Isaiah 43:19

September 21, 2023

“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.”

Isaiah was one of the most prolific prophets in the Holy Bible. He often spoke of the coming Savior Jesus Christ that would one day die and be resurrected for our sin. He proclaimed and delivered messages of hope, correction, and instruction for God’s people. This particular verse of Scripture is a message of hope and courage.

The children of Israel had been dealing with trials and tribulations that entrenched feelings of discouragement into their hearts. God was letting them know through the prophet that they were to look forward and not backwards. They were unable to see past their current Babylonian captivity and it seemed as there was no end in sight.

God says not so! Isaiah 43:14 discloses, “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.” The prophet, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, is giving the children of Israel hope of a coming Redeemer Whom will bring down their enemies.

Then the Lord declares, “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” He is the God of restoration, the God that provides, and the God of change. He can change any situation regardless of how difficult it seems to be in the moment. Isaiah is pleading with the children of Israel to look up to the Lord during hard times and not to look back.

The fact is that it was easy for them to stay stuck in a state of complacency with the inability to see forward because of the challenging circumstances that they were faced with. The Word of God that He gave Isaiah was meant to give them encouragement in those times and it is still the same Word that He is giving us today. Don’t allow your past to hinder your future that is exactly what the devil wants.

This chapter in Isaiah begins with words of reassurance from the Lord when He states, “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine,” Isaiah 40:1.

Here we can see that God is removing any kind of doubt that the children of Israel could have possibly had during this period of time. He not only states that they are redeemed, but He also reiterates the fact that they are called, and that they are His! How powerful these words were then and still are today!

Now, let’s break down the primary verse of Scripture that I want to highlight in the book of Isaiah. The words “a new thing” is the Hebrew word “ḥāḏāš” which means: new, new thing, fresh. The words “it shall spring forth” is the Hebrew word “ṣāmaḥ” which means: to sprout, spring up, and to grow abundantly or thickly. Breaking down God’s Word we can determine that the Lord is letting His children know that they are to trust in the “new thing” that He is establishing for them which included them being released from exile.

Then God goes deeper into his description when he states the words “shall you not know it” which is the Hebrew word “yāḏaʿ” which means: to perceive, discern, to know, and to distinguish. The Lord is telling His people that He has the ability to make a way when there seems to be no way. His question to them was will they recognize or discern the “new thing” when it is presented to them?

We need to ask ourselves this same question today. Would we distinguish or perceive when the Lord is doing a “new thing” in our lives or changing our direction? The only way that we will be in tune with what God is doing in our lives is if we are in tune with Him. New beginnings are not a negative thing; it could mean that God is changing the route that we are on and directing us to a new and better one.

Another portion in this verse above that I want to dissect is when the Lord through the prophet reveals, “…I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” The words “a road” is the Hebrew word “dereḵ” which means: the road or path. The words “in the wilderness” is the Hebrew word “miḏbār” which means: uninhabited land, pasture, and large tracts of wilderness.

Then the Lord declares that He will create rivers in the desert or desolate place. So when we compose these pieces together we can conclude that the Lord is telling His people through Isaiah that there should never be any doubt in their minds. He has the ability to make a pathway in a dry wasteland where there has never been one before. He has the capability to make streams of water in the middle of the desert. In other words God can make the impossible, possible.

Just think of it, they were being protected by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same One that parted the red sea, made a passage in the midst of the valleys, made streams of water in a wasteland, and He is the same One that led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. He is the One that can make a new way in every circumstance, what was preventing them from having complete trust in Him?

This is something that we can ask ourselves today. It is easy to trust the Lord with your entire heart when everything in your life is going good. What do you do when you get hit with trials and tribulations left and right with no end in sight? Do you revert to the old things in your life that had you bound to begin with or do you look ahead at the amazing gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord?

Philippians 3:13-14 makes it very plain and clear to us when the Apostle Paul states, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Let’s make it a point to strive forward forgetting the things that are behind: the trials, the tribulations, the anger, the bitterness, the hatred, and anything else that is preventing you from having complete intimacy with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent