CYRUS AND THE SALVATION The previous chapters (40 to 44) are considered an invitation to the Church to find comfort in God her Savior; for in Him alone she will find her satisfaction. Now, through chapters 45 to 47 God is proclaiming the Source of her comfort, which is the destruction of evil opposing her. He called Cyrus ‘His shepherd’ (Is. 44: 28), almost two centuries before his attack on Babylon, in his capacity as an instrument of God to destroy those who humiliated His people, and to help them getting back to their land. 1. A divine talk to Cyrus 1-8. 2. A protest against choosing Cyrus 8-13. 3. God, the hidden Savior 14-19. 4. A call for salvation in Christ 20-25. 1. A DIVINE TALK TO CYRUS From Babylonian writings, it is stated that Cyrus was a son of Quambiz and a grandson of another Cyrus; all of them reigned east of Elam, the capital of their kingdom was Shushan, since around the year 550 B.C.1 Cyrus, considered as the founder of the Persian kingdom, started his military career as a leader of a not too important squadron in Persia, then managed to become the leader of two mountain squadrons. Being very ambitious he used his troops to invade small neighboring kingdoms. He was ridiculed by Babylon, that he overcome in the year 539 B.C. in the reign of Belshazzar its king, through which the prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 5: 28) was realized. Daniel has also been in the royal court of Cyrus (Daniel 6: 28). Herodotus and Zynophon (a Greek youth) commended the person of Cyrus, the latter spoke of him 100 years after his death as a role model of strength combined with simplicity, purity and self-control. Now, God is addressing Cyrus two centuries prior to his appearance on the stage of events, proclaiming His divine view of him, and God’s aim and plans through him. In that talk it is noticed: a. The word “I” appears 16 times in God’s talk to Cyrus (Is. 45: 1 to 7), and 31 times in the chapter as a whole. It is as though God wants to confirm that setting Cyrus has been according to a divine plan, and that his conquest and devastation of Babylon, as though of a ceramic pot, is something from God Himself. b. God calls Cyrus “His anointed” (Is. 45: 1), although He does not know God (Is, 45: 4, 5). That was probably because he worshipped an anonymous One God, although he respected religions as a whole; or probably because he was the means for realizing God’s plan for saving His people from Babylonian captivity; and for he was a symbol of the Lord Christ, Savior of the world. c. As far as God’s work through him, He says, “Whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and loose the armor of kings.” (Is. 45: 1) God, as a Father, 1 .796- قاموس الكتاب المقدس، ص 795 8 takes hold of Cyrus’ right hand, as though of a child, directing and supporting him to destroy evil. He granted him conquest over nations to subdue them. As it was the custom for a conqueror to place his foot on the neck of the defeated leader, and to strip the kings of their very precious armor, a sign of stripping them of their strength and greatness. That was literally realized when king Belshazzar saw a human handwriting over the wall of his palace, “His countenance changed, his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other” (Daniel 5: 6). Cyrus was a symbol of the Lord Christ, to whom it is said: “The Lord is at your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.” (Psalm 110: 5) Now it is said of Cyrus, that God takes hold of his right hand, while it is said of the Son, the Word, “The Lord is at your right hand.” It is to be noticed that, in the same Psalm, God the Father says to the Son, “Sit at My right hand” (Psalm 110: 1); as though the Son is at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110: 1), and at the same time, the Father is at the right hand of the Son (Psalm 110: 5). The word “right hand” here does not indicate a location or a direction, but is a symbol of divine authority, and of unity, as they are one in Deity and in power. As Cyrus destroyed kings, the Lord Christ destroyed those kings, who denied and opposed the Truth, as is said: “He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.” (Psalm 110: 5) St. Augustine comments on this, saying, [those kings were wounded by His glory, and became weak by the impact of His name, deprived of any strength to realize what they intended to do... They aimed to abolish the Christian name from the face of the world, but they failed... Kings fell on that rock, to be wounded and broken, as they said: “Who is Christ?” 1] He probably meant by kings, “Christ’s own who did not receive Him” (John 1: 11). They should have united with Him as the King of kings, to become kings and witnesses to Him; something that amazed the prophets, to make Isaiah say, “Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God and Savior of Israel,” and likewise amazed the apostle Paul (Romans 10: 20; 11: 7; 9: 30)2. d. “To open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.” (Is. 45: 1) God precedes Cyrus, His anointed, to open closed doors before him, and to destroy castles fortified by men. Even nature will move to support him, “I will go before you and will level the mountains, and make the crooked places straight. I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron.” (Is. 45: 2) When we unite with our victorious Christ, we walk along the royal way, and rise toward the heavenlies without hindrance, as it is God who precedes us to open the doors. Cyrus knocked down the walls of Babylon with all its 100 huge bronze gates, according to Herodotus. e. God granted Cyrus the hidden treasures of Babylon, as it was the custom of kings to hide their treasures in secret places to protect them from enemies. “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am the Lord, who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” (Is. 45: 3) As 1 On Ps. 110. 