A Just God And A Saviour
Cyrus was spoken of briefly at the end of the previous chapter. Now he is addressed directly by God in a prophecy recorded several hundred years before his birth. Cyrus will be anointed by God to serve His cause and fulfil His will for the benefit of God’s remnant people among the Jews and His elect among the Gentiles of after-ages. Cyrus will be strengthened, enriched and emboldened by the Lord. His enemies will submit to his rule. Yet the purpose of all his elevation is God’s love for His church. They would be blessed and God’s name honoured.
One true God
How blessed Isaiah’s readers were to hear the Lord’s own account of His glory and power. These words are directed to Cyrus but believers find great comfort in meditating upon Jehovah God’s revelation of Himself. ‘I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.’ The Lord attributes all power, dominion, righteousness and salvation to Himself. Isaiah knew ‘salvation is of the Lord’ though it does not appear Cyrus ever learned this truth.
Pots in the potter’s hand
It is futile for men and women to strive against God or try to contend with their Maker who upholds and orders everything that is created. Cyrus ruled many nations who worshipped many idol-gods but none were comparable to ‘the LORD, the Holy One of Israel’. Cyrus was raised up to be an instrument in God’s hand for the wellbeing of God’s church, as is everything in this world. God’s ‘sons’ are God’s children by adopting grace. All who are saved by grace shall have good at God’s hand in this world and the next.
Isaiah saw the Lord
Again we have wonderful views of the Messiah revealed to Isaiah by God and by Isaiah to God’s people. Cyrus was appointed to serve God’s purpose for earthly Jerusalem but it is the Messiah, our Lord Jesus, who is really in view. Christ was raised in righteousness, directed in all His ways and ‘shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives’. Cyrus would enable the rebuilding of Jerusalem but Christ builds a spiritual city comprised of His born-again people. The building of Zion is the grafting into the body of Christ the elect from amongst the Gentiles. This great salvation is all of free grace, bestowed without money and without price.
Constrained by grace
The reference to peoples brought in chains, though suggestive of Cyrus’ victories, is a prophecy of the ingathering of the elect from all nations into the church. These men and women are subdued by grace and discover the peace and presence of God in the Zion of God. God largely hid Himself from the Gentile world until the coming of the Messiah. By Christ’s gospel going into all the world the Gentiles now acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour and are united together with believing Jews in ‘everlasting salvation’.
A just God and a Saviour
We are informed of the success of the gospel when it goes forth openly, audibly and effectually to gather the elect. They are called to assemble together as Christ’s church. The ignorance and foolishness of idolators who worship gods of wood is contrasted with God’s spiritual people who are made wise have heard the good tidings of justifying righteousness from ancient time. The One true God is revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘a just God and a Saviour’.
Look unto me
‘Look unto me’, the One true God and Saviour, is the call of the gospel in a sinful world. It is a discriminating and separating message, likened by Paul to a double-edged sword. It confirms rebels in their sin while drawing with spiritual power those who are loved of God. There is no other salvation. All who come to Christ in faith and look to Christ in their need, will be saved. The gospel goes forth in power and the word of the Lord shall not return void. It will accomplish its purpose to bring in God’s saints from the ends of the earth.
Justified in Christ
All who come in faith to Christ shall declare, ‘Surely … in the LORD have I righteousness and strength’. All God’s people confess their righteousness is in Christ alone. All God’s people confess their spiritual strength and their faith to believe is in Christ alone. No true believer seeks to build their own righteousness outside of Christ. Therefore, says Isaiah, ‘In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified’, and be made righteous. In the LORD shall God’s elect, the seed of Israel, find grace now and glory hereafter.
Amen
Peter Meney is the Pastor of New Focus Church Online and the Editor of "New Focus Magazine" and publisher of sovereign grace material under the Go Publications imprint. The purpose and aim of the magazine and books is to spread as widely as possible the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of free, sovereign grace found in the Holy Bible, the Word of God.
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