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Two Kinds of Laughter to God’s Gracious Promises
Genesis 21:1-21
The Bible has much to say about laughter. We laugh with joy when we experience God’s goodness, Psalm 126. And when we trust God, we can laugh in the face of an uncertain future, Proverbs 31:25. But laughter can be evil. They dragged Samson into Dagon’s temple and mocked him with laughter. Incredulous laughter can show a heart of unbelief - like Sarah and Abraham when God said they’d have a son. But God has the last laugh. He laughs at the unbelief and rebellion of the wicked, Psalm 2. And God’s people will share in that laughter one day. Christ said, “Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.” Today, we see 2 kinds of laughter - the rejoicing of believers and the mocking of unbelievers. How you laugh shows how you relate to God, whether by grace or by human effort. And what you rejoice in reveals who you are. We’ll see this passage in 2 descriptions. Firstly, she laughed because of God’s gracious promises; and secondly, he laughed despite God’s gracious promises.
Firstly, she laughed because of God’s gracious promises. God promised sinners one thing from the very start. In Genesis 3, he said he’d provide a man - a promised hero that would destroy sin and Satan. Despite Abraham’s inconsistencies, God promised that this hero would descend from him - to bless the world. But Abraham and Sarah were old. She was barren. But God was faithful to his promises. Verses 1-2 say, “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” The phrase is repeated - God did “as he had spoken” at the time “God had spoken.” He was faithful to his word. And to make sure we get this, the word “son” is repeated 6 times. Verse 2 - she bore Abraham a son. Verse 3 - he called the name of his son Isaac. Verse 4 - he circumcised his son. Verse 5 - at a hundred years old, he had a son. Verse 7 - I’ve born him a son. Verse 8 - and he grew, who? The son. As God promised, they had a son! This assures us that God’s word is dependable. He gave them a son because he wanted a worldwide people who trust the gospel; blessed through his ultimate descendant - Jesus Christ. And we see that today - believers around the world who love Jesus. Why? God was faithful to his promises.
God was also faithful in the timing. Verse 2 says it was at the set time. But 25 years have passed since Abraham’s call. Humanly speaking, if it was earlier, it would’ve solved many problems - sparing the family from the current ugliness of Hagar, Ishmael, inheritance rights, and jealousy from Sarah. Maybe they wouldn’t have moved to Gerar - sparing her of being kidnapped. We always have such thoughts about how God should answer prayer and keep his promises. Like Mary and Martha - Lord, if you’d come earlier, our brother wouldn’t have died. But God’s thoughts are higher than ours. He has his timing! And often, his timing is later than ours so he’d be glorified. To show us he’s God and we’re not. Abraham always tried to engineer his way - so God showed him who was in charge. And that was good for him. He needed to grow in trust and surrender. He displayed faithlessness many times before. But when perhaps he finally learned surrender, God gave him a son. It was the right time.
But he also fulfilled his promises powerfully. Abraham and Sarah were both past child-bearing age. Hebrews 11 called him as good as dead. Romans 4 said her womb was dead. So this line of promise was by God’s power alone. Medically, biologically, statistically, it was impossible. It wasn’t by her manipulation of surrogacy or his plan to adopt his servant. They didn’t use prevailing cultural practices. But it would be by his own son. Impossible with man but possible with God. And that’s a lesson we must learn - God never gives us anything before his time. But when he wants to do something, he’ll do it powerfully even though it seems impossible.
So what did God do? He gave the promised seed. Now, this is a very significant point. This is the whole theme in Genesis. Land and son. Don’t forget. God pushed back chaotic waters to reveal land to live and air to breathe. Then he created mankind. Why? To have a worshiping people. But they were banished from the land for their sin. But despite that, they were given hope. God will send a hero to destroy sin. Meanwhile, they’d multiply to fill the earth, so the hero would come. But how did that go? Land and people? Failure! When Cain was born, Eve named him that because she thought he was the one! She gained a man from God. But she was disappointed. She named her second son Abel, or hevel, meaning vanity. There’s no hope under the sun! Indeed. Cain killed Abel. And Seth? His descendants married Cain’s ungodly line to corrupt the bloodline. So God destroyed all the land. But could it be Noah? Righteous Noah? Drunk Noah?! And when mankind multiplied until they could fill the earth, they decided to stay in Babel. So God dispersed them to fill the earth. All these failures of land and son.
