2 Chronicles 36:23
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him; go up then!’”
This is another one of the miracles of scripture. Isaiah 44:24-28 prophecies that Cyrus will release the Jews from captivity to go back to Jerusalem. What’s crazy is that Isaiah gave this prediction nearly 150 years before Cyrus was born. The king is mentioned by name.
Biblical prophecy was given by God for us to have faith in Him and in His Word. Today’s passage is an amazing one, but there are many others. There are over 300 prophecies of the messiah. Jesus fulfilled 27 prophecies on the day He was crucified. The odds that that happen are astronomical.
I can recall leaning on prophecy for the scriptures veracity. That was God’s intent. He wants us to see the bible as His Word and something worthy of trusting. Amazing. He is so good. In times of doubt that was quite comforting.
That is a bragging point. It should be brought up in conversation. Today’s passage is an amazing one. That and the ones about Jesus. There are many other places, but Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 give a detailed description of Jesus on the cross. It’s impossible for one to fulfill all of those without God being a part of it.
God is predicting the future long before the events ocurred. He does so through His prophets. A description of prophecy is given in 2 Peter 1:19-21, “We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Peter says “we have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt”. That is prophecy’s intent that we will believe God’s Word beyond the shadow of doubt. That’s an amazing gift, only one that an all powerful God could perform.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24,25 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ” His Word and all of the bible are the rock that we are to build our lives upon. Life contains many troubles and sorrows. We will be made steady if we trust and rest on His Word.
Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the path of sinners, nor siteth in the seat of the scornful. But His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in His Law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the river of waters.” Once we decide that the bible is God’s Word we can read it, feast on it and let it fill our lives with joy. It helps us connect with God.
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for prophecy which allows us to trust it. An amazing miracle as we see it, but something effortless on Your part. The power and wisdom You hold are second to none. As people we see the strength and wisdom of others. They can be impressive. But when compared to You, they are child’s play. You are worthy to be praised.
In heaven there are praise sessions for You. A day will come when we will be in heaven with You. We will join in that praise. I used to see that as uninteresting. Not any more. I am writing this entry in wonder of prophecy and Your Word. It’s an act of worship. I am just scratching the surface of Your magnificence.
I Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known.” On earth our understanding is limited, but in heaven we will know fully. We will be overflowing with praise and wonder. We won’t have to focus and attempt to conjure up wonder. We will see Your unending greatness. You are so worthy.
His prophecy is that which gives us confidence to trust His Word. We can put down our guard and skepticism and begin to trust Him. What a wonderful tool prophecy is. The devil, the world and our own flesh seek to tear You down as well as tearing down Your Word. You gave us rock solid confidence that it’s trustworthy. Help us to share this good news, so others can trust You and Your Words.
Thank You, Lord, for prophecy. It gives us the foundation to trust You. What a wonder. Help us to share that. Help us to share the good news of Your saving grace. So others can learn of You, trust You and be blessed.