God Calls Cyrus (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4)
“This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name. For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me, so that all may know, from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things. Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.”
Once more, there’s the question of when this was written. Those who refuse to believe in prophecy want to propose someone who wrote during the time of Cyrus but attached Isaiah’s name to it, faking a prophecy. The rest of us believe in a Living God who is certainly capable of giving prophecies hundreds of years before they are fulfilled. God IS the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Certainly the Almighty Everlasting God would know about Cyrus and what He wants Cyrus to do.
Look what God tells this pagan king Cyrus:
- Cyrus is God’s anointed. The act of anointing signifies that someone is being set apart for a particular service. God Himself has anointed Cyrus and promises to lead Cyrus by his right hand “to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name. For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me. “
- God promises to make Cyrus a powerful conqueror, subduing nations, and disarming kings.
- God promises to open city doors and gates, even if they are iron or bronze. Many times, city gates were simply heavy wooden structures that could be burnt. Gates made of iron or bronze could withstand far more attack and also indicated that the city was very wealthy and well worth conquering.
- God promises to go before Cyrus, making the road easy for him so that even mountains will not stand in his way.
- God promises to give Cyrus the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places. Many of the treasures found in recent times by Egyptologists were originally hidden to protect them from the Assyrians and other marauding armies. When those who hid these precious things died, the knowledge of their location died with them. God is promising that He will reveal the location of hidden riches.
- God is doing all this so that Cyrus will know that God is the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls Cyrus by name, giving him a title of honor, even though Cyrus does not know Him. God has always wanted to draw all nations to Himself; it was never God’s intention that Israel alone would know Him. God actually chose Israel to be a demonstration of His power to transform slaves into a nation that would worship Him. Unfortunately, the Israelites got the wrong idea and then on top of it, failed to worship God as He had asked them to do.
- “For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name…” God is a covenant – keeping God. God made a covenant with Jacob, and He is continuing to fulfill that covenant. God has made promises to Israel, and even though Israel has proven false, God remains true to His promises of restoration.
- God will equip Cyrus for battle, even though Cyrus does not know Him, to demonstrate His power and greatness throughout the whole world. “I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me, so that all may know, from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.” Sometimes we assume that God only works through those who know Him, but God is far greater than that. God can and does use all kinds of people to fulfill His perfect will. Can we thwart that will? Yes. We are not puppets and we can make wrong choices. It was never God’s perfect will for Hitler to send six million Jews to die in concentration camps during World War II, but God used those horrors to cause many Jews to flee to Israel, where they helped establish Israel as a modern nation.
- God is the Creator and Sustainer, and God is the Source of calamity and prosperity, salvation and righteousness. “I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things. Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.”
APPLICATION: Many times, we have no idea of who we are or Whose we are! If we work for a company, we may view ourselves as little cogs in a faceless machine, never realizing the effect we might have on those around us. We fail to realize that God is the One who has called us to be right where we are at this time.
When I was growing up on a Midwestern farm, my brothers and I rode the school bus for years. Those bus drivers were important parts of our childish lives. We spent at least 2 hours a day with those drivers and their kindness made everything more pleasant for us. The school custodians were such an important part of our lives that they became a second set of parents or grandparents.
Recently, Sean Dietrich told the story of a lady who had waited tables in the same small-town restaurant for more than twenty years, beginning that career when she was in her forties. Prior to that, this lady had worked in a textile mill, but it had closed, forcing her to become a waitress to support her family. Those who had been blessed to have her as their waitress found that she accepted them and loved them as if they were her very favorite children. The rich, the poor, the homeless, drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals – when you sat at a table this lady was serving, you received royal treatment. This kind lady spoke affectionately to everyone she served, and they left that restaurant hopeful and encouraged. She was only a waitress in a small – town restaurant. But when that lady died, there wasn’t enough space in the church for everyone who attended the funeral. Cars were lined up all over town, and there was a big procession from the church to the graveyard – all to honor this elderly lady who had loved on everyone she met.
God called that woman to be at that restaurant for those decades; she was His chosen instrument to bring hope and light to her customers. For the time that her customers spent with her, they could believe that salvation was possible and that righteousness really could spring up in their lives. You never know the problems those around you are facing, just as they have no knowledge of your struggles. You may be the person who gives someone the hope they need to go on.
God has a special purpose for each of us, something that only we can do. Why not find a quiet place and then ask God to show you what He wants you to do?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel lost and without a purpose; yet, you have placed each of us in special positions where we can be Your hands and feet. Help us to learn Your will for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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