The Lord stirred his heart

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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. – Ezra 1.1-3

God is going to accomplish His purpose. We can get the idea sometimes that if we don’t sort things out, especially in politics, that somehow God’s plans are going to be thwarted.

Decades had passed since those sad words had been written ‘till there was no remedy.’ Cyrus was now king of Babylon. He was not a Jew. Up until this point there us no indication that he had any interest in the Lord.

But this is not the first mention of Cyrus. A full 150 years before the Prophet Isaiah has prophesied that God would use Cyrus to deliver His people. That’s right, 150 years before Cyrus was born Isaiah called his name and said that God would use him to restore the nation.

So the book of Ezra opens with the exact same words as 2 Chronicles closes with. God, to fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy, stirred up the heart of King Cyrus. He stirred up Cyrus’ heart to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and to release any Jews who wanted to go to return.

God’s work was done and Cyrus, who at least acknowledged that the Lord was God, gave glory to Him.

God did what He said He would do. He said He would use Cyrus and He did. ‘The heart of the king  is in the hands of the Lord.’ God can do what He wants no matter who the rulers are. That is a blessed though in these troubling days.