"Greetings in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for 11 May 2012"
Today's Blog Title: "God's Blessing on Israel"
Today's Blog Scripture Reading: Isaiah 44:1-28
Today's Blogs key Verse: Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: Besides Me there is no God."
This chapter contains one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. In verse 28 Cyrus, the king of Persia, is named as the coming deliverer of the Jews more than 140 years in advance. The structure of the poem in verses 24-28 is arranged deliberately to end with a definite climax, which introduces Cyrus by name. A similar prediction can be found in 1 Kings 13:2, where Josiah is named three hundred years ahead of time. As the passage opens, "Israel" is again identified as "my servant," who has been chosen from the womb to fulfill God's purposes. In verse 6, the prophet emphasizes the oneness of God by stating that "beside me there is no God." Yet, at the same time, the prophet distinguishes between "the LORD the King of Israel" and "his redeemer" the LORD of hosts. The personal name "Yahweh" is used of both the King and His Redeemer, the one referring to God the Father and the other referring to God the Son.
The expose of idolatry is the most taunting in all of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah, serving as the spokesman of Yahweh, reveals the utter foolishness of polytheistic pagan idolatry. The "graven image" (carved idol) is called "vanity" (nothing). "Delectable things" refers to the adornment of idols in the "figure of a man." He exposes the basic fallacy of idolatry, a god made in the image of man. Thus the prophet's criticism of one who would worship an idol carved from the same tree that he would use a firewood is that "he feedeth on ashes."
The prophet then turns his attention again to "Israel" to remind them that God has "blotted out" their transgressions and "redeemed" them, and urges them to "return unto me" (repent). "I am the LORD" stands at the beginning of the final section of this poem and is the subject of all that follows. Nine times in this section the English word "that" is used to identify the activity of the Lord. The passage follows in perfect meter, leading up to the identification of Cyrus by name. Thus it is announced that "Jerusalem...shall be inhabited" and that the "cities of Judah...shall be built." God will raise up a deliverer of his own to accomplish the this astounding deed: "Cyrus." Since this is Cyrus II (554-529 B.C.) his name "Cyrus" was probably an early dynastic throne name. In Persian history he is known as "Cyrus the Great." In 539 B.C. he conquered Babylon and decreed the return of the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem and the "foundation of the temple." The discovery of the "Cyrus Cylinder" dating from 536 B.C. further verifies this Biblical account.
Jesus Reigns!!! May God's Love, Peace, Strength, and Grace be with you all.
Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi
Today's Blog Title: "God's Blessing on Israel"
Today's Blog Scripture Reading: Isaiah 44:1-28
Today's Blogs key Verse: Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: Besides Me there is no God."
This chapter contains one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. In verse 28 Cyrus, the king of Persia, is named as the coming deliverer of the Jews more than 140 years in advance. The structure of the poem in verses 24-28 is arranged deliberately to end with a definite climax, which introduces Cyrus by name. A similar prediction can be found in 1 Kings 13:2, where Josiah is named three hundred years ahead of time. As the passage opens, "Israel" is again identified as "my servant," who has been chosen from the womb to fulfill God's purposes. In verse 6, the prophet emphasizes the oneness of God by stating that "beside me there is no God." Yet, at the same time, the prophet distinguishes between "the LORD the King of Israel" and "his redeemer" the LORD of hosts. The personal name "Yahweh" is used of both the King and His Redeemer, the one referring to God the Father and the other referring to God the Son.
The expose of idolatry is the most taunting in all of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah, serving as the spokesman of Yahweh, reveals the utter foolishness of polytheistic pagan idolatry. The "graven image" (carved idol) is called "vanity" (nothing). "Delectable things" refers to the adornment of idols in the "figure of a man." He exposes the basic fallacy of idolatry, a god made in the image of man. Thus the prophet's criticism of one who would worship an idol carved from the same tree that he would use a firewood is that "he feedeth on ashes."
The prophet then turns his attention again to "Israel" to remind them that God has "blotted out" their transgressions and "redeemed" them, and urges them to "return unto me" (repent). "I am the LORD" stands at the beginning of the final section of this poem and is the subject of all that follows. Nine times in this section the English word "that" is used to identify the activity of the Lord. The passage follows in perfect meter, leading up to the identification of Cyrus by name. Thus it is announced that "Jerusalem...shall be inhabited" and that the "cities of Judah...shall be built." God will raise up a deliverer of his own to accomplish the this astounding deed: "Cyrus." Since this is Cyrus II (554-529 B.C.) his name "Cyrus" was probably an early dynastic throne name. In Persian history he is known as "Cyrus the Great." In 539 B.C. he conquered Babylon and decreed the return of the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem and the "foundation of the temple." The discovery of the "Cyrus Cylinder" dating from 536 B.C. further verifies this Biblical account.
Jesus Reigns!!! May God's Love, Peace, Strength, and Grace be with you all.
Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi
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