Galatians 4:27
As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”
This is such an important story. It began when the Lord promised Abraham that his descendants would be many and blessed. Twenty four years later, the Lord visited Abraham and Sarah and told them they would have a child next year. Sarah laughed at this. God chastised her for doing so.
Her laughter is representative of the worldly mind as well as science. The latter can prove that she was well beyond child bearing years. Her menstrual cycle must have stopped decades earlier. That's true. Science isn't wrong.
The worldly mind also laughs. It's not only unable to comprehend faith and God's power, it's opposed to even doing so. James 4:4 says, "Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility with God? Therefore whoever has chosen to be a friend of the world is appointed an enemy of God."
The first word in this verse is telling, Adulteresses. To adhere to the world's way of thinking is cheating on our relationship with the Lord. Much like idolatry. Worldly thoughts are opposite of the Lord's. This is so because the world's rebellion was start by Satan. It was a counter-God revolution. So when Sarah laughs, it is from a worldly mind that doesn't take faith into account.
This story involves the couple in their old age, not middle age. People still get pregnant in their forties and fifties. The Lord intentionally chose them at a time when all human possibilities were exhausted. There is absolutely no hope on the human level.
It reminds me of the beginning of the Christmas Carol which says that Jacob Marley was dead. Not being clear about that takes away the wonder of the story. Scrooges visitation by him would only be an act. Sarah's womb was dead. No positive thinking or conjuring up enthusiasm would do any good.
To make the miracle even more of God, He chose to wait. From the first mention of a child to the actual fulfillment was 25 years. A year prior to the birth is when Sarah laughed. Twenty five years is a long time to hold on to a promise. Waiting and trusting is an important part of faith.
Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." The Lord came through and fulfilled the promise. In Galatians the story of Sarah is compared to the New Covenant and the Gospel. This was something only God could do. While a child was born through Haggar, he wasn't a child of the promise. Human effort wasn't possible.
The Galatians didn't see this. They were deceived into thinking they had to keep the Law as part of salvation. Paul penned this letter explaining the impossibility of that.
This was good news. It was done for us. Each of us didn't have to spend years of our lives figuring this out. The nation of Israel did this for us. We just accept it and enter into this glorious relationship.
Lord, thank You for the Old Testament and how it lays all this out. We can learn from it and learn, accept and enjoy this great salvation You've provided.