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Our Awesome God - Isaiah 45
Our Awesome God - Isaiah 45
A few historical details as we begin to read Isaiah 45:
· Isaiah – live approximately 740-680BC
· Babylon’s successful rise to international power by the defeat of Assyria – 625BC
· Babylonian Captivity of Judah - 606-536 B.C.
· Cyrus, ruler of the newly arisen Persian power, conquered Babylon in 539BC.
· Cyrus then issued return in 538-6 (cp. Ezra 1:1-4).
?? HOW?? How could this have been foretold by Isaiah? Was he able to interpret the ‘Babylonian Times’ and come up with a name? (sarcasm, I just made up the name of this fictious newspaper). What Newspaper could NAME the ruler of a nation that did not exist, calling him by name?
The challenge of vs. 21: "Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. (Isaiah 45:21)/
The Answer: ONLY GOD, the true God, can declare what WILL happen! And HE DID. He did SO that men, all men, may know that HE IS THE LORD OF ALL and there is NONE BESIDES HIM (vs. 3, 6).
Thus, 2500+ years later, WE can learn this lesson. Who is the God that we serve? Instead of just reading this chapter, grab a piece of paper and make a list of what it reveals about God! Then meditate upon it! Think about how such impacts your thinking about world events today! Do you really trust God and His promises?
Hugh DeLong
Here is a start of such a list!
I am the LORD.
There is no ‘god’ apart from HIM.
He is the creator of ALL
He is the sustainer and provider
He RULES over the kings and nations
He is able to foreknow, foretell, and impose His will upon this earth and the nations.
Now – add your own observations:
