that, but become worthy of this faith. Act in a way that is worthy of this love of God. May this love grip your heart, stir your soul, and move your hands and feet, enabling you to find joy in nothing but God. It will cause you to go before the Lord and declare, "I love You," and "You are my everything." To you who say, 'I am a hundred years old. I can do nothing. I am like one who is dead,' do not forget the cross-love of the Lord who said, "You are a son of faith and a daughter of faith. You are one who is persuaded, and I consider you righteous." Live in that love.

 

Let us pray.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for transforming our absurd laughter into Your laughter, which is Isaac. You change us in such a way, declaring that a righteousness apart from the law has been revealed, and You declare us righteous. How can we ever forget that You can speak such amazing words to us?

 

How can we keep returning to the despairing thought, "I am a hundred years old and Sarah is ninety," and hurt God with closed laughter in the face of Your Word? Dear Lord, we are Your children. We are those who trust in You and live in Your embrace. Therefore, Lord, do not let us be those who shrink back and are destroyed, but let us be those who overcome this world with You. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.