“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. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” (Isaiah 43:19-21)
On the surface, this passage from Isaiah seems joyous and uplifting. In context, however, it is a warning to the people of Judah. Isaiah prophesied God’s judgment on them because, with few exceptions, both the people and their leadership served as a deplorable witness for the glory of the Lord. The nation as a whole was idolatrous, unloving, and rebellious. The Lord through Isaiah reminded this idolatrous people of His mighty acts such as the destruction of the armies of Egypt in the Red Sea as a warning of the devastation that awaited them for their unfaithfulness. The Lord promised He was going to do a new thing, to form a new Kingdom for Himself, one that would give Him glory and praise. Those who considered themselves the Chosen people would have no part in it
Perhaps we in 21st Century need to heed Isaiah’s warning words. Many have forgotten God’s mighty works, His judgments, and His promises or have completely dismissed them as outdated and irrelevant. Instead they heed the false promises and declarations of the world’s self-proclaimed influencers, power brokers, and celebrities who think they have the authority to dictate and enforce their version of morality and truth to the whole world. The warning of the Lord promises destruction upon all those who oppose Him.
Like the ancient Jews, we believers are far from perfect. We are often rebellious, self-centered,and unjust but the Lord loves us and still chooses to call us His chosen ones. The Lord has redeemed us for His own sake, for His own glory. His glory is magnified as we testify to and proclaim His mercy and kindness. He forgives us our sins and forgets them. None of the so-called gods of the world are as kind as He, nor are human beings many of whom seldom forget or forgive any sin. If God forgives us so much, how can we withhold forgiveness from those who have wronged us or hate us? How can we withhold the gospel from them?