December 15, 2025

WORSHIPPING A CYRUS

1 Esdras 2:2 (only in Orthodox Bible)

“Thus says Cyrus the king of the Persians: Israel’s Lord, the Lord Most High, revealed and indicated to me, the king of the inhabited world, that I should build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judea.”

Personal Challenge

1 Esdras (often referred to as 1 Ezra), is not found in most Protestant or Catholic Bibles. It is considered one of the appocraphal books. This story, however is found both here and in the first chapter of Ezra. Cyrus was an ungodly ruler that was a tyrant of his time and viscious towards his enemies and subjects. In this story God spoke to him and encouraged him to rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus was moved by God’s encouragement and sent the Israelites that were in his kingdom back to Jerusalem with his blessing and wealth to do just that. Why is this important? We are seeing this play out in our country today. There are many Christian Rights and Christan Nationalists that see Donald Trump as a modernd day Cyrus. Even with all his corruption and bad history, they believe that he is provided by God to usher in a new age of Christian Nationalism. This made it possible for them to vote for a man that violates so many principles of Christianity. We must remember that we are in a new covenant, the covenant ushered in by Jesus Christ, and our Christian focus, our responsibility, is to His new kingdom and not any kingdom, or nation, here on earth. Worshipping a modern day Cyrus is worshipping a false god. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!