Isa 44:24-45:8 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 44:24-45:8: 44:24–45:8 The Lord alone is sovereign over history. He raised up Cyrus of Persia to execute judgment on Babylon and restore Israel to the Holy Land.

Summary for Isa 44:24-45:8: 44:24–45:8 ^a The Lord alone is sovereign over history. He raised up Cyrus of Persia to execute judgment on Babylon and restore Israel to the Holy Land.
44:25 ^b False prophets and fortune-tellers used forbidden forms of divination to try to predict the future. Eventually God would expose them as deluded liars (see 3:2 ^c; 9:15 ^d; 47:13 ^e; Deut 18:10-11 ^f).
44:27 ^g The sudden depletion of natural resources at times indicates a divine judgment (see 42:15 ^h; cp. 43:20 ⁱ). Here, however, God’s ability to dry up streams with just a word illustrates his power to do what he said he would do through Cyrus of Persia.
44:28 ^j He is my shepherd: Cyrus went beyond simply permitting the Jews to return to their homeland. He facilitated a major restoration project to rebuild Jerusalem and restore the Temple (see 45:13 ^k; Ezra 1:2-4 ^l; 6:3-5 ^m).

‏ Isaiah 45:1-8

45:1 ⁿ anointed one: This designation, commonly reserved for David or the Messiah, is here applied to Cyrus. Cyrus was anointed in the sense that he was selected to fulfill a special mission. This title was never used of any other foreign ruler (cp. 1 Sam 10:1 ^o; Rom 13:1 ^p).

• whose right hand he will empower: The Lord would give Cyrus victory over Babylon (see Isa 43:14 ^q).
45:3 ^r so you may know: Cyrus’s victories provided factual proof that the Lord has the power to fulfill his plans, whereas idols and false gods do not (see 41:21-29 ^s).
Summary for Isa 45:4-5: 45:4-5 ^t I call you by name: Cyrus did not know the Lord, but the Lord knew him. Isaiah predicted the rescuer Cyrus by name 150 years in advance. This prophecy would prove to the exiles that the Lord is indeed God and that he knows the future.
45:7 ^u light ... darkness ... good times and bad times: Everything is under God’s control.