(Hebrews 11:11-12) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
This account of Sarah reminds me a lot of Paul’s account of Abraham in Romans Chapter 4. (Romans 4:19,20) And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
I remember in the past, every time I would read this, I’d always cringe. My eyes would squint a bit. This is because of the actual account of when God told Abraham that Sarah was going to have a boy. (Genesis 17:16) And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. This is the first time that God tells Abraham directly that his lineage would come from Sarah. You might think that this goes without saying. Well, apparently it didn’t because it’s before this that Abraham tried to have a child with another woman. Now keep in mind that this is the first time God explains this to Abraham. God has called him out in Chapter 12 and told him that he would make of him a great nation. In Chapter 15, Abraham asks God if this nation would come from his steward, Eleazar, because God had yet to give him seed. There, God tells him that his heir shall come forth from his own bowels, but he doesn’t say that it would particularly come from Sarah. Then in Chapter 16, Sarai and Abraham, of course, take the matter in their own hands and concoct this plan of having kids through Hagar. Finally we get to Chapter 17, and this is where God explains directly that his lineage would come from Sarah. So up until now, God had not mentioned this specific detail about Sarah to them.
Now this is where I usually got thrown for a loop because Abraham’s response is not typical of someone who is strong in faith. (Genesis 17:17) Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? Instead of praising God, he does an ROFL. (Roll on the floor laughing) Usually people laugh at news when it’s unbelievable. And then in Chapter 18, Sarah overhears God telling Abraham that she is going to be with child and she does the same thing. (Genesis 18:12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And then when she get’s called on her laughing, she lies about it. (Genesis 18:15) Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. So you see, I don’t see how either of these reactions were demonstrative of one being strong in faith. I do see they have a sense of humor. Now, in their defense, however, this was the first time they heard it. Up until now, nobody has explained this to them. But my point is that their first reaction was not that of faith. Nonetheless, she had that child and the bible says that it was through faith.
So here’s the lesson we see in this today. Our first reaction is not necessarily our final reality. What I’m saying is that faith may truly be the size of a mustard seed. But mustard seeds grow. Jesus said (Matthew 13:26,27) The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Faith grows. I think this is an important lesson for new converts, even those who have been saved 10-15 years. You may still be young in the faith. Your faith may be as small as a mustard seed. You may still laugh within at the promises of God. But stay with it. Faith grows. (Luke 17:5) And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And this is the way of faith. I think we err to think that it works in a different way. (Romans 4:16) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.
Now mind you, by the testimony of Abraham and Sarah, and by the words of Jesus himself, the size of our faith has no bearing on the promises that God bestows upon us; but rather God’s promises have much bearing on the size of our faith. As the promises of God are manifest in our life and we witness the divine performance of He which hath begun a good work in us, our faith increases and strengthens. It’s not our strongfaith that moves the hand of God, but rather the hand of God that strengthens our faith.
The Christian life is the life of faith. (Hebrews 10:38) Now the just shall live by faith. The lesson in all this with Sarah is that faith doesn’t always look pretty and perfect; primp and proper. You may fall asleep while you’re trying to pray to God. You may stumble all over yourself while you try to witness to somebody. Your acts of faith are not always going to look like Elijah on Mount Carmel. But don’t let that stop you from trusting God and serving God. Abraham and Sarah didn’t. Their first reaction was not their final reality. They made the hall of faith even though they laughed at first. God has a way of taking the imperfect and using it for his glory. (Romans 4:17) Even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (1 Corinthians 1:28) Hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.
One last scripture. (Mark 11:22) And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
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