No Going Back

by Maggie Browne

12/01/23 Abraham sends his servant back to the region he came from to fetch a wife for his son, Isaac. He was living among the pagan Canaanites who didn’t worship God so Abraham was keen to find for his son a believing wife from among his own people. He himself was too old for the journey which is why he sends his servant.

He is determined that Isaac should not go back to his homeland even if the servant fails to find him a wife. He says, “Be careful never to take my son there.” (Genesis‬ ‭24‬:‭6‬) and he repeats this saying, …”under no circumstances are you to take my son there.” (Genesis‬ ‭24‬:‭8‬).

I believe the reason is to do with God’s promises.

Isaac is the son and heir who will inherit Abraham’s blessings and become the next step in the fulfilment of God’s promises to make his family fruitful with many descendants and lots of good land. So he needs to stay where he is as a sign of faith in God’s promises. Going back could lead to temptation, to choosing an easier way of life and so to forfeiting these blessings.

People often talk about the good old days especially when present times are tough, but those days are gone and we need to embrace the present which is where we are living now. Sometimes it’s good to look back to see how far we’ve come, to remind ourselves of what God has done in our lives, to learn from our mistakes etc but although we may “look” back we can’t “go” back and we shouldn’t try to go back. That’s the wrong direction.

Growing older can make us long for the past, for a return to a more youthful appearance, more energy, faster reaction times, less aches and pains etc. However, God has created our seasons of life and we can’t avoid them. The best approach is to enjoy the present day and allow God to lead us forward into the future, as we trust Him to complete His plans for our lives. After all, He has offered us eternal life in His presence. What could be better than that!