Isaiah 43:19 - A New Thing

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (ESV)

This is a well-known verse whose meaning is rarely understood. Often people will take this promise for themselves and just apply it to their own lives without understanding just how amazing this declaration is. I'm not saying that this isn't a promise for us today, I'm simply saying that this promise that was given to the people of Judah is far greater than many people understand. I'm going to divide this verse into three sections and explore each section. However, before I do this, I will provide the verse's context in order to ensure that you can get the full understanding of this verse.

The general overview of the book of Isaiah is that Isaiah is warning the people of Judah of God's judgement, while also providing a message of hope that God would bring them back into the land that they would be removed from. In this chapter, God reminds his people of times that he has rescued them in the past and he is constantly assuring them that he is their saviour. This verse comes after God reminds them of how he rescued them from the Egyptians all the way back in Exodus 14. It is in this context that we find this verse.

The first section of this verse is probably the most well-known part; "Behold, I am doing a new thing..." This is often passed over because it seems pretty obvious what it is saying. God is doing something that hasn't been done before. However, what many people don't realise is that the intended readers would have understood how profound this statement truly is. In Ecclesiastes 1:9 it says that nothing truly new ever happens, so for God to say that he is doing something new, this is a profound statement that signals something unheard of and previously incomprehensible about to occur. This statement would have filled people with excitement and fear, as they knew that nothing truly new ever happened.

The next part that I'm going to examine is: "...now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" God poses a question to the reader, this question comes after God makes reference to those who "have eyes but are blind" and those who "have ears but are deaf." God is telling the reader that not all who hear his words will understand them, not all who witness this new thing will perceive it. In this verse, God is challenging the reader to be spiritually aware, to constantly be on the lookout for the next thing God is doing, otherwise they might miss this new thing.

The end of this verse explains what this new thing that God is doing will be: "I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Often when someone is "in the wilderness" in the Bible, it indicates that they are going through a great trial. Jesus went into the wilderness when he was being tempted for forty days, David was in the wilderness when he was being hunted by Saul, and the Israelites were in the wilderness when they left Egypt. God says that he will make a way through the wilderness, it doesn't say that God will remove the wilderness, it says that he will make a way. To those who are lost, he will provide guidance. He will not simply remove you from the wildernesses. Likewise with the second promise, that he will make rivers in the desert. In the Bible, the desert is often shown to be a place devoid of life, and full of death. It is a place of danger that should be avoided. Of course, the biggest danger in the desert is dehydration due to the lack of water. With a source of water, the desert, although still dangerous and difficult to traverse, is survivable. God promises to make a river through the desert. Once again he promises to create a way to endure trials, but he doesn't remove the trial. God knows that trials are important for our growth, but he will help us through them. In regards to how the original readers would have interpreted this verse: Isaiah has been providing warnings of judgement and warning that the people will be exiled. This verse tells them that God will follow through on his judgement, but he will not let his people be destroyed. He will provide a way for his people to survive the trial that awaits them.

This verse is a promise that God will help us through our trials. God will not remove our trials but he will provide us with a way through them. Regardless of what trial we may be facing right now, we can rest in the knowledge that God will make a way for us.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that, even though you don't take me out of my trials, you provide me with a way through them. Thank you for guiding me through hard times and for being my strength when I can find no way to continue. I ask that you help me to see all the things that you have done in my life and to help me see all that you are doing. Amen.