Isa.48:6,7 – You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you new things from this time,
Hidden things which you have not known.
They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
The prophetic nature of God keeps us constantly aware of the supernatural nature of our faith. Our natural tendency is to slip back into the everyday humdrum rhythm of natural life, God’s prophetic word will shock us back into the awareness of Him and this supernatural life He has called us to. In today’s verses from Isaiah the Lord is declaring over the nation of Israel a new thing He is about to perform in their midst. Just like all prophesy, God’s new thing is multi-faceted. He was speaking about the Lord’s plan of deliverance for Israel in their future captivity and over the next few chapters He unfolds the plan of redemption through the death of His Son and the creation of a new heavens and a new earth. Here are some comments from the ESV Study Bible about these verses.
“He is not one of many; he is not superior among inferior gods; he is not even the best of all; he is the only God, and he will have his people know and rejoice in this truth. new things I now declare. God deliberately draws attention to the seemingly impossible predictions he is making, citing his previous prophecies as evidence of his credibility.
Now God intends to reveal surprising new prophecies. Unprecedented acts of God are on the horizon—unprecedented, lest his own people treat his deeds dismissively.”
Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophesy. Why did Paul zero in on on that particular gift above all of the others? It was certainly because Paul was used to people slipping back into the status quo and just proceeding in life as if there was no intervention of God in our day to day lives. I believe we have recently stepped into one of those new seasons that Isaiah was speaking about. He said that the Lord would do things never done before and things we could never dream up. How can I be involved in these last day displays of God’s glory? I think the gift of prophesy just may be the key. Stir up the gift of God in your life, pray in the Spirit and allow the prophetic gift to arise inside of you. As you do this, God’s new thing will begin to come alive in you.
Yes indeed!