Isaiah 43:14-21 – In step with God’s plan

Despite the Jew’s unworthiness in how they had responded to Him, God remained faithful to them. He dealt with them as His covenant people. He, the Holy One of Israel, would remain their Redeemer. So in verses 14-15, God promised them that Babylon, where they would be deported to and exiled, would fall. The people of Babylon here referred to as the Chaldeans, would be captured and carried away by their own ships.  Notice how emphatically God referred to Himself. The certainty of what would happen was guaranteed, for the one who would bring this about remained their Covenant LORD, the Holy One, the One who had created them, and their King.  

In verses 16-21, God then promised that their departure from their exile and captivity would be more glorious than their forefather's first exodus from their captivity in Egypt. God revisited with them what happened at the first exodus where He dried up the Red Sea and created a way out for them through the parting of the mighty water. It was He who had caused the chariots and the whole host of the Egyptian army pursuing them to be drowned, buried, and extinguished in the sea. Here in these verses, He promised them an even greater deliverance that would take place. It would make the first exodus from Egypt pale in comparison. Though great as the first deliverance was, this upcoming one would cause the former deliverance to be overlooked and forgotten.   

What would happen in this upcoming deliverance? Verses 18-21 described them. God called it a new thing. In this coming deliverance, God would be creating a path for them in the desert land to travel, and the rivers would flow in the impossible desert land. So much so that even animals in the desert would rejoice. What God was saying is that He would bring about everything necessary to bring them back from exile.

There is this habit for believers to marvel at what God had done in the past and dwell in them and not move forward with God. There is an unconsciousness that God wants to do something new with every increasing year. The past might be glorious but the future with God would be far more glorious if we understand where God is taking us too. The key to spiritual advancement is for us not to camp in the past but to be sensitive to God’s leading. So move forward in tandem with Him. Don’t dwell in the past no matter how glorious it might have been. Look at what God is doing today and move in step and advance with Him. If not, we are the ones who will lose out!