Laughing at God

When God told Abraham his plan to give Abraham a son by Sarah, “Abraham fell on his face and laughed.” (Genesis 17:17) And when she heard the plan, “Sarah laughed to herself.” (Genesis 18:12) To doubt God’s Word is an offense to God. It is amazing that in this, a center point of the record of God’s work with His people, the heroes of faith questioned God. It is this tradition into which Zechariah the priest falls. And Mary, Jesus’ mother, stands in contrast. They questioned God while she believed Him.

Do I doubt God’s power? I’m afraid I do at times. Or perhaps more accurately, I think of Him as being irrelevant. He is out there. I am in here. I am suffering through a challenging time and He ‘sits idly by’ (see Habakkuk 1:3, 13).

Perhaps the ambiguity of the word is very appropriate. The ESV has a footnote that says it could mean, “Too wonderful.” In fact, that is how the identical word is translated in Zechariah 8:6.

Here Abraham was 99 years old (see Genesis 17:1). Obviously he had been distraught for years over not having a true heir, a true son. It seemed apparent that this thing was ‘too wonderful’ for God. Whether or not he could do it was somewhat irrelevant. He hadn’t done it.

Father, teach me to have confidence in two things: first, that you can do all things, and second, that you care deeply and are involved in the world such that no good thing is unlike you to do. These things aren’t too wonderful. It is just like you to do great good. Will you do this great good that I want done today? Perhaps not. But not because it is too wonderful. You delight to give good things to your children (see Matthew 7:11).

Let us not laugh at the thought of God doing great things in His way.