 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: 2 “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. 4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. 5 I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. 8 “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it. 9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? 10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’” 11 Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands? 12 I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. 13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward,” says the Lord of hosts. The Lord, the Only Savior 14 Thus says the Lord: “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.’” 15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. 16 All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. 17 But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. 18 For thus says the Lord who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. 19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. 20 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. 21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior, there is none besides me. 22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ 24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. 25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.” Meditation Political powers are pawns in the providence of God. Our sovereign Lord is working all things according to the council of His will. You can trust Him. Cyrus is the first person in scripture designated as The Lord’s “anointed” (1). Cyrus was the emperor of the Persian Empire. Cyrus was a pagan idolater stirred by the Lord (41:2) to free Israel from exile. Cyrus was the Lord’s shepherd (44:28) anointed to free God’s people from exile for the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple (44:28). The Lord uses this pagan politician for the sake of His people (3) and the glory of His name among all peoples (4-6). “I am the Lord” is repeated throughout the reasoning of why God uses pagans for His purposes. The Lord is God alone- there is no other. He is shaping us with His sovereignty as a potter shapes clay (9-10). Global politicians are pawns played by the Lord to demonstrate that He is the only savior (17, 21). All who hope in salvation from other sources will experience the shame and destructions of the gods they serve. One day every knee will bow to the Lord (22-24). Jesus Crist is the One True Messiah who offers eternal salvation. He rules over every power (Colossians 1:15-22) and is the Lord to whom every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:9-11). All other powers are pawns in God’s providence. God is working all things for the good of His people and His own glory. Look to Him alone for security and salvation. Richly Dwelling -Do you hope for salvation and security more from political powers or from the Lord? Why? -How does it strengthen your faith to have a window into the Lord’s pleasure to use a pagan emperor like Cyrus for His purposes? -Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Take time to re-orient your heart to hope in Him, trusting His rule and reign. Jesus is on the throne, making all things new! Key Verse Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings… Comments are closed.
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