The Book of Ezra opens with an amazing testament to God's foreknowledge and sovereignty. Ezra 1:1-4 "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing." God names Cyrus as the ruler who would rebuild the temple in Isaiah 44:24-28:
". . .I am the LORD,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself,
25 who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,
26 who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,’
28 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.”’
The reference to Jeremiah in Erza 1:1 refers to the 70 years of Babylonian captivity in Jeremiah 25:12 that ended in the year 538 BC at the outset of Cyrus' reign. Amazingly, God called Cyrus by name, as the ruler who would initiate His will, 100 years before his birth.
The God of creation holds all things in the palm of His hand. Past, present and future are His and open to His gaze. He is able to the utmost to direct our lives for the greatest good and His Will. Rely on Him for your very sustenance and rest in the knowledge that He holds all things and loves you forever.
Patti
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| Pic from beautifulfreepictures.com |
The Book of Ezra opens with an amazing testament to God's foreknowledge and sovereignty. Ezra 1:1-4 "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing." God names Cyrus as the ruler who would rebuild the temple in Isaiah 44:24-28:
". . .I am the LORD,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself,
25 who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense,
26 who carries out the words of his servants
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up your streams,’
28 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.”’
The reference to Jeremiah in Erza 1:1 refers to the 70 years of Babylonian captivity in Jeremiah 25:12 that ended in the year 538 BC at the outset of Cyrus' reign. Amazingly, God called Cyrus by name, as the ruler who would initiate His will, 100 years before his birth.
The God of creation holds all things in the palm of His hand. Past, present and future are His and open to His gaze. He is able to the utmost to direct our lives for the greatest good and His Will. Rely on Him for your very sustenance and rest in the knowledge that He holds all things and loves you forever.
Patti
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