In-Depth Bible Study Guide

"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet": Trusting God Through Transition

Primary Text: Isaiah 43:18–19

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1. Introduction & Overview

Dr. Troy Johnson's sermon, preached from Isaiah 43:18–19, delivers a thunderous word of hope to a congregation navigating a significant pastoral transition after forty years under the same shepherd. The central message is this: the faithfulness God has demonstrated in the past is not the ceiling of what he will do — it is merely the floor. The God who parted the Red Sea has not exhausted his creative power, and those who honor the past without being imprisoned by it will discover that the best is genuinely yet to come.

Primary Passage: Isaiah 43:18–19 (NKJV)

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Study Objectives: Through this guide, students will (1) understand the historical and literary context of Isaiah 43 and its place within the larger "Book of Consolation," (2) explore the theological tension between remembering God's past acts and expecting new ones, (3) examine key Hebrew terms that deepen the passage's meaning, (4) trace the biblical theme of divine newness across both Testaments, and (5) apply these truths practically to personal and communal seasons of transition.

Estimated Study Time: 2.5–3 hours

Why This Passage Matters: Isaiah 43 is one of the most theologically rich chapters in all of prophetic literature. It addresses the universal human experience of being between what was and what will be — a liminal space that produces both grief and hope. Every believer and every congregation will face seasons of transition. This passage provides a theological framework for navigating change without either romanticizing the past or despairing about the future.

How This Guide Builds on the Sermon: Dr. Johnson's preaching identified four powerful movements in the text — honor the past without living there, expect God to do something new, pay attention to what is emerging, and trust God to make a way. This guide expands the exegetical, historical, and theological foundations beneath those points, equipping serious students to go deeper into the text and broader into the biblical narrative.

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2. Exegetical Analysis

Literary Structure and Genre

Isaiah 43 belongs to what scholars call Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40–55), a sustained section of prophetic poetry addressed to Israel in Babylonian exile. The literary genre is oracle of salvation — a divine speech form in which God directly addresses his people with words of assurance, often structured around the formula "Fear not" (cf. 43:1, 5). This genre is characterized by God speaking in the first person, identifying himself through his past acts, and then announcing future redemptive intentions.

Isaiah 43 as a whole can be structured as follows:

• Verses 1–7: God claims Israel as his own ("I have called you by name; you are mine")
• Verses 8–13: A divine lawsuit in which Israel is called as God's witness
• Verses 14–17: God recalls the Exodus as the paradigmatic act of deliverance
• Verses 18–21: The pivot — do not look backward; something new is coming
• Verses 22–28: Israel's failure and God's grace despite it

Our primary text, verses 18–19, sits at the theological hinge of the chapter. It is the moment where the prophet, having rehearsed the Exodus (vv. 16–17), pivots sharply and commands the people not to fixate on those very events.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Verse 18 — "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old."

The imperative "do not remember" (al-tizk'ru) is jarring precisely because Israel's entire covenantal identity was built on remembering. The Passover, the Shema, the Psalms of Ascent — all were memory practices. The command is not to erase history but to refuse to let history become the limit of expectation. The parallelism between "former things" (harishonim) and "things of old" (qadmoniyyot) intensifies this: both terms point to the Exodus tradition. As Dr. Johnson preached, God calls them to remember and then says don't get stuck there — a deliberate rhetorical tension designed to shock the listener into attention.

Verse 19a — "Behold, I will do a new thing."

The word hinneh ("Behold") signals a dramatic divine announcement. This is not casual speech — it is the equivalent of God saying, "Pay close attention." The phrase "a new thing" (chadashah) is the theological heart of the passage. God is not simply doing something different — he is doing something categorically new, something that cannot be extrapolated from prior experience.

Verse 19b — "Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?"

The verb titzmach ("spring forth") is drawn from agricultural imagery — the sprouting of a plant from the ground. Dr. Johnson's mustard greens illustration was exegetically apt. The rhetorical question "shall you not know it?" implies that God's new work will be visible and recognizable — but only to those whose eyes are open and whose posture is expectant.

Verse 19c — "I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

The wilderness (midbar) and desert (aravah) are not merely geographical references — they are theological symbols of impossibility. A road in the wilderness reverses the chaos of wandering; rivers in the desert reverse the threat of death by thirst. God's new thing will be characterized by provision in precisely the places where provision seems impossible.

Author's Intent and Original Audience

The prophet's intent is pastoral and theological: to prevent a traumatized people from being so anchored in past deliverance that they cannot receive present promise. The original audience — exiles in Babylon who had lost temple, land, and king — needed to hear that God's redemptive capacity was not exhausted by the Exodus. The new thing would be a new Exodus, a return from exile, that would make the original Exodus seem almost small by comparison (cf. Jeremiah 23:7–8).

