See, I am Doing a New Thing!

Isaiah 43:1-19

Key Verse 43:19

The Lord gave Isaiah the vision for the Israelites [who were about to undergo fiery ordeals (i.e., Babylonian captivity)] to come out of the Babylon and serve the Lord’s world mission purpose newly. Even before sending them into the captivity, the Lord God gave them the vision to come out of it and serve the purpose (the new vision) the Lord had in mind for them. 

The Lord did this to help them not to despair with their past failures but rather learn lessons, consider the original purpose the Lord has for them, and bounce back to a new life in the Lord, serving Him as shepherds for all nations. 

Read verses 1-3a and think about the exhortation “fear not”. What does this exhortation indicate about the (inner) condition of the audience? Why is it important [for a God’s child] “not” to fear? On what basis does the Lord say, “You are mine”? Why should this be the basis for God’s children not to be afraid of harm and danger?

** They were afraid of the rising tides of foreign invasion into the land. (Read Isaiah 1:1; read Isaiah 7:13-8:10. 

** Fear is a great stumbling block to performance. This also tends to cause them to lose faith in God, become selfish, and run for life only to become statistics.  

** The Lord created them, formed them, redeemed them, and called them. So the difficulties lying ahead represent the Lord’s training for them. 

** The word “redeem” (or redemption) means to buy back for a price what was sold. Due to their sins the Israelites got themselves sold out to the hands of their enemies; but the Lord redeemed them for a price. So they are no longer their own but the Lord’s. 

Read verses 3b-8. What does “I will give men in exchange for you (or your life)” mean? What does this passage tell us about the purpose of the Lord’s calling? 

** This means that although the Lord redeemed us, it is still possible that we retain our life in our hands, and live our life for self-seeking purposes. So the expression “in exchange for you” means that we need to voluntarily offer our life (and all we have) for the Lord’s purpose. When we offer our life to the Lord, the Lord can provide us with sheep. 

** It is to let us live as shepherds leading the flock of God to the Lord. Cf. John 21:15

Read verses 9-13. In what respect is the Lord different from all others? Who are the witnesses of this unique aspect of the Lord?

** He foretells in advance things to happen in the future (such as the Babylonian captivity, and the Israelites return from it), and then at a present time exhorts his children to be ready for the new things the Lord has in mind at a future point of time. 

** People like the Prophet Isaiah or the Israelites who heard the prophecy, experienced it having come true as was prophesied. 

Read verses 14-19. What do “the former things” refer to? Why is it important for God’s children to forget the former things? Instead, what should they think about? 

** The record of past failures such as the Israelites getting involved in idol worship and thereby being dragged out of the Promised Land. 

** God’s children are different from unbelieving people, for unlike unbelievers God’s children have the Lord as a redeemer who forgives them of their past sins, and grants them a second chance to bear fruit as God’s children. 

** They must be forward looking, for God himself is forward looking. 

* Write a testimony on how you can better prepare yourself and serve the Lord in the New Year. 

 Notice the four steps of work on God’s part for his children: 1) Creation: it refers to the spiritual component of a man, that is, causing man’s existence come into being “ex-nihilo” [out of nothing] on a design stage. Mainly it talks about God’s design that is his image; 2) Forming denotes man getting shaped up (Jacob looking like Jacob, Joseph looking the way he looks etc.) which is out of dust of the ground; 3) redemption: this is God’s redemption based on his mercy and kindness; and 4) calling: this is the restoration of the purpose of God’s creation and redemption, that is, to let man function as God would do, serving the Lord as God’s agent. 

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