Isaac

Isaac was the second son of Abraham and was the son whom the Abrahamic covenant would be fulfilled in. He was the forefather of the Israelites, the chosen people of God. As God foretold he was born by Abraham's wife, Sarah despite her infertility. When Sarah heard the news that should we be pregnant, she took matters into her own hands, convincing Abraham to impregnate an Egyptian slave named Hagar. From this Abraham's first son, Ishmael was born. While he was originally thought to be the fulfillment of the covenant, Sarah eventually bore her own child.
Once Isaac grew up he married a beautiful woman named Rebecca, whom he had two sons with: Jacob and Esau. Jacob eventually gained the rights for inheritance and became the forefather for God's chosen people whereas Esau became the father of Edom.
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
==== Birth ====
Years prior to Ishmael's birth God told Abraham that he would be the father of many great nations, with one in particular being his chosen people. God specified that the son who would become the ancestor of the chosen people would be of Abraham's union with his own wifeGenesis 18:10. However Sarah thought this was ridiculous, initially laughed when she heard God's plan. Taking matters into her own hands she had her husband conceive a son with an Egyptian slave and the son was named Ishmael.
Still God was gracious to Sarah and fulfilled His promise, allowing her to become pregnant while she was infertile and while Abraham was of one-hundred Genesis 21:1-2. In joy Sarah laughed and so Abraham named him IsaacGenesis 21:3, 6-7. When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised himGenesis 21:4.
==== Sacrifice ====
When Isaac was a young man his father took him up to Mount Moriah. Here his father was to sacrifice as him, as commanded by the to test him. Isaac was told that they were going up to the mountain to make sacrifices, however there was no lamb for the offering. Isaac pondered this and asked his father about the lamb they needed to make a sacrifice, while the altar materials were all there. Abraham told him that God would provide the lamb, perhaps realizing God wouldn't allow his son's death or to make sacrificing him easier. They continued up the mountain to the place God had instructed and Isaac carried the wood for making the altar.Genesis 22:2-8
Abraham built an altar and laid Isaac upon it, as God had instructed him. While Isaac's reactions are not mentioned, he probably screamed when he realized he was the sacrifice for the offering. Just as Abraham was about to end his son's life with his knife an Angel shouted to him, telling him not to kill his son. It had been a special test for Abraham and an opportunity for reaffirming that through Isaac God's chosen people would be born.Genesis 22:9-18 
=== Marriage ===
Eventually Isaac lived on his own, if he did not already. He went to live in Negev and lived in a town called Beer Lahai RoiGenesis 24:62, 25:11. Sometime after this Isaac's mother died. In this, Abraham sought to comfort his sonGenesis 24:67 (Link) and ensure security for his son's future family. Abraham called his most trusted servant and under oath entrusted him with the task of finding a wife for Isaac. Isaac's wife could not be from amongst the Canaanites, but needed to be from Abraham's relatives. 
The servant embarked to the town of Nahor to find family of Abraham, hoping to find a wife. While there he met a young virgin named Rebekah. With the approval of her father, Bethuel and her brother Laban Rebekah was taken back to Isaac to become his wife.Genesis 24:1-61 At this time Isaac came up from the town he lived in to meditate in a field. As he meditated, Isaac spotted a caravan of camels approaching. 
Seeing Isaac approaching, Rebekah dismounted from her camel. The Servant told Isaac of his father's plans for marriage, therefore Isaac took his bride into his mother's tent and became wed to her. At the age of forty Isaac was now married to a woman of his ownGenesis 25:20. Isaac loved his wife and found comfort after his mother's passing. 
=== Isaac's Own Family ===
==== Receiving Inheritance ====
Probably a short time after Isaac was married, his father died at an old age. Isaac met with his long-lost brother Ishmael and together they buried their father with his first wife Sarah.Genesis 25:7-10 There is no indication that Isaac ever saw Ishmael again. The brothers may have been even more divided after receiving inheritance. Isaac received everything that his father owned and was blessed after his deathGenesis 25:5.
==== Jacob and Esau ====
Like his mother, Isaac's wife was barren. So Isaac prayed that his wife would be able to bear children and his prayer was answered; Rebekah conceived and became pregnant by Isaac. Rebekah had twins who quarreled in the very womb. When they were born one was red and hairy and was named Esau. The other was born holding the heel of Esau and he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when he had his first children, twenty years after he had marriedGenesis 25:26. 
Esau grew up and became a nature-loving hunter, while Jacob preferred staying at home. Isaac loved hunting, so he favored Esau while his wife favored Jacob.Genesis 25:27-28 After one tiring hunting trek, Esau sold his birthright to his brother in exchange for much needed food from him. Unbeknownst to Isaac his possessions would not go to his first born and favored son. 
