Isaiah 45
Today's Passage: Isaiah 45
Isaiah 44 concludes with God promising to redeem Israel, that in the midst of captivity, there is hope that they would return and be redeemed. In Isaiah 45, God explains how He will deliver His people from captivity - through the hand of a pagan, Persian king - Cyrus.
Cyrus would not be born until somewhere around 200 years later, but God had an anointed plan. God named and equipped Cyrus even “though you [he] did not know me [God].” Why would God allow Israel to live in captivity for 200 years and why would He use a pagan king to bring about their redemption?
“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.”
Throughout Isaiah 45, we see a bold declaration of who God is and that He is in control over all things. He has the power to level highways, break down walls, and he has power over the hearts of men.
God is speaking to Cyrus so that he will know that his power pales in comparison to the power of God. He is speaking to Cyrus so that he will see that all along it was God who made the way for him to rule, and that in him ruling, there is one purpose: for His people, for the Israelites.
God is the only savior for His people. Cyrus would be used by God, but his deeds are not what would free the Israelites. Israel’s idolatry would lead to their exile, but God provided a way for repentance, a way back into relationship with Him.
From Isaiah 45, we can point to God’s ultimate means of salvation through one man who was also fully God - Jesus. Only God has power over all things, and so only God has the power to destroy sin and death. Like the Israelites, we have grasped for idols that could never satisfy, but God had an anointed plan to descend to earth, live the perfect life that we never could, and take on our sin and death.
We do not just get to read about the miracles that God performs in scripture, but we can clearly see His power in His ability to change our hearts through the power of the resurrected Christ.
Written By: Paulette Black
Isaiah 44 concludes with God promising to redeem Israel, that in the midst of captivity, there is hope that they would return and be redeemed. In Isaiah 45, God explains how He will deliver His people from captivity - through the hand of a pagan, Persian king - Cyrus.
Cyrus would not be born until somewhere around 200 years later, but God had an anointed plan. God named and equipped Cyrus even “though you [he] did not know me [God].” Why would God allow Israel to live in captivity for 200 years and why would He use a pagan king to bring about their redemption?
“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.”
Throughout Isaiah 45, we see a bold declaration of who God is and that He is in control over all things. He has the power to level highways, break down walls, and he has power over the hearts of men.
God is speaking to Cyrus so that he will know that his power pales in comparison to the power of God. He is speaking to Cyrus so that he will see that all along it was God who made the way for him to rule, and that in him ruling, there is one purpose: for His people, for the Israelites.
God is the only savior for His people. Cyrus would be used by God, but his deeds are not what would free the Israelites. Israel’s idolatry would lead to their exile, but God provided a way for repentance, a way back into relationship with Him.
From Isaiah 45, we can point to God’s ultimate means of salvation through one man who was also fully God - Jesus. Only God has power over all things, and so only God has the power to destroy sin and death. Like the Israelites, we have grasped for idols that could never satisfy, but God had an anointed plan to descend to earth, live the perfect life that we never could, and take on our sin and death.
We do not just get to read about the miracles that God performs in scripture, but we can clearly see His power in His ability to change our hearts through the power of the resurrected Christ.
Written By: Paulette Black
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