the son of Abraham and Sarah, was born in the year of the world
2108. His name, which signifies _laughter_, was given him by his mother,
because when it was told her by an angel that she should have a son, and
that at a time of life when, according to the course of nature, she was
past child-bearing, she privately laughed, Gen. xviii, 10–12. And when
the child was born she said, “God hath made me to laugh, so that all
that hear will laugh with me,” Gen. xxi, 6. The life of Isaac, for the
first seventy-five years of it, is so blended with that of his
illustrious father, that the principal incidents of it have been already
noticed under the article _Abraham_. His birth was attended with some
extraordinary circumstances: it was the subject of various promises and
prophecies; an event most ardently desired by his parents, and yet
purposely delayed by Divine Providence till they were both advanced in
years, no doubt for the trial of their faith, and that Isaac might more
evidently appear to be the gift of God, and “the child of promise.” At
an early period of life he was the object of the profane contempt of
Ishmael, the son of the bond woman, by whom he was persecuted; and as in
the circumstances attending his birth there was something typical of the
birth of Abraham’s greater Son, the Messiah, the promised Seed; so, in
the latter instance, we contemplate in him a resemblance of real
Christians, who, as Isaac was, are “the children of promise,” invested
in all the immunities and blessings of the new covenant; but, as then,
“he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the
Spirit, even so it is now,” Gal. iv, 29.
When Isaac had arrived at a state of manhood, he was required to give a
signal proof of his entire devotedness to God. Abraham was commanded to
offer up his beloved son in sacrifice, Genesis xxii, 1. This remarkable
transaction, so far as Abraham was concerned in it, has already been
considered under the article _Abraham_. But, if from this trial of the
faith of the parent we turn our attention to the conduct of Isaac, the
victim destined for the slaughter, we behold an example of faith and of
dutiful obedience equally conspicuous with that of his honoured parent.
Isaac submitted, as it should seem, without resistance, to be bound and
laid on the altar, exposing his body to the knife that was lifted up to
destroy him. How strikingly calculated is this remarkable history to
direct our thoughts to a more exalted personage, whom Isaac prefigured;
and to a more astonishing transaction represented by that on Mount
Moriah! Behold Jesus Christ, that Seed of Abraham, in whom all the
families of the earth were to be blessed, voluntarily going forth, in
obedience to the command of his heavenly Father, and laying down his
life, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
In the progress of Isaac’s history, we find him, in the time of his
greatest activity and vigour, a man of retired habits and of remarkable
calmness of mind. He appears to have been affectionately attached to his
mother Sarah, and, even at the age of forty, was not insusceptible of
great sorrow on occasion of her death. But he allows his father to
choose for him a suitable partner in life; and Rebekah was selected from
among his own kindred, in preference to the daughters of Canaan, in the
midst of whom he dwelt. In a few years afterward, he who had mourned for
his mother, was called to weep over his father’s grave; and in that last
act of filial duty, it is pleasing to find the two rival brothers, Isaac
and Ishmael, meeting together for the interment of Abraham. The
occasion, indeed, was well calculated to allay all existing jealousies
and contentions, and cause every family broil to cease, Gen. xxv, 9.
After the death of Abraham, “God blessed his son Isaac;” but, though the
latter had now been married twenty years, Rebekah was childless. “Isaac
entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord
was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived,” Gen. xxv, 21. God
also promised to multiply Isaac’s seed, and his promise was fulfilled.
Two children were born to him at one time, concerning whom the divine
purpose was declared to the mother, and no doubt to the father also,
that “the elder should serve the younger.” A famine which came upon the
country in the days of Isaac, obliged him to remove his family and
flocks and retire to Gerar, in the country of the Philistines, of which
Abimelech was at that time king. The possessions of Isaac multiplied so
prodigiously, that the inhabitants of the country became envious of him,
and even Abimelech, to preserve peace among them, was under the
necessity of requesting him to retire, because he was become too
powerful. He accordingly withdrew, and pitched his tent in the valley of
Gerar, where he digged new wells, and, after a time, returned to
Beersheba, where he fixed his habitation, Genesis xxvi, 1–23. Here the
Lord appeared to him, and renewed to him the covenant which he had made
with Abraham, promising to be his God, and to make him a blessing to
others. Abimelech now sought his friendship, and, to form an alliance
with him, paid him a visit; on which occasion Isaac displayed his
magnificence by a sumptuous entertainment, A. M. 2240.
When he was a hundred and thirty-seven years of age, and his sight had
so failed him that he could not distinguish one of his sons from the
other, Jacob craftily obtained from him the blessing of primogeniture.
Yet Isaac survived many years after this, to him, distressing
occurrence. He sent Jacob into Mesopotamia, there to take a wife of his
own family, Genesis xxviii, 1, 2, and to prevent his marrying among the
Canaanites as his brother Esau had done. And when Jacob returned, after
a lapse of twenty years, Isaac was still living, and continued to live
twenty-three years longer. He then died at the age of a hundred and
eighty years, and was buried with Abraham by his sons Esau and Jacob,
Gen. xxxv, 29. See ESAU and JACOB.
