Page 94 - Isaiah Student Worktext

V. 24-28 Here comes the example of how God creates the future. First, He reminds them once again
that He is their Creator. It is He who ‘frustrates’ the babblers and turns wise men into foolish men.

God promises that Jerusalem will be rebuilt…even before it has been destroyed. I will probably say this
every time that it comes up, but I think this next prophecy is one of the most stunning. All prophecies of
the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ are stunning, but we are used to them.

This prophecy details, not just that Jerusalem will be rebuilt even before it is destroyed, but it gives the
name of the man who will facilitate the rebuilding, Cyrus, king of Persia.

Some commentators speculate that many people named their son Cyrus in the hopes that their son
would be the one. Others speculate that God told the parents to name the future king Cyrus just as God
would later send an angel to Mary to tell her to name her Son Jesus.

This is my own personal interpretation. God knew whom He had chosen to lead Persia, He knew whom
He had chosen to rebuild Jerusalem and the man’s name was Cyrus. Maybe not foreordained, just a bit
of foreknowledge in the totality of things God has foreknowledge concerning.

Chapter 45 - Main Idea: God rises up Cyrus of Persia and gives him an
empire so that the Jews will rebuild Jerusalem, so that the gospel of
Christ may spread to the ends of the earth.

In one of the most stunning prophecies of all the many prophecies, God
supernaturally predicts the rise of King Cyrus of Persia, by name, more than 100 years before he was
born. This, along with the prophecies of the birth of Christ, shows us clearly that God is omniscient. The
same God who created the universe is able to predict what He will do, even centuries before He does it.

Along those same lines, the rise of Cyrus had an immediate fulfillment once he rose to power…the
rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. This raises the question in the minds of skeptics: why did God allow
the destruction of the city if He was going to raise up someone to rebuild it?

Why does He allow any difficulty in our lives? To grow us, to change us, to redirect us.

V. 1-2 To refer to Cyrus as God’s ‘anointed’ in nearly every other case refers to kings of the Jews. In this
case, the Holy Spirit chose and anointed a pagan king to accomplish Godly purposes. God took Cyrus by
the right hand, led him, opened doors before him, and made the crooked places straight.

If it is God’s will, He will prepare the way.

V. 3-4 In return for being God’s instrument, Cyrus will be given treasures from the dark or hidden places.
All this so that Cyrus will recognize that it is God, not a pagan god, who is directing all this.

There is no clear evidence that Cyrus ever accepted the Lord, in fact there are writings in which Cyrus
gives credit to his pagan god, Marduk.

God directs the heart of kings Proverbs 21:1 even when they do not acknowledge Him as Lord.

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