Isa.43:18; the Past Should Not Be
Your Focus.
Isaiah 43:18 (KJV) Remember ye not
the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Isaiah 43:18 (NIV)”Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
CONTEXT; What's
around the verse
Overview
Restoration and Protection Promised
The LORD's Promise of
Victory
God Will Save His People Again
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses
elsewhere.
Deut. 7:18 (KJV) Thou shalt
not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what
the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
Deut. 8:2 (KJV) And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee
these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know
what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
1 Chron. 16:12
(KJV) Remember his marvellous works that he
hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Isaiah 46:9 (KJV) Remember the
former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there
is none like me,
Isaiah 65:16-17 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the
God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall
swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and
because they are hid from mine eyes. For, behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into
mind.
Philip. 3:13 Brethren, I count
not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before,
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From
The Head To The Heart What is God teaching here? What does it teach about
Jesus?
Remember ye not. God had done great things for His
people in ages past, but these would be small in comparison with what He would
do for them in the future. [SDA Commentary]
Former things refers to the prophecies of judgment by Isaiah and other prophets
(see 42:9, 21-25; 43:9, 10; 46:8, 9; 48:3). [Nelson SB]
43:14-21 God would destroy Babylon and bring His people back to
Palestine, a new thing that, when compared to most other wonders of Israel's
history, would make those seem as nothing. [Ryrie SB]
The Lord commanded the people not to remember the past (46:9, 10). The
43:15-21 This
section pictures a new exodus for a people once again oppressed, as the
Israelites had been as slaves in
deliver them. A new exodus would take place through a new desert. The past
miracles were nothing compared to what God would do for his people in the
future. [Life Application SB]
Isaiah 43:14-21 God's creative work
never ends. He constantly works to create a people. See note on vv. 1-7. As
holy King, He is morally perfect and absolute ruler. He will not let His people
totally perish. He will destroy enemies and renew His disciplined people. The
Creator God is not a figure of the past who has become
senile and forgetful. He is the Creator bringing new redemption to His people.
Because God is holy, He cannot overlook iniquity. Because He is a God of
redemption, He forgives and restores His people. He is constantly creating new
things for His people so we can serve Him and bring His purposes to pass in the
world. [Disciple SB]
Philip. 3:13 Brethren, I count
not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before,
Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I
create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor
come into mind.
It has been said that the depressed person lives in the past. The obsessive
person lives for tomorrow. The healthy person lives in today. Where do you live?
Those who choose to dwell in the
past tend to focus on "shoulds" and "coulds." What should they have done? What could they
have done differently? Some people look at their pasts, assume the future is going to be the
same way, and give up. True, some have had difficult past experiences, but God
is in the present and can make a difference.
We can
deal with the past in the sense that we can forgive people and forgive
ourselves, but we cannot live the past over. This is not to say we are to
ignore the past. Some people figure they must never think about the past; if
they do, it must mean they have not forgiven those who hurt them. This negative
rigidity usually indicates that they really have not worked through the pain to
choose forgiveness. When this is the case, the patterns from the past generally
repeat in the present and. future. When people "gloss over" the past,
they get mired in bitterness,
The goal is not to push the past
from our memories but to get to the place where we are not embittered by it,
where we do not dwell on it or let it control us. Dr. Verle
Bell [Passages Of Life SB re Phil.3:13, 14]
Child of mine, This journey we are on together is forward looking. The
destination is ever before you. You have not arrived, but you are on your way.
Press on. Take hold of that glorious purpose for which Jesus Christ has taken
hold of you. His purpose is that you know him, that you become like him, that
your life becomes a channel through which his love can flow to others. His
purpose is that you spend eternity enjoying me, starting now! Many have
traveled this road before you, and you can learn from them. Consider Paul.
Suppose he had taken time out from his journey to dwell on past failures. He
could have looked back and become paralyzed by the guilt and shame of a life
spent persecuting the