The Bible Breakdown

Isaiah 45: God Does the Unexpected

• Brandon Cannon • Episode 622

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Speaker 1:

Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. Isaiah, chapter 45, and today's title is God Does the Unexpected. God always does the unexpected. We could have actually rephrased this one into a question, and that is am I open to God doing the unexpected in our life? And there's just an amazing thing that we're going to talk about today and I can't wait to get into it. So let me go ahead and tell you if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast, make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook. There's an amazing team of people there doing devotions every single day and the more we dig, the more we find, if you have your Bibles. I want to open up with me to Isaiah, chapter 45.

Speaker 1:

Remember, the overall theme of the book of Isaiah is God is our salvation, and one of the things that we've seen throughout this book so far is that that idea of salvation and hopefully you started to pick up on this as well. The idea of salvation is very multifaceted, you know, in our current culture, in the United States. Anyway, when we think of salvation, we think of Jesus dying, rising again, saving us from our sins, of course, but salvation means so much more than even that. It's like, yes, and there's so many things that God saves us from. That's not just from our sins, but he also saves us to things, and there's just all these things that happen. And a question that we have to ask ourselves and we're going to read this and come back and ask again is am I open to God working through unexpected people or circumstances to accomplish his purposes? If God says I'm going to save you, I'm going to get you out of something, I'm going to get you through something, but I'm not going to do it your way, are we willing to let God do it his way? Can I tell you, one of the ways I've gotten into the most trouble in my life is when I decided God needed my help. You know what I mean. When I thought well, you know what God, this is such a good idea that you just don't need to worry about this. I got this. Can I tell you, it's never a good idea if you do something ahead of God's timing, and that's why it's so important to stay close to him so you can you can know the wisdom of God and know when you're supposed to do these things. I've gotten so much trouble by that, and so the question I even asked myself am I open to God working through unexpected people or circumstances or timetables to accomplish his purpose? And the reason why is because of this crazy thing that happens in Isaiah 45. So I'm going to go ahead and tell you if you have your Bibles.

Speaker 1:

By the way, isaiah 45, verse one is going to talk about a guy named Cyrus. Now, I don't know if you know who Cyrus is, but Cyrus is actually a Persian king and he's going to talk about how Cyrus he's not Jewish, he is a Gentile Persian king that when the Persian nation comes over and starts to, they're the ones that's going to follow the Babylonians and they're going to take over everything and all this kind of stuff. And it's just going to be this. You know, there's always another nation, right, like you had Assyria, then Babylon, then Persia, and then you have the Greeks, then you have the Romans. It's just all these different people throughout history. Like Alexander the Great, he's one of the guys who overpowers the Persian Empire, right, that's where we are in history right, but here's the thing At this moment, what it's going to talk about is how Cyrus, even though he's not a man of God, at this moment, what it's going to talk about is how Cyrus, even though he's not a man of God, even though he has no idea that he's actually working for God, god is going to move him like a chess piece to enact his will.

Speaker 1:

An unexpected person is going to be the one that God is going to use to help the nation of Israel. Here's the catch. When Isaiah writes this he's not going to come on the scene for another 150 years. Cyrus is not going to be born for another 150 years and he's already being prophesied about. That just blows my brain. I mean that that's happening. I mean that's what God does, right, but he's using him as a future example. So the people who would have been reading this, the original audience he's saying there's going to be a guy named Cyrus one day. And so then you know, as these guys are reading this, one day there's this world leader who comes to power, whose name is Cyrus, and they're going oh Lord, I know this guy. And so let's read this and let's think about how this person who has no desire to help. God actually is used by God to do something amazing, and God prophesies it 150 years before it actually happens. You ready?

Speaker 1:

Isaiah 45, verse 1, says this this is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower Before him. Mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again. This is what the Lord says. I will go before you, cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron, and I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches. I will do this so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name, even though you do not know me or did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob, my servant, israel, my chosen one. I am the Lord and there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you do not even know me. All the world, from east to west, will know there is no other God. I am the Lord and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. Open up, o heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth be open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the Lord, created them.

Speaker 1:

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the ones who shaped it, saying stop, you're doing it wrong? Does the pot exclaim how clumsy can you be? How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father when was I born? Or if it said to its mother why did you make me this way? Pause. Well then, I'd be the craziest thing ever If a newborn takes his Patsy out of his mouth and he'd say what's up, fool, we just pass out immediately.

Speaker 1:

All right, verse 11. This is what the Lord says. The Holy One of Israel and your Creator. Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people, without seeking a reward.