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3. Historical & Cultural Context

The Babylonian Exile: A World Turned Upside Down

To understand Isaiah 43, one must feel the weight of the exile. In 587 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroyed Jerusalem, burned Solomon's temple to the ground, and deported the Judean leadership class to Babylon. For a people whose entire theological identity was tied to land, temple, and Davidic monarchy, this was not merely a political catastrophe — it was a theological crisis. Where was God? Had the covenant failed? Were the gods of Babylon more powerful?

The exile lasted roughly seventy years (cf. Jeremiah 25:11–12). During this time, Israelite faith underwent profound transformation. The synagogue likely emerged as a substitute for temple worship. The Torah was studied with new intensity. Prophets like Ezekiel and Second Isaiah (chapters 40–55) provided theological interpretation of the catastrophe and vision for the future.

Babylon: The Anti-Eden

Babylon was not merely a foreign city — it was a theological symbol. In the ancient Near Eastern worldview, Babylon represented the pinnacle of human civilization and the power of rival deities. The Babylonian creation myth (Enuma Elish) portrayed the world as created through divine conflict. Israel's God, by contrast, creates by speaking — an act of sovereign, effortless power. Isaiah 43's declaration that God will "do a new thing" is simultaneously a claim about God's sovereignty over Babylonian power.

The Exodus as Foundational Memory

The Exodus from Egypt (approximately 1446 or 1290 BCE, depending on the dating scheme) was Israel's defining national and theological event. Every major institution — Passover, Sabbath, the covenant at Sinai, the priesthood — was rooted in the Exodus narrative. When Isaiah 43:16–17 references "the one who makes a way in the sea," every Israelite listener would immediately recognize the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14). This was their greatest story. The prophet's command not to "remember" it is therefore all the more startling — not a dismissal, but a reorientation.

Cultural Memory Practices

In the ancient Near East, memory was not merely personal — it was communal and liturgical. Israel's memory of the Exodus was preserved through annual Passover celebrations, through the Psalms sung at festivals (e.g., Psalm 105, 106, 135, 136), and through the recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9). The prophetic command to "not remember" would have struck listeners the way telling an American not to remember the Declaration of Independence would strike us — it demanded attention precisely because it was so counterintuitive.

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4. Word Studies

"Remember" (Hebrew: זָכַר, zakar)

• Meaning: To recall, to call to mind, to keep in memory; in its active sense, to "act upon" a memory — not merely cognitive recall but behavioral response
• Etymology: Related to the Akkadian zakāru (to name, to mention); in Hebrew, memory is inherently relational and covenantal
• Biblical Usage: Genesis 8:1 ("God remembered Noah" — and acted); Exodus 2:24 ("God remembered his covenant with Abraham"); Psalm 103:14 ("he remembers that we are dust"); Lamentations 1:7 (Jerusalem "remembers" her affliction)
• Theological Significance: The command "do not remember" (al-tizk'ru) is not an instruction to amnesia but a prophetic reorientation of zakar. Israel is to redirect their covenantal memory from what God did to what God is doing. Memory in Scripture is always meant to generate trust, not nostalgia.
• Translation Considerations: The ESV renders this "remember not," while the NIV uses "forget the former things." The NIV's "forget" is slightly misleading — the Hebrew does not use the word for forgetting (shakach), which carries connotations of abandonment.

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"New" (Hebrew: חָדָשׁ, chadash)

• Meaning: New, fresh, unprecedented; something that has not existed before
• Etymology: From the root chadash, which also gives us chodesh (new moon, month) — the idea of newness tied to renewal and fresh beginnings
• Biblical Usage: Isaiah 42:9 ("new things I declare"); Isaiah 65:17 ("I create new heavens and a new earth"); Jeremiah 31:31 ("I will make a new covenant"); Lamentations 3:23 ("his mercies are new every morning"); Revelation 21:5 ("Behold, I make all things new")
• Theological Significance: Chadash is not merely novelty for its own sake — it carries eschatological weight. The "new thing" God announces in Isaiah 43 is part of a trajectory that runs through the new covenant (Jeremiah 31), the new creation (Isaiah 65–66), and ultimately the consummation of all things in Christ (Revelation 21–22). Dr. Johnson was touching a vein that runs through the entire biblical narrative.
• Translation Considerations: The NKJV, ESV, and NIV all render this "new thing," which captures the force well.

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"Spring forth" (Hebrew: צָמַח, tzmach)

• Meaning: To sprout, to grow, to spring up; primarily agricultural imagery of plant growth
• Etymology: From a root meaning to grow or flourish; related to the noun Tzemach ("Branch"), a messianic title in Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12
• Biblical Usage: Genesis 2:5 (plants before they "sprouted"); Psalm 85:11 ("righteousness shall spring up from the ground"); Isaiah 55:10 (the word of God causing things to "spring forth"); Zechariah 6:12 ("the man whose name is the Branch — Tzemach — shall branch out from his place")
• Theological Significance: This word carries both agricultural and messianic resonance. When God says his new thing "shall spring forth," he is using the language of organic, divinely-initiated growth — not human construction. The same word used for a plant breaking through soil is used for the Messiah's emergence. Dr. Johnson's mustard greens illustration was not just illustrative — it was exegetically grounded.

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"Wilderness" (Hebrew: מִדְבָּר, midbar)

• Meaning: Desert, wasteland, uninhabited place; literally "the place of leading/driving" (livestock)
• Etymology: From the root dabar (to speak, to lead); interestingly, the same root gives us dabar meaning "word" — the wilderness is, paradoxically, a place where God speaks
• Biblical Usage: Exodus 3:1 (Moses encounters God "in the wilderness"); Deuteronomy 8:2 (God leads Israel through the wilderness to humble and test them); Hosea 2:14 ("I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her"); Mark 1:3 ("the voice of one crying in the wilderness")
• Theological Significance: The wilderness in Scripture is simultaneously a place of danger and divine encounter. God's promise to make "a road in the wilderness" is a promise to transform the place of threat into the place of passage. This is the logic of redemption — God does not always remove us from hard places; he makes a way through them.

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5. Cross-References & Biblical Theology

Parallel Passages

Exodus 14:21–22 — The original Red Sea crossing, the event Isaiah 43:16–17 explicitly recalls. God's new thing will be as dramatic as this foundational act, but in a new form.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 — "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel." The same chadash ("new") appears here. The new covenant fulfills and surpasses the Sinai covenant, just as Isaiah's "new thing" surpasses the Exodus.

Isaiah 65:17 — "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind." The "former things not remembered" language from Isaiah 43:18 reappears in an eschatological context — the final new creation.

Thematic Connections

Philippians 3:13–14 — "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal." Paul's language of "straining forward" is the Greek epekteinomenos — literally stretching the neck forward. Dr. Johnson referenced this text directly, noting that this is the posture of expectation, like someone at a bus stop craning to see if the bus is coming. This is the New Testament parallel to Isaiah's "shall you not know it?"

Lamentations 3:22–23 — "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning." This is the same theological conviction as Isaiah 43 — God's faithfulness is not exhausted by yesterday's mercy; it is renewed daily.

Romans 8:28 — "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good." The God who makes roads in wildernesses is the same God who works all things together — including transitions, endings, and unknowns.

Revelation 21:5 — "Behold, I am making all things new." The eschatological fulfillment of Isaiah 43:19. God's "new thing" in the Exodus, in the return from exile, in the resurrection of Christ, and in the new creation form a single redemptive trajectory. The sermon's theme — "you ain't seen nothing yet" — finds its ultimate horizon here.

Joshua 3:4 — "You have not passed this way before." As Israel crosses the Jordan into the promised land, God explicitly tells them this is new territory. The call to follow God into the unknown is a recurring biblical pattern.

Isaiah 40:31 — "But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles." The same section of Isaiah, the same theology: those who trust God in the in-between space will be strengthened for what comes next.

Ezekiel 36:26 — "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you." God's "new thing" is not only external (road in wilderness) but internal (heart renewal). The new creation begins within.

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6. Interpretive Considerations

The Tension Between Remembering and Forgetting

The most significant interpretive challenge in Isaiah 43:18–19 is the apparent contradiction between verses 16–17 (which recall the Exodus) and verse 18 (which commands not to remember it). Scholars have handled this in several ways.

The "Surpassing Fulfillment" View (held by most evangelical and critical commentators, including John Oswalt in his NICOT commentary) holds that God is not dismissing the Exodus but relativizing it. The new act of deliverance — the return from Babylon — will be so magnificent that the Exodus will seem pale by comparison. This is the view Dr. Johnson's sermon reflects, and it is exegetically sound.

The "Eschatological Fulfillment" View (emphasized by scholars like Alec Motyer) sees the "new thing" as ultimately pointing beyond the return from Babylon to the messianic age and new creation. The return from exile was a partial fulfillment; the ultimate fulfillment awaits the coming of Christ and the consummation of all things. This view is not incompatible with the first — it simply extends the horizon.

