I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
A track record is a common phrase but its origin is probably from horse racing. Gamblers want to know how the horse runs before betting on it. Here God says bet on him. Isaiah had prophesied disaster for Israel and it came to pass. He had begun these words of comfort to Judah in chapter 40. There would be a servant that would embody a covenant with YHWH. God would do this for his own glory but also for their mercy. In these two verses, God assured Judah that, just as his past promises of judgment had come to pass, so too would the promise of a Suffering Servant who would carry their sorrows and be pierced for their transgressions. That was a great comfort for Judah.
It is also a great comfort for us. God is all-powerful and merciful. His name is glorious. His track record is perfect. Scholars estimate 340 Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled by Jesus. That is good news but it gets even better. There are future prophecies that will also be fulfilled by Jesus. We know this because God’s past promises have come to pass, and now he declares new things and tells us of them in the New Testament. May we praise the Lord and give him glory and not to carved idols of earthly pleasure.
Dear Lord, thank you that you have delivered Israel in the past. Thank you that you promise to deliver us from this world when Jesus returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.