ISAAC

(See also Patriarchal)

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    I. Isaac and Abraham.
A. The supernatural birth of Isaac.
1. Isaac was promised to his parents and named by God himself even before he was born (Gen 17:9, 21).
2. He was born from Sarah’s barren womb, which God had supernaturally touched (Gen 18:10–11).
3. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 at the birth of their son (Gen 17:17; 21:5).
B. The submissive spirit of Isaac (Gen 22:1–11).
1. Isaac accompanied Abraham upon Mount Moriah to become a sacrifice as commanded by God.
2. At first he was unaware that he himself would be the sacrifice.
3. He thus asked his father, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Gen 22:7).
4. Upon being told, he willingly allowed Abraham to bind him upon the altar (Gen 22:9).
C. The substitute lamb for Isaac (Gen 22:12–14).
1. Abraham saw a ram nearby, caught by his horns in a thicket.
2. At God’s command, Abraham offered up the ram as a substitute for Isaac.
II. Isaac and Ishmael.
A. Isaac was ridiculed on the day of his weaning by his older half brother Ishmael (Gen 21:8–11).
B. Because of this, Abraham sent away Ishmael and his mother Hagar (Gen 21:12–14).
C. Isaac and Ishmael would be reunited years later at the burial of their father Abraham (Gen 25:9).
III. Isaac and Rebekah.
A. His marriage to Rebekah.
1. Isaac married Rebekah, who was selected and brought to him by Abraham’s servant from the Mesopotamian city of Nahor (Gen 24:10, 62–67).
2. He was 40 years old at this time (Gen 25:20).
B. His prayer for Rebekah.
1. God answered Isaac’s prayer for his barren wife, Rebekah, resulting in the birth of twins, Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:21–26).
2. Isaac was 60 at this time (Gen 25:26).
C. His lie concerning Rebekah.
1. In a time of famine, Isaac moved to the Philistine city of Gerar (Gen 26:1).
2. Fearing the Philistines might kill him in order to marry his wife, Isaac lied about Rebekah, telling the Philistine King Abimelech that she was his sister (Gen 26:7).
3. He was caught in this lie through an embarrassing incident and rebuked by Abimelech (Gen 26:8–11).
IV. Isaac and the Philistines.
A. In spite of his carnality, Isaac was blessed by God, reaping a hundredfold increase of his crops in one year (Gen 26:12–13).
B. This aroused the envy of the Philistines, who retaliated by filling up Isaac’s wells with debris (Gen 26:14–15).
C. Finally, at Abimelech’s request, Isaac moved away from Gerar and reopened those clogged wells (Gen 26:16–22).
D. Realizing the blessings of God upon Isaac, Abimelech visited him and requested they sign a peace treaty, which they did (Gen 26:26–33).
V. Isaac and God.
A. The appearance at Gerar (Gen 26:2–5).
1. He was warned not to go to Egypt in time of famine as his father Abraham had once done.
2. God then reaffirmed the Abrahamic covenant to him, which consisted of seed, soil, and a Savior.
a. Seed.
God would make his seed “to multiply as the stars of heaven” (Gen 26:4).
b. Soil.
The land of Canaan would be given to his descendants (Gen 26:3).
c. A Savior.
Someday “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen 26:4).
B. The appearance at Beer-sheba (Gen 26:23–25).
1. Once again the Abrahamic covenant was confirmed to Isaac.
2. He built an altar there and worshiped God.
VI. Isaac and his sons.
A. Esau, the favorite of Isaac.
1. Both Isaac and Rebekah were grieved when Esau married two pagan Hittite women (Gen 26:34–35).
2. In spite of this, however, Isaac looked upon Esau as his favorite son (Gen 25:28).
3. One day, fearing his life might be ending, Isaac called for Esau (Gen 27:1–4). Actually, he would live many years longer, reaching the age of 180 (Gen 35:28).
a. He instructed his son to kill and prepare some wild game for him.
b. He then promised to bestow upon Esau the patriarchal blessing.
B. Jacob, the favorite of Rebekah.
1. Rebekah, upon overhearing the words of Isaac, quickly summoned Jacob, her favorite son (Gen 25:28; 27:5–6).
2. Rapid plans were made for Jacob to deceive the dim-eyed Isaac (Gen 27:7–17).
a. Jacob was to assume the identity of Esau so that he might receive the blessing.
b. Rebekah quickly prepared the food Isaac had requested from Esau.
c. She then dressed Jacob with Esau’s clothes, covering his hands and the smooth part of his neck with goatskins.
3. Isaac was successfully deceived by Jacob and gave him the patriarchal blessing, predicting the following (Gen 27:18–29):
a. That Jacob would become a prosperous man.
b. That Esau’s descendants would serve Jacob’s descendants.
c. That other nations would serve Jacob’s descendants.
d. That God would bless those who befriended Jacob and curse those who cursed him.
4. A shocked Isaac later learned from Esau of Jacob’s deception (Gen 27:30–36).
5. At Esau’s request, Isaac pronounced a modified blessing upon him, predicting the following (Gen 27:37–40):
a. That Esau’s life would not be one of ease and luxury.
b. That he would live by the sword.
c. That for a while he would serve his brother, but eventually he would shake loose from him.
6. Realizing that Esau was planning to kill Jacob, Isaac did the following (Gen 28:1–5):
a. He called for Jacob and blessed him.
b. He commanded him not to marry a Canaanite wife.
c. He told him to find a wife among Rebekah’s relatives in Nahor.
d. Finally, he prayed that Jacob would eventually return and possess the land given him by the Abrahamic covenant.

