The story of Isaac’s life begins long before his birth . . . possibly 75 years before his birth, with the hopes and dreams of his newly wed parents, for children. But his mother, though beautiful, was barren. Despite the promises of God to Isaac’s father (for at least 10 years) that he would have descendants like the stars of the sky, she was barren still. So she at last gives her maid to her husband as a surrogate. But the family dynamics of that connection are disastrous (in the short run . . . in the long run, nations were born of that union).
Isaac was probably only 1-3 years old when his half-brother, the teenaged Ishmael, and Ishmael’s mother were sent away. I think it fair to say that Isaac was probably doted on, by both his aging parents–possibly by the whole household. He was his mother’s only child. He was his father’s long-promised, long-awaited, covenant heir. He was their only child as a couple, and now Ishmael was no longer in the immediate picture, nor his mother Hagar.
But a rather traumatic event soon takes place. And in this, perhaps we could say that Isaac’s story had begun many generations previous . . . in a God-believing lineage from Shem, Noah, Seth, Adam . Even though Isaac’s grandfather had other gods, Isaac’s story begins with who his father was and chose to be: a man of God, a godly man (concerned with righteousness and justice), a believer in the one true God. Isaac’s father was a man that got up early to obey whatever God asked of him–even if it seemed not to make sense, even if it was heart-wrenching, even if it took a faith beyond belief.
Isaac’s father took him up to be sacrificed. At first Isaac was innocent of his father’s intentions. But soon enough he found himself the lamb on the altar. There’s no doubt that Isaac could have escaped the anticipated ending of his story, but he had enough faith, enough respect for his father, and maybe also for his father’s God, that he submitted to being bound on the altar, and the knife was stretched out toward him.
Perhaps to us it is a miracle that this experience did not embitter him toward his father’s God. We can only surmise with what feelings and faith he came away from that altar. I can imagine that he was overwhelmingly relieved at the mercy of God. That may sound strange, for God had required the sacrifice in the first place. But many other gods, or their priesthood, did not provide a ram in the thicket in exchange for human sacrifice. I can imagine that Isaac came away knowing that God did not want that kind of human sacrifice. Beside knowing that his father was totally committed to this God, he learned something about trust and faith in the extreme. And we know that Isaac chose to believe in his father’s God, and to pass that belief on to his posterity.
See Genesis 26:2-5 God appears unto Isaac and commutes the Promises He made to Abraham to Isaac, “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statues, and my laws.” Perhaps as well as a reassurance, a reminder to Isaac about what God looks for when He chooses someone.
And Genesis 26:24 “And the Lord appeared unto [Isaac] the same night [that he went to Beer-sheba], 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.” (This is after Abimelech sent him packing from Gerar, and the Philistines had confiscated one well after another that he had dug . . . he must have been feeling a little discouraged, dis-heartened, and God came to give him reassurance that He would take care of him).
Isaac was 37 when his mother died. We have a clue about the closeness of their relationship in that he was still mourning her for 3 years afterward.
Isaac’s father took care for who he would marry. His father had experience with marrying from among the local women, and from the women of Egypt. They were not for his son. Abraham made his most trusted servant promise not to take Isaac back to Haran/Padan-Aram to live among his kin and their idols, but there was something about the character and attitude in the way the women were raised in the family, that made them his choice for his son. And when Isaac saw Rebekah, he loved her, and was comforted in his grief for his mother.
Like his mother Sarah, Isaac’s wife Rebekah was barren. For 20 years. (One wonders if it was a family trait). Genesis 25:21 might give the impression that only then did Isaac intreat the Lord for his wife. I suspect there was some increasingly heavy duty praying going on through most of those 20 years, by both Isaac and Rebekah. When Isaac was 60, his twin sons were born. Foreshadowing the first 40 or so years of their lives, Esau and Jacob contested even at birth, who would be firstborn.
When Isaac was 75 his father died, and he and his half-brother Ishmael buried Abraham. No mention of Keturah’s sons (Abraham married Keturah after the death of Sarah), but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there. Abraham had given them gifts (one suspects they were generous gifts) and sent them away–but he had also sent Ishmael and his mother away much earlier, with apparently not generous gifts. True, they probably felt more family obligation than we do in general in our culture, but I think in those intervening years Abraham had also made some gift(s) to Ishmael (probably at least in the wherewithal for Hagar to arrange a marriage for her son in Egypt, where she was from). So it’s hard to say what feelings Isaac and Ishmael had for each other, but they were at any rate, able to come together to bury their father. One would expect that Isaac’s feelings had less to be put aside, but then probably his mother had told him something of her perspective of how things were. Maybe not much, but enough.
Again, family dynamics come into play. Isaac appreciates his son Esau’s hunting skills, and the meat from it. Maybe he’s a man’s man. Almost predictably, then, Rebekah compensates by taking Jacob’s side. This is not to say that both Isaac and Rebekah didn’t love each of their sons. No doubt they did. But they related to them each differently.
When Esau sells his birthright (perhaps not “despising” it, but not valuing it as Jacob did), it’s not too surprising if Rebekah knew or found out about it–mothers tend to be tuned into what’s happening in the family and amongst the children. But who would dare tell Isaac? And how would one go about saying such a thing to him? It would not likely be news that he would want to believe, and might mistrust the motives of the teller of such a tale.
Another drought/famine year, so Isaac moves over closer to Gerar, and King Abimelech is apparently still alive. Isaac has no doubt heard the stories of his father’s sojourn in both Egypt and Gerar. He considers it advisable to follow his father’s strategy . . . indicating that there was reason behind Abraham’s story. Apparently not a lot of trust has grown between Abimelech and Abraham and son. The Lord had warned Isaac not to go to Egypt . . . notice that the Lord seems to keep Abraham and his posterity in a backwater while the superpowers to the north and south are flexing their muscles. And possibly various intrigues and politics make it tricky to survive in the high societies. The Covenant lineage/seed has opportunity to become stronger, more viable. When they do go to Egypt it seems to be a time of weaker Pharoahs, and when stronger one(s) come along, it’s time to get out of Egypt.
