Egypt to Canaan (Pt. 3): No Turning Back
In Part Three of our series Egypt to Canaan: Fulfill Your Destiny, the title of this week’s reflection is “No Turning Back.” From the moment God called Israel out of Egypt, His plan was clear: to bring them into a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:5–8). That journey was not just Israel’s story—it is a picture of every believer’s walk with God.
The moment we give our hearts to Christ, two journeys begin: transformation and destiny. God has written a script for our lives, and His goal is that we live it out fully—leaving nothing undone.
The Risk in Looking Back
The trip from Egypt to Canaan should have been 400–480 km (about Ottawa to Toronto). Yet along the way, Israel kept longing for Egypt.
At the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11–12), facing Pharaoh’s army, they said it would have been better to stay in Egypt.
In the wilderness of thirst (Exodus 17:3), they accused Moses of bringing them out to die.
When cravings rose (Numbers 11:4–6), they missed the fish, cucumbers, onions, and garlic of Egypt.
After hearing reports of giants (Numbers 14:2–4), they decided to return, even planning to choose a leader.
This shows a dangerous truth: if you keep looking back to Egypt, you will eventually go back.
The Attraction of Egypt
Why was Egypt so hard to leave? Because it exerts both external and internal pull.
External obstacles included Pharaoh, thirst, and giants.
Internal cravings were even stronger—desires that pulled their hearts back.
Egypt represents more than geography. It is:
An arrangement designed to keep you from starting.
A mindset built over generations.
A place of misery but also false security.
A stubborn enemy that pursues even after you leave.
The flesh and natural strategies that resist the Spirit.
When following God gets hard, Egypt looks attractive. If we misread wilderness challenges, we confuse them with slavery’s burdens. Egypt’s pain drove people to cry out to God; the wilderness tested their faith. That difference matters.
Egypt Beyond the Exodus
Israel’s attachment lasted centuries. In 2 Kings 17–18, when Assyria threatened, both Israel and Judah sought alliances with Egypt. The prophet Isaiah rebuked them (Isaiah 30–31), calling Egypt’s promises worthless. Trusting Pharaoh led only to humiliation.
The lesson is timeless: every time we replace God’s plan with human strategies, we are “going to Egypt for help.” When God’s timing feels slow, it’s tempting to manufacture an Ishmael. Yet God often lets such plans fail—because if they worked, we might abandon Him permanently.
God’s Way Through the Wilderness
How do we resist the pull of Egypt? God answers in Isaiah 30:15:
“Only in returning to Me and resting will you be saved; in quietness and confidence is your strength.”
When obstacles rise, the way forward is not panic or shortcuts. It is returning to God, resting, and standing still—just as Moses told Israel at the Red Sea.
Following God requires burning bridges. Elisha slaughtered his oxen and burned the plow (1 Kings 19), ensuring he could never return. Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). If He had reasons to turn back, none were greater than ours.
Modern Echoes of Egypt
Egypt still whispers today:
Old ways of getting attention or validation.
Dishonest methods of finding jobs or success.
Retaliation when wronged.
The urge to post a “just one more” thirst trap.
Falling back into sin for comfort or control.
All of these are Egypt. They are flesh. And while they feel natural, living by the Spirit feels unnatural—like a fish out of water. Yet God calls us to crucify the flesh and live by His Spirit.
A Call to Commitment
Three commitments guard us against Egypt’s pull:
Leave the past behind.
Burn bridges with the world.
Stay committed to God’s plan—no turning back.
Demas, once Paul’s co-laborer, abandoned him “having loved the world” (2 Timothy 4:10). Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom” (Luke 9:62). To fulfill destiny, we must remove Egypt completely from our hearts. Non-commitment with God costs everything.
Like Esther, “If I perish, I perish.”
Like Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”
Like the three Hebrew boys, “Our God will deliver us, but even if He does not…”
Like Ruth, “Where you go I will go.”
This is not just Israel’s story—it is ours. God calls us to trust Him through every Red Sea, every wilderness, every valley of the shadow of death. His Spirit goes with us, even when challenges tempt us to look back.
We do not turn back. We do not go to Egypt for help. We do not mix flesh with Spirit. We stay with God until breakthrough comes.
So burn the bridges, leave Egypt behind, and follow Christ—no turning back.