Consider the New Thing, Not the Former

Isaiah 43:14-28

14 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
"For your sake I will send to Babylon,
And bring them all down as fugitives—
The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.

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
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):

18 "Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

20 The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.

21 This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.
22 "But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.

23 You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.

24 You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.

25 "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.

26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted.

27 Your first father sinned,
And your mediators have transgressed against Me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
I will give Jacob to the curse,
And Israel to reproaches.

The call first is to not remember the past but to consider the work God is busy doing for His people now, even while in captivity by and to sin.  He even pleaded with  with unfaithful Israel after assuring He would deliver them.  He reminded Israel that He is the LORD, He is holy, and that He alone is their Creator and Sovereign.  He makes a way in battle and brings defeat just as easily by His mighty hand.  After bringing forth these truths, the LORD then tells them to not dwell on the past but hear how He was about to do a new thing out of nowhere as a road in the desert or rivers in that barren place to bring forth fruitfulness.  He would give them water for their thirst just as He does to the animals (Matthew 6:26) of His creation.  He does these good things because He chose them, just as He has chosen the rest of His people in Christ of whom we are.  He formed us all for Himself that we might praise Him for who He is and all He does for us in overflowing thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, Israel had grown tired of worshiping the LORD and had not called on Him anymore.  They ceased their sacrifices of praise and were no longer thankful.  Instead they burdened God with their sinful thoughts and actions while asking to receive blessings as if expecting them while continuing in sin and disobedience.  The LORD here reminds them through the prophet that it is He who blots out their sins forever by grace in such undeserved forgiveness.  It is He who chose to forget the punishment of their sin.  He reminded them to remember Him and His working on their behalf even as they forgot Him and were no longer thankful and worshiping Him as they ought.  He challenged His people to argue their case that they would see the folly of their rationalizations and excuses, then reminded them that they have been in rebellion against Him since their first father Abraham (Genesis 12:18) who Israel came from.  This first father reference also goes back to the first father of us all in Adam through whom we all inherited sin in the Fall of mankind.  In the first Adam we all sinned and come short, and through Abraham who took God at His word and believed through the example of faith His chosen people came into being.  We then likewise should not consider the former thing of our sin more than the new thing of our salvation by faith in the seed of Adam by the faith of believing Abraham (Galatians 3:7-9), the seed and second Adam (Romans 5:14, 19) who is Jesus the Christ, our salvation by God’s choosing and His work.  May we then consider these things and praise Him as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) of thanksgiving for such indescribable grace (2 Corinthians 9:15)!