How does Isaiah 43:16 connect to God's deliverance in Exodus 14? Setting the Scene Isaiah 43:16: “Thus says the LORD — Who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters.” The Red Sea Miracle Revisited • “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided.” • “The Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” Direct Links Between the Two Passages • Same God, same action: “makes a way in the sea.” • Identical imagery: waters pushed back, dry path revealed. • Language of “way” (Heb. derek) and “path” (nâthîv) appears in both scenes. • Purpose: deliver a helpless people from an impossible threat. Why Isaiah Revives the Exodus Picture • To remind later generations that the Red Sea deliverer has not changed (Malachi 3:6). • To assure exiles that a fresh “Exodus” from Babylon is just as certain (Isaiah 43:19; 48:20-21). • To spotlight God’s unrivaled sovereignty over creation (Psalm 77:19; Isaiah 51:10). What the Connection Teaches About God • He specializes in impossible routes. • He protects His covenant people while judging their oppressors (Exodus 14:23-31; Isaiah 43:17). • His past acts are guarantees, not mere memories (Hebrews 13:8). Living Implications • History anchors faith: the literal Red Sea crossing undergirds confidence today. • Present obstacles fall under the same God who once opened an ocean. • Deliverance is never abstract; it is concrete, time-stamped, and repeatable at His command. |
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