Ezra 1:1 KJV
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Jeremiah's ministry was a good 70 years previous to Cyrus' reign and it is not impossible that Cyrus had heard of Jeremiah's preaching. Certainly Daniel and the three other Hebrews would have been familiar with his preaching. No doubt many of the Jews who had gone into captivity, though disagreeing with Jeremiah while he preached, realized he was right once they had been captured. Surely they spoke about his message one with another and passed it down to their children. Obviously also Jeremiah's message had been written down and could conceivably been in written form in Babylon during their captivity there.
There are many of the prophecies of the Word of God that were fulfilled without the persons fulfilling them being aware or even willing that they fulfill God's Word. Alexander the Great and the other world empires did not purposely choose to fulfill God's Word either in their rise to power or their eventual fall. Nebuchadnezzar did not choose to become insane and live as an animal. On the other hand there are some prophesies that could have been fulfilled as a man saw God's Word, realized it pertained to them and chose to obey it.
It was prophesied years before Josiah came on the throne in Jerusalem that he would burn the bones of Jeroboam. It is not impossible to believe that Josiah, knowing that the Word of God said that and then finding the body of Jeroboam, realized the Scriptures referred to himself and then submitted to obeying the Word of God.
Cyrus was prophesied seventy years before his ascension to the throne that he would allow the Jews to return and build the Temple. Could it not have been that he, having heard that Jeremiah had prophesied a king named Cyrus would decree the return of the Jews, humbly realized that the Word of God spoke of himself so he elected to obey that Word?
True enough, there are some things in the Word of God that are fulfilled with or without our cognizant involvement. Some portions of the will of God will run their course even if we do not pay them attention.
But there are some things that the Lord expects we will submit to and obey. We cannot change the will of God. He will accomplish His plan. But we can see ourselves in that will and choose to fulfill it.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Jeremiah's ministry was a good 70 years previous to Cyrus' reign and it is not impossible that Cyrus had heard of Jeremiah's preaching. Certainly Daniel and the three other Hebrews would have been familiar with his preaching. No doubt many of the Jews who had gone into captivity, though disagreeing with Jeremiah while he preached, realized he was right once they had been captured. Surely they spoke about his message one with another and passed it down to their children. Obviously also Jeremiah's message had been written down and could conceivably been in written form in Babylon during their captivity there.
There are many of the prophecies of the Word of God that were fulfilled without the persons fulfilling them being aware or even willing that they fulfill God's Word. Alexander the Great and the other world empires did not purposely choose to fulfill God's Word either in their rise to power or their eventual fall. Nebuchadnezzar did not choose to become insane and live as an animal. On the other hand there are some prophesies that could have been fulfilled as a man saw God's Word, realized it pertained to them and chose to obey it.
It was prophesied years before Josiah came on the throne in Jerusalem that he would burn the bones of Jeroboam. It is not impossible to believe that Josiah, knowing that the Word of God said that and then finding the body of Jeroboam, realized the Scriptures referred to himself and then submitted to obeying the Word of God.
Cyrus was prophesied seventy years before his ascension to the throne that he would allow the Jews to return and build the Temple. Could it not have been that he, having heard that Jeremiah had prophesied a king named Cyrus would decree the return of the Jews, humbly realized that the Word of God spoke of himself so he elected to obey that Word?
True enough, there are some things in the Word of God that are fulfilled with or without our cognizant involvement. Some portions of the will of God will run their course even if we do not pay them attention.
But there are some things that the Lord expects we will submit to and obey. We cannot change the will of God. He will accomplish His plan. But we can see ourselves in that will and choose to fulfill it.
No comments:
Post a Comment