The "Pastoral Reorientation" View (emphasized in preaching contexts) focuses on the psychological and spiritual dimension: God is calling his people to shift their posture from backward-looking grief to forward-looking expectation. This is the homiletical application Dr. Johnson drew so powerfully — don't let your past hold your future hostage.

All three readings are valid and mutually reinforcing. The text operates on multiple levels simultaneously, which is characteristic of great prophetic literature.

Common Misapplication

A common misreading of this text is to use it to justify ignoring or minimizing history — personal, communal, or theological. The text does not support this. God himself recalls the Exodus before commanding not to fixate on it. The movement is from gratitude for the past to expectation for the future, not from forgetfulness to novelty. Healthy institutions, like healthy individuals, honor their history while refusing to be imprisoned by it.

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7. Theological Implications

The Doctrine of Divine Faithfulness (Hesed)

Isaiah 43 is a sustained meditation on what theologians call hesed — the Hebrew word for God's covenant faithfulness, steadfast love, or lovingkindness. Dr. Johnson drew a sharp and important distinction in his sermon between contractual agreement and covenant faithfulness. A contract is conditional and transactional; a covenant is relational and enduring. God's commitment to Israel was not based on their performance but on his character. This is the theological foundation for every promise in the text.

The New Testament equivalent is found in Paul's declaration that God's gifts and calling are "irrevocable" (Romans 11:29) and in the author of Hebrews' assurance that Jesus is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

The Sovereignty of God Over History

The passage makes an audacious claim: the God who directed the Exodus is the same God directing the exile and the return. This is not theodicy (explaining why bad things happen) but theology proper — a declaration about who God is. God is not reactive to history; he is sovereign over it. The "new thing" is not improvisation — it is the unfolding of a plan that was always already in motion.

This connects to the doctrine of divine providence, which the Reformed tradition has articulated with particular precision (cf. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 5) and which Wesleyan theology affirms while emphasizing God's responsive engagement with human freedom. Both traditions agree on the fundamental point: God's purposes are not derailed by human failure or historical catastrophe.

Eschatological Orientation

Isaiah 43 points toward what theologians call the inaugurated eschatology of the New Testament — the idea that God's future has already broken into the present in Jesus Christ, and that the full consummation is still to come. Dr. Johnson's repeated refrain — "you ain't seen nothing yet" — is not merely motivational rhetoric. It is a theologically precise statement: the best of what God will do lies ahead, both for individuals and for the church, culminating in the new creation of Revelation 21–22.

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8. Practical Application

Honor the Past Without Living There

The scholarship behind this point is clear: zakar (remember) in Scripture always generates present action. Healthy memory is not nostalgia — it is testimony that produces trust. Practically, this means congregations in transition should celebrate their history through intentional storytelling, archiving, and thanksgiving, while simultaneously resisting the temptation to make "how we've always done it" the standard for what God can do next.

Personal reflection: Write down three specific ways God has been faithful to you in the past. Now ask: Am I allowing those memories to generate expectation, or am I using them as the ceiling of what I believe God can do?

Cultivate Expectation as a Spiritual Discipline

Philippians 3:13's epekteinomenos — the neck-straining posture of expectation — is not a personality trait. It is a practiced discipline. Dr. Johnson's bus stop illustration is instructive: you stretch your neck because you know the bus is coming. Biblical expectation is not wishful thinking; it is confidence grounded in covenant. Practically, this might mean developing a prayer life oriented not only toward gratitude for the past but petition and expectation for the future.

Pay Attention to What Is Emerging

The agricultural imagery of tzmach (springing forth) suggests that new things often begin small and require attentive eyes to notice. Dr. Johnson's gardening illustration points to a real spiritual danger: we can be so focused on what was that we miss what is beginning to emerge. Practically, this means cultivating habits of attentiveness — spiritual direction, journaling, communal discernment — that help us notice where God is at work before it becomes obvious.

Trust God to Make a Way

The sermon's final point — trust God to make a way in the wilderness — is both the simplest and the most demanding application. It requires releasing control of outcomes and outcomes' timelines. For congregations navigating pastoral transition, this means trusting the God who called and equipped one shepherd to call and equip another, and to do so in ways that may look entirely different from what came before.

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9. Discussion Questions

Observational Questions

1. In Isaiah 43:16–19, God first recalls the Exodus (vv. 16–17) and then commands Israel not to "remember the former things" (v. 18). What specific events does God reference in verses 16–17, and why is the pivot in verse 18 so rhetorically surprising?

2. What specific promises does God make in verse 19? List each element of the promise and note what problem each one addresses (e.g., "road in the wilderness" addresses the problem of ___).

