14 Thus says the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and bring them all down as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the LORD, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the LORD,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
— [isaiah 43:11-13]
God does a new thing
This passage is filled with beautiful reminders of who God is, and how we can keep our focus squared fixed on Him.
in verse 15 He clearly defines Himself to us:
the LORD. this word, written in ‘all caps’ represents the sacred name of God given to moses, often translated as Yahweh. This is a reminder that He alone is almighty God.
your Holy One. God reminds us that He alone is holy and set apart. He is eternally perfect, and He alone can create perfect holiness within us. israel must not forget who God is.
the Creator of Israel. the nation of israel has been guided from the beginning by the hand of God. this is not a nation that one day decided to have a God to follow, this nation was called out, led and formed by God to be His chosen people. although divided, God’s people must not forget who they are and where they came from.
your King. isaiah foretold of the people being exiled to babylon. in the midst of great turmoil, they must remember that whoever their political leader may be, God is their eternal king, and their hope must remain in Him alone.
remember not the former things
in the following verse God recounts things He has done in the past, but labels them as things He is doing. He has already made ‘a way in the sea’ when He parted the red sea, and a ‘path in the mighty waters’ when He parted the jordan river.
there are several passages in scripture that encourage us to remember the things God has done, so why does verse 18 seemingly encourage us to do the opposite?
God requires us to focus squarely on Him alone.
there is no need to dwell on past sins or failures. He has forgiven them and empowered us with His Spirit.
we also cannot rest on past victories. we must look ahead to what God is doing and will do in our lives, not simply what He has done in the past.
we give Him glory for things He has done, and anticipate what He will do.
praise God that He alone is our great and glorious king!
~ jason soroski