Rivers in the Desert

Rivers in the Desert

Preached on 12-31-2020 4227 Rhawn St Phila. Pa 19136 Troy FireSpeaks Pearsall DMin New Year’s Eve Sermon

In Isaiah 43:19 God says I will make a path in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. This he spoke to Israel and they prepared to leave exile and make the over 600 mile trip back home. The expression rivers in the desert is the challenge that God put before his people to move beyond what has been in the past to more wonderful things he has for them.

God says I will make a path in the wilderness reminds them and us that when we think we are lost that a loving and faithful God is going before us make the way when we are in our own persona wilderness. Rivers in the desert is a reminder that as we seek Him in our dry places, he will meet our needs

Introduction

Last night I went to ShopRite grocery store, and I saw a I cake made in the shape of a clock. it reminded me of the traditional countdown that happens every year around this time. But this year there was something new in store that I had never seen before. It was a cake that with the words Good Riddance 2020.

Maybe the year 2020 had misbehave more than any year in the past. So, the cake makers found it necessary to give it a special goodbye. I heard many people say they could not wait until 2020 was gone.

And with all that has happened in this year. From poor political leadership from both sides that have caused division within this country; to increased awareness to racial injustice, to loss of job, loss of home, and loss of life due the coronavirus, and closing of sporting events, closing of restaurants, closing of schools, and the closing of churches. I can understand the desire to see this year come to an end.

But with the desire to see this year come to an end, is the implied desire that the future year will bring something better. That somehow, 2021 will swoop down and right all that was wrong with 2020.

Illustration.

I read a story about a British missionary to China by the name of Hudson Taylor. And the story said that in his home Mr. Taylor used to hang a plaque on the wall with two Hebrew words. The First word was Ebenezer; the word Ebenezer means stone of help in used in 1st Samuel 4:1 it was the memorial stone erected by Samuel to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines - north of Jerusalem.

The second word was Jehovah-Jireh Name Jehovah-Jireh means God will provide it is used in Genesis 22:14 a symbolic Name given by Abraham to Mount Moriah of God when he prevented the sacrifice of Isaac and provided a substitute ram in the bushes.

Now these two words give us two different perspective of God Grace in our lives. One-word Ebenezer looks back on what God has done, and the other word Jehovah-Jireh Looks forward to what God will do.

I want to talk to you today about these two perspectives of God’s grace as we move into the year 2021

Open your bibles to Isaiah 43:14-19 as I read the passage I going to stop and break it down and hopeful we can see things especially 2020 and beyond form the perspective of God will for our lives.

The Cause (verse 14-15)

“This is what the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring them all down as fugitives, Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice. 15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.”

God says for your sake I am sending something to Babylon. What was God sending? Cyrus the Great, king of Medo-Persia empire to destroy the Belshazzar and the arrogant and prideful Babylonian empire, and to make a way for the children of Israel to return to their home and worship Him.

Now there are two biblical events associated with this scripture. The first is from Daniel chapter 5 where the prophet interpret the handwriting on the wall that God has already passed judgement on the Babylon and the Chaldeans.

The second is from Isaiah 26:20 CSB “Go, my people, enter your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed.”

The Jews who are in exile in Babylon are instructed by God to go into their home while God sends his wrath in the form of Cyrus the Great to bring down the Belshazzar and the Chaldean who would have never allowed them to return home. Now Daniel tells us this destruction of Babylon happened the right after Daniel’s interpretation and lasted just a little while. And all the Jews had to do is go into their homes get of the street cause all heck was about to break loose.

There is a spiritual parallel to the Jew’s physical exile, and many Christian’s spiritual exile. On the quarantine we fight, on the wearing of mask we fight, on the closing of churches we fight yet; When church was open every Sunday, they made excuses for not showing up; When bible study was every Wednesday, it conflicted with more pressing responsibilities. They despised morning prayer and reading their Bibles, because they had to get up to early in the morning. I’m not going to say how many ignore the needy and refuse to share the gospel or stole from God through tithe and offering.

(pause)

There is an expression God whispers to us in our pleasures and yells in our pain. and it may be that what we are going the pain that this past few years ahs brought us is God yelling to us get out of the way I’m sending Cyrus for your sake, to get you back to me.

Remember my Past

16 This is what the Lord says, He who makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters, 17 Who brings out the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been extinguished, and gone out like a wick)

God reminds Israel that He has provided for their forefather’s exodus from Egypt and how in the most difficult time He made a way out of no way. But God says not only have I made a way I have wiped the problem away completely. The passage says they will lie down together, and they will not rise again.

Time and time again God remind the people of His salvific power toward them as inspiration to go when time look difficult.

In Deuteronomy 2 Moses reminds Israel that when they were hungry in the wilderness and there was no food to eat God sent manna for them which no one had ever here of be for then. In 1st Samuel the prophet marks a stone as a reminder that it was God that helped them to defeat their enemies.

Everyone of us has had a time in our life when God has made a way out of no way. It is this memory of what God has done that motivates us to believe God for more. Maybe you have not had a supernatural experience. But if you take your time you will see God hand in your life.

In Deuteronomy 25:5 God says to Israel “you walked forty years in the wilderness and your sandals never wore out!”

This is God Ebenezer in our life the stone of help,

Sometimes we don’t see God’s hand in the miraculous as much as we see God hand in His faithfulness. How many of you have gone this entire pandemic and been affected by it in anyway? How many have seen every around you get a pink slip, but not you,? How many can’t even remember the last time you had a bill passed due?

This is God hand taking your though the wilderness and your sandals not wearing out and your belly not being hungry. These are the events that give us the strength to look to the pass on how God has kept us, and it give us a hope of the future.

Doing a New Thing

“Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old.19 Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” Isaiah 43:14-19 CSB

Israel in the wilderness was a stiff-necked and rebellious people, given to murmuring, licentiousness, and idolatry. So, in verse 18 God shifts directions and says to them “Do no remember the past events” because the salvation of Israel from Egypt did not create a new heart in the people toward God. He says to them “Pay no attention to the things of old” because God has something new in plan

You know there is a lot of people that think because doctrine teaches that God never change that He never does anything new. But revelation 21:5 says God make all things new. In verse 19 god says

Look, I am about to do something new, now we know for Israel that meant that God was about to revel the salvation that came not by the hand, what He did for them;

In order for Israel to get to the next level that be prepared for the coming of the messiah. God needed to change their stiff-neckless to people whose heart are right before God.

A lot of us are nothing but a bunch of stiff neck Christians and we need to know that right now God is doing a new thing. He says “even now it is coming. Do you not see it?” For the Jews Cyrus and the medo-persian empire was the sign of God doing a new thing. It was God evidence to the Jew that things were about to change.

As believing Christians we need to see the evidence all around us that God is working a new thing not just in the good that we experience but in all things. God therefore God is working a new thing in the heighten social unrest that we are experiencing right now, God is working a new thing in the poor governmental leadership, God is working a new thing in the coronavirus pandemic.

God said I am about to do something new” And as we began to read the scripture and see how the events of this world align themselves with the scripture, we will recognize that God really is doing something new for you and I

But Here’s the Good Part

God said “Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” and what that means is as we search and as we move forward in the coming year. We do so with the hope that things will get better. So, as we go on our journey to the hope for something better. We will have times of trouble (wilderness) but God is saying that in your wilderness, and in our desert, when you get lost you can be sure he make a path and when you’re thirsty he make rivers in the desert. There is hope in the new thing that God is doing if you would only seek him