2108. His name, which signifies _laughter_, was given him by his mother,
because when it was told her by an angel that she should have a son, and
that at a time of life when, according to the course of nature, she was
past child-bearing, she privately laughed, Gen. xviii, 10–12. And when
the child was born she said, “God hath made me to laugh, so that all
that hear will laugh with me,” Gen. xxi, 6. The life of Isaac, for the
first seventy-five years of it, is so blended with that of his
illustrious father, that the principal incidents of it have been already
noticed under the article _Abraham_. His birth was attended with some
extraordinary circumstances: it was the subject of various promises and
prophecies; an event most ardently desired by his parents, and yet
purposely delayed by Divine Providence till they were both advanced in
years, no doubt for the trial of their faith, and that Isaac might more
evidently appear to be the gift of God, and “the child of promise.” At
an early period of life he was the object of the profane contempt of
Ishmael, the son of the bond woman, by whom he was persecuted; and as in
the circumstances attending his birth there was something typical of the
birth of Abraham’s greater Son, the Messiah, the promised Seed; so, in
the latter instance, we contemplate in him a resemblance of real
Christians, who, as Isaac was, are “the children of promise,” invested
in all the immunities and blessings of the new covenant; but, as then,
“he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the
Spirit, even so it is now,” Gal. iv, 29.
When Isaac had arrived at a state of manhood, he was required to give a
signal proof of his entire devotedness to God. Abraham was commanded to
offer up his beloved son in sacrifice, Genesis xxii, 1. This remarkable
transaction, so far as Abraham was concerned in it, has already been
considered under the article _Abraham_. But, if from this trial of the
faith of the parent we turn our attention to the conduct of Isaac, the
victim destined for the slaughter, we behold an example of faith and of
dutiful obedience equally conspicuous with that of his honoured parent.
Isaac submitted, as it should seem, without resistance, to be bound and
laid on the altar, exposing his body to the knife that was lifted up to
destroy him. How strikingly calculated is this remarkable history to
direct our thoughts to a more exalted personage, whom Isaac prefigured;
and to a more astonishing transaction represented by that on Mount
Moriah! Behold Jesus Christ, that Seed of Abraham, in whom all the
families of the earth were to be blessed, voluntarily going forth, in
obedience to the command of his heavenly Father, and laying down his
life, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
In the progress of Isaac’s history, we find him, in the time of his
greatest activity and vigour, a man of retired habits and of remarkable
calmness of mind. He appears to have been affectionately attached to his
mother Sarah, and, even at the age of forty, was not insusceptible of
great sorrow on occasion of her death. But he allows his father to
choose for him a suitable partner in life; and Rebekah was selected from
among his own kindred, in preference to the daughters of Canaan, in the
midst of whom he dwelt. In a few years afterward, he who had mourned for
his mother, was called to weep over his father’s grave; and in that last
act of filial duty, it is pleasing to find the two rival brothers, Isaac
and Ishmael, meeting together for the interment of Abraham. The
occasion, indeed, was well calculated to allay all existing jealousies
and contentions, and cause every family broil to cease, Gen. xxv, 9.
After the death of Abraham, “God blessed his son Isaac;” but, though the
latter had now been married twenty years, Rebekah was childless. “Isaac
entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord
was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived,” Gen. xxv, 21. God
also promised to multiply Isaac’s seed, and his promise was fulfilled.
Two children were born to him at one time, concerning whom the divine
purpose was declared to the mother, and no doubt to the father also,
that “the elder should serve the younger.” A famine which came upon the
country in the days of Isaac, obliged him to remove his family and
flocks and retire to Gerar, in the country of the Philistines, of which
Abimelech was at that time king. The possessions of Isaac multiplied so
prodigiously, that the inhabitants of the country became envious of him,
and even Abimelech, to preserve peace among them, was under the
necessity of requesting him to retire, because he was become too
powerful. He accordingly withdrew, and pitched his tent in the valley of
Gerar, where he digged new wells, and, after a time, returned to
Beersheba, where he fixed his habitation, Genesis xxvi, 1–23. Here the
Lord appeared to him, and renewed to him the covenant which he had made
with Abraham, promising to be his God, and to make him a blessing to
others. Abimelech now sought his friendship, and, to form an alliance
with him, paid him a visit; on which occasion Isaac displayed his
magnificence by a sumptuous entertainment, A. M. 2240.
When he was a hundred and thirty-seven years of age, and his sight had
so failed him that he could not distinguish one of his sons from the
other, Jacob craftily obtained from him the blessing of primogeniture.
Yet Isaac survived many years after this, to him, distressing
occurrence. He sent Jacob into Mesopotamia, there to take a wife of his
own family, Genesis xxviii, 1, 2, and to prevent his marrying among the
Canaanites as his brother Esau had done. And when Jacob returned, after
a lapse of twenty years, Isaac was still living, and continued to live
twenty-three years longer. He then died at the age of a hundred and
eighty years, and was buried with Abraham by his sons Esau and Jacob,
Gen. xxxv, 29. See ESAU and JACOB.