The Power of the Word to Create the World

King Cyrus proclaims the future by the power of the Spirit.

The Gospel Proclaimed by King Cyrus
The Lord stirs King Cyrus to proclaim His Word. According to Isaiah, the Lord is leading and guiding Cyrus (Is 45:1-3Is 45:1-3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
45 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; have...: or, strengthened ² I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: ³ And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.  

WP-Bible plugin). One power of a king is to create and destroy by his word. The king speaks and servants obey. The king speaks and sets armies in motion. King Cyrus speaks the words written by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah prophesied from the days of Josiah until the captivity of Judah. He lived in a time of political intrigue as nations were rising and falling and alliances were constantly being renegotiated. His voice serves as a clarion call to heed the voice of the Lord during crisis and do not fear the voice or armies of neighboring kingdoms.

Sadly many of the people in Judah, including the Royal house, have copied the patterns of neighboring people and no longer fully obey the Word of the Lord. They don’t necessarily abandon the Lord, they just combine YHWH worship with many other social and religious practices that are anathema to the Lord.

Jeremiah proclaims the judgment of the Lord upon His people and many of the surrounding people. He then envisions a hope of restoration when God’s people will be restored to the land and the law will be written on the heart of the people (Jer. 25, 29, 31:31-40Jer. 25, 29, 31:31-40
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. which...: Heb. upon which my name is called  

WP-Bible plugin).

Jeremiah spoke the Word by the power of God’s Spirit, and His words did not fall to the ground. After 70 years of exile, King Cyrus is stirred to proclaim these words afresh with a commission to the exiles to return home and rebuild the Temple.

King Cyrus proclaims the words. The Word creates the future. His proclamation is written down. Why? It can resound (literally re-sounded) throughout the kingdom and set in motion action that will fulfill the words.

Spoken word is breathed. Written word is re-breathed. So we see a pattern. The Spirit (breath) stirs King Cyrus to proclaim the word of Jeremiah. He speaks. Proclaims. The Spirit (breath) carries the Word to the captives and they re-proclaim the Word. They return to Jerusalem but must continue to speak and “in-spire” one another to continue walking in the proclaimed Word.

Cyrus as surrogate king
Raised up by the Lord, this pagan king bears similarities to the great Kings of Israel. He speaks words like David about building the Temple, and He sets in motion a Temple project like Solomon. In Cyrus, we see the kingdom promise given to the people of God begin spreading beyond the land of Israel to bring the kingdoms of this world in service to the kingdom of God.

Think how the times have changed from the exodus. Pharaoh refused let the people go to worship the Lord. He stood against the Lord and was broken by the hand of God.

InSpirited Disciples
Not all the Jews return to the land. In fact, many or even most do not. Daniel and Esther tell us a story ongoing responsiblity for the people of God in lands outside the “promised land.” In the New Testament, this initial expansion will grow with the gospel proclamation and the “promised land” will shift from Israel to the world. (For example, take a look at how Paul alters the promise of honor parents to include the world and not just the land.)

But in the Ezra story, we discover a group of exiles “called out” much like Abraham was “called out,” the enslaved Hebrews were “called out,” and eventually the followers of Jesus Christ will be “called out.”

These “called out” ones respond to Cyrus’s call to return to the Land. They have been stirred, inspired, and breathed upon by the Spirit of God. Much like the “called out” ones throughout Scriptures, they are returning to the land to colonize an abandoned territory for the kingdom of God.

Questions?
For me, these stories raise questions about history and God’s Spirit. This story reveals Him at work in the midst of people outside the “covenantal people.” It raises questions about power and leadership and inspiration. Worlds are created by speaking. What are we doing in proclaiming the gospel? We are re-sounding the words of the King. And in re-sounding the words, real power of in-spiration is at work.

Then I also think about the notion of being called and being “called out.” It seems the Spirit is bringing about and revealing God’s kingdom by sending some people away and keeping some people right where they are at. The church or ekklesia is literally a “called out” people. It might help me think and ask questions about the nature of my calling.

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