Children

Genesis 25

After Sarah's death, Abraham takes another wife and has 5 more children.  How old was he?  Wasn't he over 100 years old when Sarah died?

I love children.  I am missing my granddaugther this morning as I anticipate her home-coming this week.  It will be good to have her home!  My husband and I had foster children for a few years, now we have an adult foster home.  One of the ladies reminds me now and then that now that her parents are gone, we're like her parents. It makes me feel guilty that I don't have more time to spend with her.

This morning I find myself trying to wrap my head around the idea of wanting and having and trying to raise so many children as they did in Abraham's and his children's time, as they did even a generation or two before me.  100 years old and still having children?  My grandparent's generation had some huge families.  There are advantages to large families for sure; especially in communities where you must live off of the land.   But, this morning I can only imagine a dozen children in front of the television - all wanting the remote.  Who wins?  Probably dad.

Brothers and sisters don't always get along.  Parents don't always help the matter, either.  Isaac and Ishmael were from one of those broken families where the children were separated from each other while they were young.  But, like many families today, they get back together, a family reunion of sorts, to bury their father. 

We are told that Ishmael, the first-born of Abraham (but not Sarah) whom Abraham pretty much abandoned after Isaac's birth, had 12 sons - 12 tribal leaders. 

Isaac we are told, had two sons, twins.  Even before they were born they were tussling in the womb.  The Lord told Isaac's wife Rebekah that the two peoples in her womb would be separated and the oldest would serve the younger. Again... with separation of families and the first-born being last. 

What does all this mean?  Don't know... Will have to read on some more tomorrow and tomorrows after that.  But, for today I better finish getting packed for the Theological Conference and NALC Convocation and pick up my granddaughter!  Don't forget you can watch it live by going to the NALC web-site http://www.thenalc.org/