Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

When I read that scripture this morning I was confused. It seems that I’m supposed to remember but not remember. I know that lessons are learned and I should remember those lessons. Many of those lessons come from the Old Testament. If I am to remember those lessons then what is it that I’m not supposed to remember?

I went back to the Hebrew meanings to find out what remember ye not the former things actually said. When I looked up the Hebrew words, not and neither were not part of the understanding. The Hebrew words when listed one by one as defined would be “remember ranking consider former things”. That didn’t make any sense to me. I’m not a Hebrew scholar, I do not know the exact Hebrew context. It would take many years for me to learn Hebrew to the point where I could translate it into English.

Then I remembered what Paul said about everything that he knew about what he was taught.

Philippians 3:8a Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:

The Hebrew word former things is translated as ranking in one use. Ranking is a way of placing importance on anything in experience or learning. Perhaps this is why the Lord spoke about what he had done for Israel. It was a way of putting into remembrance the things of the past and asking them to set them aside in value and to accept a new thing as more important.

This is exactly what we have to do when we become a new creation in Christ! We do not kill the old man, we just do not value what he did as important. The new creation is a new way of thinking and acting in accordance with who we are in Christ.

Ephesians 4:22-23 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;