Chapter 7: Thirteen Years

Thirteen years passed. Ishmael grew up in Abraham's household as the only son. Hagar watched her boy grow in the house.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him again. He changed his name from Abram, which means "exalted father," to Abraham, meaning "father of many." He changed Sarai's name to Sarah, meaning "princess." Then God commanded that every male in the household be circumcised as a sign of the promise between them.

Then God told Abraham that Sarah would bear him a son. Abraham fell facedown and laughed. He was nearly a hundred. Sarah was ninety. But even as he laughed, his heart went to the son he already had.

ABRAHAM“If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”— Genesis 17:18

GOD“Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will surely bless him. I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”— Genesis 17:19-21

When God had finished speaking, Abraham obeyed. That same day he circumcised himself and Ishmael, who was thirteen years old.

Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son. They named him Isaac, which in Hebrew means "he laughs." But for Hagar, Isaac's birth changed everything. For thirteen years, Ishmael had been Abraham's only son. Now there were two. And the mother of the second one had never wanted Hagar or her boy there in the first place.