Romans 9

Romans 9

Romans 9:1 I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!) because my conscience assures me in the Sacred Breath –

Romans 9:2 I have great regret and unceasing anguish in my heart.

Romans 9:3 Because I wish that I would be accursed– cut off from Christ– for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen,

Romans 9:4 who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.

Romans 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, permanently applauded! Amen.

Romans 9:6 It is not like the word of God has failed. Because not all those who are descended from Israel are really Israel,

Romans 9:7 nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; instead, “through Isaac will your descendants be invited.”

Romans 9:8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; instead, the children of the promise are counted as descendants.

Romans 9:9 Because this is what the promise declared: “About this season next year I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

Romans 9:10 Not only that but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac–

Romans 9:11 even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s plan in election would stand,

Romans 9:12 not by achievements but by his invitation) – it was told her, “The older will serve the younger,”

Romans 9:13 just as it says in scripture: “Jacob I cared about, but Esau I hated.”

Romans 9:14 What will we say then? Is there injustice with God? That is not going to happen!

Romans 9:15 Because he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Romans 9:16 Thus, it does not depend on what a human wants or tries but on God, who shows mercy.

Romans 9:17 Because the scripture says to Pharaoh: ” I have raised you for this exact purpose, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the land.”[1]

Romans 9:18 So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden.

Romans 9:19 You might say to me then, “Why does he still find fault, because who has ever resisted his will?”

Romans 9:20 But who indeed are you– a mere human being– to talk back to God? Does what is carved say to the carver, “Why have you made me like this?”

Romans 9:21 Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use?

Romans 9:22 Imagine God, wanting to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, enduring with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction.

Romans 9:23 And imagine him wanting to make known the wealth of his glory upon the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory–

Romans 9:24 even us, whom he has invited, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Romans 9:25 As he also says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not my people, ‘My people,’ and I will call her who was not cared about, ‘The one I care about.'”

Romans 9:26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.'”

Romans 9:27 And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved,

Romans 9:28 because the Lord will execute his sentence on the land entirely and quickly.”

Romans 9:29 Just as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of armies had not left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have resembled Gomorrah.”

Romans 9:30 What will we say then? — that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness got it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,

Romans 9:31 but Israel even though pursuing a law of righteousness did not get it.

Romans 9:32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by having faith but (as if it were possible) by achievements. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

Romans 9:33 just as it is written, “See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble and a rock that will make them fall, yet the one who puts faith in him will not be put to shame.”

[1]γῆ = land. Romans 9:17, 18; 10:28.

The ROMANS shelf in Jeff’s library

Joshua 7

Joshua 7

Joshua 7:1 The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and Yahveh’s anger burned against the Israelites.

Joshua 7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.

Joshua 7:3 After returning to Joshua they reported to him, “Don’t send all the people, but send about two thousand or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, don’t wear out all our people there.”

Joshua 7:4 So about three thousand men went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.

Joshua 7:5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them and chased them from outside the city gate to the quarries, striking them down on the descent. As a result, the people lost heart.

Joshua 7:6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of Yahveh until evening, as did the elders of Israel; they all put dust on their heads.

Joshua 7:7 “Oh, Lord God,” Joshua said, “Why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan to hand us over to the Amorites for our destruction? If only we had been content to remain on the other side of the Jordan!

Joshua 7:8 What can I say, Lord, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?

Joshua 7:9 When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and exterminate our name from the land. Then what will you do about your great name?”

Joshua 7:10 Yahveh then said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen facedown?

Joshua 7:11 Israel has failed. They have violated the covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart. They have stolen, deceived, and put those things with their belongings.

Joshua 7:12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies because they have been set apart for destruction. I will only be with you if you annihilate[1] from among you what is set apart.

Joshua 7:13 “Go and consecrate the people. Tell them to consecrate themselves for tomorrow, for this is what Yahveh, the God of Israel, says: Some things are set apart among you, Israel. You will not be able to stand against your enemies until you remove what is set apart.

Joshua 7:14 In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe Yahveh selects is to come forward clan by clan. The clan Yahveh selects is to come forward family by family. The family Yahveh selects is to come forward man by man.

Joshua 7:15 The one who is caught with the things set apart must be burned, along with everything he has, because he has violated Yahveh’s covenant and committed an outrage in Israel.”

