THE LORD SPOKE (October 4)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Isaiah 44-45

Proverbs 21:1 - The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

Cyrus, a pagan king of Persia (ruled from 559-530 BC), is called the Lord’s “messiah” in Isaiah 45:1. Not “Messiah”, but “messiah” in the sense that he was chosen by God and anointed for a specific purpose. “Anoint” is the meaning of the Hebrew term, Mashach, from which we get our term “messiah”. The biblical descriptions of how God does this, specifically in the case of Cyrus, are of interest:

raised him up - Isaiah 45:13
stirred him up - Isaiah 13:17, 41:2 (see also Jeremiah 50:9,41; 51:1)
moved his heart - Ezra 1:1
changed his attitude - Ezra 6:22
put it into his heart - Ezra 7:27

That king’s heart was definitely in the hand of the Lord! Have times changed? Do you believe that God still works that way today?

In another place (Isaiah 44:28), Cyrus is called “my shepherd”. Imagine that! God is willing to submit His precious flock to a pagan king for shepherding. Under normal circumstances, the only interest in the flock that a mercenary shepherd would have is finding the fastest method to pull off the fleece or the shortest path to the butcher shop. And yet, God placed Cyrus, the pagan king of Persia, in just such a position as shepherd of His people.

Specifically, God says “he will accomplish all that I please” (Isaiah 44:28). Indeed he did. The verse goes on to explain, “he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’” In the year 539 BC, Cyrus reversed the previous Babylonian political tactics (deportation and oppression of conquered peoples) by allowing foreigners to return to their homelands and, in several cases, to rebuild their religious sanctuaries - so long as they remained loyal to his crown and continued paying taxes. Most did.

The story of Cyrus’ decree is recorded for us two times in Scripture. The shorter version comes at the very end of II Chronicles (36:23) and the longer at the beginning of Ezra (1:2-4). Imagine a pagan king declaring these words:

The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you - may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.

God is still able to accomplish such as this. We need that reminder in America during the next month!


Psalm 35-36

David had it right! Few could say they were ever faced with greater opposition and hardship than he - equal maybe, but not greater. It’s hard to conceive of anyone having greater troubles. He enumerates some of them here in Psalm 35.

After an initial appeal to God to come to his aid (Ps. 35:1-3), David organizes his petition in three parts, each of which ends with a vow of anticipated praise.

I. OPPOSITION IN ACTIONS (Ps. 35:4-10) - “may my enemies be disgraced and put to shame”
They plot; they lay traps for me; they rejoice to see me down.
Let them fall to their own devices.

II. OPPOSITION IN ATTITUDES (Ps. 35:11-18) - “may my enemies cease to repay me evil for good”
They lie; they misrepresent me; they rejoice to see me fall.
Let their mouths be stopped.

III. OPPOSITION IN ACCUSATIONS (Ps. 35:19-28) - “may my enemies not gloat over my distress”
They gloat; they scheme against me; they rejoice in my problems.
Let them be put to shame and confusion.

Remember that the answers to these three petitions had not yet come. Yet David vows to praise God before the fact. Just as petition naturally follows a need, so praise should naturally follow an answer to prayer.

Ps. 35:9 - Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.

Ps. 35:18 - I will give you thanks in the great assembly.

Ps. 35:28 - My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

There is a place for imprecatory prayer but you better make sure your own way is right, that you are pleasing God in your own actions, attitudes, and accusations. Can you say like David, they do this “without cause” and “without reason” (Ps. 35:19)? If not, confess your own sin first, and then remember that “the Lord...delights in the well-being of his servant” (Ps. 35:27).