Friday 10 April 2009

Isaac


Isaac was the son that God had promised to Abraham and Sarah. There were told that it was through Isaac that, “indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies” Gen. 22:17

So Isaac was born and was circumcised on the eighth day, Gen 21:4. It was Isaac that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice on the mountain, Gen 22:2, and whom God spared there on that mountain, Gen 22:12. It was this man, whose name means laughter, was the one continued the line of Abraham.

The life of Isaac

A bride for Isaac

Gen 24:1-67
As Abraham grew older, after Sarah’s death he sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac from his own relatives, Gen 24:4, because he did not want him to take a wife from the daughters of the Canaanites, Gen 24:3. This servant was a godly man and he prayed for success in his quest, Gen 24:10-14. The Lord fulfilled this request and it turned out just the way the servant prayed it would. Abraham’s niece, Rebekah came down to draw water. The servant entered Laban’s house and told him all that had happened. Laban agreed that the Rebekah should go with him, Gen 24:50-58

The birth of Isaac’s sons
Gen 25-19-26
Like his mother, Sarah, Isaac’s wife, Rebekah was barren and Isaac prayed to the Lord for her, that she might bare children. This prayer was answer with the birth of twins who were born in an unusual way. While Esau was born first, God had told Rebekah that the older would serve the yonger.

The stolen Blessing
Gen 27:1-4
Before Isaac died he wanted to give a blessing to his oldest son, Esau (Esau had already sold his birth right, Gen 25:27-34, the blessing was all he had left). Rebekah heard about this and sought the blessing for her favourite, Jacob, Gen 27:5-18. Jacob fooled his father into bestowing the blessing onto him, Gen 27:18-29. Esau missed out on the blessing, Gen 27:30-40.

The Death of Isaac
Gen 35:27-29


Characteristics of Isaac

• Meditation
Gen 24:63
Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming.
• Affection
Gen. 24:67
Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
• Imitated his father’s sin
Gen. 26:7
When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.”
• Peaceableness
Gen. 26:20-22
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
• Prayerfulness
Gen. 26:25
So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Isaac in the New Testament

Luke 24:34-40
Jesus used Isaac as a proof that there is a resurrection

Gal 4:21-31
Isaac was the child of promise and is representative of the New Covenant. The Old was cast out and we serve the new.

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