Font Size
The third new name was “Sarah,” which means “princess.” (We are not certain what “Sarai” means. Some say “to mock” or “to be contentious.” It could also be another form of the word “princess.”) Since she would become the mother of kings, it was only right that she be called a princess!
We must not minimize the place of Sarah in God’s great plan of salvation. Like her husband (and all of us), she had her faults, but also like her husband, she trusted God and accomplished His purposes (Heb. 11:11). She is not only the mother of the Jewish nation (Isa. 51:2) but also a good example for Christian wives to follow (1 Peter 3:1-6). The Christian husband should treat his wife like a princess because that is what she is in the Lord.
Three different occasions of laughter are associated with Isaac’s birth: Abraham laughed for joy when he heard his wife would give birth to the promised son (Gen. 17:17); Sarah laughed in unbelief when she heard the news (18:9-15); and Sarah laughed for joy when the boy was born (21:6-7). The name Isaac means “he laughs.”
Motherhood should be highly esteemed, and the birth of a baby welcomed with joy. While God does not call all women to marry, or all married women to bear children, He does have a special concern for both mothers and children (Ps. 113:9; 127:3-5; Matt. 19:14). In a selfish society, too many people see motherhood as a barrier and children as a burden. In fact, some people consider children such a burden that they destroy them before they have an opportunity to become a blessing.
The womb of the mother is a Holy of Holies where God is at work (Ps. 139:13-18). How tragic that we turn that womb into a tomb, that Holy of Holies into a holocaust.