The Son of the Promise
The story of the Old Testament patriarch, Isaac, appears throughout the chapters of Genesis 17-35. It begins with a promise to Isaac’s father, Abraham, that he would be made into a great nation and that his offspring would be more numerous than can be counted (Genesis 13)! Yet Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren. The Lord nevertheless remembered his promise to Abraham, and Isaac’s story begins in Genesis 18, when the Lord visits Abraham and reveals that Sarah will bear a son by the same time the next year.
When Sarah received the news that she will bear a child in her old age, she laughed in disbelief, inspiring Isaac’s name, which means “he laughs.” But the drama between Isaac’s parents and God didn’t end there! When Isaac is still a young boy, God commanded Abraham to take Isaac up the mountain and to sacrifice him to the Lord. At the last moment, the Lord provided a substitutionary ram to be sacrificed in Isaac’s, thus sparing his son and foreshadowing the Christ who would be bound and sacrificed (Genesis 22).
Later, when Isaac had grown into a man, Abraham saw to it that Isaac married a woman of his own kin. He sent out his own servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant obediently traveled to Abraham’s homeland to seek out a beautiful and faithful woman for Isaac. The Lord reveals this woman to him at the well–a young lady named Rebekah (Genesis 24).
Rebekah returned home with Abraham’s servant, married Isaac, and bore him two twin sons. The pair, Esau and Jacob, wrestled with one another both inside Sarah’s womb and after they were born. Esau even went so far as to sell his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. He later he lost his father’s blessing as the result of a deceitful plan that Rebekah made with Jacob, whom she loved. They tricked Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau, causing Isaac to give his blessing to Jacob instead (Genesis 27).
The Genesis narrative then continues with the chronicles of Jacob and Esau, only returning to the story of Isaac at the time of his death. Isaac lived to be 180 years old before he died and was buried by his two sons (Genesis 35).
Brief History
Like many other Old Testament figures who have made their way into the LSB sanctoral calendar, it is difficult to determine when exactly when St. Isaac came to be commemorated on August 16th or whether there is a special reason behind this date.
The Lutheran commemoration of St. Isaac, which falls on a separate date from the other Old Testament patriarchs such as Abraham and Jacob, appears to be unique insofar as his date is also found on the Lutheran sanctoral calendar of Wilhelm Loehe. In other denominations, Isaac is commonly celebrated alongside his fellow Old Testament patriarchs who are given a day together on December 20th on the Roman Catholic and Coptic Orthodox sanctoral calendars.
Collect
O Almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord; grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to the unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through the same, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Resources
Issues, Etc. interview with the Dr. Kevin Golden on the Old Testament Patriarch Isaac
Propers found in Daily Divine Service Book: A Lutheran Daily Missal, edited by the Rev. Heath Curtis
References:
1. Weedon, William. Celebrating the Saints. Concordia Publishing House. 2016.
Images:
1. Near Sacrifice of Isaac and Rebekah at the Well, Matthias Scheits, Germany, ca. 1600.
2. Isaac blessing Jacob, Gioacchino Assereto, Italy, ca. 1640.
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