Isaiah 45:1-8

SOVEREIGN IN SALVATION, CHAPTER 45

a.

OMNIPOTENCE

TEXT: Isaiah 45:1-8

1

Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

2

I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;

3

and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.

4

For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

5

I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;

6

that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else.

7

I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.

8

Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I Jehovah have created it.

QUERIES

a.

How will Jehovah loose the loins of kings before Cyrus?

b.

Why did God surname Cyrus for Jacob's sake?

c.

How may the skies pour down righteousness?

PARAPHRASE

This is what Jehovah says to Cyrus the man He has especially chosen and whose career of conquest and government Jehovah will guide and sustain. The Lord will subdue great world powers and strip emperors of their strength for him; He will open city gates and no one will be able to shut them against Cyrus. Jehovah says, I will be the One preparing your path of conquest. All obstacles will be removed. Doors of brass, barred with iron will not stand in your way. Secret treasures which these kings assume cannot be found will be given to you to the end that you may know that I am God and that it is I, the God of Israel, who called you by your name many years before you were born. I have called you primarily for the sake of My servant, Israel, My chosen people. I have prophesied your name long before your birth, even though you do not acknowledge Me as the Only God. There is no other god. I, Jehovah, am sovereign in the affairs of all men. It is I, Jehovah, who will empower you in your conquests Cyrus, although you do not acknowledge Me. I will do this so that the whole world will have opportunity to know there is no god besides Me. I am Jehovah, and there is no other god. I create both light and darkness; I send both blessing and woe; I, Jehovah, am the creator of everything. I, Jehovah, have created all of heaven and earth and I will command it and use all My creation to bring about the blessings of salvation and righteousness which I have promised to Israel, My chosen.

COMMENTS

Isaiah 45:1-4 ANOINTED: The word translated anointed is the Hebrew word meshikho a form of the word messiah. It is astounding to learn that Jehovah has anointed a pagan emperor to become a messiah for His people. Yet, the Lord has used many servants from among the heathen (see Daniel 7:8, Jeremiah 27:1-11) to fulfill His redemptive plan. It is apparent that Cyrus, in his deliverance of Israel, served as a type of the Messiah-Servant to come, Jesus Christ (see special study on Types in this volume). Cyrus was not born for more than a hundred years after this prophecy. Cyrus was born in a little province in north-western Elam and just south of Media. He came to power in about 559 B.C. He was actually Cyrus II, a descendant of Achaemenes (700-675 B.C.). Cyrus-' own cylinder indicates he was thoroughly imbued with the idea that he was the man of destiny: (the opening lines are quoted here)

Through all the lands he (Marduk) searched, he saw him (Cyrus), and he sought the righteous prince, after his own heart, whom he took by the hand. Cyrus, king of Anshan, he called by name; to sovereignty over the whole world he appointed him.

The rule of Cyrus meant for all the conquered world a renewed and continuous political prosperity and a religious liberty unknown in the annals of other rulers. He was the protector and the bounteous promoter of the welfare of his subjects. Their deities and their methods of worship were graciously restored, and dignified by elevating them to their former positions. The peoples, also, who had been forcibly deported from their native lands, were restored by the king's decrees. This generous policy, in contrast with that of preceding rulers, gave Cyrus great influence and power over his subjects. Part of his popularity may have been due to the fact that he was an Aryan (Caucasian), with newer and freer ideas than those of Semitic potentates.

There is an interesting statement in Josephus to the effect that Cyrus read Isaiah's prophecy and was influenced by it to free the Jews (Antiq. XI.1.2.). It is not impossible! Cyrus was a man interested in the religion, culture, and history of all his subjects. In his proclamation (Ezra 1:1 f; 2 Chronicles 36:22 f) Cyrus attributes his actions to a knowledge of what Jehovah commanded him to do. There were, as we have mentioned, other reasons for Cyrus-' actions; (1) it was national policy to restore peoples to their own dwelling places. (2) Palestine had been from time immemorial a buffer state between southwestern Asia and Egypt. To occupy and hold the strong fortress of Jerusalem was the first step toward the conquest of the rival power. If Cyrus could secure that advantage by aiding the Jews to rebuild and hold it, he would be setting up one battlement in the face of Egypt's army. For one of his next strokes, after Babylon, would be at the rival imperial power on the Nile. For more on Cyrus and the Medo-Persian Empire see Daniel, by Butler, College Press, pages 223-233 and 296-298.

There are three distinct reasons God uses Cyrus and speaks so intimately to him nearly 200 years before his birth:

(a)

Cyrus is to know that the God of Israel is the only God there is, (Isaiah 45:3).

