New Exodus

In Is 43, 14-21

Abstract

The Babylonian exile-repatriation event is significant to the Israelites. This is referred to as the 'inner exile,' since the'remembering of Zion' (Ps 137) was forced to lament beside the Babylonian rivers, feeling as if they were 'dead corpses' (Ps 88, 6), 'those in the grave' (Ps 29:4), or 'dry bones' (Ez 37.1-3), etc. However, life in a foreign place was not as terrible as it appeared owing to the people's political policies. of Cyrus the Great. Individuals do not get absorbed just by mixing with their neighbors. Over time, people have increasingly stabilized their lives. As a result, repatriation from Babylon became difficult. Returning home necessitates a fresh start, as the motherland has been ravaged (Ac 1:1-7.8-10.11-17; Ge 1:2-20). The decision to remain or repatriate is a 'dilemma.'

To increase people's urge to return home, several prophets such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, and others made extraordinary efforts. Isaiah used the "exodus" concept in this passage to announce a fresh exodus (Is 43:14-21). The encouragement for this exodus reached a new level as it reawakened the spiritual strength concealed within the people, assisting the Israelites in overcoming the problem of "going out and staying." This essay explores the idea of the new exodus in Is 43:14-21 from three fundamental perspectives: (1) God's deliverance promise; (2) The Lord is the One who keeps the deliverance promise; (3) The new exodus is the new creation.