2 Chronicles 36:22-23 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

Cyrus of Persia; or, the return of the exiles.

I. The GREAT DELIVERER . ( 2 Chronicles 36:22 .)

1 . Foretold in Scripture.

2 . Raised up in history.

II. THE CHEERING PROCLAMATION . ( 2 Chronicles 36:23 .)

1 . Its date. The first year of Cyrus, i.e. the first year of his reign as King of Babylon, i.e. B.C. 538 (Canon of Ptolemy).

2 . Its cause. The stirring up of his heart by Jehovah. Though the monuments have shown that Cyrus was not a monotheist, but a polytheist, they have also made it manifest that he considered himself as under the immediate guidance of Heaven in the taking of Babylon; and hence, it may be assumed, also in the liberation of the captives. That he was powerfully persuaded of the propriety of such an action, and regarded his impulse in that direction as "from Heaven," is apparent. The sacred writer states that the true source of that inspiration was Jehovah. Cyrus believed it to be Merodach.

3 . Its design. To fulfil the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 29:10 ), that after seventy years the captives should be restored. This was Jehovah's design, not Cyrus's—concerning which see above. That the seventy years, in round numbers, were accomplished, can be seen from an easy calculation. Dating from b.c. 599, the year of Jehoiachin's captivity, and setting down the first year of Cyrus as b.c. 538, the interval is only sixty-one years; but if the period of the exile be dated from the third ( Daniel 1:1 ) or the fourth year of Jehoiakim ( Jeremiah 25:1-12 ), i.e. b.c. 606, then the interval from Jeremiah's prediction to Cyrus's proclamation will be sixty-eight years, or sixty-nine inclusive, which, with the months that elapsed before the first company of exiles settled in Palestine ( Ezra 3:1 ), will practically make seventy years. Or the prophetic year may be taken as consisting of 360 days; in which case 360 x 70 = 25,200 days = 69 years of 365 days.

4 . Its form.

5 . Its contents.

LESSONS .

1 . The ability of God to fulfil his promises no less than his threatenings.

2 . The secret access which God has to the hearts of men—of kings no less than of common men.

3 . The certainty that God can raise up at any moment a fitting instrument to do his will.—W.