Speaker 1:

I, the Lord of heaven's armies, have spoken, and this is what the Lord says you who rule, the Egyptians and the Ethiopians and the Sabaeans, they will come to you with all their merchandise and it will all be yours. They will follow you as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees in front of you and say God is with you, he is the only God and there is no other. Truly, o God of Israel, our Savior, your work, you work in mysterious ways. You ever heard that before Verse 16,? All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together, but the Lord will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation Throughout everlasting ages. They will never again be humiliated and disgraced, for the Lord is God.

Speaker 1:

Man that's powerful. Publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. Wow, I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare what is right. Gather together and come, you fugitives who surround the nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods they cannot save. Consult together, argue your case, get together and decide what to say.

Speaker 1:

Who made these things known so long ago? What idols ever told you that they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation, for I am God. There is no other. I have sworn by my own name. I have spoken the truth and I will never go back on my word. Every knee will bend to me, every tongue will declare allegiance to me. The people will declare the Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength, and all who are angry against him will come to him and be ashamed. In the Lord, all the generations of Israel will be justified and in him they will boast. Wow, what amazing things.

Speaker 1:

And if you noticed, there are a few different verses in there that are just part of what we think about now, if you've been around church very long. For instance, he says every knee will bow, every tongue will confess allegiance to me. We've talked about that so much and people think that's in the book of Revelation, but first it was in the book of Isaiah, when he's saying I will be honored. I love verse 19 that says I publicly declare bold promises. And I love this. He says I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. There's so much great stuff in here, but here's the bottom line of this, and that is am I open to God working through unexpected people, unexpected circumstances or unexpected timetables to accomplish his purposes? I don't know. I want to say yes, but that's so much harder than it sounds.

Speaker 1:

Imagine I had this moment one time when I was in a difficult situation, and I have a hard time sitting still when I'm in a difficult situation. I don't know if that's you, but when things are rough, things are hard. We have the fight flight or freeze mechanism in our life that God gave us. Mine is I have a moment where I will freeze. I have to process what's going on and then I have to admit I go into fight mode. I just do. That doesn't mean I'm raising my fist, it just means I want to work the problem and I have a bad tendency of doing that.

Speaker 1:

And I was in a situation one time where everything seemed like it was falling apart. And once I got out of that momentary process, that freeze mode, I was just going for it. And I had so many people in my life at the time who said, brandon, you need to let this lie for a little while, let this be still. All you're going to do is make it worse. And can I tell you, it was one of the hardest things for me to do to just be still because, to be honest with you, I wasn't open to God working it out, because I was a little bit afraid that he was going to take longer than I wanted him to. It reminds me of the book of Jonah, when the Bible actually says Jonah says he did not want to preach to the nation or to the city of Nineveh because he was afraid they would repent. And he was like God, I know you, and if they repent, you won't destroy them. And that's what happened. And in that situation, can I tell you, it was one of the hardest things for me to do, just to be still and just not touch it. You know what I mean. And can I tell you, it was the right thing to do, but because I was unwilling to do it. I lost the joy of the victory. God worked it out, but instead of joy, I had nothing but a shame, because I noticed how much I struggled, and so I want to ask you this question Is there an area of your life where you're struggling to let God use unexpected people, unexpected circumstances or unexpected timetables to accomplish his purpose?

Speaker 1:

Sometimes it is time to move, it's time to move forward, but there are also times when it's time to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. I don't know which one of those you might be in. It might be time for you to move forward, but it might be time for you to stand still and go. You know what, god? I would not have done it like this, god, I would not have done it with that person and, oh Lord, I'd have moved a whole lot faster.

Speaker 1:

But I trust you and I trust that if you still got me in this job that I don't want to be in, when I have put my resume out there as many places as I could, I prayed and I've trusted you with it, and if I'm still here, then I trust that you are going to use this circumstance for your good. God, I don't want to be sick. I don't want this diagnosis, so I'm going to do everything I can do, but if I'm doing everything I can do, I'm going to trust you. With the rest, god, I don't want to be in this relationship, or I don't want to be in this absence of relationship, but I choose to trust you, and if you do that, can I promise you something? God loves you more than you can imagine. He's not interested in watching you suffer, and so he's working something out, even more than you can imagine. So don't worry about if he's doing something. It's just a matter of you focus on holding on until you see what he's doing.

Speaker 1:

Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you that you're with us more than we can imagine. Lord, I pray as you open our eyes to see areas where maybe we need to take our hands off some things or just to wait for a moment, or maybe step into something, but to do it your way. I pray you'll give us the courage to take every next step and to remember that you have not given us the spirit of fear and intimidation, but a power of love and of a sound mind. We're thankful for that today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen. God's word says in Isaiah, chapter 12, verse 2, god has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord, god, is my strength and my song, and he has given me the victory. I love you. No-transcript.

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Brandon Cannon

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