THEOLOGICAL SUMMARY  

  I. On at least 25 occasions in the Old Testament, God identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
II. These five individuals described the Lord as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
A. Moses (Deut 9:27).
B. Elijah (1 Kgs 18:36).
C. David (1 Chr 16:16; 29:18).
D. The psalmist (Ps 105:9–10).
E. Hezekiah (2 Chr 30:6).
III. Jesus and Isaac.
A. Jesus referred to his Father as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt 22:32; Luke 20:37).
B. Jesus predicted that believing Gentiles would someday fellowship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matt 8:11).
IV. Peter and Isaac: Peter referred to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Acts 3:13).
V. Stephen and Isaac.
A. Stephen referred to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Acts 7:32).
B. Stephen mentioned the birth and circumcision of Isaac (Acts 7:8).
VI. Paul and Isaac.
A. Paul referred to Isaac and his two sons in illustrating the sovereignty of God (Rom 9:7–15).
B. Paul referred to Isaac and Ishmael, using them to contrast law and grace (Gal 4:28–31).
VII. James and Isaac.
James referred to the offering up of Isaac on Mount Moriah (Jas 2:21).
VIII. The book of Hebrews and Isaac.
A. Hebrews mentions the offering up of Isaac on Mount Moriah (Heb 11:17).
B. It refers also to Isaac’s faith in blessing Jacob and Esau (Heb 11:20).
STATISTICS
  Father: Abraham (Gen 21:3)
Mother: Sarah (Gen 21:3)
Spouse: Rebekah (Gen 24:67)
Sons: Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:24–26)
Brothers: Half brothers: Ishmael, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Gen 16:16; 25:1–2)
First mention: Genesis 17:19
Final mention: James 2:21
Meaning of his name: “Laughter”
Referred to: 128 times
Biblical books mentioning him: 21 books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Jeremiah, Amos, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, James)
Place of death: At Mamre, near Hebron (Gen 35:27–29)
Age at death: 180 (Gen 35:28)
Important fact about his life: He was Abraham’s promised son and father of Jacob (Gen 17:19; 25:21–26).

ISAIAH

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    . Israel, God’s faithless servant (Isa 1–35).
A. Isaiah discussed the failures of Israel.
B. Isaiah discussed the future of Israel.
II. Hezekiah, God’s frightened servant (Isa 36–39).
A. Jerusalem was surrounded by her foes.
B. Jerusalem was saved from her foes.
III. Christ, God’s faithful servant (Isa 40–66).

