The miracle of a child. There's a mystery at the heart of Jewish existence, engraved into the first

syllables of our recorded time. The first words of God to Abraham were go out from your land,

your birthplace, and your father's house, and I will make you a great nation. In the next chapter,

there's another promise. I will make your children like the dust of the earth so that if

anyone could count the dust of the earth, so shall your offspring be counted. Two chapters later comes

a third. God took him outside and said, look at the heavens and count the stars if indeed you can

count them. Then he said to him, so shall your children be.

And finally the fourth, your name will be, Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations.

Four escalating promises. Abraham would be the father of a great nation, as many as the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky.

It would be the father, not of one nation, but of of the sky, it would be the father not of one nation,

but of many. What, though, was the reality?

Early in the story, we read that Abraham was very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

He had everything except one thing, a child.

Then God appeared to Abraham and said, your reward will be very great. Until now,

Abraham had been silent. Now something within him broke. And he asked, oh, Lord God,

what will you give me if I remain childless? The first recorded words of Abraham to God are a plea

for there to be future generations. The first Jew feared he would be the last.

Then a child was born. Sarah gave Abraham her handmaid, Hega, hoping that she would give him a child.

She gave birth to a son whose name was Ishmael, meaning God has heard. Abraham's prayer had been answered, or so we think.

But in the very next chapter, that hope is destroyed. Yes, there's God, Ishmael will be blessed.

He will be the father of 12 princes and a great nation, but he is not the child of Jewish destiny.

And one day, Abraham, you will have to part from him.

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