"Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel."
Isaiah 45:1-3
Some of the happiest years of my life were spent living on the high desert of Iran (Persia). I was blessed to visit the tomb of a childhood hero of mine - Cyrus the Great - at Parsargardea and the nearby ruins of Persepolis. The Mountain of Mercy overlooks Persepolis and contains the tombs of Darius, Xerxes and Artaxerxes.
The masonry art on the walls of Persepolis is amazingly beautiful and intricate. At first I believed that this art and construction work must have been done by slave labor, but I was wrong. Every Corinthian column, every palace gate, every inscription - was recorded to have been done by paid artesans. There was a library of more than 10,000 clay tablets noting the amount in gold or silver each worker received written in the Persian cuneiform script.
Cyrus was called by God two hundred years before Cyrus saw the first sunrise. He may be calling you as well to some great and wonderful purpose. Be still and know. (J.Ogles)
