Isaac was the long awaited "child of promise" born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age about 2066 B.C. Legend says that his resemblance to his father was so striking that, in spite of the vast differences in their ages, he was often mistaken for him. This was to silence those who would dispute the truth of his parentage since it was not believed that a man of Abraham's age could father a child. In fact, he was named Isaac by God because his parents laughed to think that they would be parents at such an age. (Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 when he was born.)
His akedah (binding) or near sacrifice in obedience to God's command on Mount Moriah was the main event in Isaac's life. Apparently, God decided to test Abraham and see if the patriarch loved his son more than his God. Because Abraham believed that God was able to give him descendants through Isaac, even if it meant raising his son from the dead, he took the compliant boy to the mountain to sacrifice him. When he had lain his son upon the altar and was about to kill him, the angel of God stopped his hand. A ram was provided as a sacrifice in Isaac's place. The sacrifice of Abraham's son was a foretype of the sacrifice of God's Son. The ram provided in Isaac's stead was a symbol of the substitutional sacrifice of Christ.
Although often pictured as a youth in the akedah, tradition says that Isaac was 37 years old at the time of the testing. This age is based on the assumption that the proposed offering caused the death of his mother. Sarah died when he was a man of 37 years and he married shortly thereafter.
It is said that Isaac was a changed man after the trauma of the akedah. According to legend, he damaged his eyes by staring into Heaven at God while he lay on the altar awaiting his father's knife. Not only that, but the tears of the angels fell into his eyes at that time and did their damage. It is said that he withdrew from world at this time and led a mystical life.
Isaac's akedah became a symbol of martyrdom especially among some Jews in the Middle Ages who decided to kill their children rather than submit to forced conversion and Christian baptism. At this time the legend went out that Isaac had truly been killed on Mount Moriah but, because of Abraham's obedience, God had restored him to life.
Gen 21-28
All scripture quotes are from the KJV Bible unless otherwise indicated.
Comments© 1998 by Suzetta Tucker
To cite this page:
Tucker, Suzetta. "Jesse Tree Advent Calendar - December 8
- Isaac." ChristStory Christian Bestiary. 1998. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/8isaac.htm
().