OUTLINE
- The miraculous son of Abraham – The Son of promise; ancestor of Jesus; offered in sacrifice by his father. Abrahamic covenant confirmed in him.
- Abraham’s servant sent to find a wife from among his relatives – His bride was carefully chosen.
- Characteristics of his bride.
- The bridegroom prepares to meet his bride.
THIS STUDY LOOKS AT THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ISAAC AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
The account of Isaac, although very important in the plan of God, is not given the prominence as that of Abraham and Jacob in the scriptures. We are told of his birth in Genesis 21: he is mentioned in chapter 22 during the “testing” by God of his father Abraham: a wife is selected for him in chapter 24; and a few other details are given in chapters 25 to 27 covering his family life and the birth of his two sons Esau and Jacob.
However, in this very brief account, we do have a tremendous picture of God’s plan of redemption and blessing for all people as we observe a parallel between Isaac and our Lord Jesus Christ, in an understanding of God’s promise to Abraham: “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
While observing the parallel, we must not lose sight of the fact that Isaac was nothing more than a natural man, and was subject to the same sins as his father, and all mankind . Here we see Isaac committing the same sin as his father Abraham and had to be delivered by the intervention of God, and because he was willing to be obedient to God’s commands, God repeated the words of the covenant to him .
ISAAC and CHRIST: A SIMILARITY
ISAAC – SON OF PROMISE: “I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” : Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
CHRIST – PROMISED MESSIAH “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law”
The announcements of both births was unusual: “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” “How will this be,” … “since I am a virgin?” Both births were miraculous: however, no man had any part in the virgin birth of Christ .
ISAAC – HEIR OF THE COVENANT AND PROMISES: born for a specific purpose in God’s plan: “I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”
CHRIST – “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
ISAAC’S BIRTH BROUGHT REJOICING (Isaac’s name means “Laughing One”) “The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.”
CHRIST’S BIRTH BROUGHT REJOICING: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
ISAAC NAMED PRIOR TO BIRTH: “Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac …. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”
CHRIST: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus …. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”– which means, “God with us.”” “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”
ISAAC – “BELOVED” OF HIS FATHER: “Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love “”
CHRIST: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight” “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love”
ISAAC – GIVEN SACRIFICIALLY: “Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together” (Gen.22:2, 6 NIV>
CHRIST: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” “Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).”
ABRAHAM’S SACRIFICE WAS EVENTUALLY A PROVISION of GOD: “Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.””
THE SACRIFICE FOR OUR SIN WAS ALSO GOD’S PROVISION: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!””
AND WAS FOR GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE: “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” <Gen.22:18 NIV. “who has saved us and called us to a holy life– not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time”