Joshua 7:16 Joshua got up early the next morning. He had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.

Joshua 7:17 He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the Zerahite clan was selected. He had the Zerahite clan come forward by heads of families, and Zabdi was selected.

Joshua 7:18 He then had Zabdi’s family come forward man by man, and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.

Joshua 7:19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to Yahveh, the God of Israel, and make a confession to him. I urge you to tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”

Joshua 7:20 Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahveh, the God of Israel. This is what I did:

Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver, and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter, I craved[2] them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the silver under the cloak.”

Joshua 7:22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the silver underneath.

Joshua 7:23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in Yahveh’s presence.

Joshua 7:24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

Joshua 7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you cut us off? Today Yahveh will cut you off!” So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them,

Joshua 7:26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today. Then Yahveh turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor still today.

[1] שָׁמַד = annihilate. Joshua 7:12; 9:24; 11:14, 20; 23:15; 24:8.

[2] חָמַד = crave.

Joshua 7 quotes:

“The narrator sets the stage for failure at Ai (Hb. ruin; LXX, city). From an omniscient view, the narrator warns readers that all is not well in the camp after victory at Jericho. The people have acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things because Achan of the tribe of Judah has taken some of the forbidden booty for himself. The impact of this violation of herem means that the LoRD’s anger burned against Israel (7:1). The point of view of the narrator focuses the story on the ban violation and its implications for the entire people. These responses explain why the army of the tribes was defeated, suffered casualties, and felt embarrassed when God did not fight for the people.”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 52.

“Joshua followed God’s instructions precisely (7:16-18). The reader is immediately curious as to how Joshua knew that the tribe of Judah “was taken” instead of Ephraim or Benjamin. Probably God directed the process through the casting of lots (1 Samuel 14:41-42). The practice of casting lots utilized marked objects that one threw to the ground to determine yes or no answers or to determine one of two alternatives.”

Lyles, Ron, et al. Joshua and Judges. 1st ed, Baptistway Press, 2005. p. 46.

“Chapter 7 serves to connect the fall of Jericho (6.1-27) to the capture and destruction of Ai (8.1-29). There is first an unsuccessful attempt to capture the city (verses 2-5); Israel’s failure to take the city is explained as being the consequence of Achan’s sin in disobeying the Lord’s command not to keep anything valuable found in Jericho (verse 1). The Israelite leaders complain to God about the defeat of Israel (verses 6-9), and God reveals the reason for their defeat and the method for discovering the guilty one (verses 10-15). The plan is put into effect: Achan is indicated as the guilty man (verses 16-19), he confesses his sin (verses 20-21), and is immediately executed.”

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 85.

The JOSHUA shelf in Jeff’s library

Joshua 6

Joshua 6

Joshua 6:1 Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites – no one leaving or entering.

Joshua 6:2 Yahveh said to Joshua, “Notice, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its most capable soldiers over to you.

Joshua 6:3 March around the city with all the soldiers, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.

Joshua 6:4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets.

Joshua 6:5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn, and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a strong yell. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops can advance, each man straight ahead.”

Joshua 6:6 So Joshua, son of Nun, called the priests together and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven trumpets in front of the ark of Yahveh.”

Joshua 6:7 He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of Yahveh.”

Joshua 6:8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven trumpets moved forward and blew the trumpets in front of Yahveh; the ark of Yahveh’s covenant followed them.

Joshua 6:9 While the trumpets were blowing, the soldiers went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark.

Joshua 6:10 But Joshua had commanded the troops: “Do not yell or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Yell! ‘ Then you are to yell.”

Joshua 6:11 So the ark of Yahveh was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.

Joshua 6:12 Joshua got up early the following day. The priests took the ark of Yahveh,

Joshua 6:13 and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of Yahveh. While the trumpets were blowing, the soldiers went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of Yahveh.

Joshua 6:14 On the second day, they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

Joshua 6:15 Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times.

Joshua 6:16 After the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the troops, “Yell! Because Yahveh has given you the city.

Joshua 6:17 But the city and everything in it are set apart to Yahveh for destruction. Only Rahab, the prostitute, and everyone with her in the house will stay alive because she hid the messengers we sent.

Joshua 6:18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it.

Joshua 6:19 You see, all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are sacred to Yahveh and must go into Yahveh’s treasury.”

