The Man named Laughter
Gen. 21--35
For such a buildup, the life of Isaac did not seem to be all that was promised. Abraham and Sarah had long resisted the idea that they might actually have a natural son like God had promised to them. They both openly laughed at the suggestion. So, when the baby was born to Sarah at such an old age, they named him "Laughter."[1]
The child's half-brother was the first to make fun of him. A young teenager, Ishmael did not even care too much about not being heir to his father's riches. But he followed his mother Hagar's example, laughing rudely at the toddler named "Laughter."[2]
It could not be easy growing up with such a name, but up until he was a teenager himself he probably lived a comfortable life learning about all his father had been through following God's voice all across the land of Canaan to Egypt and back. Being the promised son, he may never have had any contact with his brother Ishmael after that party when he was such a young child. For all he knew, he was the only son.
And then, his father Abraham asked him to come with him to worship the God who had guided him so far. It was an adventure he would never forget! One can only imagine what went through his head when Abraham asked him to submit to being bound.[3] As he lay there, seeing his father raise the knife, it is hard to imagine what he might have thought about God.
When the voice came from the Angel of Yahweh, it could have been Isaac that first noticed the ram. God had indeed provided the sacrifice![4] The text does not reveal what Isaac felt, but if I had been him, perhaps I would have laughed. God had "pulled one over" on his father. What a God!
Anxiety over offspring probably consumed the lives of his parents for the next two decades. Contact between Ishmael and Abraham would reveal at least a dozen children born to the exiled family. None of these demanded a thing of their grandfather[5]. But all along, no wife was found that was suitable for Isaac[6]. When his mother died, Isaac was 37 years old and did not have a wife. This was not a good sign for the "father of nations!" God's sense of humor was not so "funny" in the land of Canaan!
Three years after his mother died, his father fetched Isaac's cousin, perhaps half his age, to finally get the promised progeny started. Nothing happened! Another barren bride -- what was God thinking! At this point, at the age of 140, Abraham married a concubine by the name of Keturah! She was probably a slave girl originally, her name being derived from a word meaning "burnt incense." This suggests a girl from a religous family.
Once more, Abraham seems to have been growing impatient with God. Isaac, the son of the promise, wasn't producing. Twenty years would pass as six more sons were born to Abraham. Finally, an aging Rebecca had twins![7] Only then was Isaac found worthy of the inheritance. Abraham gave Keturah and her sons gifts of considerable size, but sent them far enough away so that they could not be a threat to the new grandchildren!
Finally, Abraham could die happy, laughing along with God. God had seen it through in good time -- in spite of all the lame attempts to do His work for him. We often forget that God uses our weaknesses for his glory[8]. As great as Abraham's faith was[9], it was God's faithfulness which was on display. Only once are we told that God laughed -- and then he laughs at the foolish attempts of worldly men to undo His work among men[10].
With God, all things are possible[11], including the "impossible." To think otherwise is just foolish[12].
LOL. Respectively submitted, --SouthWriter (talk) 05:36, January 25, 2016 (UTC)