[:en]SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 45
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (Isaiah 45:3)
“I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all theses things” (Isaiah 45:5-7)
“Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the postherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” Does your work say. “He has no hands?” (Isaiah 45:9)
“”But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting” (Isaiah 45:17)
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22)
God announced that he had anointed Cyrus, a nation who did not know the Lord and used him to accomplish His purposes. This manifested His sovereignty as the creator of all things.
THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAID TO CYRUS:
- I will take hold of your right hand to subdue nations and strip kings of their armor, to open the door of the gates (v. 1)
- I will go before you by leveling the mountain, breaking down the bronze gates and cutting through the iron bars (v. 2)
- I will give you the treasure of darkness and riches stored in secret place (v. 3)
- I will summon you by name and bestow your honor though you do not acknowledge me (v. 4)
- I will strengthen you so that men may know that I am the Lord and there is no other (vs. 5-6)
GOD’S MESSAGES TO ISRAEL (vs. 11-25)
- I will raise up Cyrus to rebuild my city and set my exiles free (v. 13)
- The products of Egypt will be yours. Egyptians will bow down before you and acknowledge that surely God is with you and there is no other god. (v. 14)
- You will be saved with an everlasting salvation and will never be put to shame or disgrace forever (v. 17)
- All your descendants will be found righteous and will exult. (v. 25)
God is the potter and we are the clay. The clay cannot say to the potter what is he making nor can a child question his father and mother about his birth (vs. 9-10) The Lord is the Holy one of Israel, the maker of heavens and earth, the only true God and there is no other. He is a righteous God and a Savior. There is no God apart from Him. We should submit to Him and trust in Him. One day, God will gather His people and establish His kingdom. Now, we must preach the message of salvation to every tribe and nation.
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