Isaiah 45:1-13
Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand, to subdue nations before him, and to loose the loins of kings; to open doors before him so that gates will be shut; "I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze, and cut through their iron bars. And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden wealth of secret places, in order that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. For the sake of Jacob My servant, and Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name, I have given you a title of honor though you have not known Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God, I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these."
"Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, and righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it."
"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker--an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, "What are you doing?" or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands?' Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'"
Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker: "Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, and you shall commit to Me the work of My hands. It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, and I ordained all their host. I have aroused him in righteousness, and I will make all his ways smooth; he will build My city, and will let My exiles go free, without any payment or reward," says the Lord of hosts.
Message: Jesus the Messiah
Time: Isaiah, the prophet, the writer of this book, in Jerusalem. The year is 739-681 BC. Isaiah lived during the time of four Judaen kings and pronounced judgment on the people of Judah as they did not love their neighbors and serve God with humility, but offered meaningless sacrifices in temple. Isaiah asks them to return to Him.
What the Lord is Saying:
Solus Christus - Christ alone saves His people for the sake of His glory. One of Jesus' titles is Messiah, the English translation of the Hebrew word mashiach, or the "anointed one." This Hebrew word comes into the Greek as Christos, which we get Christ. Thus, Jesus Christ is Jesus Messiah or Jesus the Anointed One.
The passage today begins with, Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed. Thus, the title of messiah is applied here to Cyrus. Who was Cyrus? Cyrus is a king who reigned over Persia between 539-530 BC. Cyrus, conquered Babylonia in 538 and gave the Jews permission to leave to Palestine. The Jews had been forced into captivity in Babylon (known as Babylon Captivity), around 70 years prior. The Jews were then able to restart their temple practices. Cyrus did not know the Lord (I have given you a title of honor though you have not known Me), but God used him as an instrument to release or deliver His people from captivity. In the Lord calling Cyrus His anointed or Messiah, the office of the messiah includes the work of deliverance or rescue.
The purpose of this deliverance is described later in the passage - that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. He proclaims - I am the Lord, and there is no other and besides Me there is no God and there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these. He remarks - Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker and the Lord continues His remarks to let everyone now that He is Lord, He is deliverer, He is creator.
Cyrus was God's instrument for God's glory and through him communicated His work as our Lord and King. Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed, and like Cyrus, He was commissioned to deliver God's people. Yet, Jesus' work of deliverance or rescue is far greater as we are freed for all time from the enmity or discord that exists between God and Man, namely sin. Jesus saves us from our wickedness. Cyrus freed the Jews from captivity, from the hands that held them. Jesus frees man from his/her own captivity with sin. Yet, this passage provides a great example of deliverance by the Lord's anointed one.
Promise: Martin Luther stated, "Just as Cyrus would by his power and his expanse set them free, so Christ would redeem us by His Word and grace, without cost."
Prayer: Lord, I am reminded today, once again, of my own deliverance, my own captivity with sin and how you have rescued me and allow me following rescue to live free from the burden. What you did for me is the greatest and thus, I continue to worship you in any and every way that I can in my life. Let my life be lived in such a way that it is a worship song to You. You God are God and there is no other and besides You there is no God. You formed light and created darkness and cause all well-being and calamity. I yield my life to You. You are in control and I can always trust You.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of April is about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April was about salvation by grace alone; March about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January was about the doctrine of God.
- The Divine Nature of Christ, The Human Nature of Christ, Jesus the Last Adam, Jesus the True Israel, Jesus the Messiah
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