My dad told me he bought two tractors and a dump truck at an auction. I assumed he had work to do. Then he clarified they were toys for great-grandchildren. Watching my dad enjoy his great grandchildren has given me joy! He has thirteen great grandchildren with two more on the way. Seven boys and six girls so far. Did you know your great grandparents? I remember two of my great grandmothers, but no great grandfathers.
Abraham had twelve grandsons through Ishmael and two through Isaac. What were they like? Who did they become? In Hebrew, the writer of Genesis uses the word “toledot” to describe the descendants of an individual. The NIV translates toledot as the “account of the family line.” Ishmael lived a long life, but not as long as his father Abraham. What happened when Ishmael died? He was gathered to his people. This may mean he was buried around his mother’s family. Apparently, he was not buried a the Cave of Machpelah with his father. But I like to think that the scripture reveals our consciousness of our families after we die. We see the Lord and our people. God gathers. He is the Subject of the sentence.
During his lifetime, Ishmael’s twelve sons became tribal rulers. The angel told Hagar her son would be a wild donkey of a man. Ishmael would raise his hand against all his neighbors and they would raise their hand against him (Genesis 16:12). In like manner, his sons chose to live in hostility toward all the tribes related to them. When we hear about conflict in the Middle East, it goes back at least this far. This makes me suspicious of easy solutions there.
Some families fight like the warring factions in the Middle East. In a recent sermon, I recounted Fred Craddock’s story about the grave site which was perpendicular to those around it. When asked why the family had buried their loved one sideways to the other graves, they explained, “He lived his whole life cross-ways with others. So we buried him the way he lived.”
In every toledot or family line, curmudgeons and contrarians abound. This is not predestined for us. We don’t have to be cranky with our families and neighbors. Today we can choose the trajectory of our own toledot, or sphere of influence. James later wrote, “Peacemakers who sow in peace will reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18). Let that be our story, starting today.
