The phrase “streams in the desert” comes from Isaiah 43:19, which says “Behold, I am doing 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.” This powerful verse speaks of God doing something new and miraculous – bringing forth water and life where there was once only dryness and death. Let’s explore the meaning and significance of this promise.
The Context of Isaiah 43:19
Isaiah 43 comes in the midst of prophecies to the people of Israel during a very difficult time in their history. The northern kingdom of Israel had already been conquered by the Assyrians, and now the southern kingdom of Judah was also facing threat from this mighty empire. King Hezekiah had rebelled against paying tribute to Assyria, so the Assyrians were coming to attack and possibly destroy Jerusalem (Isaiah 36-39 describes these events).
The people of Judah were afraid, feeling hopeless and abandoned by God in the face of the Assyrian army. They needed reassurance and hope. Isaiah 40-55 contains prophecies given to comfort God’s people and remind them of His great power and intention to deliver them. Isaiah 43:19 comes in the middle of reminders of God’s unconditional love for His people (43:1-7), His sovereign control over the nations (43:8-13), and His promise to do something miraculous and new on their behalf.
The Imagery of Streams in the Desert
“Streams in the desert” is a powerful image that would have resonated deeply for Isaiah’s listeners. The desert regions in the Middle East, including the Negev desert west of Judah, were extremely dry. Water was scarce and highly valued. The idea of God supernaturally bringing rivers and streams to flow in the desert would have seemed miraculous and life-giving.
This image conveys the idea of God doing the humanly impossible. Just as no one could make rivers arise in the desert by their own power, so also no one could deliver tiny Judah from the mighty Assyrians. Only God could bring this kind of impossible salvation, just as only He could bring water to the dry wilderness. The promise of “streams in the desert” is the promise of God’s life-giving intervention to save His people.
The Meaning and Significance of “Streams in the Desert”
There are several important truths we can draw from Isaiah’s prophecy of “streams in the desert” and its fulfillment:
- God is able to bring life and blessing out of even the most hopeless situations. Just as He can make streams flow in the dry desert, so can He bring joy, fruitfulness, and victory when all seems lost from a human perspective.
- God is not limited by human impossibilities. He can overcome any obstacle or circumstance. Bringing water to a desert is humanly impossible, yet God specializes in doing the impossible for His people.
- God cares about meeting the needs of His people. Water in the desert would save the lives of people and animals. God’s miraculous provision shows His care to sustain the lives of His children.
- God keeps His promises. Earlier in Isaiah, God promised to provide for the needs of His people. The image of water in the desert affirms that He will fulfill His earlier pledge (Isaiah 41:17-20).
- God is doing something new. This prophecy came to people facing threat from an empire that had already crushed the northern tribes. God promised to intervene and do something new and powerful for Judah.
- Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of “rivers in the desert.” Isaiah looked forward prophetically to what Jesus would accomplish for people’s greatest need – salvation from sin. Jesus used this verse to promise the Holy Spirit to His disciples (John 7:37-39).
Fulfillment of the Promise
In Isaiah’s own day, God miraculously delivered Judah from the Assyrians in fulfillment of this prophecy. The Assyrian army had Jerusalem under siege, but the night before they planned to attack, the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (Isaiah 37:36). King Hezekiah and Isaiah had prayed for God’s intervention, and He displayed His power to save His people from an impossible threat, giving life and freedom to Judah.
Throughout the history of God’s people, He continued to make provision when all hope seemed lost. As the people wandered in the literal desert for 40 years, God brought forth water from a rock twice when they were thirsty (Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:2-13). Even when they were unfaithful, He continued to sustain them miraculously in the wilderness.
During times of drought and difficulty, God showed His faithfulness by bringing rain and restoration to the land when His people cried out to Him. He turned wilderness to springs of water on many occasions, showing that nothing is impossible for Him (Psalm 107:35, Isaiah 35:6-7).
When the exiles returned from Babylon, they faced a daunting task of rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple in a land that had been stripped bare after so many years of neglect. But God miraculously provided for them to restore the wastelands (streams in the desert) and rebuild the ruins of Jerusalem according to His promise through Isaiah (Isaiah 58:12).
The ultimate fulfillment came through Jesus Christ. He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies in numerous ways:
- He had compassion on spiritually thirsty people and offered the water of eternal life to all who would drink (John 4:10-14).
- He performed miracles, making muddy water drinkable (John 2:7-9), feeding thousands from a boy’s lunch (John 6:1-13), and turning water into wine (John 2:1-11).
- He promised rivers of living water within those who believed in Him (John 7:37-39). After His death and resurrection, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to fill believers with His power (Acts 2).
- He makes spiritually dry places wetlands. He offers mercy, grace, and new life to sinners.
Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy in offering streams of blessing and new life to all who trust in Him and receive His salvation. He miraculously satisfies spiritual thirst with the abundant life only He can give.
Application of “Streams in the Desert”
This beautiful promise and image gives hope to God’s people today facing dry and difficult seasons of life. Here are some key applications for believers:
- God can bring good out of any circumstance. We can trust Him to provide streams in our deserts, though not always as quickly as we desire.
- We must continue to pray and call out to God. As His people did during times of drought, God calls us to seek Him earnestly in prayer as we wait for His provision.
- God cares about meeting our needs. We can look to Him as a faithful Father caring for His children both physically and spiritually.
- God sustains us daily through His Spirit. Relying on the Holy Spirit gives us strength to keep walking even when life feels dry.
- Hope and comfort are found in Christ. We can drink deeply of the living water He freely offers to us, even in seasons of difficulty.
- God may want to develop something in our character. As with Israel in the wilderness, dry times can be times of learning to trust God more fully.
As believers today, we can be assured that God will bring streams in our deserts because of Christ’s finished work on our behalf. He continues to miraculously satisfy the deepest needs of His people.
Summary of Key Points
To summarize, here are the key ideas to understand about Isaiah 43:19’s promise of “streams in the desert”:
- The prophecy came at a time of fear for Judah as the Assyrians threatened to destroy them.
- God promised to do something miraculous and life-giving – bringing water to the dry wilderness.
- This showed God’s power to save His people and care for their needs.
- The image offers hope of blessing, refreshment, and new life from God.
- God fulfilled the prophecy by destroying the Assyrian army and continuing to sustain His people.
- Jesus fulfilled it ultimately by offering the water of eternal life and sending the Holy Spirit.
- For believers today, God can bring joy and refreshment even in dry seasons of life.
- We can trust Him to satisfy our needs as we rely on Christ’s redemptive work.
What seems impossible for us is more than possible for our powerful, loving God. As we stay connected to Jesus, the source of living water, we can know that He will bring streams in our deserts and make a way even in the driest of wilderness seasons.