God Will Make A Road In Your Desert

"God Will Make A Road In Your Desert"

Isaiah 43:19 * November 9, 2003

Chester’s First Baptist Church, Chester, Illinois * Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued:

"Is anyone up there?"

"I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?"

"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer."

"That’s all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."

A moment of pause, then: "Is anyone else up there?"

B Historical Background:

Isaiah is one of the longest and most important books of the Old Testament

His Prophet career began during a time of relative peace and prosperity under Judah’s King Uzziah & Jotham.

As King’s changed so did the political climate

Under the reign of King Ahaz, Assyria became a super power and deported Judah’s sister Kingdom, Israel. (Israel entered into Babylonian captivity in 722 B.C.)

For 21 years, Isaiah urged his King Ahaz to stay faithful to God.

(ISA 26:4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.)

Ahaz didn’t listen. In 701 B.C., Assyria came blazing into Judah. . .and she fell.

C Sometimes it’s hard to trust God. Today, we are going to hear a message, "God Will Make A Road In Your Desert." This lesson will help us trust God in the tough spots in our lives. (HISTORICAL BACKGROUND)

a "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness," Is. 43:19 NAS

b Isaiah assured a captive Israel that God would bring them out of their Babylonian oppression. (ETS)

D God provides a way out of the desert for his own. (ESS)

a I hope you will stay faithful to God while you are drudging through the deserts in your life. (Objective)

b Why trust God to make a road in your desert? (Probing Question)

T.S. Let’s look at two reasons why we can trust God to make a road in our deserts.

I The first reason why we can trust God to make anew road in our desert is. . . . GOD SAID HE WOULD DO SOMETHING.

1 "Behold, I will do something new. . ." NAS

A What was God’s greatest work/marvel/miracle in the mind of the Israel?

(Exodus from their Egyptian captors)

a DT 32:18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

*Sin sent Israel into Egyptian bondage 800 years before Isaiah.

*Sin sent Israel back into bondage in the time of Isaiah.

b Any time God delivered Israel, it was always through a desert.

*What is your greatest need in a desert? (Salt, Crackers, Tabasco?) H20!!

B When God took Israel out of Egypt he brought them water from a rock.

EX 17:5 The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. [6] I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

God gave water from a rock in the first captivity in Egypt. . .and the second captivity in Babylon as well.

ISA 48:21 They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.

a The Old Testament refers to God as "The Rock" dozens and dozens of times.

*Gen. 49:24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

*Duet. 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

2 Sam. 22:32 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

b ISA 44:8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

*Israel’s greatest need was delivered by and from THE ROCK.

*God was going to do something. . .NEW!

*Isaiah is pointing ahead some 700 years to Calvary.

2 What is our greatest need in our deserts? WATER (What the Israelites?)

A I Cor. 10:1-4 1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. [2] They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. [3] They all ate the same spiritual food [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.