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The Israelites experienced trauma and hardship at the hands of the Babylonians threatening their self-identity and existence.  One of the tasks of the prophet was to rebuild the people’s understanding of themselves as God’s people and to reassure them that God was capable of dealing with Babylon and saving them. Isaiah 43:14-21 begins with a prophetic formula: “Thus says the Lord.” Followed by a character reference as to who God is; the God who “makes a way in the sea.”

The image presents a visual picture of God’s power over both the forces of nature and military might as seen in Exodus 14 and 15. Here in Isaiah 43, the prophet invoked Israel’s cultural memory of the extraordinary story of redemption from Egypt.

After giving much effort in recalling the powerful acts of God during the Exodus, Isaiah then continues with a perplexing directive: “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old!” The command is surprising and serves as an effective rhetorical device to get the people’s attention. The prophet is not content to have the people fade away in their nostalgia about the “good old days.” A question to ask then is  - why would God tell the people to forget the former things?