Isaac in the Bible is one of the most well-known male characters. He came into the world based on God’s promise and word. Isaac was the father of one of the few pairs of twins in the Bible as well.
The life of Isaac has a number of lessons we can learn. We will start with a summary and they go on to looking at the qualities of Isaac and the type of person he was based on what we can glean from Scripture.
Isaac Bible story summary
Isaac was the son of promise to Abraham and Sarah. He was born after 25 years of waiting. At the age of 40, he married Rebekah.
They were together for 20 years before she got pregnant. She gave birth to the famous Bible twins Esau and Jacob.
Isaac lived a life of faithfulness to God. He was an accomplished farmer and herder who grew very rich.
As an old man, his vision became so poor that Jacob tricked him into blessing him instead of his brother Esau.
After Jacob runs away to his uncle Laban based on his mother’s advice, Isaac’s story thins out. The next time we see him again was Jacob returns home 20 years later.
Isaac died shortly after at the age of 180 years old. He was buried in the same burial plot as his father and mother.
Isaac’s personality and characteristics
Isaac struggled with grief
Isaac was born when Sarah was 90 years old. She raised Isaac to be a fine and godly man. When Sarah died, Isaac was only 40 years old. In those days when people lived to be over 150 to nearly 200 years old, a 40 year old would be equivalent to a 20 year old today.
Isaac was an only child and there is no doubt that he and Sarah were close. She was his defense. Remember how Sarah told Abraham to get rid of Hagar?
I will not get into that story now. I just want to make the point that to Isaac, his beloved mother was everything. So when she died, his heart was broken and he struggled. He grieved for a very long time.
You’re probably wondering how I know this. Let’s see put it together from Scripture.
Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born. She died at 127 years old. Which means that Isaac was 37 when she died. Three years later, he married Rebekah at age 40 (Genesis 25:20). The Bible includes a detail about his marriage that is easy to miss.
Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. Genesis 24:67
Did you see that? Isaac’s heart was broken by the loss of his mother. But finally when Rebekah came into his life, he got a reason to experience some relief from his emotional pain.
Isaac was cowardly and lying just like his father
Like his father before him, Isaac was caught in a lie. Twice in his story, Abraham told kings that Sarah was his sister to avoid the possibility of being killed for her.
In the very same way, Isaac lied that Rebecca was his sister for fear that Abimelech would kill him and take her. At least Abraham was half right; Sarah was his half sister. But Isaac and Rebekah were actually cousins.
And just like in Abraham’s story, Isaac was found out. Except in his case, God allowed the king to see him engaging in intimate behavior with Rebekah. And that is how he was caught.
Isaac was obedient to God
When a famine broke out, Isaac was going to go to Egypt.
God appeared to him and told him to stay in Philistine country at a place called Gerar (Genesis 26). He obeyed.
Obeying God saved his life. God made him a promise that depended on his obedience.
The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. Genesis 26:2
God kept his promise! (More on this later).
Isaac was a hard worker and very rich
Like his father before him, Isaac was very wealthy. Isaac’s wealth came from two sources: generational wealth and hard work.
Genesis 25:5 says, Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.
So Isaac inherited quite alot from his father. But, Isaac didn’t just maintain the inheritance. He expanded it with hard work.
While in Gerar, Isaac did not depend on his hosts to be responsible for him and his family.
They allowed him to use the land although he was a guest.
And what did he do with that opportunity? He planted crops. God blessed his efforts! He got a 100% return on his investment.
Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. Genesis 26:12
He also expanded his livestock business so much so that he had to expand his household to manage it all.
The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants… Genesis 26:13-14
Isaac worked hard to build his assets so he could care for his family. God gave him wisdom and strength and he used it to build wealth that he could use to honor God.
Isaac’s personality was peaceful and forgiving
While Isaac lived in Gerar, he worked hard. God rewarded him and it earned the envy of men around.
Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy. 14He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. Genesis 26:12-15
Isaac left his crops when he was expelled from the land of Gerar. You would think that after such a bountiful harvest he would fight to keep it all.
Not at all.
He left the land and whatever he had planted there, just so there could be peace.
After Isaac was thrown out of the territory of Gerar, he was trying to restore the wells that had been destroyed by the Philistines.
Twice his servants dug a well and twice there was a quarrel over it with shepherds from the very land he was expelled from.
What did Isaac do?
He gave them the well each time and moved on to digging another. Isaac took the high road so that peace could reign.
Later in the story, the very men who asked him to leave came back to him wanting to agree on a peace treaty.
Isaac didn’t chase them off with cursing and threats of bodily harm. Instead, he threw them a feast.
Isaac had a sweet, godly disposition. I guess when being raised by an old woman can do that.
Isaac was a praying husband
After 20 years of marriage Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah was still childless. Scripture says Isaac prayed to God for her because she was barren.
Now this was no ordinary praying. The word used to describe his prayer means supplication.
This type of prayer means to beg and plead. Isaac labored in prayer for his wife’s womb to be opened.
But it’s important to note that Isaac had a booming prayer life before he became a husband. When he first met Rebekah, she saw him in the field meditating.
Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching. And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel. (Genesis 24:63-64)
What lessons can we learn from Isaac in the Bible
As you read about the personality qualities of Isaac, what did you learn from Isaac’s life?
I hope you were discerning some lessons along the way. If not, here are just a few takeaways from Isaac’s story.
Watch out for generational sins
Try not to repeat the same mistakes and sins of your parents.
It’s funny how history repeats itself without any effort.
One of the vices that Abraham was known for was being a liar and a coward. Twice in his story, he presented Sarah as his sister instead of his wife. And twice God had to step in.
Genesis 26 records the story of how Isaac lied in the very same way.
It is very easy to relive the life of your parents. If you have never seen other options, you will live the way you were taught to live. What we see, what we look at, what we hear, changes us.
But God can help to rewrite the script given to you by those who raised you.
Bloom where are planted
When God redirected Isaac to Gerar instead of Egypt during the famine, he was a stranger there.
He could have chosen to fold his hands and scrounge for ways to feed his family. But Isaac did no such thing.
Instead, he made use of the land. Planted crops. Raised livestock. Expanded his home.
He wasn’t waiting for the famine to pass for more favorable situations to present themselves.
Isaac was proactive. He looked around and saw opportunities and he took them. God blessed this initiative.
Are you waiting for some kind of famine to pass from your life? Maybe it is this season of famine that God wants you to prove him.
Rise up and look around. There is opportunity to bloom. Take the first step. If you are in God’s will, if you are walking in obedience, divine favor is yours.
For the child of God there is still favor during a famine.
Sometimes divine favor invites jealousy
When Isaac settled in Gerar because of the famine, he did so because God told him to.
God blessed his crops and his herds multiplied so much that the Philistines turned against him.
Scripture says they were literally jealous. So jealous were they that destroyed the wells he was using, wells that had been dug by Abraham. Without those wells he could not water his crops, feed his flocks and herds or supply his home with water.
They clearly intended to destroy. Finally, they told him to leave. What was their reason?
Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.” Genesis 26:16
In other words, God had blessed him so much he was occupying a great deal of the land and this made the Philistines into green-eyed monsters.
Your blessings might be in your career, your finances, your spiritual life, your marriage, your health.
People will hate you for it.
When God’s blessings begin to pour out in your life, the enemy will not sit by and let you enjoy it in peace. He will stir up trouble for you.
Which takes me to my next point.
Be persistent in trying to keep the peace.
After Isaac was thrown out of the territory of Gerar, he was trying to restore the wells that had been destroyed by the Philistines.
Twice his servants dug a well and twice there was a quarrel over it with shepherds from the very land he was expelled from.
What did Isaac do?
He gave them the well each time and moved on to digging another.
Isaac took the high road so that peace could reign.
In the New Testament, Paul told the believers:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18
Isaac’s response is an excellent example of this.
When God is blessing you, the enemy will try to poke you. But don’t fall for it. If you will not lose your life, don’t bother fighting back. If your rights are not being grossly trampled, forget it and move on.
Isaac’s response made them afraid. They could not deny God’s favor on his life.
Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the LORD. Genesis 26:27-29
God keeps his promises to the obedient
As I said earlier, God made a promise to Isaac.
Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. Genesis 26:3
God kept his promise!
Imagine the shock of the Philistines when his crops produced a 100% return….
…during a famine!
Imagine his herds and flocks multiplying by the day so much so that the land could hardly feed them.
God keeps his promises to those who obey Him.
Psalm 37:18-19 says
The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
Isaac was able to access these blessings because of his obedience.
When professional and financial envy rose up against him, God protected him from being harmed physically. God also shielded him from anger, resentment, revenge or war.
And God will do the same for you.
Why is Isaac important in the Bible?
What was special about Isaac in the Bible? Isaac was the son of promise.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise. Galatians 4:22-23
While Paul does not mention Isaac’s name, we know it is he to whom Paul refers because Abraham is mentioned.
Paul uses this example to illustrate the point that to those who believe in Jesus, no longer live under the burden of the law but under the freedom given to us by faith through grace.
Paul says: Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. (Galatians 4:28)
Interesting facts about Isaac in the Bible?
Here are some answers to some FAQs about Isaac.
Meaning of Isaac in the Bible
The name Isaac means laughter. You will see other more meaty definitions like “one who laughs” or “he will rejoice”.
Isaac was so named because of his mother’s reaction to the news that she would become pregnant at the ripe age of 90. The news was just a little too incredible. So she laughed. See Genesis 18:11-15.
How many wives did Isaac have?
The Bible only mentions one wife for Isaac. It was his cousin Rebekah.
Who were Isaac’s grandchildren?
Isaac had loads of grandchildren. Isaac had twin boys: Esau and Jacob. Jacob alone had 12 sons and one daughter. That’s 13 grandchildren. In all, Isaac had 18 grandchildren.
What was Isaac known for?
Isaac is well-known as the promised child of Abraham and Sarah. His birth was foretold over and over for 25 years.
What was God’s promise to Isaac?
God promised Isaac was the same thing that was promised to his father Abraham.
Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed. Genesis 26:3-4
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