•           a new exodus – The writer seeks to bolster faith for the exiles by recalling their own history, especially their greatest moment of salvation—the Exodus (vs. 14-17).  Then, brushing the past aside, the writer anticipates a new adventure with God, a new deliverance from captivity.  The “new thing” refers to Israel’s anticipated release and the reference to “it is happening already—you can see it now,” probably alludes to Babylon’s defeat.

•           imagery and language – The language and imagery is clearly exodus-like: “a road through the wilderness . . . streams of water . . . rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people . . .”  In anticipating deliverance, the “new thing” will include God’s gracious providence and sustenance.

•           blame following hope – What follows in vs 22-25 seems incongruent with this buoyant, faith-bolstering word of hope.  Blame and indictment.   The sequence seems odd:  hope followed by blame.   The arrangement has indeed been troubling to interpreters.[1]  False worship, however, is fodder for any period of history, say some interpreters.  The combination of hope followed by blame suggest that Israel through its history have sinned followed by punishment.  Yet a new thing is about to take place.[2]

[3]

•           When has God seemed like a dusty memory to you?  At those times, what helps you to get in touch with God?  How might recalling the acts of God in y0our past give you courage t face the present and future?

•           What has God done in your past that you especially can look upon as evidence of God’s presence with you?

 

•           not remembering – Play with the idea of forgetting / forgetfulness / not remembering someone or who we are / name some senior moments

•           counterpunctual – Not all things are healthy to remember / some memories imprison and obstruct new beginnings / give examples

•           ancient text – suggest names whose remembrance are a gift—Abraham story, Deborah / perhaps draw from Feiler’s bestseller, Abraham;

•           shift to lesson –  sometimes God wants past events to inspire greatness and new beginnings in the present / provide examples of God working in fresh ways in the local congregation that is built on past efforts

•           not only do we remember and forget – but God also forgets our past failings:  “I will not remember your sins” (v. 25).  God isn’t having a senior moment, but intentional lapse!   / God’s selective amnesia is based on God’s character to choose and make us new people, blot out our sins.  And at baptism, God does remember us and names and claims us.   God calls us through the waters to newness of life.[4]

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[1] New Interpreter’s Bible VI (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001), page 378.

[2] Ibid, page 380.

[3] Serendipity Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1998), page 354.

[4] Adapted from The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2003Ed. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), page 85.