Isaac

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**Isaac**, whose name means "he laughs", was the promised son to and the only son of Abraham and Sarah. He was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. Isaac was known as the child of promise, but that promise seemed in doubt after God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah. God blessed Isaac, and Isaac became a wealthy man. He was a man of peace, and when the jealous Philistines filled up his wells, he avoided conflict. Instead of fighting them, he just moved and dug new wells. Isaac died at the age of 180 years, after Jacob had returned with his family from Mesopotamia.

## Bible InfoScan

Isaac, whose name means "he laughs", was the promised son to and the only son of Abraham and Sarah. He was most likely born at Beersheba (Genesis 21:14,31) when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. Before he was born, God gave him the name Isaac, which means "he laughs" (Genesis 17:19). Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed at the thought of having a baby in their old age (Genesis 17:17-19, Genesis 18:9-15, Genesis 21:6). Isaac was known as the "child of promise".

When he was a young man, God tested Abraham and commanded him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Genesis 22). Abraham passed the test, and a ram was substituted for Isaac. God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Genesis 22). Isaac's exact age is not known, but he was old and strong enough to be able to carry the wood up the mountain for the burnt offering. He trusted in the love and faith of his father. He had witnessed Abraham making burnt offerings before. He knew the meaning and the significance of a burnt offering to God, and he submitted to Abraham when he was tied up and laid on the altar over the wood that he himself had carried (Genesis 22:9). God sent an angel to stop Abraham from killing Isaac, so in a sense, he came back from the dead (Hebrews 11:19) and continued to be part of God’s plan for His people.

Isaac's mother, Sarah, died when he was 36 years old (Genesis 23:1). After her death, Abraham sent a servant to find a wife for Isaac from his relatives in Mesopotamia. Rebekah was God's choice, and Isaac loved her very much (Genesis 24:15). For twenty years, Isaac and Rebekah were childless, but after he prayed earnestly, Rebekah fell pregnant with twins. Isaac was 60 years old at that time.

Abraham died at the age of 175 years, and Isaac and his half brother Ishmael buried him beside Sarah (Genesis 25:7-10). “After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev” (Genesis 25:11).

During a famine, Isaac moved to Gerar where Abimelech, the king of the Philistines lived (Genesis 26:1). Isaac deceived the king by pretending that his beautiful Rebekah was his sister! Isaac was worried that the Philistines would kill him so that they could have his wife. When Abimelech found out, however, he did not harm them (Genesis 26:10-11).

God blessed Isaac, and he became a wealthy man. He was a man of peace, and when the jealous Philistines filled up his wells, he avoided conflict. Instead of fighting them, he just moved and dug new wells. When Isaac moved to Beersheba, the Lord appeared to him and repeated the promise He had given his father Abraham. Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord (Genesis 26:23-25). Because Isaac’s attitude and behavior honored the Lord, it led King Abimelech to say, “We can plainly see that the Lord is with you,” and so he offered a peace treaty to Isaac.

Isaac died at the age of 180 years, after Jacob had returned with his family from Mesopotamia. His sons, Jacob and Esau, buried him (Genesis 35:27-29).

## Life Lessons

* Have role models who will encourage your faith.
* Have faith in God and His promises.
* Submit to God’s will.
* Having favorites causes family conflict.
* Seek peace.
* Be patient.
* Trust in God and His promises.