A Pagan King

Isaiah 45:8-13

Have you ever wished that you were in the know before something happened, for example, what if when Google was a start-up, or Apple, or Microsoft; God had said buy just 100 shares and watch what is going to happen.  Now that I’ve got your greed side going, shall we examine Isaiah 45:8-13, and see God’s new release 140 years before it happen.  It’s about the LORD speaking to Isaiah about King Cyrus, who is going to show-up 140 years later, and how God will use Cyrus as a deliverer and rebuilder of Jerusalem.

Verse eight should be an encouragement to all of us earth critters, in that God is commanding a future degree of moral replenishing, a time of righteousness.  Now many in Isaiah’s time as well as today want our deliverer and protector to ride in on a white horse with the white hat, much like the Lone Ranger who always won against the bad guys.  “But God,” I love those two words; God is going to use a pagan king to accomplish His purposes.

If you were only going to ponder one verse in Isaiah 45, verse nine would be the one to park 

on, for it sums up our present darkness.  “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, 

a pot among earthen pots!  Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ 

or ‘Your work has no handles’?”  (Isaiah 45:9 ESV)  God often uses metaphors in Scripture 

and this is one, we humans are the pots and God is the potter.  Hundreds of years later the 

apostle Paul talked about God’s sovereign choices and had this to say about the subject:  

“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 

“Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the 

same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?”  

 (Romans 9:20-21 ESV)  I believe in this present darkness of 2015, as maybe in no other 

time in the history of mankind, people are striving with the God who Genesis 2:7 speaks of;  

“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils 

the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”  God did this for people only, we 

have His breath of life, and if you are a seeker of truth, read Genesis chapters 1-5 and then 

read the gospel of John, for in these books you will find the answers you are looking for.

In verse 10 God once more uses the metaphor of God as the Father and mother and his 

human creation a baby challenging its parents (God’) on why it was conceived.  It is foolish, 

for babies do not challenge parents on their births no more than a pot challenges a potter 

on how it is formed, so why should Israel or you question God’s plans.

As one examines himself before a Holy God, we never look for His Justice, but His mercy, 

for we all have sinned and fall short of His glory.  He is Creator, there is no other!   So God 

tells Isaiah 140 years before Cyrus shows up on planet earth this is what I will do with Cyrus: 

 “I have stirred him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my 

city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward,” says the LORD of hosts.”  (Isaiah 45:13)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice