A New Thing
Isaiah 43:16-21[1]
1-1-06
“This is what the LORD says--
he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
At the time this prophecy was given Isaiah and the other Jews were captives in Babylon. They were living under a set of circumstances that were difficult for them. They longed to be back in Jerusalem—their homeland. At that time such a dream seemed like an absolute impossibility.
Through Isaiah God is speaking a word of assurance and encouragement to His people.[2]
First, look with me at
I. God’s Reference to the PAST.
(1) He begins by reminding them of His past faithfulness.
verses 16 & 17 “This is what the LORD says-- he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses,the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:”
This is not the first time God’s people had experienced hardship. While they were slaves in Egypt life was rough. The Egyptians were hard taskmasters. Listen to what God said to Moses when He met with him at the burning in Exodus 3:7 “ The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” When God’s people are hurting God sees it and God feels it. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus is a High Priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. In Isa 63:9 the prophet talks about God’s heart toward His people, “In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.” NKJV If there is anybody hurting here this morning I want you to understand God’s heart toward you. He feels the pain you feel and He cares about what you are going through.
In our text, these people are not only being reminded that God cares but also that God is able. At the time of the Exodus Egypt was the most powerful nation on earth. There was no way that Israel could have risen up and broke free from their bondage. Egypt’s chariots and horses and army were there to insure nothing like that would ever happen. Humanly speaking it was a hopeless situation that God’s people were in. But God felt their pain and intervened in their behalf. Everything changed because God acted. There are times when we need to act in obedience to God’s directive. But their are times when God rises up and acts in behalf of His people. The prayer in Ps 119:126 cries out “It is time for you to act, O LORD...” When God lifted His arm in behalf of His people 10 Plagues feel on Egypt. God brought them out just as He said He would. When Pharaoh and his army tried to pursue them they were destroyed.
Ex 15:1-2 “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: ‘I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!
2 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.’” NKJV
The result of God’s work in behalf of His people was worship and praise. They rejoiced together in what God had done.
So, on the one hand, our text tells us to remember the past—remember it so that we know the faithfulness of God. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He changes not. The same God who delivered their forefathers can and will deliver them.
(2) But ironically, our text also tells us to forget about the past. Isa 43:18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” It is a good thing to draw lessons from our past. We can learn from past experience. It is a good thing to encourage ourselves in the faithfulness of God by remembering what He’s done for us. But life is to be lived in the NOW! No matter how bad or how good things were in the past that is not where we are now. For these people they needed to embrace the hope God had set before them for the future. They were living in the past Exodus when God was about to give them a present Exodus.
Look at
II. God’s Statement about the PRESENT.
(1) Isa 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing!....” If we’re too focused on the past we have a hard time embracing the future. What new thing is God doing in the NOW? God is not limited to His past performance. He has all kinds of fresh, creative ways to bless His people. He is about to move upon a pagan king named Cyrus and bring His people back into the promise land.
(2) In the second part of verse 19 God asks, “Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Don’t miss that first word—now—not tomorrow—not someday—but right now it is beginning to bud forth. You may not be able to see the full realization of it right now. But can you see that it is beginning to happen? “Do you not perceive it?” May God make each and every one of us sensitive to what He is doing in the now. It is a sad thing when God is doing a new thing and people can’t perceive it. We can’t rejoice in it when we can’t perceive it.
(3) What is God doing? Isa 43:19b-20 “I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen”
He is making a way where there seems to be no way. He is doing the impossible. Wastelands are wastelands because they have no streams. If you try to cross the dessert you can die of thirst. There was no way these Babylonian captives could make their way to Jerusalem on their own. They felt like they were in an impossible situation. God says I can change your wasteland and make it a Garden of Eden. I can put rivers of water where there used to be only dust. Will you acknowledge that I can do that for you?
(4) Why would God put streams in the desert? To give drink to His people! It is always about His people. Yes the wild animals and jackals and owls benefit from what God is doing. But they are not His primary objective. He has set His love on His people. And no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly before Him.
(5) There is an important result that comes out of all this. Verse 21 “the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
We don’t have to put the streams in the wasteland. We don’t have to make a way when there seems to be no way. God does all that for us. His heart rejoices in doing that for us. But when He does a new thing—when He steps in and works in our behalf—there is something that we ought to do. We ought to give thanks to the Lord “for He is good and His mercy endures forever.” Ps 92:1-5 “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. 4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.” KJV
May we all begin the New Year with grateful hearts? Would you join me in praising God for His faithfulness to us in 2005 and in anticipation of His goodness in 2006?
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
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[1] All Scripture quotes are from New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
[2] Awhile before preparing this sermon I read some sermons at Sermon Central on related subjects. Although I cannot remember which sermons they were I was no doubt influenced by them and regret that I can not give specific credit to whom credit is due. I do want to express my appreciation for the great resource Sermon Central is for us pastors
