Throughout and following the 2016 election, many church leaders trumpeted that Donald Trump was the new Cyrus, boldly claiming he would deliver Christians from liberal attacks. Because the claim of Trump as Cyrus resonated so effectively, it will be deployed again to justify supporting the next ungodly candidate who claims he will support the church. Thus, our post is not so much about Trump but the false notion that God can use an evil man for good. Let’s first examine this idea that God can use evil men for good.
God Can Use an Evil Man for Good, the Genesis of the Cyrus Argument
During the lead-up to the 2016 election, the author was shocked how often his friends deployed the argument that God could use an evil man for good. More surprising was their rejection of any biblical argument to the contrary. A pastor-friend from a mega-church boldly made the claim over lunch. My response was to quote Christ: “a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit” (AV) and “a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17-18). It just doesn’t get clearer than that. This is the Lord Jesus speaking and He is unmistakably clear. Yet this pastor was unmoved!
Fruit-bearing is essential for every Christian and everyone is known by their fruit – whether good or bad. Bearing good fruit was Israel’s purpose. It is a consistent theme throughout Scripture. One is known by their fruit (Matthew 7:16). The claim that God can use an evil man for good is specious. If true, why is Scripture consistent in urging purity and holiness from God’s people? Why was it necessary for Christ to be without sin? If God could use an evil man for good, why didn’t He simply put Satan on the cross and celebrate the defeat of His adversary? The answer is simple: He would have won the battle but lost the war. Satan would have been defeated but God’s people would have been doomed.
So why is it that we’re so willing to believe what we know is dead wrong? First, our leaders have deceived their flocks into believing that politics in the “real world” plays by a different set of rules. By different, they mean a non-biblical set of rules. But this argument is also specious. One need only look at the life of Daniel. He remained chaste and pure, fully complying with Scripture while holding high governmental positions and he was rewarded with great prophetic insight. Joseph provides another powerful example of righteousness.
So What about Cyrus?
Cyrus was an exceptional figure in biblical history. It’s why so many evangelical leaders used him as an example. It’s claimed that Cyrus was a pagan, an unbeliever who didn’t know God but He did something good in allowing the Jewish people to return to the land.
Why is the argument made that he was an unbeliever? There are a couple reasons. First he allowed many captive nations to worship their gods as they saw fit. It is argued that because he advanced this policy that he was not a believer. But this policy simply respected the autonomy of those captive to His kingdom, granting them religious freedom. It was a deft move to tamp down insurrection.
A second reason is that Scripture states Cyrus did not know the God of Israel. Therefore, he had to be pagan. But a careful examination of the Scriptures provides some indications these arguments fall short. Note first that God calls Cyrus “My shepherd” (Isaiah 44:28). It is a surprising descriptor. Shepherd was a word applied to Israel’s religious leaders (Isaiah 56:11; Jeremiah 3:15; 10:26). It suggests that Cyrus has been called by God to lead Israel not in a political way, but a religious way!
This idea is enhanced by another descriptor Isaiah gives Cyrus, “his anointed” (Isaiah 45:1). Cyrus is not just anointed but he is God’s anointed. Anointing was done for those things called for special purposes. Kings were anointed but not so to be successful as political or military leaders, but so they would be godly (e.g. 1 Samuel 15:17-20). Priests were also anointed (Leviticus 4:3-5). Even the altar and foods placed upon it were anointed. The point is, God anointed Cyrus for a special purpose – to bring deliverance to Israel. Those who would claim Cyrus was a pagan should provide evidence where God anointed a pagan. The English word for anointed occurs nearly 100 times in the NIV but the author has not found a single case of where a pagan or ungodly person was anointed. To do so is contrary to its purpose biblically. Yet Isaiah provides an even stronger descriptor of Cyrus:
I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. Isaiah 45:13
God is assuring the Israelites that He will assure Cyrus is righteous. “I will make all his ways straight” is stock language for righteousness (Psalm 5:8; Proverbs 2:13; 3:6; Luke 3:5). This certainly is the testimony of Ezra:
2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “ ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.” (Ezra 1; also 2 Chronicles 36:23)
Notice Cyrus declares “the God of heaven . . . has appointed me to build a temple for him.” (Emphasis mine). Cyrus declares he believes the God of Israel is the God of heaven. That is why the temple must be built in Jerusalem for him. One can argue that perhaps Cyrus was only attempting to curry favor of the Israelites, but it’s hard to argue with his words, and harder to argue with Scripture’s careful inclusion of his words in two different books. So what about Scripture’s statement that Cyrus didn’t acknowledge the God of Israel? Let’s look at that Scripture:
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45)
Note God’s purpose: “I summon you . . . so that . . . people may know there is none beside me. I am the Lord”. Cyrus has been chosen to bear witness to the world that Yahweh is God. Though Cyrus had not acknowledged God with his lips?, his faith is proven not in his words but in his works (James 2:14-20). Saying you have faith doesn’t prove it. The proof is in one’s actions. Cyrus’ actions prove his faith in the God of Israel.