(b)

Cyrus is to serve Jehovah for the sake of Israel, (Isaiah 45:4).

(c)

Cyrus is to serve Jehovah in order that all men may know Jehovah is the only God there is, (Isaiah 45:6).

It is apparent that Cyrus was never converted to monotheism or the worship of Jehovah as the only God, for in many of his proclamations, he acknowledges Marduk as god. Whatever Cyrus accomplished, it was because Jehovah, sovereign Lord of all creation, permitted him to do it. Not only did Jehovah permit it, He assisted Cyrus in its accomplishment (cf. Jeremiah 27:1-11).

Isaiah 45:5-8 ALMIGHTY: This is one of the great passages of the Bible teaching that God is immanent in His creation. God has not created the universe and wound it like a clock, only to go off somewhere and let it run itself. He is personally and directly involved in its day-by-day operation.

a.

In Christ, all things consist, or hold together, Colossians 1:17

b.

He upholds all things by the word of His power, Hebrews 1:3

c.

He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, Matthew 5:45

d.

He gives rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, Acts 14:17

e.

His wrath is revealed from heaven, Romans 1:18-32, in the things that have been made.

f.

In everything God works for good with those who love him, Romans 8:28-29

g.

All that happens in history and nature is under the sovereign Throne of God and the Lamb (cf. Revelation 4-9).

If there is one thing made abundantly clear from the prophets (and confirmed by the New Testament) it is that God is sovereign of both weal and woe. Is God in the whirlwind? Yes! (Nahum 1:3; Zechariah 9:14). Is God in the earthquake? Yes! (Isaiah 29:6; Acts 16:26; Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:5, etc.). God is in locusts plagues, fires, floods, famines, droughts, plagues. Does evil befall a city except the Lord hath done it? (Amos 3:6). When some good comes everyone is agreed it is directly from the Lord. When some woe comes let us be equally assured it is from the Lord. Do tornadoes, earthquakes and famines mean those who are victimized are worse sinners than others? No! Jesus cleared that up in Luke 13. Whatever happens, wherever it happens, it is God's message to a cursed and doomed universe to repent! All who do not repent will likewise perish! What of those who are repenting and yet perish? They come out of their great tribulation (Revelation 7:13-17); they are rested from their labors (Revelation 14:13); and their works follow after them. They are blessed! There is only one part of God's creation granted the sovereign exercise of free willman! All the rest of His creation is under His direct operation. Nature is simply a word used by man to evade this fundamental issue that it is God who is Creator and Sustainer. But both good and evil, no matter with whom they originate, are never out of God's control. Even Satan's deliberate evil and the freely chosen evil deeds of men are under His control and are being used (and will be ultimately used) to serve His sovereign purposes and redound to His Absolute glory! Both the weal and woe of God is designed to lead man to repentance (cf. Romans 1:18 with Romans 2:4); see Isaiah 14:24-27; Isaiah 44:24-28; Jeremiah 27:1-11; Job 2:1-6; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Daniel 2:20-23. Do men still rule by God's sovereign permission? Does God still send famines, earthquakes, fires, floods, whirlwinds, sun and rain, fruit and harvest season? Yes! He is the same God today He was thousands of years ago! Men still choose sin and evil rebellion because God has granted them the freedom to make that choice, and God is in no way to blame for their choice nor is He the author of their evil. But rest assured their evil will in no way triumph over the sovereign will of God. It is His will that their impenitent, unforgiven evil shall be punished foreverand so it will be! Furthermore, their evil in this life is permitted by Him and used as chastening, warning, perfecting, strengthening agents upon all who will put their trust in Him.

Verse eight appears to be Isaiah's own surrender to the expressed sovereignty of God just proclaimed. It is, as it were, a prayer of Isaiah looking forward to the prospective mission of Cyrus and its salvation for the people of God. Isaiah prays that God's whole universe join in with God's program of redemption for Israel and the nations. Let all of God's creation bring forth and pour down spiritual blessings in heavenly gifts, according to the will and in the power of Jehovah, whose ultimate purpose is a new spiritual creation. Any man who believes and contemplates the absolute sovereignty of Jehovah as expressed by Isaiah here must be led to the same adoring prayer!

QUIZ

1.

Why would God use the term anointed to refer to Cyrus?

2.

Is it possible that Cyrus might have known about this prophecy?

3.

How did Cyrus fulfill this prophecy?

4.

To what extent does God exercise control over the universe today?

5.

Is God the author of evil?