Sarai takes matters of the promised heir into her own hands. She believes that since she can't seem to have children, that Abram's child must come to him another way, though Hagar, her Egyptian slave-girl. It seems to be common practice in a slave-owning household according to my footnotes, and no one bats an eye at it... until Hagar actually conceives. When she does, she realizes that Sarai is to blame for the idea instead of Abram, and "looked with contempt on her mistress" (Gen 16:4) Wouldn't you? Her child will essentially be taken from her and raised as Sarai's. Instead of dealing with it herself, Sarai appeals to Abram to intervene. He basically tells her, "You made this mess. You clean it up." So Sarai opresses her (in the Hebrew), and Hagar runs away. At this point, the angel of the Lord catches up with her, and tells her to go back and submit because her offspring shall have multitudes of descendants (but the connotation is not as many as Abram's true heir...). Because God heard her suffering, she is to name her son Ishmael (literally God hears). Hagar then recognizes God as "El-Roi" (God who sees) because God saw her in her struggles. And then Ishmael was born.
Several years later, God comes to Abram again, to make a covenant...again. Seems very much like the same one that they've been making since Abram appeared on the scene. Only this time, Abram is given a new name as a sign of it: Abraham! (literally: ancestor of a multitude). And a new catch is introduced. All of this will only go down if all the males are circumcised. All of them. Slaves born into the house and otherwise acquired too. Within 8 days of being born or right now since they've just brokered this covenant. It's a bad day to be a man. Meanwhile Sarai gets a new name, too (Sarah), and is promised to bear a son of her very own! And Abraham laughs in God's face. She's never had children, and even if she had... she's post-menopause. It's just not possible. Then, like a good dad, makes a plea for Ishmael to be blessed instead, which God does. A little. God then rebukes Abraham for disbelieving that all things are possible for God, and that Sarah's child shall be named Isaac (literally: he laughs). After their little conversation, Abraham promptly runs off and circumcises everyone. All the males anyways...
Now it's Sarah's turn to hear the good news. God/heavenly beings appear at Abraham's tent, and Abraham plays the most gracious host providing water, meat, bread, milk, and shade in the heat of the day. At which point, they/God (it likes to switch around between pronouns) tell Abraham again that Sarah shall have a son "in due season." Sarah has been eavesdropping, and on hearing this, she laughs. She then calls out Abraham for being too old to give her pleasure (same undertones as being known). God then calls Sarah out on her doubt in the Lord, and it's like she remembers who was talking to her. She denies laughing in the first place because "she was afraid." I mean, dude. She laughed at God who not too long ago wiped the earth clean. I'd be scared too. But God is cool with it. Just says, "Oh yes, you did laugh." in a friendly, non-accusatory kind of way. After all, laughter is the very best medicine.
<3 Agnostic in the Pews
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