TOPICAL SUMMARY

    I. Isaiah and King Ahaz.
A. Isaiah’s first prophecy.
1. Divinely sent reassurance.
Isaiah and his son Shear-jashub were sent by God to reassure the frightened Judean King Ahaz (Isa 7:1–12).
2. The need for this reassurance.
The city of Jerusalem had been surrounded by two of its enemies.
3. The contents of this reassurance.
a. Ahaz was to keep calm and not be afraid.
b. God himself would soon put down the two invaders.
4. The reaction to this reassurance.
a. God’s invitation.
God invited Ahaz to test him by asking for a sign, either in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.
b. Ahaz’s unbelief.
He refused to even put God to the test.
B. Isaiah’s second prophecy.
God then delivered through Isaiah a special divine sign of his own (Isa 7:13–14).
1. Its message.
Someday a virgin would give birth to a son, whose name would be Immanuel.
2. Its meaning.
This sign would serve as proof of God’s intention to someday deliver Jerusalem from all its enemies.
II. Isaiah and King Hezekiah.
A. The siege.
Isaiah delivered three messages during the time when Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, and his armies had surrounded the city of Jerusalem.
1. Isaiah’s message to the frightened Judean King Hezekiah (2 Kgs 19:5–7; Isa 37:5–7).
a. The Assyrian king would receive bad news from home and would quickly return there.
b. When he arrived, he would be killed.
2. Isaiah’s message to the people of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 19:32–34).
a. The Assyrian king would not enter the city.
b. He would not build a ramp against its wall or even shoot an arrow into the city. c. He would return by the road he came on.
d. God would personally save Jerusalem for his name’s sake and that of David.
3. Isaiah’s message to Sennacherib, the Assyrian king (2 Kgs 19:20–28; Isa 37:22–29).
a. The only reason Sennacherib was able to defeat the various nations was because God allowed him to.
b. God knew his plans and the evil things Sennacherib said about him.
c. Because of Sennacherib’s arrogance against God, God would do the following:
(1) Put a hook in his nose.
(2) Place a bridle in his mouth.
(3) Turn him back on the road by which he came.
B. The salvation.
Isaiah and Hezekiah then called out to God, who sent an angel who destroyed 185,000 Assyrian troops (2 Kgs 19:35; 2 Chr 32:20–21).
C. The sickness.
Isaiah delivered some terrible and then tremendous news to the ailing Hezekiah.
1. The terrible news.
a. The nature of this news.
Hezekiah was to put his house in order, for God said he would not recover but die (Isa 38:1).
b. The reason for the news.
Hezekiah had invoked God’s judgment for allowing his heart to become proud and ungrateful (2 Chr 32:25).
2. The tremendous news.
a. The nature of this news (2 Kgs 20:4–6).
(1) God had heard the king’s prayer and had seen his tears.
(2) God would raise him up and add 15 years to his life.
b. The sign proof of this news.
Isaiah offered Hezekiah one of two signs to prove the validity of the prophecy (2 Kgs 20:8–11).
(1) Did the king want the sun’s shadow to go forward 10 steps on the sundial of Ahaz?
(2) Or did he want it to go back 10 steps?
(3) Hezekiah chose the second, feeling this would be the greater sign. As the king watched, the miracle occurred.
c. The method employed to effect this news.
Isaiah instructed Hezekiah to boil some dried figs, make a paste of them, and apply it to his body (2 Kgs 20:7; Isa 38:21).
D. The stupidity.
Isaiah severely rebuked Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:12–18; Isa 39:1–7).
1. The foolishness of the king’s action.
Hezekiah showed a visiting envoy from Babylon all his vast riches, his treasure house of silver, gold, jewels, spices, and fine oils.
2. The fallout from the king’s action.
Isaiah predicted the following:
a. Someday Babylonian soldiers would come to Jerusalem and carry off all the riches Hezekiah had made known.
b. His own sons would become their slaves.
III. Isaiah and the seraphim.
Isaiah was called into full-time service the year that King Uzziah died (Isa 6:1–13).
A. Isaiah and the heaven of God.
1. His vision.
a. He saw the Lord seated on a throne, with his glory filling the temple.
b. He saw the mighty six-winged angels known as the seraphs.
c. He heard them calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa 6:3).
2. His vexation.
The prophet was made to realize he was an unclean man living among an unclean people.
3. His visitation.
One of the seraphs touched Isaiah’s mouth with a live coal taken from the heavenly altar, assuring him his guilt was removed and his sin atoned for.
