In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia,
in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah,
the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia
to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom...
If it is hard to imagine the Persian Emperor Cyrus issuing a decree admitting that the Jewish God of the Universe had given him rule over "all the kingdoms of the earth," it is equally hard to imagine what actually happened. He did permit a very large number of Jews to return to their destroyed Holy City.
He surely had his own reasons for doing so; there was something to be gained by it. But what matters to us is that the Jews did return; the emperor permitted it; and God had a hand in it. Because, as the song says, God is still in charge.
The secular city knows nothing of God's sovereign authority. If they recognize anything, it's that some people believe in a god who is supposed to save them, and they -- the believers -- enjoy the thought of being saved. But, the secular city would insist, that's only an opinion of some people, and there's enough of them that they have buying power in the market, and are a presence in the arts, politics, and society. However, we have more important concerns than salvation, and these so-called believers, for the most part, agree with us. Their belief in a saving god is an option, and no one has to believe it.
Unfortunately many Christians accept those secular principles. They agree that belief is a private matter, and that Christians should practice their faith in whatever way they feel is right. But no religious expression -- neither the Mass nor a tent revival nor a snake handler's testimony -- is especially favored.
The Hebrew prophets, with Jesus among them, would not accept that laissez-faire image of God. The LORD they describe is demanding and jealous; he suffers no rivals. His people are called to holiness and have the Spirit to make it happen. As they give to the poor, widowed, orphaned, and aliens, they trust their Providing God will more than compensate their losses. He has proven his strength and benevolence through many Mighty Works. Anyone with a memory of slavery in Egypt or Babylonian exile or the passion and death of Jesus has no excuse for halfhearted generosity
Should they forget his saving works, as many do, his prophets will remind them. If they ignore the prophets, they will suffer the fate of any nation or people that has never known God. They will disappear. But the Scriptures show that the Lord, despite his threats cannot and will never abandon his chosen people, and a remnant will survive.
When they do remember and live by God's law they are blessed with security, prosperity, and communion with their LORD.
Isaiah saw God's promises fulfilled in the ascendance of Cyrus as a tyrant of the Persian empire. Cyrus had new ideas about governance. Rather than taxing his subjects for all they were worth, and draining conquered nations of all their resources, his empire would be a collective of cities engaging in commerce with one another. Taxes would maintain security against foreign aggressors and internal brigands. The roads would be safe; and travelers -- merchants, pilgrims, and tourists -- could move freely and rapidly from place to place. Perhaps he thought a happy empire with reasonable taxes might survive longer than the oppressive regimes of the past.
When a Jewish delegation from Babylon volunteered to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, restoring its former prosperity and connectivity to other cities, Cyrus saw an opportunity and promoted the project. He almost certainly saw Jerusalem as another buffer against his rival Egypt. Nor would he demand that the Jews worship him or his deities. So long as they paid the tribute and kept the peace he could tolerate their peculiar religion with its strange monotheism. Later empires would not be as generous.
The prophet Isaiah, the Jewish governor Nehemiah, and the priest Ezra saw God's purposes fulfilled in Cyrus's benevolent rule. The Chosen People had evidently suffered long enough for their sins against the covenant. The Lord was now restoring his holy city and his beloved people, the very people he had justly punished. If rebuilding took time and the results were disappointing, they could be patient. If they could not have the autonomy they'd once enjoyed, they could nonetheless worship their God with all the freedom of a liberated people. So long as God is in heaven, they could live with tyrants in this world.
They saw the Lord of History guiding human affairs, as he had guided the people out of Egypt, and as he had managed earthquakes, tides, winds, weather, sunrise, and sunset. For Christians the Pax Romana was no accident; it was a grand opportunity to announce the gospel to all the nations!
Salvation is offered to all people through a historical process as was promised to the Patriarch Abraham:
I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will find blessing in you.
And the prediction of Mary: "All nations to come shall call me blessed."
Today, as billions flee their homelands, we see more and greater opportunities for announcing the Gospel, for God is still in charge.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.