Isaac (Hebrew: יִצְחָק)[1] is one of the ancestors of the Israelites.[2] He is the son and heir of Abraham, and his mother is Sarah (Hebrew: שָׂרָה). Unlike his half-brother Ishmael, Isaac is the child of promise, whom God designated as Abraham’s heir even before his birth. He is the father of twins Esau and Jacob.
| Isaac | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Period | Patriarchal Age |
| Family | Father: Abraham, Mother: Sarah Wife: Rebekah Children: Esau, Jacob |
| Occupation(Features) | Patriarch |
| Activity area | Canaan |
| Major achievements | Abraham’s heir The burnt offering on Mount Moriah Blessed Jacob |
His life, as recorded in the Bible, including God’s choice of him as Abraham’s heir and Abraham’s offering of him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, is closely tied to God’s plan of redemption. Isaac, as Abraham’s heir, symbolizes God’s heir, who will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and also Jesus Christ, who is God’s only begotten Son.
Historical Background
At a time when tribal states were being established by the descendants of Noah, Isaac’s father, Abraham, followed God’s direction from Ur of the Chaldeans and journeyed to Canaan.[3][4] When Abraham, who had no children, was considering adopting his servant Eliezer as his heir, God assured him, “A son coming from your own body will be your heir.”[5] However, ten years after arriving in Canaan, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, remained childless. Following Sarah’s suggestion, Abraham slept with Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, and had a son named Ishmael.[6]
When Abraham was 99 years old, God appeared to him and promised that he would become the “father of nations,” and Sarah would be the “mother of nations.” Although Abraham expressed his desire for Ishmael to be his heir, God told him that Sarah would give birth to a son in about a year, and they were to name him Isaac. God also stated that He would establish a covenant with Isaac.[7] Before God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He appeared to Abraham in human form, accompanied by two angels, and reaffirmed His promise, saying, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”[8]
Isaac’s Life and Major Events
Birth
One year after God appeared in the flesh and promised Abraham that He would give him a son through Sarah, she gave birth to a son named Isaac, which means “laughter.” Abraham was 100 years old at the time of Isaac’s birth. As his name suggests, the birth of Isaac brought great joy to both Abraham and Sarah. Eight days later, Abraham performed Isaac’s circumcision.[9]
Once Isaac was weaned, Abraham held a great feast to celebrate the occasion. However, Sarah noticed Ishmael, Hagar’s son, harassing little Isaac. She told Abraham that Ishmael could not be his heir and insisted that he drive out Hagar and Ishmael. Although Abraham was worried, he obeyed God, who instructed him, “Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned,” and sent Hagar and Ishmael away from their tents.[10] Subsequently, God referred to Isaac as Abraham’s “only son,”[11] establishing him as Abraham’s sole heir.
Isaac’s Burnt Offering
One day, God commanded Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain there. Abraham obeyed this command and journeyed with Isaac to Moriah. Upon reaching the mountain specified by God, Abraham placed the wood for the offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he carried the fire and a knife. As they ascended the mountain, Isaac questioned Abraham about the lamb for the sacrifice. Abraham responded that God Himself would provide the lamb.
Once they arrived at the designated location, Abraham bound Isaac and placed him on the wood of the altar. Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, an angel of the LORD intervened, calling out from heaven to stop him. The angel declared that Abraham had demonstrated his fear of God by being willing to sacrifice his only son and instructed him not to harm Isaac. At that moment, Abraham noticed a ram caught in a thicket, which he then offered as a burnt offering in place of Isaac. The angel of the LORD spoke to Abraham again, promising him great blessings for his obedience to God’s command.[12] Mount Moriah, the site of this event, later became the location where the Temple of Jerusalem was built.[13] The incident of Isaac’s burnt offering foreshadows the future when God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, would become the ultimate sacrifice, atoning for the sins of humanity.[14]
The Birth of Esau and Jacob
Isaac was 37 years old when his mother, Sarah, passed away. Some time after her death, Abraham sent a servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant brought back Rebekah, Abraham’s granddaughter, from the city of his brother Nahor in Mesopotamia. At that time, Isaac was living in Beer Lahai Roi, and he married Rebekah by bringing her into the tent of his mother, Sarah. Rebekah provided great comfort to Isaac, who lost his mother.[15]
Isaac married Rebekah when he was 40 years old, but for 20 years, she was unable to conceive. After Isaac prayed to God on behalf of his wife, God answered his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. The babies struggled within her womb, and God revealed to her that “the older will serve the younger.”