But now we have Abraham - a faithful man. He went to the land God showed him. He moved through it to claim it for God by worship. So he had land, but no son. But now, that son came! The rest of the promise was fulfilled - the seed of promise from which Christ would come. Now, to be sure, the birth of Isaac didn’t seem like big news. There was no Flora, Fauna, or Merryweather, not even Maleficent bearing gifts. There was no one. No king sent an embassage. But make no mistake. This was an important child - the blessing of the world depended on Isaac’s birth. And Abraham circumcised Isaac on the 8th day, verse 4. Abraham would raise him to know the Lord, train him to acknowledge God has his own, and show him the gospel. He’d teach him about repentance and forgiveness - and where to look for it - the promised seed who’d destroy sin and Satan, and bring him to a better land. So this circumcision would’ve daily reminding him these truths - that he should hate sin and desire it to be cut off from him. And if he had this kind of faith - he’d be saved - part of God’s people. This birth of Isaac was a moment of great hope and certainty.
So how did Sarah react? She rejoiced that all may rejoice. Verse 6 - “And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.” Who’d have believed she could nurse and bear children at this age? So how Sarah reacted showed her understanding and faith. Her joy was not meant to be private. She also knew all the promises and had previously sinned to manipulate it into being. But she repented and now saw how God did it. She couldn’t help it! She was filled with joy and laughter. And she wanted all to know her joy. Abraham’s household had been waiting for years. And now they were rejoicing. The true heir had been born. Through his descendant, the world would be blessed. So all the circumcised in that household - raised to understand the promises - would’ve rejoiced and laughed. When God does a work of grace, the whole body rejoices. And he was named Isaac - laughter - to teach the people to rejoice. Yes, in the past, Abraham and Sarah laughed in disbelief - but now they laughed because the promise was fulfilled. And also because they saw beyond Isaac - they saw a worldwide blessing. And they knew the ultimate descendant would come. Why? Because Isaac came. It was a lesson to them never never to laugh the way they did. And it should convince us God will always keep his promises.
But not everyone laughed for joy. Another laughing was going on. Secondly, he laughed despite God’s gracious promises. In verses 8-9, there was a great feast when Isaac was weaned, meaning between 3 and 5 years. He’d survived the most vulnerable years. But in verse 9, during that great feast, Sarah saw “the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.” The word for mocking is another form for the same word - Isaac. But different too; it means sniggering or mocking. He mocked while all others rejoiced. His laughter was vicious, contemptuous, scornful, cruel; done to harass. Galatians 4:29 reveals it was a persecuting laugh. Why? Some may say Ishmael was jealous. It’s unfair. He was heir before Isaac. Some may feel bad for him. But why?! How old was Ishmael? 14 years older than Isaac, meaning, he was at least 17 or possibly 19. He was no longer a child. He was a man. What kind of man mocks a young child? But wasn’t he circumcised? Raised in the covenant? Didn’t he know about the promised hero who’d destroy sin? The one who’d give them heaven? Didn’t he know the need to cut away sin? Yes - I’m sure. But he didn’t listen. How ironic. Ishmael means “God will hear” - but Ishmael didn’t hear God. And now he mocked all he was raised to believe.
He was not the promised seed, and also not part of the promised people. In verse 10, we see something hard to swallow. Sarah told Abraham to banish them -“Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” Now, one may debate Sarah’s morality. Didn’t she originally give Hagar to Abraham for procreation? Why the change? Was she offended like Mrs Potiphar? Petty? Wanting vengeance? Now, that’s the worst possible reason. But consider a more charitable and likely reason. She saw that Ishmael didn’t have the same joyful reaction to the promised child. But the promised blessing was linked to the promised child. And if he reacted this way now, could he bring greater harm to Isaac next time? He didn’t believe the promise. Perhaps it was a threat to the line in Sarah’s eyes. If Satan could use Cain, couldn’t he use Ishmael? Wasn’t she justified?
To understand what’s at stake, we look at Galatians 4. This chapter tells us the difference between Ishmael and Isaac. They represent 2 kinds of people and beliefs in the world. Galatians 4 describes those who live after the flesh - they rely on their heritage, good works, and obedience to be saved. But it compares them to those who live after the Spirit. Galatians 5 says these hope to be right with God by faith. Two kinds of people. And Galatians 4:29 reveals that Ishmael was the first kind, while Isaac was the second kind - “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” Isaac represents joyful trust in God’s promises and Ishmael represents rejection of God’s promises without human strength. So why did Ishmael mock and persecute Isaac? He didn’t believe the promises of the gospel. On the other hand, Isaac did. 2 kinds of laughter reveal 2 kinds of people.
