Two impossible births – part 1

A prophetic look at Isaac and Israel and their link to Egypt

There are remarkable similarities between two seemingly impossible births; those of Isaac and the future spiritual regeneration (or birth) of the Jewish people. Just like other important births in the Bible, such as Jesus, a person being born again, or the Jewish return to the land of Israel, they are entirely dependent on God’s miraculous provision.

Isaac was the son of covenant promise born to Sarah at an impossibly old age. He is an important character in Jewish history, so this narrative is also a fascinating microcosm of Israel’s journey. For those who love science and are aware of the Creator at work, we could even use the language of fractal images to describe this – the pattern is the same whether you zoom in or out. Also, just as the seasons repeat themselves in creation, so too do events in Scripture. Whilst the Western mindset views prophecy in terms of fulfilment, the Jewish mind sees it in terms of repeating patterns of events. The Bible is therefore full of types and shadows which literally and spiritually pre-figure things to come. The Exodus hints at Jesus (“out of Egypt I called my Son” (1) ), whilst Hagar and Sarah are types of religious bondage and spiritual freedom respectively (2) .

The idea that people such as Moses and David are “types of Christ” is well established Christian theology, but what about types foreshadowing Messiah’s diverse people – the Jews and the church? Relationships matter greatly to the Lord, so we should not be surprised to see examples of this in Scripture, including shadows of those hostile to God. How might we read Scripture with this perspective?

Egypt – a study in types

Genesis chapters 12 to 21 tell the story leading to Isaac’s birth, which starts with God’s great promise of blessing, descendants and the land to Abram. Immediately after this, Abram travels with his wife Sarai to Egypt. Israel’s national history follows a similar course; Jewish identity is defined by Jacob’s sons and their twelve tribes and they too must journey to Egypt. Let us now compare the similarities between the Egypt narratives. In doing so, the Biblical types and shadows should begin to emerge. Our headings are “Isaac” and “Reborn Israel” respectively, for this is where these journeys will ultimately lead. (see table).

Abram, Sarai and Pharaoh are the three main characters in the Isaac narrative. Comparing what happens to them side-by-side with the story of the fledgling Jewish people in Egypt, we can easily identify some clear similarities with later events. Pharaoh and his household foreshadow his successors and the Egyptian people, Sarai is a type of the Jewish people, and Abram reminds us of Yahweh.

However, one word of caution is needed concerning Greek thinking and the Western mindset! We must be careful not to treat the Bible as a precise scientific analysis. Not every detail will necessarily match – typology is often “seeing through a glass darkly”. Isaac offering himself as a sacrifice is clearly a type of Jesus, yet he did not need to actually die for us to see the shadow.

Let us explore the typology of Sarai and Abram further. Whilst Sarai’s time in Egypt foreshadows the experience of the early Hebrews, perhaps the most fascinating aspect is her relationship to her husband Abram, who is also her halfbrother. To avoid conflict, he simply tells Pharaoh he is Sarai’s brother. These events will be repeated later in Canaan with the King of the Philistines, just before Sarai’s life finds fulfilment with the birth of the promised son Isaac, a prophetic image of how Israel’s long journey will ultimately lead to their being spiritually born again.

Time for reflection

This encourages interesting reflection; if Abram is a type of the Lord, does he foreshadow the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit, or possibly all three? The Bible of course describes God as “one”, translating the Hebrew “echad”, which is also used to describe a husband and wife being united. It is therefore fascinating to discover that Abram is husband, brother and father in this narrative, hinting at the Trinity. His name even means “father of many” or “exalted father”, and of course he is Isaac’s human father, just as Sarai is Isaac’s human mother.

Supernatural births in the Bible involve both God and people, Jesus being the supreme example. Regarding Isaac, Sarai was too old to bear children, so the Holy Spirit was also at work here. Humanly speaking, all the generations of Jewish history will culminate in Jewish rebirth, but only the Holy Spirit can bring about bitter weeping for a firstborn son (3) . The son whom they mourn is Jesus, their Jewish brother. But Jesus is also Divine, so in a sense He might at present be more accurately described as their halfbrother, reminding us of Abram. Jesus said that His true family are those who do the Lord’s will, so once the Jewish people are reborn, they will fully become His brothers – humanly and spiritually speaking. As for Yahweh, even in the Tanach (“Old Testament”), He calls Himself husband and father to the Jews (4) .

Before we move on from Egypt let us reflect on two other matters. First, when preachers criticise Abram for hiding the truth about being married to Sarai, they may be missing the point entirely! Just as the first Pharaoh did not release Sarai until Abram had revealed his true identity, neither did the Pharaoh of the Exodus free the Hebrews until Yahweh revealed Himself through His judgements. Furthermore, the threat of violence which frightened Abram was real. Pharaoh was all-powerful, and later Abram would be caught up in a regional war in which his nephew Lot was captured. Secondly, New Testament writers also use typology. In Galatians, Paul contrasts Sarah and Hagar respectively as spiritual types for those born again compared with those living under law. This does not mean that “the church” has replaced the Jews, rather new birth is needed – something God has repeatedly promised to the Jewish people (5).

The Emerging Cast

Individuals or groups of people whom we see as types in the Isaac birth narrative could perhaps be thought of as actors in a play. This is not farfetched. The plain text of Scripture reveals God’s truth, which He helps us understand through pictures, parables and stories. From our study of Abram’s journey to Egypt we can begin to see the players emerging. (see below).

In Part 2, we will continue this journey all the way to Isaac’s birth, opening our eyes to the extraordinary way this foreshadows Israel’s long and challenging history.

1 Matthew 2:15

2 Galatians 4:21-31

3 Zechariah 12:10

4 Jeremiah 31:9, 31:20, 31:32

5 Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 11:25-27, Zechariah 12:10-13:1, Ezekiel 37:1-28