2 St. Chrysostom: In John hom 9:1. 9 far as God is “the former of light” (Is. 45: 7) He reveals to His children the hidden things, and grants them the treasures of His incomprehensible grace. f. God reveals to Cyrus what He expects from him. “For Jacob my servant, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by name... though you have not known Me.” (Is. 45: 4) What He is offering him is for the sake of His believers and people. Thus it is fitting for us, as the anointed of the Lord, who got attached to our Lord Jesus Christ, to recognize our mission, that is the edification and growth of the congregation in the Lord. g. As the Persian religions have been known for believing in two gods: one of good and one of evil, God wanted to take away that thought from Cyrus, saying to him, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity. I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Is. 45: 6, 7) The word “calamity (ra),” does not mean ‘evil,’ but the fruit of evil or its consequences of sorrow and affliction. St. John Chrysostom says, [There is evil, that is truly evil, like adulatory, greed, and several others hidden and countless, that deserve severe rebuke and punishment. And there is evil, that is nor real evil, but so called because of its consequences, like famine, death, illness, etc. These so called evil, if they are real evil, they could not turn into sources of good to us, as chastising our pride and negligence, and leading us to more alertness1.] With the same sense, Abbot Theodore, in the Conferences of St. John Cassian, says, [The Holy Bible uses the two terms “evil” and “sorrows,” calling them evil, in the sense that they are thought to be evil, by those to whom they did not bring good2.] 2. A PROTEST AGAINST CHOOSING CYRUS It seems that a murmur has been created among the Jews as well as among the Gentiles. The Jews protested against God, because He realized salvation through a pagan person; as choosing him breaks their national pride. As for the Gentiles, on the other hand, they got bitter, that one of their own should carry out that role, to bring salvation to the Jews from captivity, and to help restoring the worship rites in Jerusalem. Before that situation, Isaiah lifted up his heart to God, to present a liturgical prayer, by which he proclaims that what occurs through Cyrus is a symbol of what is to occur through the Lord Christ. As though he is asking the Jews as well as the Gentiles to forsake their murmur, and to practice the free salvation offered to all. That was what made Isaiah turn in his talk, from Cyrus to Christ our righteousness and salvation, saying, “Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation. And let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord have created it.” (Is. 45: 8) As though he is quoting the Psalm saying, “Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven...” (Psalm 85: 9 - 13) “Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God shall bless us.” (Psalm 67: 6) “The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness” (Psalm 72: 3) The prophet is confirming that salvation is realized, not because of Cyrus, but 1 That Demons do not govern the World, hom 1:15. 2 Conf. 6:6. 10 through the salvation and righteousness of the Lord Christ. In Him our peace is realized through the meeting together of mercy and truth, or of mercy and divine justice; as, on the Cross, the price was completely paid, through His infinite righteousness. St. Augustine1 believes that in Christ, Jews met with the Gentiles, through the meeting together of truth and mercy. The Jews knew the truth through the Law and prophecies; and the Gentiles received mercy, having forsaken their pagan worship. Those have met these as one people, righteous and sanctified for the Lord. In the Lord Christ, heaven has met with the earth, as the heavenly Son of God, became a Son of man, born as a human on our earth. That is why the prophet says, “Rain down you heavens above, and let the skies pour down righteousness” (Is. 45: 8); as though he is saying “He bowed the heaven and came down.” (Psalm 18: 9) The Holy righteous One came down to realize our salvation. As to saying, “Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together” (Is. 45: 8), he means, “Truth shall spring out of the earth.” (Psalm 85) St. Augustine says, [Christ was born by a woman; the Son of God became flesh. What is Truth? It is God! What is earth? It is the flesh... But Truth that sprang out of the earth has been there before the earth. He created the heaven and earth. But for righteousness to look down from heaven, that is to say, for humans to be justified through divine grace, Truth has been born by the Virgin Mary, to be able to offer a sacrifice