My Counsel Shall Stand

Not only did YHWH call out Cyrus by name as the one who would rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, when it had not even been destroyed yet, He also foretold of the destruction of Babylon. Babylon would come, they would decimate Judah, and destroy the city of Jerusalem. The beautiful Temple which Solomon built would be gone, torn down and destroyed due to the sins of Israel and Judah. The land would enjoy the Jubilee sabbath rests which Judah had not observed. Even through that, Babylon itself would exile the children of Judah and Israel, but they too would fall. They would fall to Cyrus.

The LORD spoke against the gods of Babylon. Bel, chief deity of Babylon, also known as Enlil and later as Marduk, would bow down. Nebo, son of Marduk, would stoop. These false gods worshiped by the kings of Babylon, and even added as parts of their names, would be carted away on beasts of burden. They would not be able to deliver Babylon from the hand of Persia, and they would not be able to deliver Israel from what God was going to accomplish by bringing the calamity down on Judah.

Who should Israel call out to for help? They should seek YHWH, the One True God, who made heaven and earth, and chose them as His people. He brought them out of Egypt and made them into a nation. They belonged to Him, so they should seek Him. “Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you,” God told them.

And to illustrate His point, He again pointed out how these idols are made by the hands of craftsmen. The folly of fashioning idols out of gold, a material from the dirt, and then bowing down to that, is astounding. “They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; They set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress.” Mankind worships manmade idols all the time, but none of those idols can truly deliver. They do not even hear us when we pray to them for help But the One True God does.

God tells us how we can know the truth about who He is. He called Israel to remember and to recall to mind these things. They were to remember the former things long past, because they show that there is only One True God. “I am God, and there is no other. I am God and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not yet been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” God has already told us what will happen and how it will happen, just as He told Judah. Then it came to pass just as He stated.

What would God do? He would bring a nation from the east, the man of His purpose from a far country. He spoke His plans and would bring them to pass. He would surely do it. Israel and Judah was stubborn and far from righteousness, but God would keep His word. God would move nations to prove to Israel and the world that He alone is God. Through Babylon, and then Persia., and then other nations. God would bring Salvation to Israel. He would deliver them and bring them back to the land He gave them.

Have any of the words of God fallen short? Have they not all been fulfilled? Is there anything that God stated would happen that has not happened exactly as He said it would? As we witness in our own day the Word of God being fulfilled, know that He always keeps His covenant with Israel and He alone can save them. And He alone will save the remnant of Israel and they will know their God, for Jesus Himself will deliver the remnant into the Millennial Reign of Jesus. God moved heaven and earth, and has raised up nations and brought them low, all so He can show His stubborn rebellious people that He is the Only True God.