Today's reading is rather unusual in both meaning and content. It begins quite unexpectedly: the prophet calls Cyrus the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire, God's anointed. Cyrus, of course, played a crucial role in the historical destiny of the Jewish people: his victory over Babylonia opened...
Today's reading is rather unusual in both meaning and content. It begins quite unexpectedly: the prophet calls Cyrus the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire, God's anointed (v. 1). Cyrus, of course, played a crucial role in the historical destiny of the Jewish people: his victory over Babylonia opened the way for the exiles to return to the land of their fathers, and it was Cyrus's decree that began the repatriation of the Babylonian Jews to Judea. It is not surprising that Isaiah regards the Persian king's victory as a providential event, seeing the chief significance of the military and political changes then taking place in the Near East in the opportunity they gave the Jews to return and rebuild the city and the Temple (vv. 2–10).
At first glance, such an approach to great historical events may seem to narrow the perspective somewhat. Yet the prophet immediately broadens it to universal dimensions, for in the very next prophecy (vv. 11–25) the perspective becomes messianic. Isaiah understands perfectly well that the Jews' return to the land of their fathers is not an end in itself, and that even the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple cannot yet be regarded as the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies. They will be fulfilled when the Messiah promised by God and foretold by the prophets comes. From that perspective, every historical event, however great, truly becomes only a prelude to the one central reality for whose sake the whole of world history exists.
Cyrus undoubtedly had a very important role to play in this, initiating processes that began a new stage in the history of God's people. He himself, of course, knew nothing of this; yet he apparently understood the essential point: if a people had managed for several decades to preserve its faith—despite being deprived not only of its land but also of its altars—then that people deserved respect and therefore deserved to have both restored to it.
Understood in this way, Cyrus's decision was both reasonable and just, and became part of God's plan. The prophet therefore has every reason to call him an anointed one, a man of God. Cyrus did not belong to God's people and probably knew little about the God of Israel, yet he fulfilled His will.
45 Cyrus's work and strength foretold, Isa 45:1-4.
God hath all power, Isa 45:5-12.
Will assist Cyrus, Isa 45:13-14.
The mystery of providence, Isa 45:15.
Idols and their worshippers shall be destroyed, and God alone exalted, Isa 45:16-21.
The Gentiles come in to Christ, Isa 45:22-23.
45:4 I have - I knew, and called thee by thy name, when thou didst neither know nor think of me; nay, when thou hadst no being.