“A New Thing”

Overview

A New Thing: God's Resolution to His People

"Watch this. Just you wait. Do you see what's happening?" These are the kinds of phrases that draw our attention forward—into the immediacy of the present and the anticipation of what is to come. When God speaks this way through His Word, we should lean in. In Isaiah 43:18-19, the Lord declares to His people: "Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do 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's prophecy, given more than 700 years before Christ, looked ahead to the exiles who would one day suffer Babylonian captivity—a judgment for the people's immorality and disobedience that left Jerusalem flattened. To those future captives, God recalled His mighty Exodus deliverance at the Red Sea Isaiah 43:16-17—and then told them not to dwell on it. This isn't a contradiction with Isaiah 46:8-9, where God commands them to remember the former things. God instituted the Passover precisely so His people would never forget. The point is this: don't get so locked in past mercies that you cannot see present and future ones. As Jeremiah 16:14-15 promises, the day was coming when God would be known not only as the One who brought Israel out of Egypt, but as the One who brought them back from the land of the north.

Notice the beautiful echo in the promise: at the Red Sea, God pulled the waters back so His people walked on dry ground. Now He pledges to make a way through the wilderness on dry ground—and to water them as they walk. He is the God of the Exodus past, the Exodus present, and the Exodus future. This prophetic "new thing" began an era that would culminate in the cross of Jesus Christ, where redemption, rescue, and reconciliation were secured. As Christ Himself declares from the throne in Revelation 21:5, "See, I am making all things new." And 2 Corinthians 5:17 announces, "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new."

Here is the pastoral application: because of our sinfulness, we are tempted to believe God was powerful and wonderful "back then" but is somehow limited, distant, or disinterested now. When that creeps in, "watch this" and "just you wait" get replaced with "nothing to see here" and "no sense waiting." God will have nothing to do with that kind of resignation. He continually breaks forth with fresh grace, fresh promises, and a fresh claim on our lives. On whatever dry ground you are walking today—through whatever rocky, jagged wilderness—He is making a way, refreshing you like water in the desert, and bringing good out of hard places. Don't dwell only on what He has done. Anticipate what He is doing and what He will yet do. He is the God of the new.