3. Looking at the broader context of Isaiah 43:1–7, what reasons does God give for why Israel belongs to him and why he will act on their behalf?

Interpretive Questions

4. Dr. Johnson drew a distinction between God's "contractual agreement" and his "covenant faithfulness." Based on the text of Isaiah 43 and your knowledge of the biblical covenants, what is the difference, and why does it matter for how we read God's promises?

5. The word tzmach ("spring forth") is also used as a messianic title ("the Branch") in Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12. How might this linguistic connection deepen our reading of Isaiah 43:19, particularly in light of the New Testament?

6. How do you reconcile the command "do not remember the former things" (v. 18) with the Israelite practice of annual Passover celebration? What does this tension reveal about the nature of biblical memory?

Theological Questions

7. Isaiah 43 presents God as the one who both causes Israel's suffering (through exile, implied in vv. 22–28) and promises their deliverance. What does this teach us about God's character and his relationship to human history? How does this shape your understanding of divine sovereignty?

8. Dr. Johnson said, "God is not a resource — he is the source." How does this distinction connect to what Isaiah 43 teaches about God's identity? What are the practical and theological dangers of treating God as a resource?

Applicational Questions

9. Dr. Johnson asked his audience to identify who they are apart from what they do — noting that we often confuse our calling with our assignment. How does Isaiah 43's distinction between God's people (who they are) and their circumstances (what they are experiencing) speak to your own sense of identity in a season of change?

10. The sermon applied this text both to Pastor Lutter's retirement and to the congregation's transition. In what area of your own life are you most tempted to "set up shop in the past"? What would it look like to honor that chapter while turning the page?

11. If the "new thing" God does often begins small — like a plant just breaking through the soil — where in your life or your community might you need to pay closer attention to what is emerging?

Investigative Questions

12. Isaiah 43 is part of what many scholars call "Deutero-Isaiah" (chapters 40–55), a section some scholars believe was written during or after the Babylonian exile rather than by the eighth-century prophet Isaiah. Research this scholarly debate. How does your conclusion about authorship affect (or not affect) the theological message of Isaiah 43:18–19? What resources would help you investigate this question further?

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10. Recommended Resources

Commentaries

Accessible:

• John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40–66 (NICOT, Eerdmans) — Arguably the best evangelical commentary on this section of Isaiah. Deeply exegetical but written accessibly. Oswalt's treatment of the "new thing" in chapter 43 is outstanding. Highly recommended as a starting point.

• Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah (IVP Academic) — A rich, theologically warm commentary by a Reformed scholar. Excellent on the messianic dimensions of Second Isaiah.

Intermediate:

• John Goldingay, Isaiah 40–55 (International Critical Commentary, T&T Clark) — More technical but rewarding. Goldingay engages seriously with the Hebrew text and offers balanced treatment of interpretive debates.

• Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40–66 (Westminster Bible Companion) — Brueggemann reads Isaiah through a pastoral and rhetorical lens. His treatment of the tension between memory and expectation is particularly relevant to this sermon's themes.

Advanced:

• Christopher R. Seitz, Isaiah 40–66 (New Interpreter's Bible, Abingdon) — Seminary-level engagement with the literary and canonical dimensions of Second Isaiah. Excellent for those wanting to understand the scholarly debates about authorship and composition.

Biblical Theology and Thematic Resources

Accessible:

• D.A. Carson, The God Who Is There (Baker Books) — A biblical theology survey that traces the storyline of Scripture, including the Exodus-to-new-creation trajectory central to Isaiah 43.

Intermediate:

• T. Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem (Kregel) — Traces the theme of God's dwelling with his people from Genesis through Revelation, providing essential context for Isaiah's "new thing."

Word Study Resources

Accessible:

• Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Zondervan) — An excellent one-volume resource for motivated lay readers wanting to engage Hebrew and Greek without formal language training.

Intermediate:

• Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Hendrickson) — The standard Hebrew lexicon. Available online at various biblical study sites. Essential for serious word study.

Online Resources

• Bible Gateway (biblegateway.com) — Multiple translations side-by-side; useful for comparing how different versions render key terms like zakar, chadash, and tzmach.
• Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) — Free access to Strong's concordance, lexicons, and interlinear text. Excellent for independent word studies.
• The Gospel Coalition Commentary Series (thegospelcoalition.org/commentary) — Free, accessible commentary notes on Isaiah written by evangelical scholars.

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This study guide is designed to be used over multiple sessions. Consider working through Sections 2–4 in one sitting, Sections 5–7 in a second session, and Sections 8–9 in a group discussion format. The goal throughout is not merely to know more about Isaiah 43 but to emerge with deeper trust in the God who declares, "Behold, I will do a new thing."