Isaiah 44: Cyrus And Josiah Named Before Being Born

ISAIAH 44: CYRUS AND JOSIAH NAMED BEFORE BEING BORN 5-25-13

These two prophecies will bless our hearts and strengthen our faith. -- be sure to mark these scriptures somewhere.

Here in Isaiah 44: is a prophecy that highlights God's omniscience, ** (His all-knowing power) it is one of the most amazing prophecies found anywhere in the Old Testament.

In verse 28 Cyrus, the King of Persia, is named as the coming deliverer of the Jewish people more than 200 years in advance, before he was ever born. --

~What purpose would there be to acknowledging a world conqueror by name after the fact?

~ He is designated as "my shepherd." This is the only instance where a pagan monarch- ruler, is given such a title.

---------

We'll read verses 24-28 shortly, but first let me say this;

"I am the LORD" is at the beginning of these last 4 verses, and is the subject of all that follows. ---- Nine times in this section the English word "that" is used to identify the activity of JEHOVAH GOD.

* Notice the "that's" as we read; there's a reason for it.

The over-all purpose of this prophecy is to let Israel know that when the prophecy come to pass, that is, when this man Cyrus is on the scene and their set free to return to their home land, they'll know that their deliverance is from the Lord and not from Cyrus, Cyrus is only an instrument in the hand of God.

---------

God who created the world and who is sovereign over history itself, that's to say, He has supreme, permanent authority, He can predict the future. -- What is nearest as well as what is most remote is equally present to him.

------

* Listen as I read;

> Isaiah 44: 24 -28 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

25 That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

------------

~ Notice that GOD has told all these previous truths to Israel, and then HE speaks of Cyrus who is 200 years yet to come, showing that nothing to Him is too hard, it's all the same, He continues on with the ninth "THAT" as all the others.

>28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

------------

~ The thought continues on in chapter 45: to do with Cyrus, let me remind us that the chapters and verses in the Bible were arranged by man, if verse 28 had been verse 1 here in chapter 45 it would have made perfect scents, nothing would have been changed in the scriptures at all.

====================

45:1-7 -- God now talks directly to Cyrus as if he was already there.

~ Cyrus knew about these things from reading the prophecy which Isaiah had left behind two hundred and ten years earlier.

~ Cyrus at the beginning of these things knew not God as the God of Israel; the true God was to him an unknown God.

---------

>1- Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, --

This title (anointed" is symbolic in the sense as a deliverer of God's people from their Babylonian bondage.

----

>1-b Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, -- whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, ** (meaning weaken their might)

"I will loose the loins of kings" this was literally fulfilled in King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's grand son, when he saw the writing on the wall--

>Dan. 5: 5-6 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

---------

1-c and I will loose the loins of kings to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; --