Transcript

Let's open our Bibles, please. 3s

To Isaiah, the 43rd chapter for our study today, 6s

Isaiah, chapter 43. 10s

Watch this. 17s

Just you wait. 19s

Do you see what's happening? 22s

When we hear those phrases, 25s

when they are directed at us, those phrases, 27s

well, they're encouraging aren't they? 31s

They're hopeful. 33s

Because those kind of phrases draw our attention 35s

to the immediacy of the present or into the future. 38s

We're intrigued by them. 44s

And those phrases draw us into their joy and anticipation. 47s

And when God is the one that communicates 56s

like that through his word, well. 61s

We study today from Isaiah 43. 68s

You'll recall that when I began this sermon series 71s

on resolutions, God's resolutions. 74s

That's what he is resolved to do. 77s

I mentioned that during the course of this two-month study 81s

together as we explored God's word. 84s

I mentioned that we would be returning to Isaiah 43 times. 88s

The reason is, as Isaiah 43 is such a rich, well, 93s

for the resolutions, the promises of God. 99s

And so today marks the third draw from this rich, rich, well. 103s

Remember, Isaiah began his ministry 740 years 111s

before the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. 115s

And as part of his writing, the prophet Isaiah 120s

was giving a word of prophecy that the Lord had given him 124s

to exiles that would come in the sixth century. 129s

That's why Isaiah is such a fascinating, fascinating, 135s

book. 139s

So literally a portion of the prophets' work here 142s

is speaking to a people that weren't in captivity yet. 146s

But it was a word that would come for them when that day 153s

would come. 159s

What was the Babylonian captivity? 161s

Remember, the people were guilty of immorality and disobedience. 164s

And so God used a pagan nation, Babylon, 170s

an executed judgment upon his people. 174s

Jerusalem was flattened by the Babylonians, 179s

and the people were led into captivity. 181s

It was that act of judgment. 185s

We come now to Isaiah chapter 43. 190s

It's one of those portions where Isaiah is speaking ahead 194s

to these exiles that would one day come. 198s

And God says through the prophet verse 18. 205s

Do not remember the former things or consider the things 213s

of old. 218s

What are the former things? 222s

What are the things of old that they're not to remember? 224s

We understand what that is. 230s

We get an example from our context. 231s

Look, please, at verse 16 of Isaiah 43. 234s

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, 239s

a path in the mighty waters, 243s

who brings out chariot in horse, army, and warrior. 245s

They lie down, they cannot rise, 250s

they are extinguished, quenched like a wick. 253s

Well, that's the great account of God's miraculous dealing 258s

with his people at the Red Sea. 263s

It's an amazing, amazing story. 267s

When you look at the backdrop that led up to that, 268s

recall that the people were in slavery in Egypt. 272s

They were under the hand of an incredibly oppressive Pharaoh. 275s

God put his power on display through ten plagues. 280s

And God then freed the people, 286s

propelling them to the Promised Land. 289s

Behind them, though, were the warriors, 293s

the hoof beats, the chariots of the Egyptians that followed, 296s

and the people of God's Scripture says, 299s

came to the Red Sea. 302s

And so there was the water in front of them, 303s

and the Egyptians close behind them. 306s

But what did God do? 311s

God parted the Red Sea, 313s

and the people crossed over, 316s

and remember what Scripture says, 319s

they crossed over on dry ground. 321s

As the water was pulled back, 325s

then when the pursuing army came the water 327s

closed in on the army that pursued. 331s

Incredible, incredible story. 336s

And yet God says, 343s

do not remember the former things. 344s

Well, why wouldn't God want them to remember this? 352s

To remember these former things? 356s

Well, let's confuse it even more. 360s

Let's go to Isaiah, chapter 46, 362s

verse 8, Isaiah, chapter 46, verse 8. 366s

There God's speaking through the prophet says this. 371s

Remember this and consider, 376s

we call it to mind, you transgressors. 378s

Remember the former things of old 381s

and old, for I am God, 384s

and there is no other I am God, 387s

and there is no one like me. 391s

So which one is it? 396s

God says, don't remember, 399s

and then he says to remember, 403s

well, we know that God will not give 408s

conflicting instruction. 410s

God is God, and so also his word 412s

will not tell us two things 416s

that are absolutely contradictory. 419s

So when God inverse 18 says, 424s

do not remember the former things 430s

or consider the things of old? 432s

He is telling the people, 437s

don't dwell, don't dwell on what I've done. 441s

Certainly he's not telling them to forget, 448s

God had instituted the Passover 451s

for them for generation after generation 453s

to remember the incredible events 456s

of what he had done and the freeing of the people. 459s

He was not telling them to forget, 463s

but he was telling them not to dwell on it. 465s

Watch this. 475s

Just you wait. 478s

See what's happening? 481s

It's all of those phrases rolled up into one, 484s

and God says inverse 19. 491s

I am about to do a new thing. 495s

Now it springs forth. 502s

Do you not perceive it? 504s

So what's the new thing 511s

that God is going to do? 514s

And he is telling the people through the prophet. 516s

Now don't dwell on what I've done. 520s

And anticipate what I will do. 524s

So what is the new thing he's talking about? 527s

Let's go on, inverse 19. 533s

Right after he says, 538s

I'm about to do a new thing. 539s

Now it springs forth. 542s

Do you not perceive it? 544s

He says, 546s

I will make a way in the wilderness 548s

and rivers in the desert. 553s

Oh, you catch this promise here? 558s

Remember the way that God had made for the people, 562s

when they came to the Red Sea, 565s

