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Overview

Isaiah 45 again proclaims that YHWH is sovereign over the nations. His sovereignty covers every king, every season, every event—whether it is born from the light or from the darkness. Ultimately, His sovereignty manifests in providing salvation for those whom He has chosen, specifically for the people of God. 

Isaiah 45:1-6

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:

“I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 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.”

This is the first and only time Isaiah mentions Cyrus. Who is Cyrus? Cyrus is a king who reigned over Persia between 539—530 BC. This pagan king is important in Jewish history because it was under his rule that Jews were first allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity. Notice the timeline. This prophecy was given 200 years before Cyrus took the throne. 200 years. The Bible is so amazing. 

But this passage also reminds us that God is sovereign, orchestrating His divine plan. YHWH will use whoever He wants. Verse 5 says He will even equip Cyrus for the task that He has for him. This makes me wonder how many other world leaders does He equip to accomplish His will? In some sense, God raises up all world leaders. No one comes into power without it being “green-lighted” by means of His divine, eternal will. Does this bring you comfort? It should. Especially because God is good.

Isaiah 45:7

I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

This gem of a verse is startling, maybe even shocking to many. Is God bipolar? Is He culpable for the calamity (whether natural or man-made) of this world? Of course not. To both questions. God is good. But He is also sovereign. And yet His sovereignty does not require Him to be culpable for moral or natural evil. God cannot sin. Yet God permits sin to run its course—for now. Someday He will put all of His enemies under His feet. He wil eradicate sin and suffering. That is our hope.

Isaiah 45:22-23

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Someday every knee will bow to the Creator. Someday everyone will give an account. Standing before a holy God brings everyone to their knees. Are you ready to see Him? I hope so. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.