Abraham and Sarah had been married for many years. They had left their comfortable home in Ur and were living in a tent. But Sarah did not complain, because she trusted in Jehovah.

Sarah wanted a child so much that she told Abraham: ‘If my servant Hagar has a child, it could be like my own.’ In time, Hagar did have a son. His name was Ishmael.

Many years later, when Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 89, they had three visitors. Abraham invited them to rest under a tree and share a meal. Do you know who the visitors were? They were angels! They told Abraham: ‘Next year at this time, you and your wife will have a son.’ Sarah was listening from inside the tent. She laughed to herself and thought: ‘Can I really have a child even though I am so old?’

The next year, Sarah gave birth to a son, just as Jehovah’s angel had promised. Abraham named him Isaac, which means “Laughter.”

When Isaac was about five years old, Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of him. She wanted to protect her son, so she went to Abraham and asked him to send Hagar and Ishmael away. At first, Abraham did not want to do that. But Jehovah said to Abraham: ‘Listen to Sarah. I will take care of Ishmael. But it is through Isaac that my promises will come true.’