Introduction: The coloured portions of today’s reading let us know a) who is speaking, b) what the listening attitude of the hearers is to be, and c) God’s aim, His purpose in acting this way! The portion in black is poetical and needs background context and some study to understand. Remember that those of Judea and Samaria, the divided Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel have been repeatedly conquered and are at the moment of Isaiah’s writing and God’s speaking a subject, conquered people!
14 Thus says the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and bring them all down as fugitives,
even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
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,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 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.
20 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,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.
Comment: God says that He will snuff out the conquerors as one does with a candle! The final portion in bold black is to be I think understood something like this – ‘You can begin to sense what I am doing. I am preparing the Way to Victory! It is going to be a great blessing to you, my Chosen people, Those who fight against you (those jackals and ostriches – Gentiles) will come to bow down to me!’
And a Question – ‘Do the chosen include others besides the Jews?’ Taken in the context of Isaiah’s writings and of the whole of the Bible I believe that this is Messianic, talking about the coming Jesus! Not making the past meaningless but what was hinted at by the Law fulfilled by Jesus being the perfect Sacrifice answering the relationship between God and people being potentially restored. Though it does require a change in thinking!
Numbers 24: 17-19 (portions) – I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob, ….. his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly….. And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion.
Prayer: Thank You that what is promised here is fulfilled in Jesus!