Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, special ones.

Although it’s late, I’m still going to squeeze in a jog after I send this. I think it’s as important as all the urgent.

I made paper airplanes for the little boys a while ago and had them launching them from atop a 10-foot ladder. They had fun. I had to do something to engage them and divert them from getting into stuff they shouldn’t. Thano finally showed up to rescue me.

Have a splendid day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Things have become pretty bad in Judah. The nation is under God’s judgment. But it’s all foretold and right on schedule—just as it is today. Even amidst all that self-inflicted consequence of general sin and rebellion against God, I’m finding reason for thanksgiving—I’m thankful that majority rule does not have to rule me. It is on that basis that God will always have a remnant—those who seek Him, are faithful to him, and win His blessing. It doesn’t matter at all how predominantly sick a given generation or society becomes—how much tyranny or oppression rises to enslave men—the Sovereign Ruler rules that His human creatures will always be free to choose and nurture a personal HEART AFTER GOD.

The spiritual darkness and general coldness of a backslidden people seem to offer a setting for revival fires to burn brightest and hottest. In spite of unavoidable judgment, there will also be deliverance and the fulfillment of God’s promises. That is what is unfolding as the book of Ezra begins. Notice that the revival of seeking “the God of Israel” (Ezra 1:3) even includes the heart of King Cyrus of Persia, the conqeror of Babylon who had conquered Judah. It demonstrates again that “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). Without taking this into account, who would have expected that King Cyrus would have become an instrument of spiritual revival in Israel?!

Let’s open a little window of Twilight-Zone-type revelation. Consider a prophetic word of the LORD as recorded by Isaiah: “This is what the Lord says — your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,' and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,' who says to the watery deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,' who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid’” (Isaiah 44:24-28). Isaiah specifically names Cyrus. Now get this: Isaiah does so about 160 years before the appearance of Cyrus. Do you have goose bumps yet? (See also Jeremiah 25:8-14)

Did you catch the significance of the intro to Isaiah’s prophecy?—“…your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb.” Please add humility to your goose bumps. It sure makes a lot of sense to me to seek the One Who made me—the One Who not only KNOWS the beginning to the end, but is MY personal “Alpha and Omega” (Revelation 1:8).