NOTES for Isa 45:1-25
The Persian king Cyrus, having conquered Babylon, soon allows the captive Jews to return to their homeland, to Palestine. Thus ends one of the most important periods of sacred history, the Babylonian captivity. But behind historical upheavals the prophet sees the power at work in history of the true King of the universe, the Lord, the God of Israel. He Himself leads His people toward salvation, toward divine life. To achieve this final goal, He permits catastrophes and calamities, and for the same purpose He later heals, forgives, and returns the people from captivity.
Seeing the presence and action of evil forces in our world and in our history, we, following the prophet's example, must realize that the Master of history is God, that authority over time and the world belongs to Him, and that, as we pass through every trial, we are moving toward the goal He has appointed, a goal that both the prophet and we ourselves can hardly imagine or describe.