"I The Lord
Do All These Things"
Isaiah 45:7
The ancient Persians (Iranians), over whom
Cyrus reigned, were dominated by the pagan philosophy known as Zoroastrianism,
which taught that there are two original causes of all things, two powerful forces
or principles, good and evil, light and darkness, and that these two great
forces are constantly at war. When the principle of good prevails,good things happen. When the principle of evil prevails,bad things happen. God says, "Not so!" Two
hundred years before either Cyrus or Zoroastres were born,the
Lord God declared, "I form the light and create darkness:I make peace,and
create evil: I the LORD do all these things." This is God's message to
Cyrus. He is calling for a pagan king to bow before, worship, and obey him; and
he does so by declaring to that king his glorious,absolute
sovereignty. Sovereignty demands surrender. If it is our purpose to persuade
sinners to surrender to the Lord God, we must declare his sovereignty, and
declare it in his terms. "I FORM THE LIGHT - "
All light comes from God who is Light. Apart from him there is no light. He is
the One who formed the natural light of creation in the beginning (Gen. 1:3-5)
and sustains it to this day (Gen.8:22). It is the Lord God who gives the light
of reason and moral consciousness to all men by nature (Rom.
Don Fortner