Cyrus, God’s Instrument
To aCyrus, whose bright hand I have held—
cTo subdue nations before him
And dloose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
aAnd1 make the crooked places straight;
bI will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
And hidden riches of secret places,
aThat you may know that I, the Lord,
Who bcall you by your name,
Am the God of Israel.
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
There is no God besides Me.
cI will gird you, though you have not known Me,
| << Isaiah 45:1 | Isaiah 45:3 >> |
What Does Isaiah 45:2 Mean?
Isaiah 45:1-4
Ezra 1:1-2 states that Cyrus issued a decree to free the Jews in the first year of his reign over Babylon. Since Cyrus conquered Babylon on October 12, 539 BC, the first year of this reign was 539-538 BC. God through Isaiah, then, named him at least 143 years earlier. What God did through Cyrus also fulfills a prophecy made through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-14) sometime during the century following Isaiah's death. Ezra distinctly says that God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to perform this and that Cyrus claimed that God commanded him. Ezra 1:5 states that God also stirred the spirit of the Jews, Levites, and Benjamites to return to Jerusalem to build the Temple, confirming His sovereignty over the whole affair.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Sovereignty of God: Part Five
| << Isaiah 45:1 | Isaiah 45:3 >> |
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