“But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.” Daniel 2:28
Dear Ones:
One of the proofs of the existence and sovereign power of God is found in the trajectory of an arrow which has been shot into the air. The greatness of the proof is found in the length of that path, that trajectory, from where it leaves the bow, to the striking of the particular, designated target. In the case of the validity, or truthfulness, of the Bible, the arrow can be said to be the word of God that is pronounced concerning an event, or a person, that is finds its target hundreds, if not thousands of years down range. What makes this illustration so powerful is the realization that for the arrow of God’s declaration, or promise, to leave the bow of His power, wisdom, and authority, to fly down the centuries and millenia, to be accomplished with the precision of the point of an arrow, is nothing short of Divine. Certainly, man could never engineer such an occurrence. The Lord, in speaking to those who do not believe in Him, laid out this “proof.” He speaks to those who do NOT have the ability to realize what they say, or declare. “Let them bring forth and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things to come.” (Isaiah 41:22) There is convincing power in words that are pronounced, and then accomplished. The Lord declared, concerning Himself: “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (42:9) God’s foreknowledge of things to come, and their realization, reveal His wisdom, power, and authority…the fact that He is sovereign and ALMIGHTY. He IS God. Let us look at few of these “arrows” that He shot by referring to significant events or persons in the Bible, which, from a human standpoint, were impossible to exist, and arise.
The fist concerns a king of Persia, Cyrus, who came to power around 538 BC. This Cyrus is mentioned in the Bible in several places. Not only was his arrival on the stage of history a remarkable event, but it was one of Divine significance. His reign was a marker along the road of time, one which clearly reveals the will and power of God. Almost two hundred years before the coming, and reign of Cyrus, Isaiah wrote specifically of him, mentioning him by name, stating that under him the Jews would return and rebuild Jerusalem. The arrow of God flew over two hundred years to hit a designated target in Jerusalem, where the returning exiles would rebuild the second temple.
Another “arrow” from God’s quiver concerns a place, and a most significant occurrence there. In the eighth century, Micah wrote of this place by name, in which the Son of God would be born. He wrote: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) This is that one of whom Isaiah spoke, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders.” (9:6 It would be by the declaration of an angel, recorded in the gospel of Luke, that we see the realization of this event: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) This arrow travelled approximately seven hundred years, hitting with great precision, a very small point on the map. Only God could have accomplished this marvelous event.
The last arrow only flew for less than a night. After deliberately defying God, and defiling the vessels of God’s house, Belshazzar king of Babylon, would hear the words: “God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.” He died that night.
Dear Father, We bow down and worship Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad