Isaiah 43:10-15 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon, and bring them all down as fugitives—The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”
The Lord God of Heaven and Earth chose the descendants of Abraham for His own people and brought them out of Egypt. But God warned the Israelites that they must worship Him alone, forsaking all idols. When the nation split into two parts, Israel, the Northern Kingdom, quickly descended into gross idolatry and was eventually conquered by the Assyrians, who devastated the land, slaughtering many and carrying the remainder into captivity, a captivity from which they never returned as a group. The Babylonians conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah; however, the prophet Jeremiah foretold that these exiles would return to Judah after 70 years.
Ezra 1:1- 4 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”
Miraculously, after 70 years, God moved King Cyrus of Persia to decree that the temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt. Cyrus even sent large quantities of gold and silver with the group led by Ezra. Ezra, the high priest for the exiles in Babylon, led a large group back to Jerusalem, taking four months to complete the trip. This journey was very dangerous, exposing the cavalcade to attacks from all kinds of bandits and wayward armies.
Isaiah 43:16-21 “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.”
While Ezra may have known these prophecies from Isaiah, he also might have wondered if those prophecies would really apply to his group. When the returning exiles fasted and prayed, God honored the promises He had made by Isaiah.
Ezra 8:21-23 “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.”
So, the exiles returned, and a modest temple was built in Jerusalem. (This temple was later completely rebuilt under Herod the Great.) Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the city walls were rebuilt and the gates also hung, indicating that Jerusalem was now a proper city. But something more was required before Messiah would come: a government that would efficiently organize the known world, creating excellent roads and communication.
Luke 2:1-2 “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.” The Romans might have worshiped idols, but they were ace administrators and builders. All over Europe and Great Britain, Roman roads, aqueducts, and stadia still exist as silent witnesses of the skill of their Roman creators.
Why was it necessary to bring Jews back from Babylon? Even though the Jews had failed to serve God as they should have, God still kept His promises. God knew that after 70 years, the Jews would have gotten a much broader experience of the horrors of paganism and would be far more willing to serve Him. No matter how bad things got spiritually in either Israel or Judah, God always had a remnant of believers who truly worshiped Him. Now God returned the Jews from Babylon, fulfilling His promises in Isaiah 43 by protecting them on the way. God brought in the Romans with the pax Romana, the Roman Peace, so that the Gospel could spread swiftly and effectively.
No matter how chaotic things appeared, God always knew what He was doing and His timing was perfect. What do these observations mean for us? Frequently, we feel as if we are caught in a tornado. We feel overwhelmed by the stresses from family, jobs, finances, etc. We are terrified that we will fail and that everything will fall apart. But God has not changed, and God is still on the throne, working everything out. No matter the trials, God remains with us and will continue to help us.
There is an old hymn whose words can reassure us.
GOD IS WORKING HIS PURPOSE OUT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr3goa3DXsw
God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year:
God is working his purpose out, and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
From utmost east to utmost west, wherever foot hath trod,
by the mouth of many messengers goes forth the voice of God;
give ear to me, ye continents, ye isles, give ear to me,
that earth may filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
What can we do to work God’s work, to prosper and increase
the brotherhood of all mankind–the reign of the Prince of Peace?
What can we do to hasten the time–the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
March we forth in the strength of God, with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth may shine throughout the world:
fight we the fight with sorrow and sin to set their captives free,
that earth may filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
All we can do is nothing worth unless God blessed the deed;
vainly we hope for the harvest-tide till God gives life to the seed;
yet nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are hurt, confused, lost, and afraid. Please enter every trembling heart and bring Your peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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