For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Is. 44-45
God made a point to say that He called Cyrus by name to restore His people. That got me wondering. So I looked up the name. Turns out that Cyrus means “sun” or “throne”. The name is also connected to the Greek word, “kyrios”, which means “lord”. Interesting. I also note that God called Cyrus, “My shepherd” and his anointed. So it was no accident that God chose this specific man, who did not know God, to bring His people back to Him. It is one more physical representation of God’s plan for our spiritual restoration in Christ Jesus, God’s anointed Son, our Lord, who sits on the throne as King of all. He opens gates that will not be shut, cuts iron bars in two, and levels the uneven places to bring us back to God.
Is. 46
These prophecies speak a lot of gods of wood and metal that the people of the day made for themselves. Though we no longer make such idols, don’t we still worship the work of our own hands? We labor and toil for wealth, scramble and fight for position, sell our souls for power and fame. We even look to the things God gives us, such as friends and family, jobs, and possessions instead of looking to the God who gives them. Thus, God’s statement to Israel of old is still relevant to us today. “To whom will you compare me or make me equal? Who will you measure me with, so that we should be like each other?” (Is. 46:5).
The truth is, and God makes it VERY clear in Isaiah, that God has no equal. “I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.” (Is. 46:10). Think about that. Before time even began, God knew how it would end. He wove His plan for our redemption on that loom of time even before we knew we needed it. Not only does God know the outcome, He planned it. And we can stand on the bedrock of certainty that what God planned, He declared and what He declared will come to pass because He planned it and He is God. How is there any room for doubt?
Ps. 135
This Psalm also speaks of the lifeless idols of men. They can’t see, speak, hear, or breathe. They are dead. And the Psalm says, “Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.” (Ps. 135:18). But our God, the only true God, lives. And by His might, because of His grace, He makes alive all those who trust in Him.