By Name! Again! ~ Bob Coy

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself . . . Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," and to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." -Isaiah 44:24, 28 (NKJV)

Yesterday we witnessed the amazing accuracy of biblical prophecy as God revealed the exact name of a king who would fulfill a prophecy 300 years before his birth. But the Bible doesn't just do this once; it does it again when we get to the book of Isaiah. Remember that the nation of Israel had split in two, the northern half (Israel) had been captured and overcome, and the southern half (Judah) was still standing on its own. At this point, God declared through Isaiah that a man named Cyrus would act on His behalf by allowing the people of Judah to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. It must have been hard for Isaiah's audience to understand this because Judah's capital city of Jerusalem was still intact and well fortified, as was the temple within its walls. This was like getting a history lesson in advance. And then there's the prediction that someone named Cyrus would allow all this to be rebuilt.

Several decades later, the kingdom of Babylon came against Judah, destroyed Jerusalem along with the temple, and took the Jewish people who survived into captivity. They remained in Babylon for 70 years, until the Medo-Persian Empire conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C. and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Guess what the name was of the Medo-Persian king was? Cyrus!

Give history enough time and it will catch up to prophecy. In Cyrus's case, prophecy proclaimed what he would do for the Jewish people decades before he was born. History (both biblical and non-biblical) confirms this happened exactly as predicted. What an amazing prophecy! What an amazing proof! What an amazing God!

Discuss with your group the way God provides the right person for that which He wants to accomplish. Share an example of how God has raised up someone to be His instrument in a time of change.

Dig into Isaiah 44:24–45:7. Why would it have been hard for those in Isaiah’s day to understand that Jerusalem and the temple would be rebuilt? What does God say about Cyrus in these Scriptures? What is the purpose God declares in verses 5–7?

Decide as a group to step out in faith and serve. Find an outreach through your church or city that feeds the hungry in your community. Volunteer as a group to serve, then share with one another what you learned from the experience.