< Genesis 21 >

In accordance with God’s promise, Abraham had a son by his wife Sarah. He was called Isaac and inherited the same promises made to his father as, in time, did his son Jacob. These three men are set forth as examples of faithfulness, so much so that the LORD declared he is not ashamed to be called their God (Hebrews 11:16),Hebrews 11:16XWaiting for response saying “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” Exodus 3:6.Exodus 3:6XWaiting for response These are designated the fathers of all the faithful, so the record of their lives is highly instructive to us, that we might learn from them how we too can please God by our faithfulness.

Abraham was promised a son when he entered the Promised Land at the age of seventy-five, and twenty-five years later Isaac was born. During this long period of waiting Abraham never ceased to trust that God would perform his promise Romans 4:18-21.Romans 4:18-21XWaiting for response

The new baby was named Isaac, meaning “laughing” in the sense of “rejoicing”, because God had caused them to rejoice, this name also signifying that “all who hear” with understanding shall rejoice. Ultimately this will be all people of the earth, when the seed promised through Isaac rules the whole world. Abraham was given the assurance that the Saviour would come in his line through Isaac for: “in Isaac shall thy seed be called”. The apostles cite this assurance to prove that the inheritors of God’s promises to Abraham are not his natural descendants but those, whether Jews or Gentiles, who have Abraham’s faith: “Neither, because they (the Jews) are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed”. Romans 9:7-8Romans 9:7-8XWaiting for response

The two classes of Abraham’s seed, natural Jews and adopted faithful children, are represented in Genesis by Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac Galatians 4:22-31,Galatians 4:22-31XWaiting for response their lives being an allegory to illustrate God’s purpose with both natural Israel and faithful believers in Christ. Although Ishmael, Abraham’s first son, was not to inherit the birthright, God promised that his descendants would nevertheless become a great people, and they became Arab nations, kindreds of the Jews. Isaac was the inheritor of both the birthright and the blessing and through him the promised seed would come. In his seed (Christ) all the nations will be blessed, and the rest of the Bible concentrates on Isaac’s descendants until the coming of Christ.