Joshua 6:20 So the troops yelled, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the troops gave a great yell, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.

Joshua 6:21 They set apart for destruction everything in the city with the sword – every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

Joshua 6:22 Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there and everyone who is with her, just like you swore to her.”

Joshua 6:23 So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and everyone who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

Joshua 6:24 They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of Yahveh’s house.

Joshua 6:25 However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and everyone who belonged to her because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel today.

Joshua 6:26 At that time, Joshua imposed this curse: The man who undertakes the rebuilding of this city, Jericho, is cursed before Yahveh. He will lay its foundation at the cost of his firstborn; he will finish its gates at the cost of his youngest.

Joshua 6:27 And Yahveh was with Joshua, and news about him spread throughout the land.

Joshua 6 quotes:

“Many readers reject the book of Joshua because they think it describes only warfare. In reality, the narratives concentrate on God’s role in giving the land and summarize the warfare. Joshua 6:20-25 covers the fighting in summary fashion. That section points out the results of what could have been an intense battle. It describes the falling of the wall, the killing of the population, the burning of the city, and the rescue of Rahab and her family. Most of the chapter details marching instructions to Joshua and subsequently to the people and the liturgical march around the city. This format emphasizes not the violence of the warfare but rather the sounding of the trumpets and the war whoop of the ritual. The chapter makes the point that Jericho falls because of the power of God and the faithfulness of the people instead of battlefield strategy or skills.”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 47.

“In verses 1-7 the Lord gives instructions to Joshua about the capture of Jericho; it is the Lord’s doing (verse 2), and the city walls will fall without the use of human force (verses 3-5). Joshua tells the Lord’s instructions to the priests (verse 6) and to the people (verse 7), and all is ready. Jericho is in a state of siege (verse 1), which may indicate that considerable time has passed since the Israelites encamped at Gilgal.

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 69.

Joshua 6 links:

conditional victory
dedicated or destroyed
Immanuel – part 1
Jericho and Gehenna
leaving the rubble alone
Maranatha Daily Devotional – October 7, 2015
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, June 20, 2023
our missions–his victories
our scarlet cord
set apart for destruction
silent soldiers
spared
symbol of fear

The JOSHUA shelf in Jeff’s library

Joshua 5

Joshua 5

Joshua 5:1 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard that Yahveh had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted. Their breath stopped continually because of the Israelites.

Joshua 5:2 At that time, Yahveh said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.”

Joshua 5:3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.

Joshua 5:4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males – all the men of war – had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt.

Joshua 5:5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the open country along the way had been circumcised after they had come out of Egypt.

Joshua 5:6 You see, the Israelites wandered in the open country forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they disobeyed Yahveh. So Yahveh vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Joshua 5:7 He raised their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised since they had not been circumcised along the way.

Joshua 5:8 After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.

Joshua 5:9 Yahveh then said to Joshua, “Today I have peeled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal today.

Joshua 5:10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.

Joshua 5:11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

Joshua 5:12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna stopped. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Joshua 5:13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or our enemies?”

Joshua 5:14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of Yahveh’s army.” Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his slave?”

Joshua 5:15 The commander of Yahveh’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is sacred.”[1] And Joshua did that.

[1] קֹדֶשׁ = sacred. Joshua 5:15; 6:19.

Joshua 5 quotes:

“Joshua 5 names not nations in the land but rather enemy kings of the western bank who fall into two categories, Amorites and Canaanites (Phoenicians in the LXx). Amorites inhabit the highlands west of the Jordan, and Canaanites live in cities of the coastal plains. The demoralizing of the enemy provides another sign that God has given the land to Joshua and the people. Still, God’s support and victory in battle demand that the tribes prepare liturgically and religiously for battle.”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 40.

“This chapter provides an interlude before the conquest of Jericho. It narrates three events: (1) the circumcision of all male Israelites (verses 2-9); (2) the celebration of Passover (verses LOS 17) 2s and (3) the appearance of the commander of the LORD’s army.”

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 60.

Joshua 5 links:

all ears now
Gilgal
Maranatha Daily Devotional – October 6, 2015
the real mission commander
the skipped generation
where did all the spirits go?

The JOSHUA shelf in Jeff’s library

SHOWERS OF DELIVERANCE

SHOWERS OF DELIVERANCE

Isaiah 45:1-8 NET.

