The God of Impossible Things

How did Cyrus, a king who did not know Jehovah God, become part of God’s divine plan? How could a prophecy spoken through Isaiah be fulfilled hundreds of years before it came to pass?

For today’s thought, let us read the verses that are the foundation of today’s message from the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 44, verses 26 to 28.
Isaiah 44:26–28 “Who carries out the word of His servant and fulfills the prediction of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins,
‘I will restore them,’ who says to the 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,’ saying of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple,
‘Let its foundation be laid.’” The God of Impossible Things I request someone to read these verses in Malayalam also.
Praise be to God. In this journey of life, our children are also growing under the grace of God spiritually.
But we know that there are certain questions that arise in the minds of the younger generation. One day, these children may come and ask us: “Is there really a God?” We cannot simply blame these children for asking
such questions. The reason behind these questions is the influence of what they learn every day — from schools, colleges, and the ideas that are presented before them. They are asking based on the realities and
information they encounter in their daily lives. Even among believers who are firmly established in the grace of God, I have heard people asking: “Is there really a God?” “If God truly existed, would things happen
like this?” Many religions have their own scriptures. Hinduism has the Vedas and Upanishads. Islam has the Quran. Sikhism has the Granth Sahib. Similarly, we have the Bible — the Word of God. If at any point in our
lives such a thought has come into our minds — “Does God really exist?” — I request you to listen carefully to today’s message without any distraction. This message is for you. Before we go deeper into these verses,
I would like to briefly explain the background and context. Between 605 BC and 586 BC, during a period of 19 years, King Nebuchadnezzar attacked the land of Judah three times. When the people of Judah looked back at
those 19 years, if they counted their gains and losses, their entire account showed only one thing: There were no achievements, no victories, but only losses and destruction. What were those losses? They lost an entire
generation of blessed young people like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and others. The king took away all the talented, healthy, and capable people and carried them as captives to Babylon. Only weak, helpless, and poor people
were left behind in the land of Judah. Everything valuable in the city, everything valuable in the temple, and everything valuable in the king’s palace was taken away. Then, in 586 BC, during Nebuchadnezzar’s third attack,
Jerusalem and the cities of Judah were completely destroyed. Not only that, Jerusalem — the pride of Israel — and the temple of God were reduced to ruins and piles of stones. It was during this hopeless and sorrowful situation
that the Spirit of God spoke through the prophet Isaiah. In these three verses, we can see three things that God declared: 1. Jerusalem will have inhabitants again. This seemed impossible. Because Jerusalem and all the cities
of Judah had become places of destruction and ruins. A city filled with stones and broken walls becoming a place where people would live again — humanly speaking, it was impossible. 2. The cities of Judah will be rebuilt.
This also seemed impossible. Anyone could understand that rebuilding a place that had been completely destroyed would require enormous effort and resources. 3. God said, “I will restore the ruins.” God declared that
He would rebuild what was broken. But according to human understanding, this was impossible. God also said: “I will dry up the deep waters and make your rivers dry.” When we think according to human wisdom, this is
something that cannot happen. For a river to dry up completely — this is impossible for man to imagine. Then God speaks about Cyrus. God says: “He is My shepherd, and he will accomplish all My pleasure.”
But humanly speaking, Cyrus had no reason to do this. Cyrus was a Persian king. He was not a worshipper of Jehovah God. He belonged to a nation that worshipped other gods. So people could ask:
“How can a person who does not worship Jehovah God accomplish God’s purpose?” “How can someone who does not know God obey God’s plan?” Many may think: “Can these things really happen?” But the Word of God says in
Jeremiah 32:26–27: “Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’” Through today’s message, I want to establish two truths
firmly in our hearts. First: Our God is the God who makes impossible things possible. Nothing is impossible for our God. Second: Every prophecy recorded in the Word of God will be fulfilled. The Word of God will never fail.
Approximately 27% of the Holy Bible contains prophecy. Through thousands of verses, God has recorded many prophecies in Scripture. People may ask: “Can these things really happen?”
But Jesus said in Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” Last time, we discussed the first part of this message. Let me briefly remind you of a few things so that we can
understand today’s message clearly. Persia was a small kingdom. In 559 BC, a person named Cyrus took control of the kingdom of Anshan. From that small beginning, Cyrus continued to rise. The city of Babylon was the center
of the Babylonian Empire. It was one of the greatest and strongest cities in the world at that time. On October 12, 539 BC, Cyrus and his army entered into the strong fortress of Babylon and conquered the city. I am mentioning
these dates because I want to remind you of one important truth: The things written in the Bible are not myths or imaginary stories. They are historical events. History itself confirms the truth of God’s Word. When we look at
the 20 years from the time Cyrus became ruler of Anshan until he conquered Babylon in 539 BC, one thing becomes very clear: Behind the rise of this small kingdom and behind the success of Cyrus was the unseen hand of
Almighty God. But Cyrus himself did not understand this. The Lord God raised Cyrus to such a position because God had a purpose: To bring down Babylon, which was the greatest world power of that time. Why did God raise Cyrus?
