2 Chronicles 36:21-23 KJV
To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Here is seventy years, a whole lifetime, summed in just two verses. I realize that other portions of the Bible address what took place among the Jews during those seventy years, but the focus of this portion has nothing to do with one's life. Those seventy years are summed up as,
Sabbath rest for the land
This speaks of the urgency of God's truth. We must never dismiss any portion of the plan of God as trivial and insignificant. Today the Sabbath has been nailed to the Cross and is no longer in effect. Still there are pieces of God's Word that are ignored and taken lightly by so called believers. It is as if we claim the grace of God as not just an excuse but an opportunity to live casually with our faith. Would to God we would step up in our faith and live more and more for God.
The fulfillment of God's promise
After those seventy years God restored Israel to their land in a manner that was specific and detailed. God's promises for our future are not vague and likely to happen. They are specific and surely going to happen just as God has said. I realize that we are sometimes guilty of misunderstanding or misapplying God's promises. But that blame must be laid squarely upon our own shoulders and not upon God.
To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Sabbath rest for the land
This speaks of the urgency of God's truth. We must never dismiss any portion of the plan of God as trivial and insignificant. Today the Sabbath has been nailed to the Cross and is no longer in effect. Still there are pieces of God's Word that are ignored and taken lightly by so called believers. It is as if we claim the grace of God as not just an excuse but an opportunity to live casually with our faith. Would to God we would step up in our faith and live more and more for God.
After those seventy years God restored Israel to their land in a manner that was specific and detailed. God's promises for our future are not vague and likely to happen. They are specific and surely going to happen just as God has said. I realize that we are sometimes guilty of misunderstanding or misapplying God's promises. But that blame must be laid squarely upon our own shoulders and not upon God.
- We may trust
- We may believe
- We may depend
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