Again Abraham passes off his wife as his sister. (I don't care if she is his half-sister. It's a partial truth meant to deceive.) Again God punishes the deceived rather than the deceiver. Again God steps in to make sure Abraham doesn't suffer the result of his sin. Again Abraham ends up more prosperous than he was prior to the deception. And, again, I don't know what to make of it.
This time it's King Abimelech who takes in and is taken by Abraham's sister. The only positive I can think of is that King Abimelech is treated to a visitation -- albeit a fearful one -- by the living God.
Thankfully, a story more noble and beautiful and worthy of remembrance is also included in this reading. Sarah admits her laughter. Remember, back in chapter 18, when Abraham graciously entertains three heavenly visitors? One of those visitors -- the Lord -- announces that she will give birth to a child. Sarah laughs. When questioned by the Lord about her laughter:
Sarah was afraid, so she lied [apparently deception is something this couple has in common] and said, "I did not laugh."
Now Sarah gives birth to this child of promise and now she glories in the laughter she once denied. Love changes everything. The laughter that was once tinged with doubt and perhaps a bit of sarcasm is now joyous laughter. I love laughter -- bold, unabashed, honest laughter. I've found when a person laughs at him or herself, there's nothing so disarming, so ingratiating and gracious to others. I regularly watch The Tonight Show on Monday nights because that's the night Jay Leno reads actual headlines that have an accidental, humorous twist...and it never fails to make me laugh. And having laughed I feel good and clean and renewed.
Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." [Genesis 21:6]
And so the child was named Isaac -- he laughs. Imagine naming your son laugh or chuckle, giggle, guffaw, titter, hoot, snort, snicker, cackle, chortle. Made you smile, didn't I?
And this child -- and another he foreshadows and his mother's hymn foreshadows -- will give all of the world a reason to laugh.
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