ISAAC – A TYPE OF CHRIST
So often in the Old Testament, God foreshadows something prophetically by the use of types, similitude and metaphors. Such is the case with the birth of Isaac. His birth is a literal, historical event. But Isaac so strongly typifies the Lord Jesus Christ, that it is beneficial to study the comparisons between them.
Similitude |
Isaac |
Jesus |
| Births foretold by God | Gen. 17:19 | Matt. 1:20-23; Lk. 1:27-35 |
| Names foretold by God | Gen. 17:19 | Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:21 |
| God’s covenants w/ them | Gen. 17:19 | Gal. 3:16-17; Heb. 12:24 |
| Everlasting Covenants | Gen. 17:19 | Heb. 13:20-21 |
| Each promised a seed | Gen. 17:19 | 1 John 3:9-10; Ps. 22:30-31; Is. 53:10 |
| Both born at a set time | Gen. 17:21 | Gal. 4:4-5 |
| Births caused rejoicing | Gen. 21:6 | Lk. 2:20, 25-32; Gal. 4:22-28; Is. 54:1-3 |
| Both circumcised | Gen. 21:4 | Lk. 2:21 |
| Both signify liberty | Gal. 4:21-32 | Jn. 8:31-36; 2 Cor. 3:17; Rom. 8:2 |
| “Only” [begotten] sons | Gen. 22:2 | John 3:16 |
| Taken to Moriah | Gen. 22:2 | 2 Chr. 3:1; Heb. 13:11-12 |
| Offered to God | Gen. 22:2 | Eph. 5:2; Heb. 9:14, 10:12-14 |
| Offered w/ two others | Gen. 22:3 | John 19:18 |
| Both carried the wood | Gen. 22:6 | John 19:17 |
| Both had “fire” | Gen. 22:6 | Ps. 22:14; Acts 2:27 |
| Both had the “knife” | Gen. 22:6 | John 19:34 |
| Both brought as “lambs” | Gen. 22:7-8 | John 1:29 |
| Both have wives | Gen. 24:4 | Eph. 5:25; Rev. 19:7-9 |
| Both “go out” to meet them | Gen. 24:63 | 1 Thes. 4:16-18 |
| Given “all” by fathers | Gen. 25:5 | John 13:3 |
Now, there are 20 similarities between Jesus and Isaac. Their likeness is neither an accident and nor a coincidence. The events surrounding Isaac’s birth, sacrifice and marriage show you that the author of the Bible, the Holy Spirit, knew exactly what details to include in the record of his life so that you and I could not possibly miss the prophecies concerning the coming of the second person of the trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. The author of Genesis obviously knew what was “fixin’ to happen” about 2000 years later and wanted you and I to know that we could trust his authorship. The Bible is a divine book with a divine author and don’t let anybody convince you it’s not!!