Not too far from Babel was a city called Ur, where people worshipped many gods other than Jehovah. But there was a man in Ur who worshipped only Jehovah. His name was Abraham.

Jehovah said to Abraham: ‘Leave your home and your relatives, and go to the land that I will show you.’ Then God promised: ‘You will become a large nation, and I will do good things for many people all over the earth because of you.’

Abraham did not know where Jehovah was sending him, but he trusted in Jehovah. So Abraham, his wife Sarah, his father Terah, and his nephew Lot packed their things and obediently began their long trip.

Abraham was 75 years old when he and his family finally arrived in the land that Jehovah wanted them to see. It was called the land of Canaan. There God spoke to Abraham and made this promise: ‘All this land you see around you, I will give to your children.’ But Abraham and Sarah were old and did not have any children. So how would Jehovah make his promise come true?

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.’