And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
God turned Sarah's laughter into gladness at the birth of Isaac in her old age at the time He had promised, so that all who hear would laugh and rejoice with her. His birth was wholly a miraculous work by God's power and word, impossible by nature for barren Sarah past childbearing to bear, received through faith in God's faithfulness apart from human wisdom or scheming. Isaac, whose name means laughter and rejoicing, was the promised heir through Sarah, Abraham's lawful free wife, and the promised seed and blessing were to come through her and not through Ishmael born of Hagar. As son of the freewoman, begotten of the Word and born of the Spirit by promise, he represents the children of the covenant of promise who are born anew with changed hearts as miraculous children of God to freedom, in contrast to Ishmael born according to the flesh. The promised Seed and Messiah was to come through Isaac as the miraculous child of promise in the line of Abraham, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, illustrating both the birth of Christ and how believers are born from above by that same word and rejoice in God's salvation.
Isaac's Birth and Laughter
Sarah's words record her rejoicing at the birth of Isaac in her old age at the time God had promised. God had turned her laughter into gladness, so that all who hear of it will laugh and rejoice with her. His name Isaac means laughter or rejoicing.
His birth was a miraculous work wholly by God's power and word, impossible by nature for Abraham to beget and for barren Sarah past childbearing to bear. It came apart from human wisdom, scheming, or plans and contrary to human expectations, with all power and all glory belonging to God. It was received through faith in God's faithfulness, as the promised outcome of Abraham learning to trust God.
The birth occurred just after the destruction of Sodom, twenty-five years after the promise. Isaac was weaned at about five years old, and Ishmael's mocking at the weaning marked the beginning of the four hundred years of affliction foretold for Abraham's descendants, thirty years after the promise. The celebration of Isaac's birth is connected with that mockery, which Sarah saw and which led her to demand that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away.
In Genesis the account belongs to the Isaac section among the events of Abraham's life. It belongs to God's providential dealings with the chosen family through which the promised Seed would come. It was a step in the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, not its final fulfillment, which will bring the everlasting inheritance of righteousness at Christ's coming and the resurrection.
Covenant Promise and Seed
Isaac was the promised heir, born to Sarah at the time God had promised as the son God had given her, and the promised seed and its blessing came through Sarah, Abraham's lawful free wife, according to God's promise, while Ishmael, born through Hagar, was not to share that heirship. His birth was wholly by God's power and not by human schemes, proving that the seed must come through the lawful free wife according to God's law and not by fleshly scheming. He was duly named Isaac and circumcised as the covenant heir, begotten of the Word and born of the Spirit by promise.
Sarah, as the freewoman, represents God's order and the new covenant resting on God's promises rather than human schemes or works. Her son Isaac, as son of the freewoman, represents the children of the covenant of promise, those who receive freedom through Christ. He was born through promise and the Spirit in contrast to Ishmael, who was born according to the flesh, for though Sarah was past the age of childbearing, faith in God's faithfulness enabled her to conceive. His birth was a miraculous work impossible by nature for Abraham to beget and for Sarah to bear, brought about wholly by the power of God apart from any human wisdom, interfering, or scheming, so that all power and all glory belong to God. As son of Sarah the free woman he represents the new covenant by which hearts are changed and men and women are born anew as miraculous children of God and children of promise born to freedom.
The two sons and their two mothers illustrate the two covenants, testaments, or dispensations. They illustrate the two systems, typical and antitypical, and the two peoples, literal Israel and true Israel, or Jews and Gentiles, as representatives of the Lord and His work in two special periods of its development in the earth. Every particular of Isaac's birth therefore calls for close examination for its significance in that contrast.
Isaac's birth by God's word illustrates that believers are born from above by that same word. His name means laughter, and Sarah's rejoicing because God fulfilled His promise and gave her Isaac in her old age would be shared by everyone who heard, even as all born again as Isaac was are children of promise born to freedom who rejoice in God's salvation.
The promised Seed and Messiah was to come through Isaac as the miraculous child of promise in the Abrahamic line. Messiah was to be the son of Abraham, the father of the faithful and friend of God, and Jesus Christ fulfills that line by direct descent from Abraham. Isaac's birth illustrates the birth of Christ. It was the promised outcome of Abraham learning to trust God, and it prepared the further lesson of faith in the offering of Isaac.
