Word of Salvation – Vol.23 No.24 – March 1977
The Shepherd And The Flock Of God’s Election
Sermon by Rev. H. Pennings on Isaiah 44:28, 45:4
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 44:24 – 45:8; Ezra 1
Psalter Hymnal: 322; 223; 399; 222:3,4,5,6; 148:5
Already in the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism we find reference to the total care of God for His children:-
“He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
In the answer to question 28 we find this more fully expounded, for we find the teaching of Scripture there summarized:-
“We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when they go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from His love. All creatures are so completely in His hand that without His will they can neither move nor be moved.””
You will agree that it is hard indeed to obtain a promise of such magnitude! All people, all things, are the servants of God, and cannot act contrary to His will, and God’s will is that all people and all things serve the children of God. We live in exciting times. Man can do great things. The supersonic Concorde can jet us anywhere in the world in a matter of hours, and that is far from ultimate in the sphere of space and travel. The universe is a big place – thousands of suns each with her planets and satellites – many billions of stars. It would take us thousands of years, even travelling at the speed of light (which is millions of miles a day) to reach some of them. And our God says:
All of these things are under my control!
They are my servants, and therefore serve you!
It is impossible for us to figure this out. Man can do great things, for God has created man to do great things. But even the most godly scientist must draw back quickly from such a promise.
Mind you, God does not promise us that He controls all things so that they conform to OUR will. The wise man is grateful for that. Nor does God promise us as His children that He will immediately draw us away from any possible trouble in life. Already in the garden of Eden God put man to the test to determine whether man’s love for Him was greater than his love for other things. God’s promise is an ultimate promise: it has to do primarily with our salvation and eternal life. God leaves the children of God to the consequences of their own sinful actions: also the Christian gets a “hangover” when he has drunk to excess against God’s commandment: also the Christian receives a speeding fine when he has driven dangerously on the road and endangered the lives of others. And we also share in the consequences of the evil of the whole world. God’s promise to us who belong to Him is one of final glory. It is that no-one or no-thing can interfere with God’s calling and God’s plan that we are able to enjoy Him forever.
The greatest example of God’s total care for His children is the humiliation of God Himself when Jesus was born as the second Adam – (we use the language of Paul’s letter to the Romans) – when Jesus was born as the second Adam to rescue us from the consequences of our sin. The greatest part of God’s providence is that God provided a Saviour for us. DETERMINED in the council of redemption before the creation, PROMISED already to Adam and Eve, PROPHESIED about by all of the prophets, Jesus came as a caring Saviour so that God’s mercy could abound especially to those who believe in Him. But there are other examples of God’s care. And the story of our text is but one of them. In that way there is nothing very special about our text. But in another way it is one of the most unique and remarkable prophecies of the entire Scripture.
* * * * * * *
In order to understand this we need to be reminded of two periods of history about the early (or, Old Testament) church.
The first period we need to be reminded about is the time of Isaiah the prophet. We assume that he wrote this prophecy of our text about the year 700BC. The giving of the date is of great importance, so you should remember it – 700BC. The prophet of God is concerned, at this time, to warn the church that she should be a HOLY church. The nation-church of Israel must not act as other nations, worshipping idols and even making human sacrifice to them. “After all,” says God through His prophet, chapter 40,
The idol!
a workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,
and casts it for silver chains….
Would you liken and compare me to an idol?
God’s people must be HOLY! For, if God’s people are NOT holy as God demands, He knows that they have REJECTED Him. But for the sake of His covenant of steadfast love God would then wipe that people out forever. Isaiah’s message is not popular in Israel. His words fall on ears closed to the calling of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah prophesies that the nation will be taken captive, but even God’s holy threat of immediate punishment, as a part of ETERNAL PUNISHMENT, has no effect at all. Yes, but for HIS COVENANT… but for His covenant of LOVE AND GRACE….
Isaiah brings the glad news that their captivity in Babylon will not be forever. As our young people sing from their “Sing To The King” songbooks:
The redeemed of the Lord shall return,
and shall come to Zion, with singing,
and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.”
We leave that period of history behind us and go to the second period we need to be reminded of. It is over 150 years later. It is 535BC. Twenty years before that time a new king had ascended the throne of the kingdom of the Persians – king Cyrus. Whereas his immediate predecessors had failed to accomplish a dream of long ago, namely, the unification of all the kingdoms of the area, king Cyrus soon accomplished it. By the year 539BC he had also completely conquered Babylon. And we know that the church of the Old Testament was held captive there according to the prophecy of God.
