"So wonderful shall be God's future interposition in your behalf, that all past ones shall be forgotten in comparison." - Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary
Revelation 21:4 says - "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Here we have a picture of the transient making room for the permanent. We have a glorious picture of an indescribable future - best described by the negation of all that is sad and a foe to life. It depicts the opposite of the miseries of the earthly life.
"for the former things are passed away"
All effects of former troubles are done away. All causes of future sorrow are forever removed. The things incident of this present state of living - death, pain, sorrow, crying, travail, etc. - are no more. Jesus' presence drives away all evil - making the New Jerusalem - painless, tearless, and deathless - because it is a sinless city. The dwellers in the New Jerusalem are forever free from the "former" state of things.
"for the former things are passed away"
But until that time of future bliss, what is the Christian to do?
The Biblical Illustrator hints at the answer to this question with this comment - "The former things are always passing away as one advances in knowledge and character and power. It is so with the individual. No man or woman has reached the period of maturity without having left behind many things which belong to the earlier periods of life."
In order to make it into the New Jerusalem, you will be required to "leave behind many things which belong to the earlier periods of life."
This counsel is confirmed in the following Scriptures -
Isaiah 43:18 says - "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
Isaiah 42:9 says - "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them."
Here the Prophet Isaiah was telling the people that although the bringing of Israel out of Egypt...through the Red Sea...and the drowning of Pharaoh's army were worthy to be remembered with thanksgiving and praise, to the glory of God, and for the encouragement of their faith - yet God's future interpositions in their behalf would be so great and wonderful in comparison. He would do greater things for them than He had done in the days of old. The wonders that their fathers told them of would be - outdone! The Exodus would be forgettable compared to what He was going to do. Its remembrance would be lost in the "new" thing. And in no way would this "new" thing be inferior to the old.
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explained it in this way - "So wonderful shall be God's future interposition in your behalf; that all past ones shall be forgotten in comparison."
The Pulpit Commentary added this statement - "The old deliverance will be as nothing compared with the new. Israel must cast its eyes forwards, not backwards."
This is why God strongly commanded the people (through His prophet) to forget the past.
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
In other words - "Forget what happened in the past. Don't dwell on events from long ago. Stop brooding over times gone by. Forget all that. It is nothing compared to what I am about to do."
In my studies, I came across a Scripture picture that said - "When You Finally Let Go Of The Past - Something Better Comes Along." This picture was followed by these words - "Don't be afraid to keep moving on. What was before, now has gone. God wants to accomplish so much more, but you need to move forward in the Lord."
Imagine how the Israelites first felt when they heard the "word of the LORD" through the prophet Isaiah saying -
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
How could they possibly let go of Moses, the Exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, etc.? These events gave them a "name" among the nations and were a part of their "identity" as a people.
Yet, God was commanding them to "cast their eyes forwards, not backwards." What was ahead was far more glorious - which was - the coming of the Messiah - the Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation from sin.
And, as disturbing as it was - many did not "let go" of the "former things" (Moses, the law, etc.) Because of their disobedience and unbelief, they missed their visitation - their Messiah and the salvation He was offering them as a people and a nation.
"Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them."
God was telling His people that the "former things" that He foretold to Abraham - concerning the affliction of his posterity in Egypt...bringing them out...and settling them in Canaan - as well as those foretold to Moses, Joshua, etc. have "come to pass." Now He was revealing "new things" concerning future events.
Because the "former things are come to pass," what He had predicted in regard to future things would also come to pass. They could certainly count on it!
"before they spring forth I tell you of them" - God always predicts future events before there is anything by which to infer that such occurrences will take place. This is to encourage faith and confidence in Him. If His former predictions were all fulfilled, then the "new" will certainly be fulfilled in their season as well.
In addition, the LORD said in Isaiah 48:3 concerning the fulfillment of "former things" - "I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass."
In former times, He predicted future events by the prophets. Not one thing which He had spoken of failed. All was punctually fulfilled. They came to pass at an unexpected time - when the people of God were not looking for them...were possibly doubting whether they would even occur...or were questioning their divine veracity - to prove that the prophecy could not have resulted from human knowledge or from an idol.
In this message, God is speaking to you. He is saying - "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old." "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them."
He is saying - "Forget what happened in the past. Don't dwell on events from long ago. Stop brooding over times gone by. Forget all that. It is nothing compared to what I am going to do."
Sad to say - Like the Jews in Jesus' day, many of God's people are "locked up" in the past. Only they are "locked up" in past revivals, past outpourings of the Holy Spirit, past experiences with God, etc. Since that time, they have not been able to "move on" - spiritually speaking. Their whole thinking and reasoning is "hemmed in" by how He once mightily moved. They live in the "memory" of the past.
Yet God is saying - "Those former things are come to pass. New things do I declare. The old will be as nothing compared to the new. The new that I have will be so wonderful that the old will be forgotten in comparison."
Then again, there are others who are allowing the "former things" of the past to hold them back from the "new thing" that God has for them. They are holding onto such things as - wrong people, old conflicts, prior mistakes, regrets, failures, etc.
God is saying to you - "Cast your eyes forwards, not backwards." "When You Finally Let Go Of The Past - Something Better Will Come Along." "Don't be afraid to keep moving on. What was before, now has gone. God wants to accomplish so much more, but you need to move forward in Him."
What is your "former thing" that God is asking you to give up today?
It is not worth holding onto. Let go of it. Forget it. Don't dwell on it any longer.
What was before, now has gone!
The "new" that God has for you is so wonderful. The "old" will be forgotten in comparison.
Don't be afraid! Let it go!
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. (Isaiah 54:17)
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