LYING TO LAUGHING

The story of God’s direct interaction with Bible characters might well seem strange to us, but it also seemed strange to the people themselves in the stories.

Three men appeared on the road near Abraham’s tent. God had changed Abram’s name by then, again promising that he would be “the father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5) despite the obvious lack of the promised son and the advancing age of both Abraham and Sarah. Abraham noticed these strangers and invited them to eat with him.

As a meal was being prepared, these visitors dropped into the conversation an assurance that the long-promised son would arrive within a year.

Listening through the tent walls, Sarah responded with an ironic laugh. “As if this is going to happen,” she chuckled to herself, “after so long, now that we are too old.” But her sarcasm was pulled up short. The Visitor had heard this quiet moment of resigned disappointment in Sarah’s heart, and He queried Abraham about it. Hearing this response, Sarah was afraid, and her fear prompted her to lie to God and perhaps to herself.

Fear causes us to respond in strange ways. It was all very human and very strange at the same time. It seemed that this was the end of this conversation.

But this story has an unlikely second part.

A year later, “at the very time God had promised” (Genesis 21:2), Sarah gave birth to Isaac, whose name means “laughter.” She named this promised son for her laughter, a reminder of her disappointment, her fear, and the lie she had told.

But the name was also a celebration of God fulfilling a long-standing promise. “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me’ ” (Genesis 21:6).