he pulled the waters back and what did they do? 566s

They walked across on dry ground. 569s

Now God through his prophet Isaiah 573s

is promising that he's going to bring them 576s

out of Babylonian captivity back into Jerusalem. 581s

He's going to make a way in the wilderness. 586s

They are going to walk on the dry ground 589s

of the wilderness. 593s

But as they walk on the dry ground of the wilderness 597s

to return to their home, 600s

God is going to water them. 604s

God is going to sustain them. 608s

He pulls back the water, 613s

they're Red Sea and they walk on dry ground. 615s

And now he's saying, 618s

you're going to walk on the dry ground. 619s

And I'm going to water you. 624s

It's the new thing. 628s

Jeremiah puts it this way. 632s

In Jeremiah chapter 16, 635s

therefore the days are surely coming, says the Lord. 640s

When it shall no longer be said, 644s

as the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel 647s

up out of the land of Egypt, 650s

but as the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel 654s

up out of the land of the north, 659s

and out of all the lands where he has driven them. 663s

For I will bring them back to their own land 667s

that I gave to their ancestors. 672s

God wanted the people to understand 680s

that he was a God of the Exodus, 683s

a God of the Exodus of the past, 688s

a God of the Exodus of the present, 693s

and a God of the Exodus of the future. 698s

Watch this. 710s

Just you wait. 713s

See what's happening? 717s

Oh, those kinds of phrases. 722s

They just catch your attention. 724s

Don't they? 728s

But what's our temptation? 732s

Our temptation is to get stuck 736s

in the past. 739s

Is it okay to reminisce about something wonderful 745s

in the past? Well, of course it is. 747s

But if one becomes locked there, 752s

just reminiscing about the past, 755s

it can be stifling with regard to the present 760s

and the future. 763s

That's one pond or something that has happened 768s

in the past, and it just brings delight. 770s

It brings a smile to your face. 773s

Is that good? Well, of course it is. 776s

But if one starts to think that the good 781s

is just associated with the past, 785s

that the good is just associated with days, 789s

long gone by, then the joy in the present, 793s

and the joy in the future, 799s

can dissipate. 803s

We can become so locked in what was 806s

that it affects how we live in the now. 812s

Let's go deeper here. 821s

Because of our sinfulness, 827s

we can find ourselves pondering about all 831s

of the wonderful things that God has done in the past, 834s

but because of our sinfulness, 839s

we can limit what he can do in the present 843s

and the future in our own mind. 846s

We can conceive of God as somehow being all powerful 851s

and wonderful back then, but in the present and in the future, 855s

we can conceive of him as somehow limited, 863s

or not as concerned, or far away, 866s

indistant. 869s

And when that happens, 875s

freezes like, like watch this, 878s

freezes like, 884s

just do wait, 886s

freezes like, 890s

you see what's happening, 892s

freezes like that, 896s

become replaced, 898s

and we start to say things like, 901s

nothing to see here, 907s

or no sense waiting, 910s

or nothing good is going to happen. 916s

Anyway, 921s

God will have nothing to do with that, 927s

nothing. 937s

Look back, please, 941s

at verse 18 of our text, 942s

do not remember the former things. 947s

Don't dwell on them, 950s

or consider the things of old. 953s

I'm about to do a new thing. 958s

Now it springs forth. 961s

Do you not perceive it? 963s

This prophetic word to this people that would one day be 968s

in Babylon in captivity, 972s

this word of the new that God was going to do, 974s

this was the beginning of the era 981s

that would culminate in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 985s

God, you see, was promising, 992s

not only that he was going to deliver his people physically, 994s

but this is also on a deeper level, 1000s

the promise that he was going to deliver spiritually. 1003s

At the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1010s

the Lord Jesus paid for the sin of these people, 1014s

and he paid for our sin, 1017s

and he paid for the sin of everyone that comes after us. 1020s

Redemption, wrecking, reconciliation, 1026s

the tomb is empty, the sacrifice is accepted. 1029s

Revelation, the 21st chapter. 1035s

And the one who was seated on the throne said, 1041s

see, I'm making all things new. 1044s

God is a God of the new. 1052s

First Corinthians, the 5th chapter. 1057s

So if anyone is in Christ, 1059s

there is a new creation. 1063s

Everything old has passed away. 1066s

See, everything has become new. 1069s

God continually breaks forth each and every day with the new. 1076s

He continually comes with his fresh supply of grace. 1082s

He continually comes with his fresh proclamation of his promises 1088s

through his word. 1094s

He continually comes expressing that fresh claim upon our lives. 1095s

God is the God of the Exodus of the past. 1107s

And he is God of the Exodus of the future as one day, 1114s

he will lead us to the Exodus of the beauty of heaven itself. 1118s

And beloved, he is the God of the Exodus of the present. 1125s

He makes the way for you through the wilderness. 1137s

On the dry ground that you are walking on today, 1145s

he makes the way rescuing and guiding, 1150s

bringing good out of the most rocky, jagged problems 1156s

that we face. 1163s

And as we walk through the wilderness, 1167s

as we walk through the difficult times, 1172s

this side of heaven, 1175s

God promises to refresh us as water refreshes us. 1177s

He promises to doubt us again and again. 1185s

And in his promises. 1192s

Watch this. 1202s

Just you wait. 1205s

Do you see what's happening? 1209s

Statements like that all rolled up into God's resolution. 1213s

I am about to do a new thing. 1220s

Beloved and dissipate. 1232s

God is the God of the new. 1239s

Beloved and dissipate. 1254s