Isaac

Isaac (Heb. Yitschaq, “he laughs”) is the son of promise, born to Abraham at 100 and Sarah at 90 (Gen.21.1–7), the long-awaited heir through whom the covenant is to continue. The defining episode of his early life is the Aqedah, the binding on Mount Moriah, where Abraham is told to offer him as a sacrifice and the LORD provides a ram in his place (Gen.22.1–14). This scene foreshadows the substitutionary atonement of Christ in the same hill country (2Ch.3.1). At 40 Isaac marries Rebekah, a kinswoman from Paddan-aram, after a remarkable providential meeting at the well (Gen.24). After 20 years of barrenness, Rebekah bears twins — Esau and Jacob — and Isaac shows favouritism to Esau while Rebekah favours Jacob (Gen.25.21–28). Isaac digs wells in the Negev, makes a treaty with Abimelech at Beersheba, and in his old age, deceived by Jacob and Rebekah, transfers the patriarchal blessing to Jacob rather than Esau (Gen.27). He dies at 180 years (Gen.35.28–29). The New Testament treats him as a real ancestor and as a type of Christ (Gal.4.28; Heb.11.17–19; Jas.2.21).