The Sovereignty of God

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob.

 

The immediate fulfillment of this prophecy was the return of the Jews to their homeland which occurred under the reign of Cyrus. We read about it in Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.

 

What makes the actions of Cyrus astounding is that God mentioned him by name 150 years before he was born!

Isa 45:1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:

 2 'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.

 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.

 4 For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

Not only named by God, but Isaiah tells us how God will use him!

 

Isa 44:28 Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid."'

 

These verse ought to give us peace as we contemplate the sovereignty of God. He’s in charge! He’s got a plan! And though we may not understand it, in the end the plan is good. Ro 8:28 says: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

May that truth help you through whatever you may face today.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.