=== Refugee in Philistia ===
==== Moving to Philistia ====
After Esau's birthright was sold, a famine hit the land. Isaac was forced to abandon his homestead and took refuge in Gerar, Philistia in order to survive. Here he and his family was under the protection of King Abimelek. After only a short time there, Isaac planned to to move on to prosperous Egypt where his father had also stayed during a famine. God asked Isaac not to and promised him prosperity if he remained in Gerar.Genesis 26:1-6
While in Gerar Isaac repeated the same mistake his father did concerning his wife. The Philistines began asking Isaac about Rebekah for her beauty. Afraid that the Philistines would kill him and take Rebekah he told them that she was his sister. After this Isaac remained there a long time and lived with his wife, who was thought to be his sister. Genesis 25:7
However, while Isaac continued the lie that she was his sister, his interactions with her were beyond brotherly. Isaac was intimately caressing his wife. Abimelech spotted this from his window so he summoned Isaac in outrage, afraid that one of the Philistines would have have slept with her. So Abimelech put an order of protection over Isaac and his wife: anyone who brought harm to either of the two would be executed.Genesis 26:8-11
=== Wealth ===
While still living in Gerar, Isaac planted crops and later that year reaped a hundredfold harvest, because God had blessed him. Isaac began to enter the upper class and his success continued until he was immensely wealthy. The flocks and workers of Isaac were envied by all the Philistines so much that all of his wells (built by his father and given through inheritance) were filled. Abimelech even asked Isaac to move from Gerar, because he was considered too powerful.Gen 26:12-16
At Abimelech's request, Isaac moved out Gerar into the nearby valley. When trying to harvest water from the wells, Isaac was met with resistance from local Philistine herders claiming ownership. So Isaac had his servants dig up another well, but again was chased off by the men of Gerar. Finally Isaac moved to an area and dug a well with no quarrel over ownership. He named it Rehoboth, because God had given space for him; in contrast he name the other two wells Esek and Sitnah named for the quarrelling.Gen 26:17-22
 From there Isaac pitched his tent in Beersheba and had his servants build an altar and dig a well. While he was staying in Beersheba Abimelech along with his adviser, Ahuzzath and Military Commander, Phicol came up to Beersheba to meet Isaac. At first Isaac was astonished they had come to visit him, because of their inhospitality towards him. Abimelech explained that he wished to make a peace treaty with him, due to his immense power. Isaac obliged and held a feast for his guests. The next morning they swore the peace treaty and they both went their separate ways.Gen 26:26-31 Isaac moved back to Mamre where his father lived near HebronGen 35:27.
=== Later Life ===
When Isaac was one hundred years old, his eldest and most favored son Esau married. He married two women, both Hittites: Judith and Basemath. These women caused much grief for Isaac and his wife.Gen 26:43-35
Several years later Isaac became blind and concerned with his mortality called his son Esau to bless him with his inheritance. Isaac told Esau to hunt some game and prepare it as food and he would give him the inheritance blessing. Rebekah overheard this and she plotted with Jacob to take Esau's blessing. Taking advantage of Isaac's blindness, Jacob dressed like Esau and presented food before his father. While Isaac recognized the voice as Jacob's, his son deceitfully claimed he was Esau so he blessed him.Gen 27:1-29 
Later Esau came in and presented his father with food, but Jacob had already received the blessing. When Isaac learned of this deceit he had only a prophecy to place upon his favored son.Gen 27:30-40 After this Esau planned to murder his brother, so Jacob was sent away to live with Rebekah's brother. 
Once he was sent away Rebekah complained to Isaac about the wives Esau had married. Before Jacob left Isaac forbade him from marrying a Canaanite and blessed him. When Esau heard this, he realized his wives were an annoyance for Isaac. In a vengeful attitude Esau went to his uncle (Isaac's brother), Ishmael and married one of his daughters.Gen 28:1-9 
=== Death ===
Despite his blindness, Isaac continued to live on for several more years. During this time both Jacob and Esau had many children, making Isaac a grandfather of many. After the death of his wife, Jacob returned home and lived with his father for some time. At the age of one hundred and eighty, Isaac died and his two sons came together and buried him.Gen 35:28-29 He was buried with his father and mother in the family cave tomb in MamreGen 49:29,31.
== Legacy ==
=== Forefather of Israel ===
Isaac is biblically considered as a forefather of Israel, literally the father of Israel. He is often compared alongside Abraham as an ancestor of the Nation of Israel. 
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== Verses ==
Category:Old Testament People
Category:People
Category:Persons
Category:Men
Category:Old Testament Men
Category:Hebrews
Category:Patriarchs