God turned Sarah's laughter into gladness at the birth of Isaac in her old age at the time He had promised, so that all who hear would laugh and rejoice with her. His birth was wholly a miraculous work by God's power and word, impossible by nature for barren Sarah past childbearing to bear, received through faith in God's faithfulness apart from human wisdom or scheming. Isaac, whose name means laughter and rejoicing, was the promised heir through Sarah, Abraham's lawful free wife, and the promised seed and blessing were to come through her and not through Ishmael born of Hagar. As son of the freewoman, begotten of the Word and born of the Spirit by promise, he represents the children of the covenant of promise who are born anew with changed hearts as miraculous children of God to freedom, in contrast to Ishmael born according to the flesh. The promised Seed and Messiah was to come through Isaac as the miraculous child of promise in the line of Abraham, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, illustrating both the birth of Christ and how believers are born from above by that same word and rejoice in God's salvation.
Isaac's Birth and Laughter
Sarah's words record her rejoicing at the birth of Isaac in her old age at the time God had promised. God had turned her laughter into gladness, so that all who hear of it will laugh and rejoice with her. His name Isaac means laughter or rejoicing.
His birth was a miraculous work wholly by God's power and word, impossible by nature for Abraham to beget and for barren Sarah past childbearing to bear. It came apart from human wisdom, scheming, or plans and contrary to human expectations, with all power and all glory belonging to God. It was received through faith in God's faithfulness, as the promised outcome of Abraham learning to trust God.
The birth occurred just after the destruction of Sodom, twenty-five years after the promise. Isaac was weaned at about five years old, and Ishmael's mocking at the weaning marked the beginning of the four hundred years of affliction foretold for Abraham's descendants, thirty years after the promise. The celebration of Isaac's birth is connected with that mockery, which Sarah saw and which led her to demand that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away.
In Genesis the account belongs to the Isaac section among the events of Abraham's life. It belongs to God's providential dealings with the chosen family through which the promised Seed would come. It was a step in the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, not its final fulfillment, which will bring the everlasting inheritance of righteousness at Christ's coming and the resurrection.
Covenant Promise and Seed
Isaac was the promised heir, born to Sarah at the time God had promised as the son God had given her, and the promised seed and its blessing came through Sarah, Abraham's lawful free wife, according to God's promise, while Ishmael, born through Hagar, was not to share that heirship. His birth was wholly by God's power and not by human schemes, proving that the seed must come through the lawful free wife according to God's law and not by fleshly scheming. He was duly named Isaac and circumcised as the covenant heir, begotten of the Word and born of the Spirit by promise.
Sarah, as the freewoman, represents God's order and the new covenant resting on God's promises rather than human schemes or works. Her son Isaac, as son of the freewoman, represents the children of the covenant of promise, those who receive freedom through Christ. He was born through promise and the Spirit in contrast to Ishmael, who was born according to the flesh, for though Sarah was past the age of childbearing, faith in God's faithfulness enabled her to conceive. His birth was a miraculous work impossible by nature for Abraham to beget and for Sarah to bear, brought about wholly by the power of God apart from any human wisdom, interfering, or scheming, so that all power and all glory belong to God. As son of Sarah the free woman he represents the new covenant by which hearts are changed and men and women are born anew as miraculous children of God and children of promise born to freedom.
The two sons and their two mothers illustrate the two covenants, testaments, or dispensations. They illustrate the two systems, typical and antitypical, and the two peoples, literal Israel and true Israel, or Jews and Gentiles, as representatives of the Lord and His work in two special periods of its development in the earth. Every particular of Isaac's birth therefore calls for close examination for its significance in that contrast.
Isaac's birth by God's word illustrates that believers are born from above by that same word. His name means laughter, and Sarah's rejoicing because God fulfilled His promise and gave her Isaac in her old age would be shared by everyone who heard, even as all born again as Isaac was are children of promise born to freedom who rejoice in God's salvation.
The promised Seed and Messiah was to come through Isaac as the miraculous child of promise in the Abrahamic line. Messiah was to be the son of Abraham, the father of the faithful and friend of God, and Jesus Christ fulfills that line by direct descent from Abraham. Isaac's birth illustrates the birth of Christ. It was the promised outcome of Abraham learning to trust God, and it prepared the further lesson of faith in the offering of Isaac.