Parable is the language of Heaven among men. It takes a peculiar kind of silly literalism to miss what Isaiah says of how God operates. Cyrus, not yet born when this was written, foreshadows the Messiah. What God plans for Cyrus to do is symbolic of how the Messiah will operate spiritually when He comes.
Cyrus was anointed by God to subdue the nations, that is, the Babylonian Empire, plus a little extra. Because he was chosen by God, no armor could save his foes; no depth of hiding would keep plunder from his reach; no fortification would keep him out. God will do this and nothing man could dream up would frustrate God's plans. To ensure everyone has no excuse for doubting this, God makes much of predicting him by name. God's greatest blessing is revealing Himself to His Creation.
Just as God orders rain from the sky, He can also order Gentile rulers to bring about His brand of justice. A confused understanding via pagan religion is no barrier to God using anyone, and He can choose to speak any way He wishes. To some degree, the Persians did manage to obey the Covenant of Noah, far better than any previous empire in that part of the world. But it's foolish for any living being to suggest he might have grounds for evaluating what God does, to dispute God's choice through whom He will work. As surely as God rules the heart of every man, by the same hands which laid out the pattern of the universe, he will direct Cyrus to restore the City of Jerusalem and the Temple. Further, it will require no bribery -- and it did not, since Cyrus was deeply concerned with having the good favor of Jehovah.
If it were necessary, God would reverse everything done to Israel in the past. The slavers of Egypt would send slave labor to Judah, as well as her allies. Such men would willingly come as their just recognition of Jehovah as God alone. What many would miss is how God pokes at Judah for her increasingly unfaithful response to God's even clearer revelation to the Nation of Israel. If the Sabeans could know there is only one God, and desire to serve in rebuilding His Temple, why do the current Israelis, with their far more complete revelation, fail to be faithful? So it is Isaiah then adds his own voice, proclaiming there is no other God, and all too soon Judah will be deeply ashamed for her idolatry. If Israel is to be saved, it will be by the miracle of God's divine grace, but only to those who are loyal to Him.
Isaiah reminds all Israel, she was made a nation by God's power, not her own greatness. The Land was a gift to her, for she hardly could claim to have fully driven out the awful Canaanites. She did not work for it, much less make it. God did not hide His revelation; Israel hid it from her sight. This was not some big joke on the nation when God commanded she seek His face. He has not failed; Israel has failed. Should the pagan nations come before God to argue against Him, it would be an easy case to win in court. By implication, why would Judah so foolishly then adopt those same non-existent deities?
So it is, while He would keep the door open for a time, in the end the Nation of Israel would cease to exist. Instead, the Gentiles from the whole world would come eagerly to be His people. Whether sooner or later, all humanity must acknowledge Him as Lord. Would it not make more sense to embrace the Lord faithfully now? Indeed, many Gentiles would do just that. At that time, Israel would cease to be anything special, and could find God's favor only by joining those other nations.
It should be obvious the intent was to provoke Judah to jealousy, out of a justified fear their special standing with Jehovah would come to an end. This threat comes in the context of noting Cyrus would be like the Messiah in some ways, hinting the true Messiah would take His message to all the world, since Israel would reject it.
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By Ed Hurst
13 May 2009
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