Topical Bible: Isaac: The Miraculous Son of Abraham was a Prophet

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Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, holds a significant place in biblical history as a patriarch of the Israelite nation and a figure of divine promise and fulfillment. His life and legacy are chronicled primarily in the Book of Genesis, where he is depicted as a man of faith and a recipient of God's covenantal promises.

Miraculous Birth

Isaac's birth was nothing short of miraculous. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, yet Sarah remained barren well into her old age. In Genesis 17:19, God specifically promises Abraham, "Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him." Despite their advanced years—Abraham being 100 and Sarah 90—God fulfilled His promise, and Isaac was born, as recorded in Genesis 21:1-3: "Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised."

The Binding of Isaac

One of the most profound episodes in Isaac's life is the binding, or "Akedah," where God tests Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his beloved son. Genesis 22:2 recounts God's command: "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will show you." Abraham's obedience and Isaac's willingness to comply are seen as acts of profound faith. At the last moment, God intervenes, providing a ram as a substitute sacrifice, thus reaffirming His covenant with Abraham and Isaac.

Isaac as a Prophet

Isaac is also recognized as a prophet, a role that is often overshadowed by his identity as a patriarch. In Genesis 26:2-5, God appears to Isaac, reiterating the covenant made with Abraham: "Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you. Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham." Isaac's prophetic role is further evidenced by his ability to bless his sons, Jacob and Esau, with divinely inspired foresight, as seen in Genesis 27.

Life and Legacy

Isaac's life was marked by periods of peace and prosperity, as well as challenges and conflicts. He was a man of prayer, as demonstrated in Genesis 25:21, where he prays for his barren wife Rebekah, and God answers by granting her twins, Esau and Jacob. Isaac's life was also characterized by his efforts to maintain peace, notably in his dealings with the Philistines over water rights, as described in Genesis 26:12-33.

Isaac's legacy is profound, as he is one of the three patriarchs of Israel, alongside his father Abraham and his son Jacob. His life exemplifies faith, obedience, and the fulfillment of God's promises, serving as a pivotal link in the lineage leading to the nation of Israel and ultimately to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

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Genesis 27:28,29,38,40
Therefore God give you of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
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Hebrews 11:20
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
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Library

On Turning the First Page of the Review which Follows...
... p.62.) Nay, Abraham's intended sacrifice of Isaac was an ... with which Abraham spared
to slay his son, is resolved ... 7:14 does not refer to the miraculous birth of ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/ii on turning the first.htm

Abraham, his Trial in Egypt; his Humility
... 14]309; his sending for a wife for Isaac typical, [15 ... applied to both the Father
and the Son, [721]114 ... Spirit, [732]290; how said, only after Abraham's trial to ...
/.../abraham his trial in egypt.htm

The Gospel Feast
... to think, as well as other things: His miraculous birth, His ... Cast out this bondwoman
and her son," she said ... that the spirit of prophecy came upon Isaac, and he ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon xii the gospel feast.htm

Acts III
... designates a change in the mind of Isaac in reference ... of Jesus was demonstrated by
the miraculous cure they ... you first, God, having raised up his son Jesus, has ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts iii.htm

The Lame Man Cured by Peter and John.
... Miraculous powers were not conferred for show, or as the reward ... "The God of Abraham,
and of Isaac, and of ... God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus: whom ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture iv the lame man.htm

Jesus Drives Out the Money-Changers.
... asked in angry tones: "By what miraculous sign dost ... filling the temple: "Hosanna
to the Son of David!". ... Whosoever holds with our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter i jesus drives out.htm

The Typical Significance of the Scriptures Declare their Divine ...
... refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's ... Abel, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Samson, David,
Solomon (and ... complete representation of our Lord's miraculous birth, His ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter six the typical significance.htm

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
... in the thicket, which was offered instead of Isaac, were destined ... reference to Jewish
allusions to the miraculous birth of ... that we may preserve a son from our ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v what messiah did.htm

On the Words, and in one Holy Catholic Church, and in the ...
... that the souls possibly of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob ... written, He that believeth
on the Son hath eternal ... The legend with all its miraculous features is told ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture xviii on the words.htm

The Faith of Moses.
... no hint that the child's beauty was miraculous, and, what ... When he refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's ... in Midian, he will imbibe the faith of Isaac and of ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xii the faith of.htm