March 8, 2001
In 550 B.C. Cyrus King of Persia in the first year of his reign, though he was not a follower of God, declared that God had called him to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem and bring God's people back. And he set about doing that 2 Chronicles 26:22 and Ezra chapters 1 - 4. What is amazing is that 150 years before this event Isaiah wrote down the following words that God spoke to him...
[I am the Lord]... "who says of Cyrus, `He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." '
Isaiah 44;28
In this verse and in Is 45:1-13 God declares very specifically that he will raise up a man named Cyrus to shepherd his people to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple!! Why would God do this....
"For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen..." "so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting
men may know there is none besides me. "But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; "But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult. "
Isaiah 45:4
I am the LORD, and there is no other."
Isaiah 45:6
you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.
"
Isaiah 45:17
Isaiah 45:25
God did this so his name would be glorified, no man could have predicted this but ultimately he did it to rescue his people, his children... God wants us to be found righteous before him and HE has gone to any and all lengths to make it happen. I am awed the more I learn and see of God's love for his people, he has put in more time, effort, planning into his people that I have really seen before. It's so humbling to know I'm safe in the arms and under the wing of God!!