PATRIARCH ISAAC

Hello 👋 friends, we continue discussing the Children Bible Story, our post today is based on PATRIARCH ISAAC. 

Abraham been a friend of God and obeyed Him in everything. During the time of Abraham, he was regarded as the wealthiest  person on earth because he possesses lots of lands, a large flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, gold, silver and numerous servants. God told Abraham to look in each direction of the earth, that as far as he can see, belongs to him and God blessed Abraham with everything but what Abraham wanted the most is to have a son with Sarah his wife.

God been so faithful to His promise and pleased with Abraham. God’s promise was fulfilled by giving Abraham and Sarah a son whom they named “Isaac” (meaning laughter). The child brought so much joy and happiness to them and they loved Isaac so much.

Isaac begin to grow in grace and faith, Abraham teaching him to observe the ways of the Lord, and there comes a time when God wanted to know if Abraham truly obeys and respect Him. God informed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to Him and Abraham accepted, making up his mind because he knows that God gave him Isaac. Abraham was so faithful to God that he did not tell Sarah his wife about the sacrifice, so on the day of the sacrifice, after arranging the woods and giving it to Isaac to carry, but this time, there was no ram and Isaac asked Abraham, everything is ready for the sacrifice but where is the ram and he replied that God will provide a ram for the sacrifice.

The little Isaac carries the wood and follow his father and when they get to the place, Abraham carefully arranged the woods and overpowered Isaac and laid him on the woods and after he was tied, Abraham reaching out for his sword/knife to slay/kill Isaac, an angel of the Lord withheld him and God was so pleased with Abraham obedience, and God made available a ram and Abraham released Isaac and use the ram instead. 

Isaac was 40 years when he married Rebecca and they have no children so Isaac devoted himself in praying to God. And God heard his prayer and Rebecca becomes pregnant with twins. Isaac and Rebecca named them Esau and Jacob for they are two different nations.

Isaac been the second of the patriarchs of Israel, the only son of Abraham and Sarah, and the father of Esau and Jacob. There was a famine in the land and God informed Isaac to stay in the land where He would show him because He will be with him, and bless him. Isaac obeyed the Lord and went to the city of Gerar and the territory was ruled by Abimelech, king of Philistines. And Isaac sowed in the land and harvested a hundred times much more than he had sowed, because the Lord blessed him. He prospered and becomes very rich and the Philistines began to envy him and started treating him badly, and the king Abimelech asked him to leave their territory because he had become more powerful than them. 

And Isaac left and stayed in the valley of Garer and he was now old and blind. It is time for him to bless his children and he said to Esau to make him a tasty meal to his liking and after eating it, I will bless you with my final blessing before I die. Rebecca heard their conversation and when Esau left for hunting, Rebecca advised Jacob to make fast a tasty meal for his father so he will receive the blessings instead of Esau. Jacob was afraid because he thought Isaac would find out since his brother Esau was hairy and Rebecca quickly made tasty meal and a hairy skins of goat putting it on Jacob’s arms and neck. 

When Jacob brought the tasty meal to Isaac, he was surprised because it was so fast/quickly and Jacob said the Lord provided it so easily. And Isaac beacon him to approach closer so he can touch him and he couldn’t recognize it was Jacob because of his hairy hands but Isaac said, your voice sounds like Jacob but your skin like Esau’s skin. Isaac eat and blessed Jacob. And as soon as Isaac finished blessing Jacob and he left, Esau came in from hunting and prepared a tasty meal and brought it to Isaac. And said father sit up and eat the meat which I have brought you, so you can give me your blessings. And Isaac begin trembling and said, I just finished eating a while ago and I have given my final blessings and Esau cried after hearing it. Esau hated his Jacob so much that he seek to kill him but Rebecca sent him to Haran to be with his brother Leban. 

There are so much to learn from the story of Isaac and a patriarch, God was referred as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because with them God’s relationship of promise and purpose was fixed for all those who descended from them. The story of Abraham’s acquiescence to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac was used in the early Christian church as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:17) and of obedience (James 2:21). 

In the Epistle to the Hebrews, Abraham's willingness to follow God's command to sacrifice Isaac is used as an example of faith as is Isaac's action in blessing Jacob and Esau with reference to the future promised by God to Abraham. In similarity the release of Isaac from sacrifice as analogous to the resurrection of Jesus, the idea of the sacrifice of Isaac being a prefigurement of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. “Isaac's bearing the wood for the sacrificial fire with Christ's carrying his cross”.

Isaac remain the only patriarch whose name was not changed, and the only one who did not move out of Canaan, and  he died aged 180, the longest life of the three patriarchs.

The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church consider Isaac as a saint along with other biblical patriarchs. Isaac’s feast day is celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church on the Second Sunday before Christmas (December 11–17), under the title the Sunday of the Forefathers.

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Peace ☮️ out.