When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, the firstborn was named Esau, meaning “hairy,” and the second was named Jacob, meaning “he grasps the heel,” as he was holding Esau’s heel when he came out. Isaac was 60 years old when his sons were born.[16]
Moving to Gerar After Abraham’s Death
Fifteen years after the birth of Esau and Jacob, Isaac’s Father, Abraham, died at the age of 175. Before his death, Abraham bequeathed all his possessions to Isaac, his heir. After Sarah’s death, Abraham provided some wealth to the six children he had with his second wife Keturah, and sent them to the land of the east, away from Isaac. Isaac and Ishmael buried their father Abraham in the Cave of Machpelah where Sarah was also interred.[17]
During a famine in Beer Lahai Roi, Isaac relocated to the land of Gerar.[18] God appeared to Isaac, instructing him not to go to Egypt but to remain in the land God showed him. God promised to be with Isaac and uphold the oath He had made to Abraham.[19] In obedience, Isaac settled in Gerar and was blessed by God, reaping a hundredfold of what he sowed. Isaac’s wealth and power grew, and finally became very rich.[20]
As a result, the Philistines became envious of him. They threatened Isaac and blocked the wells that had been dug during Abraham’s time, filling them with earth, in an effort to force him to move away. In response, Isaac dug new wells in the Valley of Gerar, Rehoboth, and Beersheba. God continued to bless Isaac, allowing him to find water wherever he dug. Recognizing God’s favor upon Isaac, the Philistine king sought reconciliation. Isaac made a treaty with them and then settled in Beersheba.[21]
Blessing Jacob
Esau, Isaac’s son, was a skilled hunter, while Jacob stayed in tents and assisted with domestic tasks. Isaac favored Esau because he enjoyed the game that Esau brought home, while his wife Rebekah favored Jacob even more for his help around the house. One day, Esau, showing disregard for his birthright, impulsively sold it to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of lentil stew.[22]
As Isaac grew older and his vision faded, he called Esau, his firstborn, intending to give him the traditional blessing before his death. He instructed Esau to hunt and prepare the kind of tasty food he liked from his game. However, Rebekah overheard this and, while Esau was out hunting, she devised a plan. She instructed Jacob to disguise himself as Esau and present some tasty food to Isaac. In his blindness, Isaac mistook Jacob for Esau and bestowed upon him the blessing meant for his firstborn. When Isaac realized the deception, it was too late; the blessing could not be revoked. Esau, upon returning and learning what had transpired, was devastated, but Isaac had no further blessing to offer. This incident fulfilled the prophecy that “the older will serve the younger.”[23][24]
Furious, Esau vowed to kill Jacob for usurping both his birthright and his blessing. To protect Jacob, Rebekah sent him to her brother Laban in Haran. Before Jacob departed, Isaac blessed him once more and instructed him to marry one of Laban’s daughters.[25]
The Death and Burial of Isaac
After many years, Jacob returned from Laban’s house and visited Isaac, who was living in Hebron. According to God’s blessing, Jacob married Laban’s daughters, had twelve sons, and amassed great wealth.
Isaac lived to be 180 years old. Jacob, along with his brother Esau, buried Isaac in the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Sarah had been also laid to rest.[26] Although the Bible does not record Rebekah’s death, it is noted that she, too, was buried in the cave of Machpelah alongside Isaac.
Symbolic Meaning of Isaac
Jesus Christ
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, Abraham represents God.[27] In this context, Isaac, as Abraham’s only son, symbolizes Jesus, God’s only begotten Son.[28][29] When Abraham was about to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah, an angel of God intervened and ordered that a ram be sacrificed instead of Isaac.[12] This act foreshadowed that God’s people would continue to observe feasts by sacrificing animals, which represented the blood of Christ, until Jesus Christ—the reality of the lamb[30][31]—was sacrificed as a ransom on the cross.[32]
Children of Promise
Isaac is in contrast to Ishmael, who was born without God’s promise. Before Isaac was born, God promised that he would be blessed as Abraham’s heir.[5][33] The Bible describes Isaac as the “children of promise.”
Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
“The children of promise” in the Bible refer to those whom God promised through a prophecy before their birth, such as Isaac or Jacob. That is why Apostle Paul called the saints in the new covenant, who were promised the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through the prophecies of the Old Testament in advance, as “children of promise like Isaac.”
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Isaac, Abraham’s heir, also represents God’s people, who are God’s heirs.[34]
See also
References
- ↑ 3327. יִצְחָק, Bible Hub
- ↑ "Acts 3:13".
- ↑ "Acts 7:2–4".
- ↑ "Genesis 12:1–2".
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Genesis 15:2–4".
- ↑ "Genesis 16:15–16".
- ↑ "Genesis 17:1–27".
- ↑ "Genesis 18:1–15".
- ↑ "Genesis 21:1–7".
- ↑ "Genesis 21:8–14".
- ↑ "Genesis 22:2".
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Genesis 22:1–19".
- ↑ "2 Chronicles 3:1".
- ↑ "John 3:16".
- ↑ "Genesis 24:1–67".
- ↑ "Genesis 25:19–26".
- ↑ "Genesis 25:1–11".
- ↑ Gerar, Jewish Virtual Library
- ↑ "Genesis 26:2–5".
- ↑ "Genesis 26:1–14".
- ↑ "Genesis 26:14–33".
- ↑ "Genesis 25:27–34".
- ↑ Genesis 25:23
- ↑ "Genesis 27:36".
- ↑ "Genesis 27:1–28:5".
- ↑ "Genesis 35:28–29".
- ↑ In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus recorded in Luke 16, it is said that Lazarus entered heaven and was carried "to Abraham's side." The rich man, who went to hell, referred to Abraham as "Father." Since only God can be called Father in heaven, it can be inferred that Abraham represents God the Father in this parable.
- ↑ "John 8:54–56".
- ↑ "Galatians 3:16".
- ↑ "John 3:16".
- ↑ "John 1:29".
- ↑ "Matthew 20:28".
- ↑ "Genesis 17:19–23".
- ↑ "Galatians 3:29".