How Have we Gotten it so Wrong?
There are a number of reasons why we have failed to properly grasp this passage on Cyrus.
Cyrus’ Role was Redemptive
First and foremost, Cyrus was given a redemptive role by God. The failure to see this is at the root of substantial misunderstanding. There are a couple clear pointers. In Isaiah 44, Israel is assured she is God’s chosen (vss 1-5), but is urged to abandon her idols (vss 6-20). It was Israel’s idolatry more than any other sin, that brought exile to Babylon. In preparation for her deliverance, she is twice reminded she is God’s servant (45:1-5, 21-23). It is a reminder that she must repent and turn from her idols if she is to be restored to the land (see Deuteronomy 28:63-64; 30:1-3). As God had already planned her deliverance and return to the land, he is reasoning with her, trying to reveal how foolish her idolatry is (Isaiah 44:14-18).
Twice in this speech, God declares Himself Israel’s Redeemer, the first time when reminding Israel she is God’s servant (vs 6) and a second time (vs 24) just before informing Israel that God has appointed Cyrus as agent of Israel’s redemption (vs 28). Cyrus will return the people to Israel and rebuild the city and temple. Rebuilding the temple is key. Without the temple as symbol of the meeting point between God and men and place where mediatorial sacrifices were made, there could be no symbolic restoration of relationship between Israel and God. Cyrus’ promise to allow the temple to be rebuilt, affirms his role is redemptive.
The second pointer is in Isaiah’s descriptor of Cyrus as God’s shepherd (vs 28). Shepherd is a word applied to religious leaders and their oversight. The prophets frequently complained about the evil of Israel’s shepherds (Isaiah 56:11; Jeremiah 10:21; 12:10; 23:1-2; 25:34-36; 50:6; Ezekiel 34:2, 8-10) and calling Cyrus (a foreigner) God’s shepherd certainly contrasts with Israel’s failed shepherds.
Jeremiah prophesied that God would raise up righteous shepherds (Jeremiah 23:4) to replace the unrighteous ones. He would not leave His flock poorly attended. The prophecy was realized in Christ (John 10:11-14). Critically, Cyrus is a forerunner to Christ as Good Shepherd. To suggest that Cyrus was either evil or pagan contradicts God’s purpose vouchsafed in Cyrus. God would not use a pagan or evil person to model Christ. Hence why Cyrus is described as righteous! Most important, these pointers affirm Cyrus’ role as redemptive, designed to illustrate the greater promised exodus that would be led by Jesus Christ. It is why God “raised up Cyrus in righteousness”. He was to point to Christ as Israel’s true redeemer.
Our Leaders Removed Redemptive Context to Justify a Forbidden Alliance
Our leaders, in their rush to promote a candidate with a contemptable moral record, were quick to distort the Cyrus narrative to fit their agenda. The critical step was to remove Cyrus from his redemptive purpose. It was required for success. But far worse, they bear guilt for removing moral requirements from the role of a political leader. They sold their followers on the bogus idea that moral requirements of non-church leaders are different than for church leaders. By different, they mean lower . . . substantially lower, so low that they might as well be non-existent. Contrast their hypocrisy with Paul’s warning:
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6
All Christian leaders know this passage. The author quoted this passage to his pastor-friend to no avail. Everyone knows what it says and everyone understands we are forbidden to yoke ourselves together with unbelievers. Yoke were placed upon oxen for plowing fields. Paul’s illustration reveals that our work as believers cannot be accomplished by unbelievers or assisted by unbelievers. Every Christian knows that . . . but oh how we live in denial. When the Scriptures get tough, we ignore the Scriptures.
Perhaps the reason its so easy to dismiss this passage is the failure to realize its redemptive context. It’s precisely because this passage is redemptive that it is crucial that Christians abide by it. Paul’s questions lay the foundation for a redemptive argument. Righteousness and wickedness have nothing in common, light and darkness have no fellowship together, Christ and Belial certainly have no harmony and there can be no agreement between the temple of God and idols. Paul is preparing the reader for God’s redemptive separation of righteous from unrighteous. Note vs 17, “Come out from them and be separate . . . touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you”.
“Come out” is the language of exodus! Israel had to come out from Egypt, later from Babylon and now at the end of the ages, believers must also exodus from the evil inherent in our world and its pagan leaders. It is the same message John prophesies to believers who foolishly take membership in the unclean and evil harlot Babylon. “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins” (Revelation 18:4). John urges believers to come out so that they will not be destroyed in God’s judgment of Babylon. Paul urges believers to come out so that we will be received into God’s presence in heaven. Thus, Paul has redemption front and center in crafting this passage!
