Q.
Why was Sarah not punished for her laughing over the news that she would have a son, while Zacharias was struck dumb for a similar response?
A.
The accounts of Sarah and Zacharias are found in Genesis 18:1–15 and Luke 1. Sarah’s laughter was likely a response similar to, “This is too good to be true.” The thought of her having a child at her age struck her funny. However, the Lord assured her that nothing was too hard for Him.
But Zacharias, as a priest ministering in the temple, should have known and responded better. It is apparent that he, as a servant of God in the temple, had a serious lapse of faith and questioned God’s ability to keep His own word. He even had the account of Sarah and Abraham to fall back on! In spite of Zacharias’s doubting, God was gracious in giving back his speech, and God’s messenger, the angel Gabriel, was confirmed.
This article appeared in the “Q & A” column of the Baptist Bulletin (December 2004) by Norman A. Olson.
