In the tapestry of Old Testament prophecy, there are threads of anticipation, weaving a narrative of a new exodus. These prophetic glimpses point towards a future liberation and restoration, mirroring the saga of the original Exodus. Let's explore some of these prophetic references, like Isaiah 43:18-21, Isaiah 11:11-16, and Jeremiah 16:14-15, that beckon us towards a new journey of redemption and promise.
Isaiah 43:18-21: Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.
In this passage, the prophet Isaiah foretells a new exodus, urging the people to forget the former things and not dwell on the past. Instead, they are encouraged to behold the new thing that God is doing, a path in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. This imagery of a new exodus, a journey of renewal and provision, resonates with the interior life as a place of transformation and divine encounter.
Isaiah 11:11-16: On that day the Lord will again raise his hand to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart; the hostility of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not be hostile toward Ephraim. But they shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west; together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them. And the Lord will dry up the tongue of the sea of Egypt and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching wind and will split it into seven channels and make a way to cross on foot; so there shall be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that is left of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.
Here, Isaiah speaks of a remnant being gathered from the nations, reminiscent of the scattered Israelites being regathered after the original exodus. The prophet paints a picture of a highway of holiness, a path that leads to a new Jerusalem, a place of peace and restoration. This vision of a new exodus, a journey towards a renewed community and a restored relationship with God, echoes the longing for spiritual renewal and communion with the Divine.
Jeremiah 16:14-15: Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt,” but “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.” For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their ancestors.
Jeremiah's prophecy speaks of a future exodus, one that surpasses the wonders of the original exodus from Egypt. This new exodus will be marked by God's faithfulness in regathering His people, a promise that extends beyond the physical realm to the spiritual realm. This prophetic glimpse of a new exodus, a journey of spiritual restoration and redemption, resonates deeply with the understanding of the soul's journey towards divine union.
As we explore these prophetic references to a new exodus, we are invited to reflect on our own spiritual journey. Like the Israelites of old, we too find ourselves in need of deliverance, longing for renewal, and yearning for a deeper communion with God. The prophetic promises of a new exodus remind us that God is faithful, that He is constantly at work, leading us on a journey of redemption and promise. These prophetic glimpses inspire us to seek the interior transformation that leads to union with the Divine, to embrace the new exodus that beckons us towards a renewed relationship with God.
Today we pray that the Lord will draw us after Him! (Song of Solomon 1:4)
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