But Isaac and Rebekah can’t resist frolicking a bit, and Abimelech is clued in that they are more than brother and sister. Maybe Abimelech himself wasn’t still in his prime and ready to move in on her, but somebody in the court might have taken it into his head to have her. Abimelech either has enough conscience not to want that to happen, or he’s learned not to mess with Abraham and his son, or God might make it a misery. He puts out a pretty strict rule (a death sentence) for everybody to give Isaac and his wife wide berth.
While in Gerar, Isaac takes up farming. And he’s really successful at it. In fact he’s pretty successful at whatever he does, and the locals don’t appreciate his growing wealth and potential power. Abimelech finds it politic to ask Isaac to move on.
Isaac moves, but not too far away. It seems kind of foolish that the Philistines have filled in Abraham’s wells. But for whatever reason, they now see the value of them, as Isaac has them re-dug. They decide to confiscate 2 of them. Finally the third is uncontested. Isaac probably could have flexed his muscle and made his case at arms, but he chooses to turn his other cheek rather than instigate a war or “conflict”. Abimelech comes to him and wants to have a treaty. Isaac is a little testy after his treatment of late. But, he feasts them, and agrees to a treaty. And that same day the Lord blesses him with water in the well he’s been digging (his servants have been digging).
Esau is 40 when he marries . . . indicating that probably a man had to acquire enough property to prove he could provide for a family/tribe before marrying. He marries a couple of the local girls, and that is a “grief” to both Isaac and Rebekah.
Now Isaac is feeling his age. He’s old and can hardly see, not sure how long he’ll be in this world. Maybe he’s had a bout of illness. He wants to leave his last blessings. He begins by calling Esau, the eldest by a fraction, and asks him to go hunting and bring some of his father’s favorite venison, and then Isaac will bless Esau.
Rebekah overhears. She knows it’s Isaac’s intention to bless Esau with the blessings of the firstborn. I think Isaac still doesn’t know about the previous selling of the birthright, and I think Rebekah does. I think she also knows something about the characters of her sons, and she recognizes in Jacob one who would value the Covenant and commandments, and has the steadiness of character to keep them, and to lead the tribe responsibly. Certainly God recognized it, as we shall later see.
So Rebekah instigates a deception of Isaac. She has Jacob dress like Esau; she stews up some tasty morsels like Esau, she sends him in to his father–buttressing his doubts.
Possibly Isaac may have been suspecting something–it could be that Rebekah had pointed out to him that Jacob was the better candidate for the right of the firstborn . . . but at last he is satisfied enough to offer the blessing.
It may be a test of our faith whether we also trust that God is in charge, and knows what He’s doing; that Isaac was not only chosen by God, but was inspired by God with the words to pronounce as a blessing on his son. (Hebrews 11:20 “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.”) If it were a matter for mere mortals, when Esau gets back and the switch is found out, Isaac surely could have just revoked the blessing he gave to Jacob (and probably send him packing, cursed for the deception). But it seems apparent to me that Isaac recognizes that it was God that gave him those words of blessing for Jacob, and he cannot revoke them. He then blesses Esau as well–not shabbily, but not as the firstborn.
But Esau is spittin’ nails angry with Jacob over it. Maybe not recognizing that he is just as angry at himself for not having valued what he had. He vows that when Isaac passes, he’s going to do away with his rival Jacob.
Again, Rebekah finds a resolution–for two matters. She speaks first to Jacob about going back to her brother’s house in Haran until Esau cools off (no doubt she intends to help that process–she, knowing her sons, has no doubt that Esau will carry out his threat, and she doesn’t want to lose both her husband and son “in a day”), then she approaches Isaac–let’s not have Jacob marrying someone from around here, Send him back to my brother for a wife. Otherwise, what was the point of the trouble your father went to to have me brought here?
Isaac agrees. Maybe he also has a notion that Esau might have it in for Jacob, though probably no one would tell it to his face–certainly not Esau nor Jacob. Isaac blesses Jacob, and re-affirms the blessings he had previously given. Perhaps he also sees his previous blindness, that children raised by the daughters of Heth (Esau’s wives) are not going to live up to the charge and Covenant as expected, required by God.
I doubt this was the first indication to Esau that his choice of wives was not a happy one for his parents. One would have thought the subject of appropriate marriages would have been discussed before Esau married–but it’s possible Esau didn’t inform his folks ahead of time of his intentions, or that they didn’t think he would marry without their blessing, at least. In any case, it’s now abundantly clear that they don’t approve, and he right now is seeking their approval. So next best thing, he figures, is to marry amongst his kin–one of Uncle Ishmael’s daughters.
Not much more is said of Isaac. His story is kind of overshadowed first by his father Abraham, and then by his son Jacob. He died at 180 years of age (Genesis 35:27-29). Jacob had returned from Padan-aram some while previous, quite well-to-do and with a campful of wives and kids–must have been overpowering to Isaac, who had been raised an only child, and had only 2 sons that we know of. Esau and Jacob had made peace, and they met together to bury their father in the cave that Abraham had bought for a family burial place. They were 120 years old themselves. (They were 15 when grandpa Abraham died).
The three Patriarch-Prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Fathers and keepers of the Covenant
For more details about Isaac’s birth and “sacrifice”, see https://scripturescript.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/isaac-is-born-ishmael-sent-away-abimelech-treaty/
For a more in-depth analysis of Rebekah, see https://scripturescript.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/rebekah/
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