B. Isaiah and the God of heaven.
1. Hearing God’s voice.
The prophet heard God say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isa 6:8).
2. Heeding God’s voice.
Isaiah responded, “Here am I; send me” (Isa 6:8).
IV. Isaiah and the fall of Lucifer (Isa 14:12–15).
The prophet records the five deadly “I wills” that caused Lucifer to become the devil. This arrogant angel coveted the following:
A. God’s place—“I will ascend into heaven.”
B. God’s preeminence—“I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.”
C. God’s program—“I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”
D. God’s position—“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.”
E. God’s power—“I will be like the most High.”
V. Isaiah and the Gentile nations.
A. Babylon (Isa 13–14, 21).
B. Assyria (Isa 14:24–27).
C. Philistia (Isa 14:28–32).
D. Moab (Isa 15–16).
E. Syria (Isa 17).
F. Ethiopia (Isa 18).
G. Egypt (Isa 19–20).
Isaiah was commanded by God to remove his outer clothing and walk barefoot for three years to predict how Assyria would strip Egypt and Ethiopia of their riches and possessions (Isa 20:1–6).
H. Edom (Isa 21:11–12).
I. Arabia (Isa 21:13–17).
J. Tyre (Isa 23).
K. The whole world (Isa 24–25).
VI. Isaiah and the nation of Israel.
A. He described Israel’s sin.
1. Willful ignorance (Isa 1:3; 5:13).
2. Hypocrisy (Isa 1:14–15).
3. Corrupt leadership (Isa 1:23; 9:16).
4. Idolatry (Isa 2:8).
5. Gross materialism (Isa 2:7).
6. Godless women (Isa 3:16–26).
7. Fruitlessness (Isa 5:1–7).
8. Drunkenness (Isa 5:11; 28:7).
9. Amorality (Isa 5:20).
10. Humanism (Isa 5:21).
11. Unscriptural alliances (Isa 31:1).
12. Rebellion (Isa 30:9; 65:2).
13. Infant sacrificing (Isa 57:5).
14. Overall condition (Isa 1:6; 59:1–3, 7–8; 64:6).
B. He described Israel’s punishment.
1. Defeat (Isa 30:17).
2. Dullness of eyes (Isa 29:10–12).
3. Destruction (Isa 3:8; 10:6).
C. He described Israel’s repentance.
1. They will turn from their misdoings (Isa 31:7).
2. They will turn to their Messiah (Isa 64:8–9).
D. He described Israel’s rebirth.
1. The travail involved (Isa 66:7–9).
2. The time involved (Isa 66:8).
3. The transformation involved (Isa 26:19).
E. He described Israel’s restoration.
1. The gathering by the Lord (Isa 27:12; 43:5–6).
2. The glorifying of the Lord (Isa 27:13).
VII. Isaiah and the greatness of God.
A. He wrote of God’s intrinsic attributes.
1. His glory (Isa 42:8; 59:19).
2. His holiness (Isa 6:1–3; 57:15).
3. His omniscience (Isa 40:13–14).
4. His omnipotence (Isa 40:12, 15–17).
5. His eternalness (Isa 57:15).
6. His trinity (Isa 48:16).
7. His uniqueness (Isa 45:5–6; 46:9).
B. He wrote of God’s imparted attributes.
1. His righteousness (Isa 59:17).
2. His grace (Isa 30:19).
3. His mercy (Isa 14:1).
4. His compassion (Isa 63:7–9).
5. His wrath (Isa 30:27).
6. His longsuffering (Isa 1:18).
7. His faithfulness (Isa 25:1).
8. His love (Isa 49:14–16).
9. His salvation (Isa 12:2–5; 25:8–9; 45:22).
10. His Word (Isa 40:6–8; 55:10–11).
VIII. Isaiah and the Son of God.
A. He described the Lamb.
1. His incarnation (Isa 7:14–15; 9:6).
2. His lowliness and youth (Isa 7:15; 11:1–2; 53:2).
3. His relationship to the Father (Isa 42:1; 50:4–5).
4. His specific ministry to the Gentiles (Isa 9:1–2).
5. His gracious ministry to all (Isa 42:2–3).
6. His miracles (Isa 35:5–6).
7. His message (Isa 61:1–2).
8. His suffering and death (Isa 50:6; 52:14; 53:1–10).
B. He described the Lion.
1. His resurrection (Isa 53:10–12).
2. His millennial reign (Isa 9:7; 32:1; 33:22).
IX. Isaiah and the Great Tribulation.
A. He described the final woes.
1. Divine plagues upon the soil (Isa 2:21; 13:13; 24:1, 6, 20).
2. Divine plagues upon the sky (Isa 13:10; 34:4).
3. Divine plagues upon sinners (Isa 2:19; 13:7–8; 34:1–2; 63:3).
B. He described the final war.
1. The vengeance of the Lord (Isa 26:20–21; 34:1–4; 66:15–16, 24).
2. The victory of the Lord (Isa 63:1–6).
X. Isaiah and the glorious Millennium.
A. The nations in the Millennium.
1. The Jews.
a. Their citizens will be purified (Isa 4:4).
b. Their capital will be magnified (Isa 26:1–2; 52:1).
2. The Gentiles.
a. Wars will cease (Isa 2:4).
b. Worship will commence (Isa 2:2–3; 66:23).
B. The needy in the Millennium.
1. The blind will see (Isa 29:18; 35:5).
2. The deaf will hear (Isa 29:18; 35:5).
3. The lame will walk (Isa 35:6).
C. Nature itself in the Millennium.
1. The countryside.
a. Valleys will rise (Isa 40:4).
b. Mountains will sink (Isa 40:4).
c. Deserts will bloom (Isa 35:1, 6).
2. The creatures.
a. Perfect harmony between the lion and the lamb (Isa 11:6–7; 65:25).
b. Perfect harmony between the child and the cockatrice (Isa 11:8).

THEOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    I. Isaiah and the Gospel writers.
A. Matthew and Luke identified John the Baptist as the New Testament messenger predicted by Isaiah in the Old Testament (cp. Matt 3:1–3; Luke 3:2–6 with Isa 40:3–5).
1. The foretelling as described by Isaiah (Isa 40:3–5).
2. The fulfillment as described by Matthew (Matt 3:1–3).
B. Matthew identified Christ as the New Testament chosen servant foretold by Isaiah in the Old Testament.
1. The foretelling as described by Isaiah (Isa 42:1–4).
2. The fulfillment as described by Matthew (Matt 12:18–21).
C. John wrote the following:
1. That the Jewish leaders had fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies about the unbelief Christ would face (Isa 53:1; John 12:37–38).
2. That Isaiah had seen the glory of Christ and spoken of him (John 12:41).
II. Isaiah and Jesus.
A. Jesus read from Isaiah’s scroll during his sermon in Nazareth and claimed he was the fulfillment of the prophet’s words concerning the Messiah.
1. The foretelling (Isa 61:1–2).
2. The fulfillment (Luke 4:16–21).
B. Jesus moved to Capernaum, a Galilean city in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali so that he might fulfill a prophecy given by Isaiah.
1. The foretelling (Isa 9:1–2).
2. The fulfillment (Matt 4:13–15).
C. Jesus healed many people to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah (Isa 53:4; Matt 8:16–17).
D. Jesus denounced the Pharisees on two occasions, saying they had fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies concerning them.
1. The first occasion (Isa 6:9–10; Matt 13:14–15).
2. The second occasion (Isa 29:13; Matt 15:7–9; Mark 7:6–7).
III. Isaiah and Philip.
A. The passage.
The Ethiopian eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53 when Philip caught up with him in the desert (Isa 53:7–8; Acts 8:26–35).
B. The puzzle (Acts 8:34).
C. The proclaiming (Acts 8:35).
IV. Isaiah and Paul.
Paul often quoted from Isaiah, pointing out:
A. That unbelieving Israel had fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy about them (Isa 6:9–10; 44:18; Acts 28:25–27).
B. That God had extended a long and intense invitation to Israel (Isa 65:2; Rom 10:21).
C. That Israel would stumble over Christ when he appeared (Isa 8:14; 28:16; Rom 9:33).
D. That God would, nevertheless, reserve for himself a remnant in Israel (Isa 10:22–23; Rom 9:27–28).
E. That this remnant would be preserved due to the grace of God alone (Isa 1:9; Rom 9:29).
F. That the Gentiles would find Christ (Isa 9:6–7; 11:1, 10; 52:15; 65:1; Rom 10:20; 15:12, 21).
STATISTICS
  Father: Amoz (Isa 38:1)
Spouse: A prophetess (Isa 8:3)
Sons: Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa 7:3; 8:1, 3)
First mention: 2 Kings 19:2
Final mention: Romans 15:12
Meaning of his name: “God’s salvation”
Referred to: 53 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Nine books (2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans)
Occupation: Prophet (2 Kgs 19:2)
Important fact about his life: He was the Old Testament’s greatest prophet.

