They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’ (Genesis 17:9-15)
The passage from Genesis is one of my favorites. Sarah's laugh and ironic response and her subsequent step back from her laugh is delightfully human. God corrects Sarah but then gives her Isaac anyway, which reinforces my conviction that God uses irony and that God appreciates irony.
So Sarah says 'shall I have pleasure?" And the Lord interpreted that as "Shall I indeed bear a child. . ." Is that also irony?
ReplyDeleteI think that is our Anglican roots that really appreciate the irony of such laughter. I don't think that God necessarily rebuked Sarah. It think that it was typical of a woman to laugh at such a think at bearing a child at 90+. Anthropomorphic Gods have to function as males who are mystified by female laughter.
ReplyDeleteSusan, an excellent question, one for the scholars. Perhaps a scholar will weigh in. I suppose it had ceased to be with Abraham after the manner of men, too.
ReplyDeleteMuthah, I see irony all around in the story, just like in all the best Jewish stories.
ReplyDeleteThe Jews have such a rich heritage as story tellers. Thanks for the reminder that our God is a forgiver, and ironic.
ReplyDeleteI like to imagine that he says it with a twinkle in his eye, full of affirmation.
ReplyDeleteThose days they counted 2 years in one of ours. So Sarah was 45, which is bad enough for giving birth...
ReplyDeleteGöran, I did not know that about the years!
ReplyDeleteI thought I was too old to have a baby at 34, when my daughter was born. :-)
And the name "Isaac" is translated... "Laughter"!
ReplyDeleteDid I know that Isaac meant laughter? I think so. But thanks for the reminder, Rick.
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