We Have Rejected God’s Commands Because of Idolatry
While a redemptive understanding of these passages assures proper understanding, it is not required. The language of 2 Corinthians 6 is unmistakable just as Christ’s warnings of Matthew 7 are clear. So why are we so quick to dismiss God’s commands? The NIV perhaps provides a clue. It places a heading just over Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians 6: “Warnings Against Idolatry”. Idolatry, as the greatest of all sins, can bring spiritual blindness (Isaiah 6:9-10).
Idolatry brought Israel into exile and captivity to Babylon. In our age, there is a new Babylon that has taken many into its idolatrous system of wealth, power and privilege (see Revelation 18). Israel in exile to Babylon had to give up their useless idols and turn to God if they were to re-enter the land and be restored to God through Cyrus (Isaiah 44). Similarly, the church must throw away our idols if we intend to enter God’s heavenly land through a greater-than-Cyrus, Christ (Hebrews 11:16).
Ridding ourselves of idolatry begins with the leadership. God revealed to Ezekiel that Israel’s leaders had become idolaters (Ezekiel 8:9-12). He was given a vision of the temple in which idolatry was practiced by the people and their leaders, the seventy elders of Israel.
While no Christian wishes to think their pastor or favorite Christian leader is an idolater, ask yourself why so many in the church are being told that they must support conservative candidates regardless of their morality? The answer is power. Our leaders desire political power – power to write the rules and by implication, power to determine upon whom those rules apply.
A prevalent Christian narrative has been that the church is under attack by liberals with an anti-church, anti-God agenda. The accompanying narrative of conservative Christian leaders has not been a call for moral leaders, but conservative leaders. The same argument was advanced regarding the Supreme Court. There was never a demand for Christian justices, only conservative justices. Conservative politics has become a favorite idol among conservative Christians, much like liberal politics is an idol among liberal Christians. But again Scripture is clear. Note the requirement for selection of a king for Israel:
15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. 18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Deuteronomy 17
These are the requirements for king, a position of political leadership! He must be a man of God (of Israel), not build a standing military (acquire horses), have one wife so his heart is not led astray, not be rich, intensely study Scripture and follow God’s laws and not consider himself better than his fellow citizens. Not one of these requirements has been cited by leading evangelicals for political leadership. Quite the opposite, they have worked tirelessly claiming none of these requirements are necessary. Worse, they have advanced a contrary narrative that rich candidates are better, sexual fidelity cannot be expected and military spend is of critical import.
The most stunning part of this ruse is the lie that their favorite conservative candidate was “God’s man”. Being “sure to appoint . . . a king the Lord . . . chooses” isn’t in view. What matters is to be sure to appoint a candidate church leaders choose. The appalling part is how bald-faced the lie is. Verses 16-20 make it undeniable who God’s choice is. But to follow God’s law strips the church of its worldly political power. When pointing this Scripture out to my pastor-friend and other believers, the answer consistently came back, “well, then I wouldn’t be able to vote, and I can’t accept that.”
Even their response is dishonest. I was able to name Christians they could vote for. That was not the problem. The problem was that they wouldn’t be able to vote for the candidate they wanted. In the end, they didn’t want a Christian as President. They wanted a conservative. Such is the political idolatry that has deeply infected the church.
Our Leaders do not Understand the True Meaning of Deuteronomy 17
The tragedy is our failure to properly discern the meaning of Deuteronomy 17. Israel was allowed to pick a king for themselves even though the law assigned leadership to the priests and elders. Why? Because Deuteronomy 17 is intended to point to the truth that Israel’s choice for king needed to be the Messiah and none other. That’s why the bar is set so high. Israel foolishly dismissed these requirements and settled for Saul. The result was catastrophic (see 1 Samuel 8:11-18). Critical was God’s answer to their demand of a king: “they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7). And this is what our leaders have done. In choosing their favorite candidate, they have rejected Christ.
How have we rejected Christ? By rejecting Scripture’s laws, most fundamental being to come out from the world and be separate. Paul tells us that we are already citizens with God’s people – meaning we are already citizens of God’s kingdom. We have Christ as our king and thus need no earthly king or leader. More than that, as citizens in God’s kingdom, Paul’s implication is that we are no longer citizens in the kingdoms of this world. By insisting on exercising our rights of citizenship in this world, we are in effect, rejecting our heavenly citizenship. One cannot have both. As Paul said, we must come out from the wicked world in which we live.
It is for the reasons stated above, that the author decided over twenty years ago, to no longer vote. The only kingdom that should matter, is the kingdom of God. And the only priority should be to extend citizenship to as many in our world as possible, convincing them to become members of God’s kingdom. If only we showed as fervent support for Christ as many Christians have shown for Trump!
Sadly, another “Cyrus” will be advanced despite that Christ has fulfilled all that Cyrus accomplished in shadow. Because Christ has come and redeemed His people, there is no longer need for another Cyrus . . . or Esther . . . or anyone else to redeem or deliver us. Christ has already delivered His people and met all our needs. Don’t buy the lie. Donald Trump is not the new Cyrus, nor is Mike Pence is the new Judas. Jesus is the only answer.