Isaac lived for 180 years (Genesis 35:28). Yet his life’s history is covered in only 15 Bible chapters. His birth is recorded in Genesis 21. The statement of his death appears in Genesis 35. Lange’s Commentary points out that only chapter 26 is devoted exclusively to Isaac. The histories of his father, wife and sons are also woven into the same chapters. These facts should not make his life seem less important to us. We must remember what the Apostle Paul taught the Corinthian church. What is recorded about Isaac’s life is very important for our spiritual education (1 Corinthians 10:11).
Herbert Armstrong taught that Isaac was a type of Jesus Christ. It is through this prism that we must view all of Isaac’s life. He was an exceptional young man when he willingly submitted to his father’s obedient act to slaughter him for God. Isaac revealed his depth of understanding and faith in God’s master plan. Clearly he had much godly character. He could easily be called the patriarch of character once we deeply digest what is revealed about him. So, it is extremely valuable to gather as many lessons as possible from what God has given us in the Bible.
Obedient Son
Isaac remained obedient to Abraham even as an adult. He first demonstrated his obedience at Mount Moriah (Genesis 22). Study this tremendous event. As you do, reflect about the opportunity Isaac had to rebel against Abraham and flee the scene. Verse 9 states that Abraham built an altar. He stacked wood on it. Then he bound Isaac and laid him upon the wood. Abraham was over 130 years old at this time. Isaac, in his prime of life, most likely could have overpowered Abraham and freed himself. Yet there is not a hint of struggle. Even as Abraham took a knife and lifted his arm to butcher him—still there was no resistance. How remarkable!
Isaac proved his continued obedience to Abraham by marrying Rebekah. The miraculous history of this marriage is covered in Genesis 24. Abraham wanted to ensure that his son of promise did not marry a Canaanite woman (verse 3). The selection of Isaac’s wife was so important to God’s plan that Abraham selected his eldest, most trusted servant, Eliezer, to carry out the task. Commanded by an oath, Eliezer was to go to Mesopotamia to find Isaac’s wife among Abraham’s relatives. Thinking humanly, the servant wanted to take Isaac with him. He feared a woman would not leave her home for a husband she did not see (verse 5). Abraham opposed his servant, knowing that God would disapprove. God had commanded Abraham to leave Mesopotamia (Genesis 12:1). It was a permanent decision. Abraham was not to look back but move forward. Similarly, Isaac’s future was in Canaan, not in Mesopotamia (verse 6). Abraham gently gave his servant a lesson in faith. He instructed Eliezer that God would choose Isaac’s wife (Genesis 24:7, 14). Abraham reassured his faithful servant that if the woman would not return with him, the oath was dissolved (verse 8).
Abraham loved Isaac very much and knew of the temptations of that evil land. He told Eliezer: Beware to take Isaac to Mesopotamia. The word in the Hebrew means to protect or hedge about. Any good father would want to protect a son from the dangers of a degenerate society.
In turn, Isaac loved Abraham deeply. He would have been aware of Abraham’s plans to find a wife for him. Abraham and Isaac likely discussed the matter many times. For God’s plan to move forward properly, Isaac would need the right, God-elected wife. Of course Isaac looked forward to having a bride. He probably knew that Eliezer wanted to take him on the trip. Surely, Isaac would have been thrilled to go, yet he obediently submitted to his father’s decision to remain behind.
It is outstanding how this servant responded to Abraham’s instruction. Eliezer took on his responsibility with gusto. He approached the search for Isaac’s wife with real drive. Faithfully following his master’s instructions, he looked to God for the outcome. Eliezer did not rely on himself. Arriving in Mesopotamia, he immediately prayed that God would reveal Isaac’s wife. God responded quickly to his faithful prayer. Before Eliezer finished his petition, Rebekah walked on the scene (verse 15). What a wonderful miracle. The remainder of Rebekah’s history recorded in chapter 24 is truly inspiring.
When Eliezer returned with Rebekah, he explained to Isaac all that had happened (verse 66). What was Isaac’s response? “And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her …” (verse 67). Isaac’s obedience led to incredible happiness. You cannot find any incident of disagreement from Isaac.
Realize, Isaac was 40 years old at this time (Genesis 25:20). He never outgrew his duty to obey Abraham. What 40-year-old today easily submits to a father’s decision? Maybe a few. Isaac provides a great example for us. We must always be cognizant of our deep need to be in constant obedience to God our Father. Because of Isaac’s obedience, a new, loving relationship was begun. From that relationship, nations were born.
