History is His Story

Read Ezra 1-4:5
 
Ezra 1:1-3 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: 2 this is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!”
 
THINK for a moment of the considerable historic events God caused to happen from 607-535 BC. God had raised up Babylon to inflict his judgment on Judah and the surrounding nations. In 607 BC King Nebuchadnezzar began the Jews’ exile to Babylon when he took many of Judah’s brightest young men to Babylon. Daniel was among the first, and he lived in political captivity for 70  years. Still, the LORD used Daniel to be God’s visionary voice to the pagan nation, to Israel, to the world and to the church of Jesus Christ today. God also spoke through Jeremiah to foretell Babylon’s complete destruction. And we’ve read Ezekiel’s magnificent prophecies, including the image of God’s Living Water flowing from Jerusalem to the world.
   While the Jews were in exile, God prepared for their return through world empires. He formed Persia and the Medes, fulfilling his visions to Daniel, to become very powerful nations to the north of Babylon. From Persia came a ruler named Cyrus. His armies conquered Babylon. Suddenly a more benevolent nation ruled the Jews. Persia’s policy was to allow people to remain in their homeland and prosper for the good of t he empire. Cyrus opened the way for the Jews to go home 70 years – the time God had set – after the first men went to Babylon.
   God’s plan for this had been proclaimed for hundreds of years through the prophets Isaiah, Amos, Nahum, Jeremiah, Micah and others. Daniel read this promise in Jeremiah’s writings. There was a plan, and God completed it, just as he had completed Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
   Note this similarity of the exodus. The Jews were given much wealth as they left Egypt. The same happened here: Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem…7 King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the LORD’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods…11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:4, 7, 11)
   Who is God? He is the Holy LORD God Almighty, who authors history to point to your salvation. He makes the plans and supplies the means for the plans to be fulfilled. He forms nations and kings to work for his kingdom good. The LORD made Jesus to be King of Kings, so you can live with the LORD forever.
   The history of the world is God’s story to bring his own unto himself.