GENESIS 16, or, "You're sure? Really? I mean, you're not going to be mad or anything right? Just so we're clear - I absolutely have your permission?"

At the ripe age of 86, Abram is still trying to conceive a child with his wife Sarai. Failing that, Sarai suggests that Abram have a child with their maidservant. Drama ensues of Lifetime movie-of-the-week proportions.

I wonder if Genesis 16 is the earliest recorded account of the oh-so-familiar situation in which a woman gives her man permission to do something even though she doesn't really want him to do it. Abram would be the kind of guy to think that Sarai is truly cool with him going to watch the game with the guys down at the bar.

Abram is getting old, and even though God keeps promising him all these children, none have come along. Sarai gets impatient and tells Abram that he should sleep with their maidservant Hagar so that he can at least have children through her. It works, Hagar becomes pregnant and Sarai becomes jealous.

Sarai "mistreats" Hagar (the vagueness of the word "mistreats" intrigues me) and Hagar flees to the desert. There, an angel of the Lord tells Hagar that her children, like Sarai's, will one day be too numerous to count. The angel tells Hagar to go back to Abram and Sarai, where she gives birth to her son Ishmael.

There's a lot to say about Ishmael, but I'll hold my commentary until his brother is born.

In the meantime, here's an interesting fact: With about 2 billion followers, 33.06% of the world is Christian, making it the world's largest religion. 20.8% are Muslim, making Islam second largest. What would you guess would be the third largest? If you guessed Judaism, you'd be wrong. Hindiusm is third largest. In fact, with only 14 million followers, Judaism is the sixth largest religion in the world, accounting for only 0.23% of the population. I guess living in LA, I forget that Jews are rare breed.

God on YouTube: Shalom Auslander explains in his new book, Foreskin's Lament, why it's not easy being a Jew.