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In the last article we learned that Abraham had moved from Mamre after the cites of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. The Sacred Record revealed that Abraham had eventually settled within the desert region of the Negev. The Sacred Record also points out that Abraham would end up dwelling a another place for awhile before he reached the Negev, the place that he had settled in was a Philistine town and district that was known as "Gerar". It would be at this point that Abraham would run into Abimelech, who was the king of Gerar. No we also find that Abraham was still lying when it came to his wife Sarah. Just like he did when he first entered Egypt we discover that Abraham is still saying that Sarah is his sister instead of his wife. Because of this Sarah gets taken by Abimelech. But God eventually steps in, and forces Abimelech to return Abraham's wife. We have now reached the point within our journey where we now find ourselves approximately one year after God had delivered this message to Abraham and Sarah: "Then the Lord said: 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.'" -- (Genesis 18:10) Finally the Lord was gracious towards Sarah, for He did what He had promised her. Being that Sarah would become pregnant and she would finally give birth to a child she can now call her own. This child would be known as Isaac, for this was the name that the Lord had instructed Abraham to give him: "Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.'" -- (Genesis 17:19) Understand that the name Isaac means "laughter" for this name seems appropriate for the newborn being that, when God had first told Abraham about Isaac he had also laughed and had some doubt as well, when it came to what God had just told him. I find it strange and interesting that pastors and teachers don't really talk about how Abraham laughed and doubted God's Word, like they do when it comes to Sarah? "Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, 'Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?'" And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" -- (Genesis 17: 17-18) Now when Sarah had heard the news a short while later, this is when she also laughed to herself and had also doubted God's Word: "So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, 'After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure.'" -- (Genesis 18:12) Now I'm going to cut the ones who insist on ignoring Abraham doubt, some slack? Being that if I were to guess the reason why they seem to point out Sarah's doubt over Abraham's. It could be perhaps that Sarah tried to hide her doubt and God had called her out on it. Abraham, when he had laughed, he did not try to hide his doubt and was very upfront with God. But as for me, I can't say that I blame them for their skepticism, after all, just like Abraham had stated before: "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" Now if I was in Abraham's position, I would have asked the same thing and I'm not ashamed to confess that. We ought to be proud that we have an opportunity and privilege that no other creature has. Being that we're able to have a very personal relationship with God, to where we can actually call Him out on the things that He has promised us. But honestly, if we were to learn how to completely trust God, the less we are apt to call Him out on the promises that He had made concerning us in the first place. This is one of the many reasons why I admire the relationship that Abraham had with God? He wasn't afraid to talk and have a little debate with the Almighty One and God loved him for it. Now we find that Sarah who had once laughed because she doubted God, we now find her laughing for different reasons? Finally, God has smiled on her and because of this happiness and joy that has filled her heart. "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age," Sarah would announce as she held her newborn son Isaac.
**YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE** Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty 16) Abimelech Angry with Abraham 17) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 18) Hagar & Ishmael 19) Hagar the Mother of a Great Nation 20) Abraham & The Well of Oath 21) Abraham & The Great Sacrifice 25) Rebekah gets Permission to Leave 28) The Twelve Rulers of Ishmael 
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