ISH-BOSHETH

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    I. Crowned by a soldier.
A. The anointing.
1. He was one of Saul’s sons who was made king over the 10 tribes of Israel by Abner, Saul’s general, after the death of Saul (2 Sam 2:8).
2. He was 40 years old at the time and reigned only two years (2 Sam 2:10).
B. The accusation.
1. Ish-bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with Rizpah, a former concubine of his father Saul (2 Sam 3:7).
2. In a rage, Abner threatened to hand over Ish-bosheth’s kingdom to David (2 Sam 3:8–11).
C. The appeasement.
In an attempt to appease both Abner and David, Ish-bosheth sent Michal, Saul’s youngest daughter and David’s first wife, back to David. During David’s difficult days as an outlaw, she was given in marriage to another man (2 Sam 3:12–16).
II. Killed by two soldiers.
At the end of a two–year reign, Ish-bosheth was murdered by two of his soldiers (2 Sam 4:5–6).
STATISTICS
  Father: Saul (2 Sam 2:8)
First mention: 2 Samuel 2:8
Final mention: 2 Samuel 4:12
Meaning of his name: “Man of shame”
Referred to: 11 times
Biblical books mentioning him: One book (2 Samuel)
Occupation: King of all Israel except Judah (2 Sam 2:4, 8–9)
Place of death: In his own bedroom (2 Sam 4:5–7)
Circumstances of death: He was murdered by two rebels (2 Sam 4:5, 11).
Important fact about his life: He succeeded his father, Saul, as king (2 Sam 2:8–9).

