Is. 43:16-21 Third cut
1) Two good Is. books-the commentary  by the late Brevard Childs and Patricia Tull (Willey) of LPTS, Remember the Former Things.

2) It seems clear that we are making reference to the exodus. I don't know if that is a former thing or does it refer to the sins and punishments of exile. If it is referring to exodus, it could mean not to look for a climatic miracle but something within our power with God. If the former things are the promised punishments, then Israel is entering a new future.

3) OK, God is making a new way, through wilderness instead of sea, but the wilderness did precede the Promised Land. NIB (378) mentions a change from murmurs to praise, but I'm not so sure.

4) This wilderness is a transformed wilderness, more zoo than threat, or better a wilderness church.

5) When is dwelling on the past dangerous? Think of folks at reunions. think of a church always looking for its glory days as the baseline. Is dwelling on past hurts a sign that forgiveness has yet to take hold?

6) How does one keep alert to God doing a new thing? What dulls our perception?

7) Elsewhere in the book, God says to remember the former things (46:9-10) so I would assume this is a matter for discernment. The Russian literary critic, Bakhtin said that the "old and new make the warp and woof of every moment." New contexts can demand new readings of God's ways. Indeed, here God's new thing is a new way out, but it is the same redemptive impusle. the past cannot be a stranglehold on the present and future, but it lives anew in its refashioning in new contexts.

 

Ps 126 see Limburg in WBC on living between memory and hope (Long's new preaching book shares the sense)  This is part of the ascent psalms it could have been part of liturgy as one moved toward the temple. Mays (Int. series- speaks of joy remember and joy anticipated. Hebrew prayer often has this anticipation of answered prayer.

1)It ends with bringing in the sheaves, that has an apocalyptic sense as well.

2) It's an odd arrangement: of the thrill of seeing Zion restored but still needing fortunes restored. On the other hand, that sounds just like life.

3) This is a bold psalm to use for the grieving. It won't last forever.

4) One could work wonders with the early phrase we were like those who dream(ed). It could be "like people renewed in health" as well

5) The Negev is often dry but the wadis can rush with water at times.

6) One could link to to Eccl.3 and the seasons/time issue for different sets of actions and feelings.