Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 44:28

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 44:28

"That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."

I didn't realize there was any discussion on the legitimacy of Isaiah naming Cyrus 140 years before he was born, as the one to restore Judah to its homeland. To me this is a prophecy and I accept it as written in the bible. I found that Josephus quoted Cyrus writing, that the words of Isaiah inspired him to fulfill that promise.

“‘… he (God) stirred up the mind of Cyrus, and made him write this throughout all Asia:—

"Thus saith Cyrus the king.—Since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of the habitable earth, I believe that he is that God which the nation of the Israelites worship; for indeed he foretold my name by the prophets, and that I should build him a house at Jerusalem, in the country of Judea.”

This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision:—

My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.

This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem, and the temple of God, for that he would be their assistant and that he would write to the rulers and governors that were in the neighborhood of their country of Judea, that they should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the temple, and, besides that, beasts for their sacrifices.’ (Antiq. XI, 1, 2)” (Sidney B. Sperry, The Voice of Israel’s Prophets, pp. 107–8.)

Day 2882

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 43:18-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 43:18-19

"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

This made me ponder on "new things". I think the greatest change man saw was the fulfilling of the law of Moses, and the ending of animal sacrifices in a similitude of Christ's redeeming sacrifice. He came and fulfilled the law, and now we live a higher law. There have been changes to programs and instructions over the years, which I have been able to witness. There are changes still to come.

I also read in the Old Testament Institute manual where LeGrand Richards spoke of a literal fulfillment of Isaiah's words:

“Isaiah said: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing,’ and as far as my understanding of this scripture is concerned, that new thing was the great principle of irrigation. It is true the Saints had to make the canals, they had to make the ditches, they had to put in the dams, but the land might have remained arid had not the Lord put into their minds the inspiration to do this very thing, and that is what Isaiah saw that the Lord would do. He said:

“If you want to see the rivers in the desert, just go up through Idaho and see the great canals that come out of the Snake River. They are greater than many of the rivers of the land.

“So as you brethren gather in your crops by day in the harvest time, remember that it was the Lord God of Israel who did this new thing in this great wilderness to make it to prosper as a rose and to be a land that would attract the attention of all the world.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1948, pp. 44–45.)

(Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi, "The God of Israel and the Nations (Isaiah 36-37)", section 16-27)

It does make me wonder on all the changes and new things that are to come.

Day 2881

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 42:8

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 42:8

"I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."

This made me think of the pre-existence when someone else wanted all the power and glory.

"But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;"

(Moses 4:2-3)

The Beloved Son came to do the Father's will, and the glory upon Him is not something he can turn aside, and sell for a mess of pottage. It would frustrate the whole entire plan of salvation.

Isaiah's word are a foreshadow of events when Satan would try to tempt the Lord.

"Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit, into the wilderness, to be with God.

(JST, Matthew 4:1)

After having spent 40 days communing with God, I picture the Savior learned of his full role and ministry to come. He knew he would drink the bitter cup, make an infinite atonement and die for our sins.

"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."

(Matthew 4:8-9)

What Satan offered was a way for the Lord to bypass the infinite atonement he was to make, and take an easier way out. It was all lies and empty promises. The Lord would not give up his glory and worship an empty god. He came to do the will of the Father and be our Savior. How grateful I am for the choice that He willingly made.

Day 2880

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 41:15-16

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 41:15-16

"Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel."

This reminded me of an article I read over five years ago, "Isaiah Prophesied of This Powerful 'Last Days' Weapon, and You Have One". In this article is showed a "sharp threshing instrument" which was an ancient farm implement used for harvesting grains. It very much so looks like a computer keyboard. This new sharp threshing instrument would be our keyboards. We would write and it would be carried by the wind and scattered. Sure sounds like the internet to me. That articled stayed with me along with the Elder Bednar's apostolic invitation.

“My beloved brothers and sisters, what has been accomplished thus far in this dispensation communicating gospel messages through social media channels is a good beginning—but only a small trickle. I now extend to you the invitation to help transform the trickle into a flood. Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth—messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy—and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood.”

(Elder David A. Bednar, address given on 19 Aug 2014, BYU Education Week, printed "Flood the Earth through Social Media", Aug 2015 Liahona)

When I first read that article on the threshing instrument I was 947 days into sharing my favorite verse on social media, inspired by Elder Bednar's invitation. Today its been 2879 days.

Day 2879