We read in Jeremiah chapter 30: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity. I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors, and they will possess it.”
Jeremiah chapter 29 also clearly says that after the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, God would bring His people back to their own land. God had already planned their restoration. Even though Cyrus did not know Jehovah God,
the God of heaven brought him to the right place at the right time to fulfill His purpose. When we look at Babylon, we can see how powerful and impossible it seemed to conquer. Babylon was surrounded by huge walls.
The city covered approximately four square miles. The Euphrates River flowed through the middle of the city, dividing it into two parts. Around the city was a massive outer wall. The wall was about 80 feet high and 25 feet wide.
Outside the wall was a huge defensive ditch, about 260 feet wide. There were also additional inner walls for protection. It was one of the strongest cities in the ancient world. When Cyrus and his great army stood before
Babylon, they did not know how they could enter. Because until that time, no king or military commander had been able to even damage Babylon. No human power seemed capable of conquering that city. But then God gave Cyrus
an idea that no one had thought of before. God had already spoken through Isaiah: “I will dry up the sea and make your rivers dry.” Isaiah had prophesied this 150 years before Cyrus was even born.
How could this happen? How could a mighty river that protected Babylon become a pathway for an army? But what is impossible for man is possible with God. Cyrus and his army diverted the Euphrates River
by creating channels and directing the water into surrounding areas. The water level decreased. The river that once protected Babylon became the pathway through which the Persian army entered. The people
inside Babylon were not worried. They were celebrating because they trusted their strong walls. They believed: “No army in the world can break through these walls.” They thought they were completely safe.
But on that important night — October 12, 539 BC — everything changed. The historians Xenophon and others recorded that the Persian army entered Babylon by walking through the riverbed after the river’s
flow was redirected. The Word of God was fulfilled exactly as God had spoken. History itself confirms the truth recorded in Scripture. When the water became low enough, the Persian soldiers moved forward
through the river. But there was another obstacle. There were bronze gates placed in the river as protection. These gates were made of strong metal, and they were secured with iron bars. Humanly speaking,
no one could break them. But Isaiah had already prophesied: “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.” (Isaiah 45:2)
hen the soldiers reached the river, they found that the bronze gates had already been broken. The impossible had happened. But they still had to enter through the gates of the great city wall.
Isaiah 45:1 says: “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors,
so that the gates will not be shut.” God had already spoken. The doors that should have been closed were open. The gates that should have stopped the enemy were no longer a barrier. Dear people of God, let me remind you
of one thing today: No matter who you are or where you are in life, if the God of heaven holds your right hand, His grace will continue to work with you until He takes you to the place He has prepared for you. When God
holds your hand, no obstacle can stop His purpose. Part 3 — The Fall of Babylon, Daniel’s Prayer, and Cyrus Discovering God’s Plan The gates that were supposed to remain closed during the night were opened. The Persian
army entered Babylon. Remember the date I mentioned: October 12, 539 BC. This is the same night recorded in Daniel chapter 5. On that night, King Belshazzar had prepared a great feast for his nobles. Wine was flowing.
They were celebrating inside the palace. But while they were celebrating, something unexpected happened. The guards became careless. The people inside the city were not in a condition to close the gates properly.
Either because of their drunkenness, they had lost awareness, or God Himself allowed a deep sleep to come upon them. But one thing is certain: The doors were opened by the unseen hand of God. Daniel 5:30 says: “That very night
Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.” The greatest empire of that time came to an end. Babylon, the center of the world’s greatest power, was conquered without a major battle. There was no great destruction.
There was no massive loss of life. There was no great struggle. Cyrus conquered Babylon without shedding a drop of blood. History has never recorded another event exactly like this. Why did this happen? Because behind
Cyrus was not just an army. Behind Cyrus was the hand of Almighty God who sits on the throne of heaven. But there is another important truth. Cyrus was a person who worshipped other gods. He worshipped the gods of his
ancestors, including Ahura Mazda and other forms of pagan worship. He was not a follower of Jehovah. Yet the Bible records that Cyrus conquered Babylon according to God’s plan. But history records another important event
that is not written in detail in the Bible. When Cyrus entered Babylon as the great king, he searched for one particular person. He was looking for someone special. Someone who had a unique relationship with God.
According to the writings of the famous historian Josephus, the person who came before Cyrus was the prophet Daniel. Let me summarize this historical account. Daniel came before Cyrus carrying the scrolls of Scripture.
