Abraham – ROFL

Abraham – ROFL

According to ‘Wiktionary’: “ROFL (Internet Slang) Initialism of rolling on the floor, laughing, used to indicate great amusement at something in a discussion group, etc.”

According to Genesis 17:17: “Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and told himself, “Can a child be born to a 100-year-old man? Can a 90-year-old Sarah give birth?”

This was the second time Abraham fell to the ground in his encounter and conversation with God. The first time was when God appeared to establish His covenant with the promise “I’ll greatly increase your numbers.” Genesis 17:2 – but he didn’t laugh the first time. What did God say to cause Abraham to fall over with laughter?

Genesis 17:15 – God told Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are not to call her Sarai any longer, because her name is to be Sarah. 16 – I will bless her. Furthermore, I will give you a son from her. I will bless her, so that nations, kings, and people will come from her.” 17 – Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and told himself, “Can a child be born to a 100-year-old man? Can a 90-year-old Sarah give birth?

The words of God must have sounded so foolish to Abraham. There are times when we can be so certain of the impossibility of things and we respond to God like Abraham, with incredulous laughter and our ideas of what makes sense…

Verse 18 – So Abraham responded to God, “If only Ishmael would live in constant awareness that you’re always with him!” 19 – But God replied, “No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son, and you are to name him Isaac. I’ll confirm my covenant with him as an eternal covenant for his descendants.

Verse 20 – And as for Ishmael, I’ve heard you. I’ll bless him, and he’ll have many descendants. I will multiply him greatly, he’ll father twelve tribal leaders, and I’ll cause his descendants to become a great nation.

Verse 21 – Now as to Isaac, I’ll confirm my covenant with him, to whom Sarah will give birth as your son at this time next year.” 22 – With that, God finished talking to Abraham, and ascended, leaving him.

How did Abraham respond? Genesis 17:23 says: Abraham took his son Ishmael and all the servants born in his house or purchased with his money – every male among the men of his household – and circumcised them that very day, just as God had spoken to him. 24 – Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised.

Even though he laughed at the impossibility, Abraham’s response indicated that he was going to believe. Why cut off a piece of his most intimate and essential body part for producing children? His obedience was evidence that he chose to believe God. After all, when his body part was whole decades of trying did not result in any children. Now he would have a year of observing the sign every time he relieved himself or was intimate with Sarah – he would see his member with a piece missing and be reminded that God was going to provide the impossible.

The outward sign for Abraham was evidence that his heart had been circumcised of all stubbornness and unbelief. He was going to believe God no matter what.

What about you and me? All stubbornness, pride and unbelief needs to be circumcised from our hearts so that every time we see that something is missing from our lives we are reminded that God will fulfill his promise of returning with His reward of eternal life.

There’s a Twyla Paris song with a chorus that goes like this: “A heart that knows You, is a heart that can wait, die to the dearest desire. And a heart that knows you is a heart that can still celebrate following love through the fire.”

Knowing God makes all the difference in our willingness to trust Him and part with our worldly desires looking forward to when God will fulfill the impossible in returning to save us.

Let’s get to know God better today and laugh with joy as we witness God doing the impossible in our lives.