It Is All According to God’s Plan

Today’s Reading – Ezra 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Romans 9 – 12; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32

Read the “0527 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from this morning’s passage – “A Fresh Start“

“(1) Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,” (Ezra 1:1)

You may have noticed that Ezra 1:1 & 2 are almost identical to 2 Chronicles 36:22 & 23. Chronicles discusses the history of Israel prior to the captivity, and Ezra continues that history after the Babylonian captivity. We are picking up in Ezra where we left off in 2 Chronicles, but keep in mind that the entire time of the Babylonian captivity is nestled in-between 2 Chronicles and Ezra.

My thought for this morning regards the statement made in Ezra 1:1 – “that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” Jeremiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah prior to and into the beginning years of the Babylonian captivity. He was long gone, however, when Cyrus was the king of Persia and issued the decree to send the Jewish captives back to Jerusalem and to begin work on the Temple.

Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would be punished and the seventy year captivity would come to an end and the people of God would be permitted to go back to their land:

“(12) And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:12)

“(10) For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (12) Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (13) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

Isaiah the prophet who also lived prior to the Babylonian captivity and approximately 120 years prior to the time of Cyrus, actually mentions him by name:

“(1) Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;” (Isaiah 45:1)

The point is that God is in full control of the events in our world, and He sometimes lets us know what is going to happen ahead of time. There are no surprises with God. There is nothing that happens that God did not allow as part of His overall sovereign plan.