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G-d promises that his covenant to Avraham will be fulfilled through Yitzchak.

Now we know of course that Yitzchak, like Avraham before him and Yaakov after him, was totally righteous (albeit not totally perfect as nobody was), and worthy of being a Patriarch.

However Yaakov's choice wasn't automatic, in spite of the prophecy. How did G-d know that Yitzchak wouldn't choose to be sinful like his son Eisav?

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    Welcome to Mi Yodeya, Cash Cow, and thanks for the question!
    – Scimonster
    Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 11:25

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Avot 3:19 says: "Rabbi Akiva said: All is foreseen, but freedom of choice is given. The world is judged in goodness, yet all is proportioned to one's work." This is a classic conundrum: if we have free will then how can all be foreseen, and if all is foreseen how can we have free will? But, somehow, both statements are true; God, not being limited in any way, can allow people to retain free will yet know which choices they will make. As it is true for us, so it is true for Yitzchak.

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