God’s Use of Cyrus
Text: Isaiah 45
God's Directive to Cyrus - Isaiah 45:1-4
God leaves a message to Cyrus, written long before Cyrus was even born -- about 150 years in advance. He was selected (anointed) by God, and God has been guiding him to subdue nations and strike terror in opposing kings (loosen their loins - Daniel 5:6). God has given him opportunities that cannot be removed. His way was smoothed so he could accomplish God's desires unhindered. This happened to the Babylonians. The Persians entered the city by diverting the Euphrates River into a marsh. They were able to enter the city unopposed and open the gates that were supposed to be locked, but that night, they were forgotten.
"In the revelry in Babylon on the night of its capture, the inner gates, leading from the streets to the river, were left open; for there were walls along each side of the Euphrates with gates, which, had they been kept shut, would have hemmed the invading hosts in the bed of the river, where the Babylonians could have easily destroyed them. Also, the gates of the palace were left open, so that there was access to every part of the city; and such was its extent, that they who lived in the extremities were taken prisoners before the alarm reached the center of the palace" [Herodotus, 1.191].
God also financed Cyrus' campaigns with wealth hidden in dark places. Cyrus obtained 34,000 pounds of gold and 500,000 talents of silver when conquering Asia [Pliny, Natural History, 33:3]. This advanced prediction proves that the God of Israel is truly the God who selected Cyrus.
Cyrus' empire reached Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the east. It extended from the Black Sea to the north, to Ethiopia to the south.
The Right of God to Make Use of His World - Isaiah 45:5-8
Though Cyrus does not know God, God prepares him for God's purpose.
All of this was done for the sake of Israel (Isaiah 44:5). Cyrus should not think that he is special or that the idols he worshipped contributed to his success. God has a purpose for Israel, and Cyrus is merely a step toward that goal. Cyrus is not a follower of God, but God has given him honor as He uses him. It is God who prepared him (girded him) while causing other nations to be unprepared (loosed the loins) (Isaiah 45:1). Again, God states that the purpose is for all nations to recognize God. God declares that there is no God besides him. Cyrus is more of an incidental.
This will be done so that all people will realize the truth about God. God created light and darkness. He causes the good times and the bad. God is able to do as He pleases.
God calls for righteousness and salvation because that is His intention for the world He made.
Woe to Those Who Contend with God - Isaiah 45:9-10
God now addresses those Israelites who feel inclined to argue with Him about using a Gentile to rescue them.
It will not go well for those who try to contend with God. They are fighting against the one who made them. They are no different from everyone else, and at the same time, they are nothing special. How can such people argue with or question the Being who created them? They are like rebellious children who argue that their own parents didn't know what they were doing when starting a family.
Israel Is Invited to Ask About Their Future - Isaiah 45:11-17
Instead of complaining about God's choices in carrying out His purpose, the Israelites should ask about the future to better understand His care for them. God is the Holy One. He always does what is right. God treats them as His children, but they are also the work of His hands. They must remember their place. God controls the universe.
God raised up Cyrus. It is not that Cyrus is a righteous man; rather, God's selection of Cyrus was a righteous determination. God will make sure Cyrus's efforts are made easy as he carries out the tasks God has assigned to him. He will have Jerusalem rebuilt and the exiles freed.
"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:2-4).
In being freed, the Israelites would not be required to buy their freedom or bribe their way out of slavery. The concept would strike people as strange. Who would let people go without making a profit from it?
Goods and slaves from Egypt, Cush, and Sabeans will be brought to the Israelites. These are the same nations mentioned in Isaiah 43:3, who would be given as a payment in place of the Israelites. Most likely, the prediction is that Cyrus would give to Israel some of the wealth he gained from conquering these nations.
The ultimate result will be the abandonment of idolatry. Israel was saved by God, and the idol worshipers lost their goods and their freedom. The nations will declare that God hid Himself from them, His plans were not determinable in advance, and so they were caught unaware.
In contrast, Israel will be saved. They will not be humiliated because of who they worship, as the idolaters were.
Only God Exists, and the Idols Are Worthless - Isaiah 45:18-25
God is the one who created and established the world. It was formed to be inhabited. As the Creator, He can decide the purpose of his world.
God has not hidden His objectives. He did not tell His people to worship Him in secret places. What God declares is righteous and available for all to see.
The fugitives of the conquered nations are invited to draw near and see that their idols are worthless. Their gods were unable to save them. God challenges them to prove Him wrong. What they will find is that God has stated what would come to pass far in advance. No other can foretell the future with such accuracy. Thus, instead of praying to idols, the nations should turn to God because there is no other.
God states what will happen based on His reputation. It is solely dependent on Him and on no one else. What He declares always comes to pass. This ought to cause all to bow before God. Only in God will Israel be justified, and in God they will glory.
