Read Genesis 27:1-3

This has to be one of the most curious passing references of Isaac’s life. As the narrative goes, Isaac is getting old and is ready to die. But if you continue reading, you discover that Isaac actually will live for at least another few decades. He does not die until Jacob returns with his entire family, after Jacob’s wife Rachel dies in childbirth at least forty years later (Genesis 35:16-29).

That means the latter third of Isaac’s life was spent enfeebled and blind. He is completely unmentioned for the entire time. His life was effectively over, and it appears that the strength of his people was lost. His son Esau went south and his other son Jacob went north. Who remained with Isaac? We don’t even know what happened to his wife Rebekah.

Is there even a way to write a devotional thought on this end of a life? We tend to think the anonymity of Isaac’s latter life is a bad thing, but considering the turmoil of his son Jacob’s life, maybe it wasn’t so bad to be relatively unknown.