Ezra 1:1-11: a reflection

1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2“Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the free will offering for God’s house which is in Jerusalem.’” 5Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up, rose up to build the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem. 6All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered. 7Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 8even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives, 10thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second kind, and one thousand other vessels. 11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The book of Ezra opens with a remarkable act of God. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the passage says, that the word of the LORD by Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, so that he made a proclamation freeing the exiles to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. God had promised, through Jeremiah, that the exile would end after seventy years; and to keep that promise, he moved the heart of a foreign, pagan emperor to issue the decree.

Notice two things woven together here. First, God keeps his word: the return happened that the word of the LORD by Jeremiah might be fulfilled, exactly as promised, in his time. And second, the means by which he kept it: he stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, working through a pagan king who did not know him, moving the heart of the most prominent ruler of the age to accomplish God's purpose for God's people.

Both are worth holding onto. God keeps his promises, even ones that take long years to come true, fulfilling his word in his own time. And he is not limited in how he does it; he can move the hearts of kings, work through unlikely people, even those who do not know him, to accomplish his purposes. When you wait on a promise of God that seems long delayed, remember Cyrus. God fulfills his word in his time, and he has every means at his disposal to do it, including hearts you would never expect him to move. Trust the God who keeps his promises and rules the hearts of kings.

Lord, to fulfill your promise through Jeremiah, you stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, a pagan king, moving his heart to free your people and rebuild your house. Thank you that you keep your word, even promises that take long years to come true, fulfilling them in your own time. And thank you that you are not limited in how you do it, that you can move the hearts of kings and work through unlikely people, even those who do not know you, to accomplish your purposes. When I wait on a promise of yours that seems long delayed, help me trust the God who keeps his word and rules the hearts of kings. Nothing can hinder your purpose.