¹ This is what the LORD says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed: ² “I will go before you and level mountains. Bronze doors I will shatter and iron bars I will hack through. ³ I will give you hidden treasures, riches stashed away in secret places, so you may recognize that I am the LORD, the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel. ⁴ For the sake of my servant Jacob, Israel, my chosen one, I call you by name and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize me. ⁵ I am the LORD, I have no peer, there is no God but me. I arm you for battle, even though you do not recognize me. ⁶ I do this so people will recognize from east to west that there is no God but me; I am the LORD, I have no peer. ⁷ I am the one who forms light and creates darkness; the one who brings about peace and creates calamity. I am the LORD, who accomplishes all these things. ⁸ O sky, rain down from above! Let the clouds send down showers of deliverance! Let the earth absorb it so salvation may grow, and deliverance may sprout up along with it. I, the LORD, create it.

Imagine you decided to take a trip to Washington, DC. Suppose you went to visit the Library of Congress. Now, suppose you are walking through the stacks of this library, and you discover a book of letters written by George Washington, the first president of the United States. As you are leafing through that book, you come across a letter addressed to you, with your name and address on it. You begin to read. As you read, you discover that the person who wrote this letter knows everything about you. He knows where you are from. He knows what you have done. He even knows what you’re going to do. What would you do if you discovered a letter like that? What kind of choices would you make in your life after finding out that your legacy was already written beforehand?

Today’s passage is a letter like that. George Washington did not write it. It was written by the prophet Isaiah. That letter, written by Isaiah, was addressed to a king who lived 200 years later. It was addressed to King Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire. Isaiah never met King Cyrus. He lived 2 centuries before King Cyrus was born. Yet the prophet Isaiah predicted the existence of King Cyrus of Medo-Persia. He predicted what God was going to do for Cyrus and what Cyrus was going to do for the nation of Israel. Isaiah the prophet knew all these things because he was in contact with the living God. God knows everything about everyone everywhere and everywhen. Nothing is impossible with God. The text we read this morning is an example of God’s omnipotence and omniscience. God is all-powerful and all-knowing.

Today, I want us to take a look at this miraculous passage because it shows something God wants us all to know. As we analyze the words of today’s text, we are looking into a miracle of God that was given to us for a very specific purpose. That miracle was experienced by King Cyrus. It was predicted by the prophet Isaiah. And it is extremely relevant to you and me in this place and at this time.

What God did for Cyrus (1-3).

Isaiah sits down to write this letter from God to a future king. He writes that this is what the Lord says to his chosen one, Cyrus. We don’t know how Isaiah learned the name of this future king. We don’t know whether God audibly gave him the name in a dream. But somehow Isaiah learned that there would be a deliverer of Israel, and that this deliverer would not be an Israelite. Isaiah gave the actual name of this deliverer 200 years before the deliverer was born. He said his name would be Cyrus. I can imagine Cyrus leafing through the books of Israelite or Jewish scripture as he’s wandering around his massive library, and he comes across the prophecy of Isaiah. And he sees his name in one of the chapters of Isaiah. Cyrus was a great king. He had conquered many nations. He probably felt that he was more important than any other person he had ever known. But when Cyrus reads this letter to himself, he discovers that his importance is because of the importance of another person. The letter tells Cyrus that he gets to be important and powerful because the God of Israel has chosen him.

And this is not all that God did for Cyrus. The letter says that the God of Israel has taken him by the right hand to subdue nations before him. When Cyrus disarmed kings, it was because of the power and might of almighty God. Now we know from history that Cyrus was a very lucky man. When he sent his soldiers into Babylon to attack that great superpower, the Babylonians had made several mistakes. They had redirected one of their great rivers so that the water no longer covered the area surrounding the city of Babylon. That enabled Cyrus’s soldiers to go where they couldn’t have gone if the water had not been redirected. History also tells us that, for some reason, a major bronze wall of the city of Babylon had been left open during this time.

Now Cyrus is back in his library, and he reads this from Isaiah’s prophecy. “I will go before you and level mountains. I will shatter bronze doors and hack through iron bars. I will give you hidden treasures and riches stashed away in secret places so you may recognize that I am the Lord, the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.”

