Getting God's Message Getting God's Message Program Transcripts
Pastor Lud Golz
Pastor Lud Golz

About the Program | Meet Pastor Golz | Contact Information | Fellowship Bible Church | Christian Resources | Donations

  Home | Transcript Archive | November | November 04, 2019

Monday, November 04, 2019

When God sets out to fulfill His promises it’s exciting to watch.  The OT book of Ezra presents a great example of this.  1st Chronicles ends and the book of Ezra begins with a promise given and a promise fulfilled: “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing.”  King Cyrus’s proclamation was to free exiles to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. 

The background for this is found in the book of Jeremiah.  He predicted in Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10-14 when this would happen.  In addition, Isaiah predicted a few hundred years earlier in Isaiah 44:28 who God chose to do this.  It’s clear in Isaiah 45 Cyrus was not seeking God.  God was in control, orchestrating it all, moving in the heart of Cyrus to do His bidding. 

Ezra 1 says, in response to Cyrus’s proclamation “everyone whose heart God had moved – prepared to go and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem” (v. 5). This Impact Thought crystallized in my mind as I reflected on this chapter: When God sets out to fulfill His promise He is always on time and uses anyone He chooses to do His bidding – king, prophet, priest or commoner, believer or unbeliever. 

No wonder Paul affirmed, “He will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 T 2:13)

 

 

Getting God's Message with Lud Golz, P.O. Box 167, Novelty, Ohio 44072

design by Klein Studios, Inc.