to justify them, the sacrifice of suffering, the sacrifice of the cross2.] Having taken our sight away from Cyrus, and turned it to Christ the Savior, through His unique sacrifice, that is capable of justification, the prophet blamed both the Jews and the Gentiles for their protest against the Lord, presenting two woes: a. The first woe: The ‘potsherd’ quarrels with the ‘potter,’ and the clay with its maker; the potsherd has no right to request a certain form from its maker, as saying to him, for example: “Your work has no hands...” (Is. 45: 9), that is you have done the clay with no hands. b. The second woe: The protest of a child against his father or his mother, saying, “What have you begotten?” I wish you had begotten me an angel, and not a man who carries human weakness, and suffers beneath the heavy burdens and troubles of earthly life. As potsherd and children, we should thank our maker, and not protest against Him. 3. GOD THE HIDDEN SAVIOR The Jews as well as the Gentiles preoccupied themselves with the episode of Cyrus in its literality, although it was fitting for all of them to penetrate the letter to meet with God, hidden and working beyond history for the salvation of all. In a fatherly rebuke God says, “Ask Me of the things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands, you command Me” (Is. 45: 11) I wish you would only preoccupy yourselves with the eternal future, namely to seek the kingdom and righteousness of God, then all other things would be added to you. Pray for the sake of His children, for His believers and the works of His hands. We should realize how much we mean to Him. In other words, you should preoccupy yourselves with your eternal kingdom, your testimony to others, and your longing for the 1 On Ps.85. 2 Ibid. 11 salvation of every man; all of which are far more important than protesting against giving Cyrus that role in the salvation from Babylonian captivity. Once more, He confirms to them that they should not be preoccupied with Cyrus, but with Him, “God who hides Himself, God and Savior of Israel” (Is. 45: 15), who works in secrecy. The features of this divine salvation are: a. A free salvation: “I have raised him (Cyrus) in My righteousness; and I will direct all his ways. He shall build My city, and let My exiles go free; not for price nor reward, says the Lord of hosts.” (Is. 45: 13) Cyrus has realized God’s plan for His people, without expecting any reward. The people did not repay him for paving the ways for them, for rebuilding their city, nor for setting them free of captivity. That was a symbol of the free salvation of the Lord Christ, according to the words of the apostle Paul, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” (Romans. 3: 24, 25) b. A collective salvation: To bring the Egyptians, the Cushites, and the Sebaeans, to faith, to let them enter the new Israel, with the spirit of humiliation and worship (Is. 45: 14). Our Lord Christ stretched His two hands on the cross, to embrace by one hand the ancient people, and by the other those of the Gentiles; He embraced the entire world, to raise humanity to the adoption to the Father by His Holy Spirit. c. An everlasting salvation: “But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed or disgraced, forever and ever.” (Is. 45: 17) d. An openly declared salvation: “I have not spoken in secret; in a dark place of the earth.” (Is. 45: 19) The Lord of glory was crucified openly on the Mount of Golgotha. 4. A CALL FOR SALVATION IN CHRIST The Lord Christ calls the Gentiles to enjoy Him as a Savior, capable of justifying them: “Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a god that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me. There is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be save, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself. The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength, to Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the Lord all descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.’” (Is. 45: 20-25) In this call, the following are to be noticed: a. A collective invitation, requesting from nations to gather together as one holy Church, approaching with the Spirit of a congregation to receive His redeeming work. 12 b. God is the Savior, and nobody else, and as said by the apostle Paul: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of more salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2: 10) And as said by St. Athanasius the Apostolic: [By these words he means, that it was not for anybody else to let humans forsake evil, but for the Word of God, who made them from the beginning... Because, by the sacrifice of His body, He put an end to the verdict against us, as it has been through a man that death came upon all humans, so also by the Word of God, who became Man death was abolished and the resurrection of life was initiated1.] c. A call filled with hope that realizes its goal, that to Him every knee will bow. d. A call based on faith, “Look to Me” (Is. 45: 22); as did the ancient people, when they looked to the brass serpent and got cured. e. Enjoyment of the righteousness and strength of the Savior. f. The Savior is the Source of the glory of His believers, and the shame of those who oppose Him.
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