Isaiah 43:18-19
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God is calling His people to step into a future so astonishingly new that it will make their past triumphs pale in comparison. He's not asking them to forget their history, but to stop letting the "former things" define their present or limit their hope in the "new thing" He's about to do.
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes from the latter half of Isaiah, which describes God's future actions concerning His people, Israel. The prophet is speaking to a people who have experienced significant hardship and are likely to feel discouraged. The verses preceding this one emphasize God's power and faithfulness, reassuring them of His ongoing care and promising a future deliverance. This context sets up the call to shift focus from past experiences to the new and incredible things God is about to do.
God wants to do something new! But what does that mean for our past experiences, especially the painful ones?
Isaiah 43:18-19 is a powerful declaration from God: 'Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, shall you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.'
This isn't a command to forget history entirely, but rather a redirection. The 'former things' likely refer to the glorious but ultimately insufficient deliverances of the past, like the exodus from Egypt. God is assuring His people, who are in exile, that what He is about to do will far surpass anything they've experienced before.
Think of it like graduating from school. You don't erase your memories or the lessons learned, but you shift your focus from the familiar halls to the exciting, unknown future. God wants His people to stop dwelling on past triumphs (or even past hurts) to fully embrace the 'new thing' He is actively bringing about. It’s about shifting perspective from what was to what is becoming through God’s present action.
God declares 'I am doing a new thing!' What does this active, present-tense 'doing' reveal about His nature and His plan?
The phrase 'I am doing a new thing' (Isaiah 43:19) is crucial. It's not something that will happen eventually, but something God is currently initiating. This 'new thing' is the promised restoration from Babylonian exile, a dramatic intervention that will feel like a new creation.
Ask a follow-up
God is making a 'way in the wilderness' and bringing 'rivers in the desert.' This imagery speaks of overcoming impossible circumstances. For people in exile, surrounded by barrenness and hopelessness, this means God will provide sustenance, direction, and a path where none existed.
It reveals God as an active participant in history, a God who doesn't just set things in motion but actively intervenes to bring about His purposes. Even when the path seems impossible ('wilderness,' 'desert'), God creates the way. His 'new thing' is a demonstration of His power and His faithfulness to His people.
Understand the original words
bin · Hebrew Verb
An act of the mind or heart involving focused attention, contemplation, or reflection upon God's past works or future purposes, often used in Scripture as an imperative to acknowledge God's sovereignty.
chadash · Hebrew Adjective
To bring into existence something entirely fresh or a new manifestation of God's redemptive power, distinct from but built upon the foundation of His past acts.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
An uncultivated, desolate, or uninhabited place often used in Scripture as a place of testing, refuge, and the site of God’s miraculous provision for His people.
The prophet Isaiah's words here speak into the deep longing of the exiles in Babylon. After the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, they were called to look forward, not back to the glories of the past, but to a new and even greater work God was about to do. The rise of Cyrus the Great provided the historical context for this message of hope, as God was preparing to bring about their return and restoration in a way that would eclipse even the Exodus from Egypt.
701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Isaiah prophesied Jerusalem's inviolability amidst the Assyrian threat, a prophecy vindicated by the miraculous lifting of the siege.
621 BC
Discovery of the Book of the Law
King Josiah's reforms following the discovery of the Law instilled national confidence, but this was shattered by his death.
605 BC
Battle of Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar's decisive victory over Egypt marked Babylon's rise to world power and Judah's subjugation.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, exiling the king, royal family, and a significant portion of the elite and skilled workers.
587 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
After a prolonged siege and Zedekiah's failed rebellion, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, exiling most of the remaining population.
c. 550 BC— this verse
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great united the Medes and Persians, beginning his campaigns that would lead to the overthrow of the Babylonian empire.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus conquered Babylon, allowing the Jewish exiles to begin their return to Jerusalem.
This passage parallels Isaiah's message by speaking of a future deliverance that will overshadow the exodus from Egypt, emphasizing God's transformative power and future faithfulness.
Jeremiah 23:7-8This verse explicitly states that future deliverances will be so significant they will eclipse the memory of the exodus, directly echoing Isaiah's sentiment about not remembering the 'former things'.
Isaiah 43:19Immediately following the verse in question, this passage reveals God's intention to do a 'new thing,' directly illustrating what should be remembered instead of the past, highlighting a new path and provision.
Isaiah 46:9-10This passage reinforces the idea of God's unique and sovereign plan by referencing His past actions and declaring His future intentions, emphasizing that His purposes are not forgotten but are part of a larger, unfolding divine agenda.
barnesIsaiah 43:18: "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
Remember ye not ... - So great and wonderful shall be God's future interpositions in your behalf, that what he has done, great as that was, shall be comparatively forgotten. The former things - The deliverance from Egypt, and the overthrow of his enemies there. The things of old - The things that were formerly done.
bensonIsaiah 43:18: "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
Isaiah 43:18-19 . Remember ye not the former things — But although your former deliverance out of Egypt was in itself a most glorious work, which you ought always to remember and consider; yet this other work, of your deliverance out of Babylon, and those blessings which shall follow upon it, and particularly that of sending the Messiah, shall be so transcendent a favour, that, in comparison thereof, all your…
God is calling His people to step into a future so astonishingly new that it will make their past triumphs pale in comparison. He's not asking them to forget their history, but to stop letting the "former things" define their present or limit their hope in the "new thing" He's about to do.
This passage comes from the latter half of Isaiah, which describes God's future actions concerning His people, Israel. The prophet is speaking to a people who have experienced significant hardship and are likely to feel discouraged. The verses preceding this one emphasize God's power and faithfulness, reassuring them of His ongoing care and promising a future deliverance. This context sets up the call to shift focus from past experiences to the new and incredible things God is about to do.
This passage comes from the latter half of Isaiah, which describes God's future actions concerning His people, Israel. The prophet is speaking to a people who have experienced significant hardship and are likely to feel discouraged. The verses preceding this one emphasize God's power and faithfulness, reassuring them of His ongoing care and promising a future deliverance. This context sets up the call to shift focus from past experiences to the new and incredible things God is about to do.
"“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 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." — God is calling His people to step into a future so astonishingly new that it will make their past triumphs pale in comparison. He's not asking them to forget their history, but to stop letting the "f…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