ISHMAEL (1)

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    I. The prophecies concerning Ishmael.
A. Before his birth.
1. Ishmael’s name was given to his mother Hagar by the Lord himself before his birth (Gen 16:11).
2. God also predicted he would live a wild life, fighting with both friend and foe (Gen 16:12).
B. After his birth.
1. God promised Abraham that he would bless Ishmael, and make him the father of 12 rulers (Gen 17:20; 25:13–16).
2. Ishmael was circumcised by Abraham when he was 13 years old (Gen 17:24–26).
II. The provocation by Ishmael.
A. Later, Ishmael incurred the wrath of Sarah when he mocked her son Isaac on the day set aside to celebrate his weaning (Gen 21:9–10).
B. At the command of God, Abraham sent both Hagar and Ishmael away from his camp (Gen 21:11–13).
III. The provision.
A. God made provision for Ishmael as he grew up in the desert of Paran, where he became an archer (Gen 21:20–21).
B. He later married an Egyptian wife (Gen 21:21).
C. One of his daughters was named Mahalath. She later became the wife of Esau (Gen 28:9; 36:3).
STATISTICS
  Father: Abraham (Gen 16:15)
Mother: Hagar (Gen 16:15)
Daughters: Mahalath and Nebaioth (Gen 28:9); Bashemath (Gen 36:3)
Brothers: Half brothers: Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Gen 21:3; 25:2)
First mention: Genesis 16:11
Final mention: 1 Chronicles 1:31
Meaning of his name: “God is hearing”
Referred to: 20 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Two books (Genesis, 1 Chronicles)
Occupation: Hunter (Archer? Gen 21:20)
Age at death: 137 (Gen 25:17)
Important fact about his life: He was Abraham’s first son (Gen 16:15).

ISHMAEL (2)

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    I. His background.
A. He was of royal blood (2 Kgs 25:25).
B. He had been one of the Judean king’s officers (Jer 41:1).
II. His bloodletting.
A. He killed Gedaliah.
1. He was hired by Baalis, the Ammonite king, to do this (Jer 40:14).
2. Along with 10 men, he assassinated Gedaliah, the man appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to be governor over Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 25:23, 25).
3. Ishmael assassinated Gedaliah during a banquet hosted by the governor in the city of Mizpah (Jer 41:1–2).
B. He killed Gedaliah’s companions. This included the Jewish guests at the banquet as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there (Jer 41:3).
C. He killed 70 (out of 80) men who were en route to offer up a sacrifice of grain and incense amid the ruins of the Temple. He then threw their bodies into a cistern (Jer 41:4–8).
D. He took many captives.
1. Ishmael carried off the remaining people in Mizpah (Jer 41:10).
2. These captives, however, were later rescued by a Judean army officer named Johanan and his troops, who chased Ishmael to the land of Ammon (Jer 41:10–15).
STATISTICS
  Father: Nethaniah (2 Kgs 25:23)
First mention: 2 Kings 25:23
Final mention: Jeremiah 41:18
Meaning of his name: “God is hearing”
Referred to: 23 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Two books (2 Kings, Jeremiah)
Occupation: Rebel soldier (2 Kgs 25:23–25)
Important fact about his life: He was a rebel who killed Governor Gedaliah (2 Kgs 25:25).

ITHAMAR

CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY

    I. Ithamar and the assignment by Moses.
A. The work involved.
1. He was appointed a priest by God (Exod 28:1).
2. He was placed in charge of the materials used for the Tabernacle (Exod 38:21).
3. He was also responsible for the transporting of the Tabernacle (Num 4:24–33).
B. The warning involved.
He was warned by Moses against carelessness in observing God’s holiness after the deaths of his two brothers, Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:6–7).
II. Ithamar and the anger of Moses.
A. He incurred the anger of Moses concerning the way he handled a sin offering in the sanctuary, until Moses realized he was blameless in this matter (Lev 10:16–20).
B. A descendant of Ithamar named Daniel is mentioned as one who joined up with Ezra during the return to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:2).
STATISTICS
  Father: Aaron (Exod 6:23)
Mother: Elisheba (Exod 6:23)
Brothers: Nadab, Abihu, and Eleazar (Exod 6:23)
First mention: Exodus 6:23
Final mention: Ezra 8:2
Meaning of his name: “Island of the palm tree”
Referred to: 20 times
Biblical books mentioning him: Five books (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, 1 Chronicles, Ezra)
Occupation: Priest (Exod 28:1)
Important fact about his life: He was Aaron’s youngest son (Exod 6:23).

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