Daniel explained to the king: “Your life and your rise were already known before you were born.” The king was amazed. Cyrus said: “How could you know about me before I was born?” Daniel explained that the God of heaven
had already spoken about Cyrus through the prophet Isaiah. Daniel also explained the suffering of God’s people. For 70 years they had lived as captives. For 70 years, Daniel had prayed. Every day he opened his window
toward Jerusalem and prayed. Daniel 6:10 says: “When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his
knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Think about Daniel’s faith. Many of us pray when we face a problem. Maybe we pray for one week. Maybe two weeks. Maybe one month. Maybe one year.
But after a long time, many people become tired and stop praying. But Daniel prayed faithfully for 70 years. With tears in his eyes, he looked toward Jerusalem and continued praying. Whether life was joyful or painful,
whether circumstances were good or difficult, Daniel never stopped his prayer. Why? Because he understood one thing from the Word of God. God had promised through Jeremiah that after 70 years, He would restore His people.
Daniel’s strength was not because of emotional experiences. It was not because of a special meeting. It was not because of miracles or signs. His strength came from his relationship with the unchanging Word of God.
Daniel believed: “When the 70 years are completed, God will deliver His people.” And Daniel knew that God would raise Cyrus at the right time to fulfill His promise. Through the Scriptures, Daniel showed Cyrus what God had
already spoken about him. Let us read one verse again. Isaiah 44:28: “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple,
“Your foundation shall be laid.”’” When Cyrus heard these words, he was amazed. He could not believe that God had spoken about him hundreds of years before. Now let us read Isaiah 45:13: “I have raised him up in righteousness,
and I will direct all his ways; he shall build My city and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says the Lord of hosts. Cyrus understood his mission. His responsibility was not only to release the Israelites from
captivity. He also had to rebuild Jerusalem. The temple had to be restored. After Cyrus spoke with Daniel, a great change happened. We see this in Ezra 1:1–3. The Word of God says: “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,
that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…” The same Cyrus who worshipped other gods now declared: “The Lord God of heaven has given me all
the kingdoms of the earth, and He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem.” This is the power of God. A person who worshipped idols was moved by God to fulfill His divine purpose. How did this happen? Because
Proverbs 21:1 says: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Cyrus did not only allow the Israelites to return. He also restored the valuable items that had
been taken from the temple. The gold and silver vessels of the temple were returned. Everything that was lost was restored. At one time, these people were taken away as slaves. They sat beside the rivers of Babylon and cried.
They remembered Zion. Their hearts were broken because they said: “How can we sing the songs of Zion in a foreign land?” They were people who wept because they had lost their homeland, their city, and their temple.
But now, the same people were returning. The situation that looked impossible had changed. The God who made a promise fulfilled His promise. In Psalm 126, we read: “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like
those who dreamed.” The people who once cried by the rivers of Babylon were now returning with joy. Their mouths were filled with laughter. Their tongues were filled with songs of joy. They said: “The Lord has done great
things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Dear people of God, let me remind you of one thing today. If the God of heaven has lifted us from a place where we once were and brought us to where we are today, can we not say
from the depths of our hearts: “The Lord has done great things for me”? How many of us can declare together today: “My God has done great things in my life”? Instead of counting only the losses we have experienced and
continuing to cry over what is gone, let us remember the blessings and victories God has given us throughout our lives. Let us open our lips and praise the God who has guided us through every season. Stop counting only
the losses you have faced. Start counting the miracles and blessings God has done in your life. By the grace and kindness of the king, hundreds and thousands of people began their journey back to their homeland. When the
final group of people was leaving Babylon, there was one person standing there watching them go. With tears filling his eyes, he waved goodbye. This person was an elderly servant of God. He did not have the strength to
make the journey himself. His body was too weak to travel. But as he watched the people returning, his heart was filled with joy. Because he remembered the prayers he had offered for many years. He could say: “The God whom
I prayed to with tears for many years has answered my prayer. He has delivered His people from captivity. Praise be to God.” Let me finish by reading one more verse. Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the
heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” This morning, dear people of God, how many of us can look to the Lord and declare: “Lord, You created the heavens and the
earth by Your great power and Your mighty hand. There is nothing too difficult for You.” How many of us can say this today? Our God is the same God who performed miracles in the lives of His people. He is able to work in
our lives today also. The circumstances may tell us: “This is impossible.” People may say: “There is no way.” But our God is the God who opens closed doors. He dries up rivers. He breaks bronze gates. He restores ruined places.
He fulfills promises that seem impossible. The same God who restored Jerusalem can restore what is broken in our lives. The same God who answered Daniel’s 70-year prayer can answer our prayers according to His perfect timing.
The same God who guided Cyrus can guide us to the place He has prepared for us. May we never forget: Nothing is impossible with our God. The God who holds our right hand will lead us until His purpose is fulfilled in our lives.
May the Lord bless each one of us through these words. Amen.