10/24/2008
Ezra 1:1 - 4 ( HCSB ) 1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia , the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The LORD put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and [to put it] in writing:
2This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah . 3Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem . 4Let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”
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I had a situation once where I worked with a fellow that didn’t like me. And to be honest, I didn’t like him either. But I decided that my obligation was to love him with the love of God, so each day, I would pray that I would love him, in spite of my human emotions. Within a few weeks, this fellow was treating me differently and even offering to help with my work. This fellow’s heart was changed by God.
After Babylon had overrun Judah and destroy the Temple of God , Israel remained in captivity for the rest of Nebuchadnezzar’s life. When Cyrus rose to power, not only did he favor the Israelites, but he made a decree that all who were survivors of Israel were free to leave Babylon and return to Israel . But even more, Babylonians were to financially aid the Israelites’ return. King Cyrus also returned the precious articles that had been taken from the royal palace and Temple of God .
What I find inspiring about this passage is how God can move in the hearts of men. Babylon was a pagan society. They worshipped Marduk the sun god. But Cyrus, for some reason, revered the God of Israel – the true God.
We should not expect God to intervene in this exact way every time we have a tough situation. Some situations are given to us to help grow our faith, but isn’t it good to know that our God can literally change the heart of a man so that he turns from your enemy to your friend?
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
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