Who was Isaac in the Bible?

As Isaac was the patriarch that stood between Abraham and Jacob, it may seem remarkable that so little is recorded of him, especially as the promise given to Abraham, of all nations being blessed through his seed, was confirmed to Isaac. He was "the son of promise," born when Abraham was a hundred years old, and "the son of the freewoman," in contrast to "the son of the bondwoman." He became the heir, the son of the bondwoman being cast out.

Three times God described Isaac as Abraham's "only son" (Gen. 22:2, 12, 16). Ishmael and the children of Keturah are disregarded, not being in any degree representatives of the father in the line of divine promise. Isaac alone was the true seed, and the witness of Eliezer concerning him was, "Unto him has he (Abraham) given all that he has" (Gen. 24:36).

In Genesis 22 Isaac is a beautiful type of Christ and of Christ risen. It was not till after Abraham received Isaac back as from the dead that the promise is confirmed in Isaac... A substitute was found for Abraham's son, but there was no substitute provided for God's Son. He died and rose, and now in resurrection life and power every promise is confirmed and established in Him.

Isaac is only as "in a figure" received back from the dead (Heb. 11:19); Christ in reality; and to Him thus the promises belong: it is Christ raised from the dead who is the source of blessing to all the families of the earth.

As Isaac thus became in principle a risen or heavenly man, he must not return for a wife to the country from which he had been separated by death and resurrection, as also by the call of Abraham; a bride must be fetched for him from there, and she must be one of the same "kindred": a remarkable type of the heavenly Christ, and of those given to Him of the Father... God in a remarkable way blessed the mission of the servant (a type of the Holy Spirit gathering a bride for Christ), and Rebekah, Isaac's cousin, became his wife.

Change of place does not see change in man... But Isaac did not change from that meekness which becomes the man of God, gentle to all, and forbearing to such as opposed themselves. Nor was his dependence on God without a speedy answer. For moving away from there he dug another well, and they did not strive for that; and he called the name of it Rehoboth... "For now has Jehovah made room for us; and we shall be fruitful in the land."

God does not hide the failings and weaknesses of His people, so it is related how Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his venison... God had said that the elder should serve the younger, but Rebekah, instead of leaving the matter in God's hands, contrived by a deceitful plan to get the blessing for Jacob instead of Esau the firstborn. The deception was soon found out; but how was it that Isaac intended to bless the elder, thus disregarding the word of the Lord? It is to be feared that his love of the venison and savoury meat led him astray. Notwithstanding this failure we read in Heb. 11:20, "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come."

In this passage the apostle uses Isaac, not as representative of Christ, but of believers — those who are the subjects of sovereign grace. He says, "We, brothers, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." Moreover, as he uses Isaac to set forth all that we are as born of the Spirit, so he uses Ishmael to set forth our old man — all that we are as born after the flesh.