Speaking from the point of view of man who does not recognize God’s providence we see this only as the continued outworking of the events of the world, without purpose and without plan. Even when we then see what Cyrus does next, encouraging the church to go back to the land of Judah, and when we see how he even gives a substantial gift that Jerusalem and the temple might be restored, there is no reason to it. Yet, that is exactly what king Cyrus did.
In the year 535BC he issued a royal decree. We read about it in Ezra 1:3
Whoever is among you of all this people,
may his God be with him,
and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah,
and rebuild the house of the Lord.
and let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns,
be assisted by the men of his place with silver
and gold, with goods and with beasts,
besides freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
In that day, over 150 years later,
the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia
so that he made a proclamation
throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing (Ezra 1:1).
Yes, in THAT DAY! God acts! His people are eventually restored to their own homeland. The walls of Jerusalem and the holy temple are rebuilt even although God’s people are attacked while they are doing it. God acts! He stirs up the spirit of king Cyrus, and king Cyrus issues the decree.
Why does this happen? It is because Cyrus, the heathen king of the Medes and the Persians, is the shepherd whom God has appointed, (even ORDAINED! says our text) to watch over the church of God. On a certain day, when God is ready to reveal His might, Cyrus issues a decree. But over 150 years beforehand God was ready for this. Even then, Cyrus had been named. Isaiah had named him! He was not yet born – even his father and mother had not been born, but we find in the writing of God in the time of Isaiah, and in the plan of God which He had before the creation of the word, the name CYRUS, and the deeds of Cyrus – we see all of these things! The scholars of this world say “Impossible!” Those who rely only upon their own rational thinking say that it is irrational to believe it. They say that another person, certainly not Isaiah, inserted the name Cyrus, and wrote about the deeds of Cyrus, some time well after God’s people returned from exile in Babylon. And we might all be inclined to believe it, too. For the whole thing has the appearance of the supernatural!
And so it is, too! Completely supernatural..! God’s providence and God’s salvation (which is its greatest form) are completely out of this world for time and for space and for glory. God’s thoughts and His deeds are not limited. He is not just another creature of the creation, as is Cyrus the king of the Persians, but He is the Creator and the absolute Ruler of the creation. God uses Cyrus, and all other kings in all ages, all governments, all inanimate matter, as He wills, and His will is to bless His people, for it is clearly stated in the second verse of our text: It is,
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen.
We may marvel at the fact that God calls king Cyrus by name. Even in Scripture it is most rare. And we may marvel at the fact that God calls him a shepherd of the church. Yet when we are in touch with our Father in heaven through Jesus Christ, though the marvel is still there, we see the events of the time of Isaiah and the miraculous return of the children of God from exile in Babylon in their correct perspective. It is all supernatural – all marvellous. But we then know that God’s work for us is always like that. We see in our text a specific instance of God’s longsuffering, His pity and His mercy – yet it is only an instance of it. That a heathen king could be called a shepherd of God makes no sense to such a shepherd: nor to any other unbeliever. But to us who are part of God’s calling it is just another miraculous instance of our heritage as children of God through Jesus Christ – a GREATER SHEPHERD of the church than Cyrus –
a more powerful king
the Son of God who was born to die the death of a curse,
that our Holy God,
could remain holy,
yet have contact with diseased sinners:
you and me.
King Cyrus eventually died in battle about the year 530BC. He was buried in a place called PASARGADAE where his tomb may still be seen. Nearby some ancient documents were found last century by the archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam which testify to the truth of the Biblical record as much as they are able to. The city and the temple which he helped to rebuild were destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, and these Romans too were the shepherds of God for the total welfare of the church.
The tomb of Jesus Christ continues to be empty. And temples and holy cities are no longer necessary because when the curtain of the temple was ripped into two on the first Good Friday, God’s providence, (and His salvation as the greatest part of it,) could spread to all people of all future ages. For the sake of God’s covenant of grace and His election, was Cyrus at one time the shepherd anointed by God to care for Christian people. For the sake of our election, and our salvation, and that the words of Scripture summarized in our catechism might have eternal validity both for life and for death does our Father in heaven continue to anoint all people and things to work together for our salvation.
All creatures are so completely in His hand
that without His will
they can neither move nor be moved…
for the sake of my chosen people.
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Congregation, rejoice about this care which God has for you. Do not question that He is able to keep you as individuals and families, and as church; to keep you safe for eternal life as the great shepherd of the flock He has chosen to call His own.
He will feed His flock like a shepherd,
and He will gather the lambs in His arms,
He will carry them in His bosom,
and gently lead those who are with young. (Isa.40)
Remember Jesus Christ who came to perform this task and who is still at God’s right hand of power in heaven continuing to shepherd us.
My sheep shall hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me:
and I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish,
and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. (John 10).
Amen.