Sermon: The New Thing
Bible Passage: Isaiah 43:14-21
I. The LORD’s self-introduction before He introduced “the new thing”
1. The Redeemer (43:14)
2. The Holy one of Israel (43:14)
3. The One who created Israel (43:15)
4. The King (43:15)
5. The One who orchestrated the geo-political changes—Cyrus’ rise (cf. 40:21-24)
6. The one who has espoused the cause of Israel (43:14-15)
II. The LORD builds hope in His people for “the new thing” by reminding them about their Exodus experience
1. The LORD made a road through the sea (43:16)
2. The LORD led chariots and horses to destruction (43:17)
3. The LORD destroyed Egypt’s mighty army that posed a threat to His people (43:17)
III. The Exodus experience was a humanly unimaginable event, but what the LORD was going to do now is (was) going to surpass/supersede the former one (verse 18). Forget the former things (43:18)
1. Do not dwell on the past (43:18)
2. See “I am doing a new thing (43:19a)”
IV. The state of the people of Judah
1. They were in Babylon, in a foreign land, where they remained politically and socially weak
2. People had no hope of coming back to their homeland
a. Isa 40:27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God?”
b. Isa 49:14 Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me”
3. Their Temple in Jerusalem remained destroyed
4. There was no king and their country was surrounded by hostile power
V. Let’s now look at verse 19
1. “Behold! I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”
2. “New thing” refers to the LORD’s plan of bringing His people back to Jerusalem from Babylon
3. The word “make” refers to God’s careful designing of the “new thing”
4. The “new thing” is better than the “former one”
a. Emperor Cyrus himself would approve the return of Jews to Jerusalem (cf. Ezra 1)— (verse 19)
b. Those who returned were fully resourced
c. It was going to be easy and less stressful journey—“the LORD makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert”
i. Favor of authorities
ii. Divine protection—the wild animals, the jackals, and ostriches of the desert listen to the LORD to favor God’s people (verse 20)
iii. Divine provision—I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (verse 20)
VI. The purpose of “the new thing” is that they might declare the LORD’s praise (43:21). The ultimate new thing God the Father did is that He sent Jesus the Redeemer to this world to redeem us from the destructive hands of Satan
1. (Isa 43:16-21 is in the background of Cyrus the Great, who is a kind of shadow/type of Jesus)
2. The Ultimate Redeemer, the Servant is Jesus who initiated us into this ultimate new thing
3. John 3:16 That we will not perish but will have eternal life
4. John 3:17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him
5. God redeemed His people through His Son Jesus and invited them for a life-journey with Him
6. 1 Peter 2:9: You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light
7. The purpose of the journey is still the same as Isa 43:21, i.e., to declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light
VII. Lessons from this passage
1. The Triune God continues to be the Redeemer of His people who are stuck in life
2. He redeems and resources them to move on in their journey
3. The purpose of the journey is to declare the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light
Take Away:
Prepare yourself for the new thing and seek to declare His praises through your words and deeds