Then Abraham stood up slowly from the ground, Eliezer and Isaac helping him to rise, and reached out to take the baby. “Serve God all the days of your life!” he said to the baby.

Then he turned to Rebekah and said, irritably, “And how long am I supposed to wait for my grandson?”

She couldn’t believe he had asked her such a thing in front of everyone.

“That’s a question better asked of God,” said Rebekah, “than of me.”

“I’m old, and I want to see my grandson before I die!” Abraham turned to Isaac. “Why haven’t your prayers been granted, that’s what I want to know. What sin stands between you two and the favor of the Lord? Is it yours, or hers?”

Was Abraham joking? Rebekah had no way to tell—the remark was so outrageous that it had to have been meant ironically. But even if it was intended as a jest, it wasn’t funny.

Isaac said nothing, of course.

Except that this time he should have spoken, Rebekah thought. It was wrong of him to leave her undefended. “I have repented of every sin I’ve known of as soon as I recognized it,” said Rebekah, “and prayed for God’s forgiveness. But if you know of any other sins I have committed, I’d be grateful if you would take me aside privately and tell me about them.”

If Abraham noticed the implied complaint that he was accusing her so publicly, he gave no sign of it, except to turn from her to Isaac. “You’re a high priest, aren’t you? Ordained with the power of God? Well, use it!”

Ishmael was enjoying all this enormously, Rebekah could see, even though he kept his head down and seemed to be concentrating on cleaning his knife.

Isaac finally answered. “I don’t trouble the Lord, asking for blessings he’s already promised to give.”

“What does that mean? Aren’t you even praying for a baby? Is that it?”

“We pray,” said Rebekah.

At the same moment, Isaac answered, “Of course not.”

Oh, thought Rebekah. He isn’t praying for a baby?

“You taught me,” said Isaac, “that it’s foolish to pray for the sun to rise, when the Lord has ordered the universe in such a way that it always rises.”

“Yes, well, are you always having babies?” asked Abraham.

“The Lord has said that I will,” said Isaac.

Ishmael spoke up. “I think the Lord promised Father that his descendants would be as numerous as the sands of the sea, but I’ve never heard that the promise was limited to his descendants through you.” Ishmael was smiling, but to Rebekah his envy and bitterness seemed painfully plain. “I’ve given him twelve grandsons, which isn’t a bad start.”

Isaac looked at his older brother mildly and said, “I can wait for the Lord.”