Imagine being in the labour room with 90 year old Sarah. I am not sure how you will feel but I will be in awe and wonder. I might probably pinch myself a couple of times to make sure I am not dreaming. I am sure Sarah herself was excited about becoming pregnant. I don’t know how she carried herself through it but I believe she would have taken care of herself, eaten healthy and avoided an unhealthy lifestyle. If this had happened in our days, Sarah would have been the talk of the city, her pregnancy would have been in the local papers, the radio and TV would have shared her amazing story. Sarah had waited for so long that many in her situation would have given up. Then as the baby finally comes out, I would have busted into songs of praise. Maybe, I would have sang the Nathaniel Bassey song, “see what the Lord has done, what we waited for has come to pass.” Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. (Genesis 21:1-2) Sarah and Abraham received the promise to have a son. As the promise lingered, Sarah had sought an alternative plan. Ishmael was born but God told Sarah and Abraham that His promise would be with the seed of Sarah. Genesis 21:1-2 reports that, “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.” The birth of Isaac shows the gracious hand of God. Why did God wait that long to fulfill His promise? I believe this question would have been on Sarah’s heart as well. However, the joy that the birth of Isaac brought was enough to provide answers to this question. God did the impossible. He caused a dead womb to bore a son. He changed the biological clock of Sarah to fulfill His glory. God through Isaac’s birth demonstrated that He is not limited by time and seasons. In fact, He created time and seasons and whenever the situation requires an interruption of the natural order, God does it beautifully. Those people who might have mocked Sarah for her childlessness would have been the same people who would have spread the news of her miracle. As Sarah looked at her bundle of joy, she said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” (Genesis 21:6-7). Indeed the child Sarah waited for became a reality. Sarah’s son did not just bring joy to Sarah and Abraham but also fulfilled God’s promise made to Eve in Genesis 1:15. Isaac became the father of Jacob and Esau, and through the lineage of Judah, Jacob’s son, God promised Messiah was born. Sarah’s joy was made whole. She received her promise but remember that she had already made alternate plans and had Ishmael brought forth. What will be the fate of Ishmael and Hagar? Will Sarah overlook their presence? We shall continue this conversation tomorrow. For now, let us rejoice with Sarah. She has received her promised child. May God respond to all women looking for the seed of the womb and change their stories like that of Sarah. Those who laughed at them will laugh with them. God is faithful.
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