Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

17:15-21)2. the birth was announced a second time (Genesis 18:1-2a, 9-15)a. Sarah is remembered for laughing at such news, but Abraham, her husband, actuallylaughed firstb. Abraham’s laugh is not accounted as one of doubt, for “not being weak in faith, he did notconsider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness ofSarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith,giving glory to God” (Romans 4:19-20)c. Isaac’s name itself means laughter and would seem to indicate joyful consternation abovefrustrated doubtd. Sarah’s laughter, however, is rebuked by the messenger, and she lies in trying to deny thathe laughed, for her faith had weakened with the passing years and her 90-year-old body hardly seemed fitfor childbirth3. all their laughter was certainly joy when God kept his promise (Genesis 21:1-7)4. faith in the promises of God should never waver, even when it seems as if the odds are stackedagainst himE. Sarah’s Death1. although ten years his junior, Sarah dies before Abraham, giving him the chance to show herhigh honor (Genesis 23:1-20)2. the negotiations are somewhat complex, but it appears that Ephron greedily wanted to takeadvantage of Abraham’s grief and sell him more than he really needed, and at an inflated price3. the end result, though, is that Abraham buys the first parcel of Promised LandII. Some ApplicationsA. Lack of Faith1. it is easy to fault Abraham and Sarah for their lapses of faith, but when you consider what theywere involved in, it becomes a little easier to understand2. invited out of their ancestral land and away from their family, sent on journeys amongstrangers, and promised a son in their extreme old age–yet Abraham and Sarah do the best they can andremain loyal to God in spite of their occasional lapses3. the truth is that we all experience these occasional lapses of faith, and they do not necessarilyportend apostasy or disfellowship, for they are learning experiences from which we repent and grow inmaturity (Matthew 14:22-32)4. the lack of faith that proves fatal is the kind in which doubt and disbelief develops over time(Hebrews 3:12-15)a. for others, their lack of faith shows up in anxiety and worry, as they believe in God buthave trouble trusting that he will provide for their needsb. for still others, a lack of faith grows up around disappointment with the affairs of life, forsome expect far more than they are promised and are perturbed when life is not a heaven on earth (SecondCorinthians 1:7-11)B. Helpmeet1. Sarah might be best remembered in the New Testament as an example for believing wives ofevery age (First Peter 3:1-6)a. holy women who trust in God adorn themselves, not only with clothing and cosmetics, butmore importantly, with submissiveness to their husbandsb. this submissiveness is respectful and even obedient, but not borne out of terror orintimidationc. it coalesces in an attitude of gentleness and quietness, forming an incorruptible beauty thatis enhanced with the passage of time even as the body itself declines and decaysd. few women today are motivated to refer to their husbands as “lord,” but the point is in theattitude and atmosphere of the home arrangement, not the word itself2. Sarah was Abraham’s helpmeet and obviously, he could not have done all that he did withouther (Hebrews 11:8-12)a. whatever the cause of her initial laughter, her epitaph states “she judged him faithful whohad promised”152! Jeff S. Smith