A Legacy of Laughter

The story of Abraham and Sarah is one of the most foundational accounts in Scripture—a story of covenant, impossibility, and fulfillment. Abraham is called by God to become the father of a nation, and yet for decades he and his wife Sarah remain childless. It is within this waiting that God begins to reshape their identities, redefine their calling, and establish a generational inheritance that would ultimately shape the people of Israel.

But as with every divine promise, there is opposition. In this story, it comes in the form of mockery. The Hebrew word sahaq means to laugh, to mock, to play, to jest, to make sport of—or even to make a toy of something. It's a word woven through the story of Abraham and Sarah, but not always in a joyful way. It reflects the tension between promise and disbelief, joy and scorn, fulfillment and opposition.

Renamed by Promise

In Genesis 17:5, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. Originally, his name meant “exalted father,” but it was changed to “father of a multitude.” Up until now, God had only given Abraham this promise, but suddenly He was also changing Sarai’s identity:

Genesis 17:15–16“And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give (Hebrew lit. “have given”) you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”

Sarai means “princess,” a daughter of the King, but God renames her Sarah, reaffirming and expanding that identity—not just a princess, but the mother of kings. It is no longer only Abraham’s promise; it becomes hers too. By naming her, God publicly includes her in His covenant. Her identity is no longer in waiting or assumption—it is anchored in a divine word.

The language God uses is significant: “I have given”—past tense. To the Lord, the promise is not a possibility but a settled reality.

Laughter of Incredulity

Abraham receives her new name and uses it without hesitation, but his reaction to the promised son is more complex:

Genesis 17:17–19, 21“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed... ‘Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’... ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before you!’... But God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac [he laughs]’...”

Abraham tries to substitute God's promise with Ishmael, the son already present. He tries to simplify the promise—to make it easier, more practical. But God insists: it will be through Sarah, and it will be a son not yet born. God didn’t rebuke Abraham's laughter—He named it. Isaac, meaning “he laughs,” would become the embodiment of His promise fulfilled.

Laughter of Insecurity

In Genesis 18, the Lord appears again—but to both Abraham and Sarah. And this time, the promise is spoken for Sarah to hear directly:

Genesis 18:9-10 “They said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘She is in the tent.’ The Lord said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.”

God knows exactly where she is—physically, emotionally, spiritually. This is the first time Sarah hears the promise with her own ears. And it comes addressed to her, by the name God Himself gave her.

Genesis 18:11–12 “So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?’”

She laughs—not in delight, but in insecurity. She sees herself as beyond the hope of promise: worn out, forgotten, past delight.

But God meets her internal narrative with His truth:

Genesis 18:13–14“The Lord said... ‘Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?’”

In the Hebrew, there is powerful wordplay at work. Sarah is laughing about the very thing that will be named laughter. The word sahaq means to laugh—and it’s from this root that the name Isaac is formed. Essentially, the Lord is saying, “Why did you laugh about the laughter I’m about to give you?”

This moment isn’t one of judgment—it’s a tender, even playful, interaction from the Father. It is His loving way of drawing Sarah in, affirming not only the promise but His identity. He is the God who gives joy. He is the God who keeps His Word. And He is the God who doesn’t depend on our strength to accomplish His will. The promise doesn’t hinge on Sarah’s ability but on His Word: that she, His princess, will be the mother of nations and kings.

Genesis 18:15“But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ for she was afraid. He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”

God acknowledges her fear and names her response—but not to shame her. He identifies where she is and restates that which her emotions prevent her from doing: the Truth.

Laughter of Joy

Genesis 21:1–7“The Lord visited Sarah as he said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah had borne him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was 8 days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.’ And she said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’”

God fulfilled His promise to Sarah and turned her bitter mocking into joy. The woman who once saw herself as too “worn out” for motherhood is now the sustainer for the promise of God. In this act, her joy is full—she is not just a vessel for promise but a nurturer of it.

Laughter of Mockery

Genesis 21:8–13 ESV“And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.’ And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.’”

This is the same mocking spirit of God’s promise that Sarah subjected herself to when Isaac was only a hope-given word by the Lord. But now, as she watches it antagonize the Lord’s growing promise, it was time to cast out the mocking spirit.

Cutting Off the Mockery

Just as in this story, there is a spirit of mockery that attacks the spiritually vulnerable in order to demolish the things of God. This spirit is out to destroy us through our relationship and communication with the Lord. His Word is what holds each of our identities, callings, and inheritances—and it is unlocked as we develop deeper relationship with Him.

At first, this spirit tries to keep you from believing. Then, when you do believe, the spirit of mockery is out to destroy the legacy that is being made.

Don’t let the lies or familiarity of the enemy stop you from rejecting the mockery against the Lord’s purpose for you.

There comes a time when you must cut it off and send it away—even if it was a partnership that you coerced. Even if you once birthed it. Even if it’s familiar.

In the end, this spirit is out to destroy the Word of God: that He is Who He says He is, that we are who He says we are, that we have a calling by Him, and an inheritance for us to pass on to the next generation.

God’s ready to do for us exactly as He did for Isaac—to send this spirit away for Him to take care of— but are you ready for Him to do it?

Galatians 4:28–31 ESV“Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.’ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.”

Galatians 5:1 ESV“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

You have no yoke of slavery in Jesus Christ. Ask Him to send this spirit away from you and from His legacy over you. Don’t live with compromise to your identity, calling, or inheritance found in the Lord and His promises.

2 Corinthians 3:17“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Don’t let mocking voices dwell in the same house as your miracle.You are a child of promise.The Lord has spoken. He will fulfill it. And yes, He will laugh (Zephaniah 3:17).

And, you will, too.

Proverbs 31:25“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

Let’s Pray

Father God, thank You that You have promises for me to delight in and an identity for me to wear. I pray that if there is any spirit of mockery that I have invited in, any that has gone before me in the generations above me, or any that would try to attach themselves to the legacy You are calling me to, that You would fully break it, bind it, and send it to the foot of the Cross.

I bind on Earth what is bound in Heaven and loosen on Earth what is loosened in Heaven. Create in me a clean heart to be receptive to Your Word: Who You are and Who You are saying that I am to become.

Thank You, Jesus, that You partner with me in freedom. May I have complete deliverance from anything that is keeping me from Your freedom and be a freedom-bearer for others who are seeking it.

Holy Spirit, I trust You in all that You are doing and accept all that You have for me—Your identity, calling, and inheritance for me now and into eternity. I love You. Amen.