The Fifth Commandment is written: “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). Abraham’s son obeyed this command. Isaac’s life is a testament to the fact that honoring parents with joyful obedience produces the blessings of a long, stable and happy life.
Prince of Fidelity
Looking at the histories of his father and his sons we quickly see a striking difference in Isaac’s life. He was absolutely faithful to Rebekah—even while she was barren. The tragic history of Abraham and Sarah’s adulterous mistake with the bondwoman Hagar recorded in Genesis 16 shows how Sarah’s lack of faith in God’s promise of a son and Abraham’s weakness to lead his wife set in motion family strife that is still extant today in the Arab/Israeli conflict. In a similar vein, Jacob’s tragic family history of infighting and conflict is the direct result of taking two wives—Leah and Rachel—and two concubines, Zilpah and Bilhah. Esau married two wives, to the great disappointment of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:34-35). Esau’s wives caused a lifetime of sorrow for the couple, especially Rebekah (study Genesis 27:46; 28:1).
Isaac, on the other hand, had set the right example by marrying only one wife!
Isaac was well aware of God’s promise concerning a multitude of people springing from Abraham. He had his part to perform in the fulfillment of that promise. We can be sure that the couple looked forward to having children with excitement. However, as time passed with no offspring, Isaac understood that Rebekah was barren like her mother-in-law had been. How did they respond to such a difficult trial? In a truly noble way.
“And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren …” (Genesis 25:21). Bear in mind that Rebekah was barren for 20 years. In all that time, Isaac did not turn to one of Rebekah’s handmaids to solve the problem. Instead he turned to God. So besides fidelity, Isaac demonstrated the character strength of patience. He waited on God. Of course, so did Rebekah.
The result was incredibly wonderful. Verse 21 concludes, “[A]nd the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” Isaac was 60 years old when the boys were born (verse 26). It is safe for us to assume that Isaac must have gained a lot of wisdom from the mistakes of his father and mother. What he learned he put into practice in his own life. He never tried to solve Rebekah’s lack of children his own way, but waited 20 years for God to act. When we rely on God—His power and guidance—things often work out better than expected. Not only did Rebekah conceive a child, she gave birth to twin boys destined to become two great nations.
Isaac’s Flaw Exposed
Isaac was not a perfect man. Like all humans, he was a flawed, sinful being. Genesis 26—the Isaac chapter—shows us this fact. It opens with the history of a famine that occurred in his lifetime. The Bible points out that this famine was similar in severity to the one in Abraham’s lifetime (Genesis 12:10). At the outset of the famine, Isaac went to the Philistine city of Gerar. God appeared to him and said: “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father” (Genesis 26:2-3). Remember, Abraham had gone into Egypt during famine. This time, God intended for Isaac to remain where he was. He was not to go into Egypt; instead he was to stay in the land of promise. To reassure Isaac, God renewed the promises made to Abraham (verses 4-5).
Now the history gets interesting. Take some time and go back and read Genesis 20. Abraham and Sarah had also lived near Gerar. Events in their day drew them into a controversy with the king of Gerar, also called Abimelech. Smith’s Bible Dictionary shows us that Abimelech was a title, not necessarily a personal name. Genesis 26 shows that Isaac and Rebekah repeated a slice of Abraham and Sarah’s history.
Rebekah was a beautiful woman (Genesis 26:7). The Bible states that she was fair to look upon. Stunned by her beauty, the Philistine men began to ask Isaac about her. The Philistines were known to be some very tough warriors. Because of all their curiosity, Isaac, like his father, Abraham, feared for his life. He told the men that Rebekah was his sister—not his wife! Instead of protecting Rebekah, Isaac lied to protect his own life. He fell into the same sin as his father. Remember, Abraham lied twice about Sarah to protect his own skin, once during the famine in Egypt and once while living near Gerar (Genesis 12:12-13; Genesis 20). God intervened both times to protect Sarah. Isaac and Abraham shared the same character flaw. Yet the Bible record is clear that God worked diligently with both men. Though God did not justify their sins, He overlooked their flaws and built upon their strengths. This should be of great encouragement to us. God is not partial or a respecter of persons. He will work with us in the same manner. How inspiring!
After some time passed, Isaac’s lie was discovered. Here is how. When Isaac and Rebekah moved to Gerar, they had come into King Abimelech’s favor. Remember, the family was known to the Philistines because of Abraham and Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah even lived close to the king’s palace. While looking out a window one day, the king saw Isaac and Rebekah together. The two became careless in concealing their true relationship. The king recognized quickly that they were not behaving as brother and sister (Genesis 26:8).
