It’s all in the details

Xanthe Galanis

“This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb… who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’ who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’  Isaiah 44: 24a, 27-28

There’s something a little different about this particular prophecy, it mentions someone specifically by name rather than simply giving a description. Remember what we read yesterday – God knows each of our names, and we are his. More than that, he shares the future with us.

In this passage, God not only predicts the future, but he does it by naming the specific individual! He knew Cyrus' name before he was born. From the clues Isaiah gives us and from reading Ezra 1:1-3, we can deduce that this Cyrus would be the King of Persia; the king who ordered the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. Bible scholars agree that Isaiah predicted the rise of Cyrus 150 years in advance!

Notice the reference to the "watery deep" and the drying up of streams. What has this to do with Cyrus? In 539 BC, Cyrus had laid siege to the city of Babylon. The people inside were not concerned because they had stored up supplies to last 20 years. However, the Persian army diverted the Euphrates River, which ran under the city of Babylon, and when the water level dropped, his army entered the city by going under the gate in the river bed. Babylon fell to Cyrus.

We have a God who not only knows the future, he knows the details about what is to come, and he has a detailed plan for his people. This God who knows you by name, and he has a detailed plan for your life as well.

Prayer: Lord, you are the Creator who formed me in my mother’s womb, and you have plans for me - plans with hope and a future. Thank You, Father, that I can put my full confidence in that promise. Help me to live closer to you and your plans for me today. Amen