There
would have to be no greater sorrow for Jehovah, the God of Israel, than to see
His people whom He had chosen turn to idolatry and this after He had delivered
them from bondage, cared for them, watched over them, blessed them with a land
of their own and given them the grandeur of Jerusalem. To replace the one and
only true God who could do all that with gods of metal and wood was unconscionable.
“With
great irony, Isaiah brought out the inconsistency of those who work wood and
metal, use it for firewood and other mundane things, but fashion idols from the
same material and then expect those idols to show forth great power and answer
their prayers. Such idolatry precipitates in man “a deceived heart” that has
turned him aside” (Isaiah 44:20), or in other words, that has such a negative
effect as to cause him to lose his soul.” (Old Testament Student Manual 1 Kings
– Malachi, 185)
Yet
despite such ludicrous practice and departure from worship of the one true God,
Jehovah showed utmost mercy to the undeserving people He called ‘his
witnesses’:
“Fear
not, O Jacob, my servant whom I have chosen….I will pour my spirit upon thy
seed and my blessing upon thine offspring….Thus saith the Lord the King of
Israel: I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God….Fear
ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have
declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is
no God; I know not any” (Isaiah 44:2-8)
It
makes you want to weep, does it not???? And then, even forgiveness:
“Remember
O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my
servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a
thick cloud, thy transgressions; and, as a cloud, thy sins; return unto me; for
I have redeemed thee.” (Isaiah 44: 21, 22)
And
then redemption and spiritual re-alignment….in the name of Cyrus, the Great….
Who Isaiah prophesied of 140 years before his birth, and whose coming to
release the Jews from Babylon after 70 years of bondage that was prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11,12;
29:10,14).
Cyrus, the
King of Persia, conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., and inherited the exiled Jews. He
was raised for such a purpose by Jehovah himself, who called him ‘my shepherd’
and ‘my anointed’ (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-4).
The
military conquests of Cyrus were nothing short of remarkable. Empires virtually
fell into his hands and by the time he reached Babylon, he was considered a
liberator and not a conqueror. The citizens of Babylon welcomed him with open
arms because of his intended reforms that would make life better and easier for
the common man. Babylon that was a fortress to be reckoned with was overthrown
in one night as the city opened its gates to him without a battle and this is
why:
“Cyrus was
a born ruler of men. He inaugurated a new policy in the treatment of conquered
peoples. Instead of tyrannizing over them and holding them in subjection by
brute force, he treated his subjects with consideration and won them as his
friends. He was particularly considerate of the religions of conquered peoples.
The effect of this policy was to weld his subjects to him in a loyalty which
made his reign an era of peace.” (Elmer W.K. Mould, Essentials of Bible
History, pp 348-49)
Numerous
commentators have denied that Isaiah named Cyrus as the liberator of the Jews
so many years before he appeared. They have argued that his name was added to
Isaiah’s prophecy after his conquest of Babylon and the help he gave to the
Jewish nation. Josephus, the Jewish historian, recognized Isaiah’s prophecy to
be valid by quoting letters from Cyrus confirming the prophet’s predictions
(see Josephus, Antiquities, XI, 1,2).
Cyrus not
only had respect for the people he governed but he had respect for God whom he
acknowledged as the fountain of his success declaring, HE IS THE GOD (Ezra 1:2,3).
Rather sobering isn’t it, for a non-Israelite to acknowledge the God of Israel
as the God of heaven and earth.
The God of
Israel worked with this man to ensure he fulfilled his purpose and this was it….not
to free the captive Israel for the sake of freedom but to send them back to
Jerusalem to build His temple (Isaiah 44:28). Jehovah was calling His people to return to
Him….it is in the temple that they would once again raise their right hand to
the covenant they had forsaken (Isaiah 44:20). It is in the temple they would
find their God again and forsake their idolatry. It is in the temple they would
be re-aligned spiritually with the God they had forsaken. It is in the temple
they would receive a second chance.
Today
latter-day temples dot the earth. There are 214 dedicated operational temples
and a total of 383 including announced temples, temples in planning and under
construction. We, the House of Israel, are a favoured people and blessed above
all the nations of the earth. It is in the temple we are re-aligned with our
covenants, convictions and our God to give us strength to forsake modern day
idolatry of materialism, technology, prestige, power, entertainment, career,
status, or “whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his
god…” (President Spencer W. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship”, Ensign June
1976).
O
Israel, I saw your sins
that
you tried in vain to hide,
And
the years you lived in futile pride.
I
bore your life with crimson drops
And
sought forgiveness on your behalf;
To
pay the price of justice
And
mend your broken heart.
I
wait for you to come
Into
the shadow of my wings;
I
have paid the price: come unto Me,
Your
God and Your King.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
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