Confuse about what Paul said about Sarah

[mercy100]

I always thought that Sarah doubted God when she laughed, but Paul said that she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true. Even the angel asked her why she laughed. Can someone clear up what I am missing?

[Michael37]

25 minutes ago, mercy100 said:

I always thought that Sarah doubted God when she laughed, but Paul said that she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true. Even the angel asked her why she laughed. Can someone clear up what I am missing?

Hi mercy100,

I'm on answering duty so here's some material from Matthew Henry's Commentary which I offer to help with your studies around the verses below. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed at first but later had faith as the writer of Hebrews states:

Heb 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.
 

V. In the midst of the story of Abraham, the apostle inserts an account of the faith of Sarah. Here observe,
1. The difficulties of Sarah's faith, which were very great. As, (1.) The prevalency of unbelief for a time: she laughed at the promise, as impossible to be made good. (2.) She had gone out of the way of her duty through unbelief, in putting Abraham upon taking Hagar to his bed, that he might have a posterity. Now this sin of hers would make it more difficult for her to act by faith afterwards. (3.) The great improbability of the thing promised, that she should be the mother of a child, when she was of sterile constitution naturally, and now past the prolific age.
2. The actings of her faith. Her unbelief is pardoned and forgotten, but her faith prevailed and is recorded: She judged him faithful, who had promised, Heb_11:11. She received the promise as the promise of God; and, being convinced of that, she truly judged he both could and would perform it, how impossible soever it might seem to reason; for the faithfulness of God will not suffer him to deceive his people.
3. The fruits and rewards of her faith. (1.) She received strength to conceive seed. The strength of nature, as well as grace, is from God: he can make the barren soul fruitful, as well as the barren womb. (2.) She was delivered of a child, a man-child, a child of the promise, and comfort of his parents' advanced years, and the hope of future ages. (3.) From them, by this son, sprang a numerous progeny of illustrious persons, as the stars of the sky (Heb_11:12) - a great, powerful, and renowned nation, above all the rest in the world; and a nation of saints, the peculiar church and people of God; and, which was the highest honour and reward of all, of these, according to the flesh, the Messiah came, who is over all, God blessed for evermore.

[Jayne]

58 minutes ago, mercy100 said:

I always thought that Sarah doubted God when she laughed, but Paul said that she considered Him who had given her the promise to be reliable and true. Even the angel asked her why she laughed. Can someone clear up what I am missing?

From David Guzik:

"Sarah’s faith was not perfect. She first laughed in unbelief (Genesis 18:9-15) and then she learned to laugh in faith (Genesis 21:6)."

Apparently she laughed twice.

• Once in doubt
• Once in faith and joy

[mercy100]

Thank you! that make sense.