We see this throughout the Bible. Cain gave offerings without faith; Abel gave it out of faith. Judas denied Jesus and betrayed him; Peter sought forgiveness for denying him. The Pharisees felt justified by their achievements; Paul rubbished his former achievements. The rich young ruler thought he obeyed enough, but was covetous; Zacchaeus was covetous, but repented and then obeyed. There are 2 kinds of people, with 2 kinds of reactions to the gospel. One laughs with scorn, the other rejoices in it. One represents good works; the other saving grace. So when Sarah asked Abraham to cut off Ishmael, it was for more than his snigger. There was a threat to the gospel.
What did Abraham do? He was faithful to God’s promises. We learn that he cut off Ishmael. He was sad, but he submitted. Verse 14 says he rose up early, gave Hagar bread and water, and sent them away. He surrendered the son whom he loved, but the son who rejected the promise. And this showed that Abraham loved God more than his son and knew what was at stake. Galatians 5:9 warned of this exact situation, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Therefore Paul said, “I wish those who trouble you would be cut off.” Why? Those who deny the gospel are enemies of the gospel. They’re dangerous. So Abraham was faithful.
But God was also faithful to his promise. He told Abraham verse 13 and 18, he’d make of Ishmael a great nation. He rescued him - gave him a well of water to drink. What does this mean? Now, look beyond the text. Yes, it’s great he’ll have a people. In fact, he had 12 sons. But do you see the prospect? Who’s the one who’d bless and save these nations? Christ! Abraham’s ultimate son, through Isaac. So this assured Abraham. Abraham was faithful to cut Ishmael off, but God would be faithful to his promises. Through Isaac, Ishmael’s people would be blessed and saved. Yes, he didn’t believe. He mocked. But the Ishmael who refused to hear the gospel and mocked what Isaac stood for - his people would hear the gospel and laugh in faith one day. Isaiah 41 and 60 both speak specifically of that blessing.
Beloved, how can we apply this? Let’s check if we truly delight in the gospel; and if we truly hope in sin’s and Satan’s destruction. Sarah did. Abraham did. But not Ishmael. 1 Peter 1:12 says that even the angels longed to see this gospel. That’s why when the chosen seed was born, they sang in Bethlehem - joyful songs. Mary herself sang that her spirit rejoiced in God her savior. The wise men from the east - possibly Ishmael’s seed - came with gifts. Christ was born according to God’s promise. It was at the set time that God sent his Son, made of a woman - and a virgin. That’s God’s power. He gave a savior, who cuts sin from all who believe. And in time, he saved you. How? God surrendered the Son that he loved. Made him drink of a cup of suffering, that he might be a well of living water for us! What should your thought be to all of this? Grateful laughter! Who’d have thought that God would save me?! Be overwhelmed with joy like Sarah.
But some here may be underwhelmed like Ishmael. Is there anything in your life mocking the promises of God? Some here are satisfied with your goodness. Your legalism is polished. Others don’t repent as well as I. Others’ knowledge is not as reformed as mine. They’re not as hardworking as me. Not as mission minded as me. Not as frugal as me. Or wise. And you mock. That’s the spirit of Ishmael. And the gospel calls you to cast out the bondwoman and her son. But the gospel also calls you to cast out the flesh. Be ruthless with it. Christ said, if you right eye offend you, pluck it out; your right hand, cut it off. Paul said to remove the sinning member to purify the church. What do you need to send away - what darling sin? Or who do you need to send away to prevent the spread of sin? What friends must you not keep company with? You must be ruthless with the flesh. It cannot be allowed to coexist with the Spirit. Crucify it.
And hope in the promised keeping God. Children of the covenant - be in awe of the gospel. Never mock it. Don’t be an Ishmael - hearing but never truly believing. Some of us have children who have walked astray. They grew up hearing. But they have rejected. God can raise the dead. He can open up a barren womb. He can do anything. He can bring your children back, even after you’re as good as dead. Yes, sometimes he delays his promise. And let us must learn to wait on him - because he is a God who keeps his promises.
1. She Laughed Because of God’s Gracious Promises
A. He was faithful to his promises
B. He was the promised seed
C. She rejoiced that all may rejoice
2. He Laughed Despite God’s Gracious Promises
A. He mocked while all rejoiced
B. He was not the promised seed
C. Their faithfulness to God’s promises
Conversation for Change:
1. In your own life, how has an “Ishmael-style” laughter manifested itself? How do you sometimes subtly mock God’s promises?
2. Abraham was grieved when he sent Ishmael away. God requires us to let go of things we love because they threaten our walk. What are the good things in our lives that can subtly compete with the best thing (Christ)?
3. How does God’s ultimate mercy on Ishmael challenge us to show hope and show mercy on those who sin grievously?
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2026, Rev. Mark Chen
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