Now we understand why Cyrus decided to send his armies into Babylon. He had been given specific instructions from God Almighty through the prophet Isaiah. He followed those instructions and was able to conquer the city of Babylon and take over all its treasures.

The Book of Daniel also describes that very night when Cyrus’s armies took over Babylon. That was the night of the handwriting on the wall. That was the night when the king of Babylon was defeated and the city was conquered. That was the night when the superpower of Babylon was thoroughly conquered by the empire of the Medes and Persians. God not only accomplished this but also predicted it 200 years earlier.

Why God did this for Cyrus (4).

Isaiah explains why God did this for Cyrus and how he did it. It had nothing to do with God’s approval of Cyrus or his beliefs or his actions. Verse 4 tells us that God did this for the sake of his servant Jacob and for Israel, his chosen one. God called Cyrus by name and gave him a title of respect, even though Cyrus did not recognize him. What happened when Babylon was conquered was not the result of the power of the Medo-Persian Empire. It was the result of the power, love, and sovereignty of almighty God. And just so you and I can know that, and to know that God is sovereign, God predicted what he would do 2 centuries before it happened.

Why God did this for Israel (5-8).

Isaiah also describes the Lord’s motives for doing this and for doing it in the way he did. He brought about deliverance for Israel through a pagan king because of who God is, not who the pagan king is. Isaiah explains this in verses 4 to 8. Speaking as God’s prophet, Isaiah says, “I am the Lord. I have no peer. There’s no God but me. I arm you, Cyrus, for battle, even though you, Cyrus, do not recognize me.” God says that he did this so people would recognize from east to west that there is no God but him, that he is the Lord, that he has no peer. He goes on to say, “I am the one who forms light and creates darkness, the one who brings about peace and creates calamity. I am the Lord who accomplishes all these things.” The God who created the universe had a plan to rescue Israel from Babylonian captivity. He executed that plan through a non-Israelite king. He gave that king a personal letter through the prophet 200 years before he was born. And God wanted Cyrus to know that he was going to do this for Israel.

Now, verse 8 is very interesting. We are not told whether this is the word of God spoken by the prophet or the word of the prophet himself. It is a poetic way of asking God to do what he intends to do. Isaiah says, “Oh, sky, rain down from above. Let the clouds send down showers of deliverance. Let the earth absorb it so that salvation may grow and deliverance may sprout up along with it.”

The final words are clearly from God when Isaiah says, “I, the Lord, create it.” The God of Israel is the one who will send the showers of deliverance.

Now, sometimes showers of rain can be a nuisance. They can prevent us from doing the things we want to do. But if we have planted seeds in the soil and are looking forward to them germinating and growing into a crop, we welcome the showers. The nation of Israel was looking forward to its rescue from Babylonian captivity. They were looking for God to send showers of deliverance upon them. And Isaiah promised in his prophecy that God would do it. It would take a while before that prediction was fulfilled. The nation of Israel would have to wait and put their hope and trust in their living God to bring about their own deliverance. But the deliverance was certain because God had promised it, and his promises are certain and sure.

Now God has promised us deliverance as well. We weren’t part of the Babylonian captivity. But we have been held captive by sin all our lives because of our ancestors’ rebellion. Then Jesus came along. Like Cyrus, Jesus was an anointed deliverer. Unlike Cyrus, Jesus was God’s own son. He was sent not to rescue the nation of Israel from Babylonian captivity but to rescue the planet from captivity to sin. He is our deliverer.

Isaiah’s words are our comfort for the whole planet when he says, “Oh, sky, rain down from above. Let the cloud send down showers of deliverance. Let the earth absorb it so that salvation may grow and deliverance may sprout up along with it.” The showers of deliverance we experience and will experience are the result of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. They mean that when the gospel goes out, it will be triumphant. People from all nations, religions, and cultures will learn about the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and become part of the bride of Christ. The rains will keep pouring. There will be no end to the flood. God is going to cover this earth once again, as he did in the floods of judgment in Noah’s time. But in these latter days, he’s going to flood the earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring about deliverance for all nations. Lord, let it be so. Amen.

Day: December 31, 2025

Romans 9

Romans 9

Romans 9 links:

Joshua 7

Joshua 7

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Joshua 6

Joshua 6

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Joshua 5

Joshua 5

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SHOWERS OF DELIVERANCE