Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things,who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins’; who says to the deep, ‘Be dry; I will dry up your rivers’; who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”- Isaiah 44:24-28 ESV
Warrior;
This shows you that GOD is the GOD OF ALL THINGS, He is the God of History, the God of the Present and the God of the future. As John described Him: John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne. (Revelation 1:4) And again notice the same Nametag when John is describing the 4 Beasts and their worship: Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” We serve the GREAT I AM! Jesus told us he has all authority, that means HE USES ALL THINGS, ALL PEOPLE and ALL CIRCUMSTANCES for HIS GLORY and to do HIS GOOD! Hear the Word of the Lord, And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. (Matthew 28:18) Which leads us to Romans 8:28; And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. God uses all His creation, including those that might not be His, who do not know Him personally. Some of the great leaders like Julius Caesar, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Augustus and every other man considered great by this world- all have been used by God for His glory, and His plan. The prophet Isaiah, writing over a century before Cyrus’s rise to power, remarkably names him as the deliverer of the Jewish people. When Cyrus read his name in the HOLY BOOK he was COMMITTED to help!
Leader, God doesn’t work like the World. He thinks the wisdom of the World; the wisdom of man is silliness. Consider 2 of the great Warriors of the Bible the Apostle Paul and Isaiah. Hear what they think about the wisdom of man, compared to the God of the Universe. Isaiah in the 55th chapter verses 8 and 9, as a mouthpiece for God says: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. The greatest warrior of the New Testament Paul, put it this way: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Cyrus’s role in biblical history is a testament to God’s providence and His ability to use even NON-BELIEVERS to accomplish His divine will. Cyrus should be seen as a vessel chosen by God to fulfill His promises to Israel, demonstrating that God’s plans transcend human boundaries and political powers. Cyrus serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His covenant people and His ultimate control over history. His pre-ordained decree set the stage for the rebuilding of the Temple, which would later play a crucial role in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, further intertwining the narratives of the Old and New Testaments. That is why it is called history; it is HIS STORY!
Conduit, Consider one of the greatest known Caesars. Julius Caesar did not directly influence the content or composition of the Bible. But his military campaigns, political changes and spreading of Greco-Roman culture did impact the world Jesus was later born into. The Roman Empire ruled Judea during Jesus’ life, and the stability of the Empire after Caesar enabled the early growth of Christianity. Julius Caesar did not live during the “Biblical Times”, nor is he even mentioned in the Bible. However, Julius Caesar did instigate the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire and set the stage for What we read about in the Gospels. Julius Caesar lived from 100 BC to 44 BC, while Jesus lived from around 4 BC to 30 AD. So there was no overlap between their lifetimes. However, he did help set the stage for the world Jesus was incarnated into. His conquests spread Greek and Roman culture, language and government throughout the Mediterranean region, and the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”) after Caesar’s reign, allowed freedom of travel and helped early Christianity spread across the Empire. God use all things, and God judges differently than man. Remember when God told Samuel to anoint a new king, so he was told to go see Jesse, and Samuel found out He and God were looking at things differently? But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) Consider the best politician ever to walk this planet, did so at the same time as Jesus, and we barely hear about this man, but know JESUS! In an article for Fox news, John Coleman writes this: Jesus and Augustus: God raised up history’s greatest politician at just the time he sent his opposite into the world. He goes on to say, “Octavian is likely the most successful political leader in history. He was perhaps our world’s richest and most powerful man. And his legacy permeates everything from the modern political structure of Europe to our calendar, where the month of August bears his name. Despite all this, the single most well-known historical passage about Octavian regards him as little more than a footnote”. Hear the Word of the Lord; In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. (Luke 2:1-5) The World values, precious metals, and big followings. IN Revelation 21 and 22, we read about the eternal city- we will walk on precious metals, Gold, Diamonds and Pearls! God values precious children and people who have GREAT FAITH in serving the God of the Universe, the Lord Most High, El Elyon. Keep your focus on eternity and you will be a useful instrument in the hand of God. Don’t get wrapped up in what the world thinks about you, be focused on Jesus, so you will experience the Joy! His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Amen!
