Isaac Redux
By Peter Leithart
The Shunammite woman sets Elisha up with a small sanctuary in an upper room, complete with menorah, table, throne-chair, and bed (= altar). When the woman’s son dies, Elisha lays him on the bed/altar, and he revives. He is another Isaac, Elisha a new Abraham. Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac was followed by a promise of an abundant seed and then by the negotiations for a plot of land (Gen 22-23). Elisha raises the boy, and then goes to feed a hundred men and to restore the land to fruitfulness.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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