| 715 | Ahaz dies and Hezekiah begins his reign |
| 701 | Sennacherib of Assyria defeats Egypt at Eltekah and departs from Jerusalem; Merodach-baladan of Babylon sends messengers to visit Hezekiah |
| 697 | Manasseh of Judah begins his co-regency |
| 689 | Sennacherib of Assyria defeats Babylon |
| 686 | Hezekiah dies |
| 681 | Sennacherib of Assyria dies and Esarhaddon begins to reign |
| 671 | Esarhaddon imports foreigners into Israel and defeats Egypt |
| 612 | Nineveh falls to Babylon |
| 609 | Nabopolassar of Babylon defeats Assyria and Assyria falls |
| 605 | Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats Egypt at Carchemish; first deportation of Judahites to Babylon |
| 597 | Second deportation of Judahites to Babylon |
| 586 | Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar |
| 559 | Cyrus II of Persia begins to reign |
| 539 | Cyrus overthrows Babylon |
| 538 | Cyrus issues his decree allowing Jews to return to Palestine |
Isaiah is probably writing at the latter end of Hezekiah's reign or the early years of Mannasseh
Isa 44:28-45:4 ... who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd // and will accomplish all that I please; // he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," // and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." ' // 45:1 "This is what the Lord says to his anointed, // to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of // to subdue nations before him // and to strip kings of their armor, // to open doors before him // so that gates will not be shut: // 2 I will go before you // and will level the mountains; // I will break down gates of bronze // and cut through bars of iron. // 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, // riches stored in secret places, // so that you may know that I am the Lord, // the God of Israel, who summons you by name. // 4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, // of Israel my chosen, // I summon you by name // and bestow on you a title of honor, // though you do not acknowledge me. NIV
- What empire is in power now? Assyria
- What empire does Cyrus overthrow? Babylon
- What empire is Cyrus a part of that returns Israel to the land? Medes/Persians
- Is Cyrus born yet? No
- Assuming Isaiah wrote this in 700BC …
- Assyria falls to Babylon in 609BC (91 years later)
- Jerusalem falls to Babylon in 586BC (124 years later)
- Babylon falls to Cyrus in 539BC (161 years later)
- Why is God so specific? Normally, prophecy, while having some specific attributes, does not name names?
- Possibly, God is making a point about his sovereignty to the Jewish people. This is the first time that everything will be destroyed with the appearance that God's plan is completely over
- What does God call Cyrus?
- His anointed, his shepherd
- Terms reserved for Israel's kings (shepherd and anointed), or prophets
- Technically, the term is Mashiah (Heb.)
- At this point, the line of David (Kings) will be over (still 100 years in the future). Here, a Gentile takes the place as Shepherd over God's people. Was Cyrus a believer?
- Doubtful. Verse 4 suggests that the answer is no
- Therefore, God uses unbelievers to accomplish His will
- Verse 3 gives one of the three reasons Gods uses Cyrus, what is it?
- That Cyrus might know that the God of Israel is God over all (paraphrased)
- APPLICATION: I don't understand how God can tell the future of free will creatures. Although we create simulations all the time of events that even include random events (chaos). And so God can obviously create, in his mind, the most massive simulation ever seen (infinite), to predict events …. Or, as others argue, he is outside of space and time, but that means all my actions have already been determined, and so do I really have free will …? Either way, God in his infinite wisdom, knows the future, and is working for my good. Faith is believing that he is working for the good of those who love him (know him as their savior)
Isa 45:5-7 I am the Lord, and there is no other; // apart from me there is no God. // I will strengthen you, // though you have not acknowledged me, // 6 so that from the rising of the sun // to the place of its setting // men may know there is none besides me. // I am the Lord, and there is no other. // 7 I form the light and create darkness, // I bring prosperity and create disaster; // I, the Lord, do all these things. NIV
- God gives a second reason for choosing Cyrus, what is it?
- That men may know that there is no other God besides me
- What do you think is the average man's understanding of the many religions of the world?
- People believe (wrongly!) that there are many ways to God
- People believe that religions are essentially equal or equivalent (that may be true for all but one)
- What do you say to a person who questions our statement, that Jesus is the only way to God?
- The statement hinges on a person's opinion of Christ
- He cannot be a "good teacher" because he said too many things that would be wrong if he was not God. If not God, he cannot claim to forgive sins -- what right does he have to forgive sins? If your child is killed by a murderer, what right does Jesus have to forgive him? Yet Jesus claimed that right. Jesus made many claims:
- Jn 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life
- Jn 4:13-14 I am the living water
- Jn 9:5 I am the light of the world
- Jn 6:25, 51 I am the bread of life. I am the living bread that came down from heaven
- Jn 10:7-9 I am the gate
- Jn 10:11 I am the good Shepherd
- Jn 10:36 I am God's son
- Jn 8:56-59 Before Abraham was, I am
- Jn 14:6-7 I am the way, the truth, and the life
- Jn 8:23,24 I am from above
- Jn 15:1 I am the vine
- Verse 7 is a tough verse to understand. What is it saying?
- God brings prosperity and God creates disaster
- I think a better understanding is that God controls it. Much of pain of life is because God gave us free will. He can intervene at times, but what would we learn of our decisions if he constantly fixed things? And what would learn of sin, if he constantly protected us. But he can, when needed, intervene and change the course of events. The real question is, how often does he do it?
- Rom 8:28 says that God works for the good of those who love him -- rather than changing events, God works to bring good to us out of the event
- That doesn't change the meaning of verse 7. In Job, God takes direct responsibility for Job's circumstances even though Satan clearly accomplishes the actions
- Job 2:3 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." NIV
- Note that God takes responsibility "… though you (Satan) incited me (God) against him (Job) to ruin him (Job) without any reason …" -- not God says that it is God against Job
- APPLICATION: Whether God causes or allows an event, he is aware of the event and he holds himself responsible for the event (vs 7 "I, the Lord, do all these things"). Also, Romans tells us that he is working to bring good out of the event into our lives
Isa 45:9-13 "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, // to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. // Does the clay say to the potter, // 'What are you making?' // Does your work say, // 'He has no hands'? // 10 Woe to him who says to his father, // 'What have you begotten?' // or to his mother, // 'What have you brought to birth?' // 11 "This is what the Lord says — // the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: // Concerning things to come, // do you question me about my children, // or give me orders about the work of my hands? // 12 It is I who made the earth // and created mankind upon it. // My own hands stretched out the heavens; // I marshaled their starry hosts. // 13 I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: // I will make all his ways straight. // He will rebuild my city // and set my exiles free, // but not for a price or reward, // says the Lord Almighty." NIV
- These verses suggest another type of sovereignty. Paul uses it as an example of how God could act. How would you describe this?
- God can do whatever he wants, and who am I to argue
- In fact, why does Cyrus do God's bidding?
- Not for price or reward
- Because God said
- Ultimately, we are very foolish to argue with God about why things are the way they are
- Paul uses this same argument …
- Rom 9:19-24 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? // 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath — prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? NIV
- Paul argues that we have no right to argue with God
- Paul uses the phrase "what if" twice suggesting that God could do this, and he might not, but if he did, we have no right to argue
- Romans uses the free will argument more than it uses this deterministic argument
- Rom 11:17-21 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. NIV
- APPLICATION: We do have free will. But God can do whatever he wants. God does intervene at times, but at other times, for the believer, God works for the good of those who love him. We must believe in his goodness
- Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV
- Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. NIV
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