Full of frustration and anger, he confronted Isaac. “Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister?” Isaac answered, “Lest I die for her” (verse 9). Knowing the painful history of Abraham and Sarah, Abimelech replied, “What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us” (verse 10). It seems the king, not Isaac, had the better spiritual view here.
Abimelech made an official proclamation that Rebekah and Isaac were not to be harmed (verse 11). Anyone doing evil to them would be put to death. This whole situation must have been embarrassing for Isaac. It appears he could have gone to Abimelech and obtained protection for his wife and himself from the beginning. But with his true repentance, God was able to pour tremendous blessing upon Isaac.
Even with Isaac’s faults, God makes it clear that Isaac was living under His favor. Of course He also made it clear to the Philistines living at that time. During the famine, Isaac sowed grain in the land and obtained a hundredfold harvest (verse 12). Realize how rare it is to produce a hundredfold! This kind of production would require fantastically fertile soil and perfect weather conditions. It would be recognized as a fantastic miracle during a famine. It was proof that God was with him as a result of his sterling character.
Wells of Abraham
Actually, God caused Isaac to become very wealthy while in Philistia. Verse 13 states he became very great. “For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants …” (verse 14). Isaac was doing so well that the Philistines became envious. The people turned against him. Because of Abimelech’s proclamation, they did not do any violence against Isaac personally. Yet verse 15 shows that the people attacked his property.
The Philistines stopped up the wells of Abraham. Lange’s Commentary shows that these wells were considered to be similar to a title deed of property. Filling in a well would be incredibly damaging to an owner of flocks and herds. Hostilities between Isaac and the Philistines grew so bad that the king thrust him out of Gerar. Abimelech said: “Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we” (verse 16). Banished from the city, Isaac moved into a valley not far from Gerar.
On arrival, he discovered that the wells Abraham had dug in the valley were also filled in. What was Isaac’s response? “And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them” (verse 18). There may be a simple yet sublime lesson here. Isaac reopened the wells of Abraham and gave them the same names as his father had given to them. Doesn’t this reveal the wonderful attitude Isaac had for his father and his father’s work? He simply continued with what his father had begun. When he reopened a well, he did not give it his own name—he gave it the same name that Abraham had given it. This is a real testament to Isaac’s character. He stayed true to his father long after his death. In a similar vein, the Philadelphians have remained true to the work of their spiritual father, Mr. Armstrong, following his death.
Staying true to Abraham’s work did bring trials for Isaac. Reopening the wells caused strife with the local herdsmen (verses 20-21). Yet Isaac persisted in his efforts. Essentially, he was ensuring that the footprint of God’s promises remained visible in the land. In God’s time, Isaac’s descendants would own all the land—not just the wells.
Several new wells are mentioned in verses 20 and 21. These Isaac did give names. The first one he called Esek, meaning strife. The second one he named Sitnah, meaning opposition. These did not remain in his possession, yet Isaac continued on diligently in the face of strife and opposition. This is a character trait that we will all need to exhibit in the times ahead.
Verse 22 mentions a third new well. Isaac names it Rehoboth, meaning room. There was no strife over this well. Isaac knew that God had made room for him to grow fruitful and even greater. We need to build the faith that God will do the same for us. As we successfully meet the opposition prophesied for us, God will spare us and give us the room to grow even more fruitful at the time of the place of safety.
Altar in Beer-sheba
The chapter concludes with Isaac moving on to Beer-sheba (verse 23). This was very familiar territory to Isaac. Abraham and his family spent a long time there (Genesis 21:31-34). The Soncino Commentary conjectures that Isaac went there because he feared more strife. This idea is substantiated by Genesis 26:24. God appeared to Isaac and said: “I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake” (verse 24). God comforted Isaac by reminding him that He was with him. God assured Isaac He would protect him from the Philistines. God also let Isaac know that He was well pleased with his efforts and planned to continue blessing him. A major part of God’s blessing would be a multitude of children. God gently reminded Isaac that He would see to the blessing of children out of deep respect for Abraham’s obedience.
With deep appreciation, Isaac built an altar and worshiped God in that place just like Abraham. His servants dug a well, and water gushed out. Isaac was so highly favored by God that the Philistines began to fear him. The power God gave Isaac literally made the Philistines weak. Fearing harm and seeking some protection, Abimelech made a non-aggression pact with Isaac (verses 28-29). Besides incredible wealth, God then also gave Isaac peace with his enemies.
Isaac’s life proves that as we build the character of God, we not only please God, we allow Him to bless us immensely. Let’s learn all we can from Isaac, the patriarch of character.