God Always Has Your Best Interest in Mind

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 48.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 48:1-7 (NIV)
1  “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel– but not in truth or righteousness–
2  you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel– the LORD Almighty is his name:
3  I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
4  For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6  You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.
7  They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’
 
On verses 1-7:  So as to hopefully bypass the hardness of His own people’s hearts, God decided to tell the Jewish exiles way in advance (i.e. 150 years in advance) through Isaiah that they would be released from captivity in Babylon.  That way they could not credit their release from captivity to an idol (v5) or claim that they knew this themselves (v7).

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安慰被擄之民的聲音

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以賽亞書40:8   草必枯乾，花必凋殘，唯有我們神的話必永遠立定。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 40:1-11

1你們的神說：「你們要安慰，安慰我的百姓！ 2 要對耶路撒冷說安慰的話，又向她宣告說，她爭戰的日子已滿了，她的罪孽赦免了，她為自己的一切罪從耶和華手中加倍受罰。」3 有人聲喊著說：「在曠野預備耶和華的路，在沙漠地修平我們神的道！ 4 一切山窪都要填滿，大小山岡都要削平，高高低低的要改為平坦，崎崎嶇嶇的必成為平原。 5 耶和華的榮耀必然顯現，凡有血氣的必一同看見，因為這是耶和華親口說的。」

以賽亞書第一至卅九章為第一部，主題為神對選民的審判。而從四十章以後至六十六章進入第二部，主題是神的選民蒙安慰。本段（40:1-11）被認為是第四十至五十五章（第二以賽亞）的序言。第四十至五十五章預言的當代歷史背景是：亞述已經沒落，巴比倫已被新興的波斯所取代，波斯王古列被神揀選釋放神的百姓歸回，歸回後的猶大百姓並且計劃重建聖殿。綜觀四十至六十六章，其內容均論述到在希西家統治下的猶大，以後將被擄與歸回的預言。

本小段一開始由先知呼喊「你們要安慰，安慰我的百姓」揭開序幕，這象徵著一個新的救贖時代已經來臨，亦即彌賽亞的時代將臨。接著，先知宣佈因新時代的來臨，猶大的罪獲得了赦免，戰爭要完全停止，因為它所受的刑罰已經「加倍」（指足夠了，40:2）。

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When God Gives You Power

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 47.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 47:1-11 (NIV)
1  “Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.
2  Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams.
3  Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”
4  Our Redeemer–the LORD Almighty is his name– is the Holy One of Israel.

On verses 1-11:  About 150 years before it happens, Isaiah predicts the fall of the Babylonian empire.  God used Babylon to discipline Israel and Judah (v6a), but Babylon was merciless in how she exercised her power (v6b).  Babylon was also full of pride, thinking that she had no equal (v10) and could never suffer harm (v8).  So God will hold Babylon to account.  Babylon “the queen of kingdoms” (v5) will be dethroned.

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希西家的愚眛誤國

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以賽亞書39:6 日子必到，凡你家裡所有的，並你列祖積蓄到如今的，都要被擄到巴比倫去，不留下一樣。這是耶和華說的。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 39:1-8

1那時，巴比倫王巴拉但的兒子米羅達巴拉但聽見希西家病而痊癒，就送書信和禮物給他。 2 希西家喜歡見使者，就把自己寶庫的金子、銀子、香料、貴重的膏油和他武庫的一切軍器，並所有的財寶，都給他們看。他家中和全國之內，希西家沒有一樣不給他們看的。

痊癒後的希西家重獲了生機，然而，此時的希西家卻讓我們體驗到，人在患難中可以緊緊抓住神，在平安順利中卻容易遺忘神的心態。這也是以賽亞要將本段歷史記錄在書卷中的目的。

事情是這樣子的，當亞述王西拿基立被他的兩個兒子刺殺之後，以撒哈頓續位，然而新興的巴比倫羽翼漸豐，一直追求擴展外交，想要遂其取代亞述稱霸的野心。因此，巴比倫王便派遣自己的兒子米羅達巴拉旦帶著禮物前來假裝向希西家道賀病得痊癒。表面上是好意，骨子裡卻是想一探猶大國的虛實。

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希西家的絕症與神主動的醫治

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以賽亞書 38:17  看哪，我受大苦本為使我得平安，祢因愛我的靈魂，便救我脫離敗壞的坑，因為祢將我一切的罪扔在祢的背後。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 38:1-22

1那時，希西家病得要死。亞摩斯的兒子先知以賽亞去見他，對他說：「耶和華如此說：你當留遺命於你的家，因為你必死，不能活了。」 2 希西家就轉臉朝牆，禱告耶和華說： 3 「耶和華啊，求你記念我在你面前怎樣存完全的心，按誠實行事，又做你眼中所看為善的。」希西家就痛哭了。

本段記載希西家王的絕症復得醫治的故事，先知記載本段的意義，乃是為了再次顯示耶和華神的憐憫，並點出希西家王個人的信仰轉變。君王乃是一個國家的象徵，君王的信仰往往是改變一個國家命運的關鍵，因此以賽亞特別寫下這一段故事，也給我們後來的人閱讀時，可以有所勉勵。

故事一開始提到「那時」希西家王染了絕症（希西家二十五歲登基，此事發生在希西家十四年，因此當時的希西家約莫四十歲，算是中年），而先知以賽亞也奉耶和華之命前去向希西家宣告死訊，並要他「留遺命與你的家」（38:1指安排好王位繼承人）。你想神還需要對一個瀕死的人再不厭其煩的派先知去向他宣告死訊嗎？耶和華神如此作，必定有祂的目的。事實上，這乃是神想要主動醫治希西家的一個動作，透過先知的宣告，把希西家生命中敬畏神的一面激發出來（38:2a），並且激勵希西家誠實的面對神（38:2b）。

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Even When Lifelessness Surrounds You, Hang Onto The LORD

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 45:14-25.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 45:14 (NIV)
14  This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans– they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.'”
 
On verse 14:  In verses 14-25 we see God speaking reassuring words to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, encouraging them to not give up seeking the LORD and to put their trust in Him regardless of whatever anyone else around them does. 
 
Here in verse 14 in particular we see a picture of other nations recognizing the Lord as the one true God.  The image of the Egyptians, Cushites and Sabeans coming over to the Jews in chains may sound like the Jews are going to imprison and enslave these other nations, but I think a better reading of this is that the Egyptians, Cushites and Sabeans will come to the Jews for help with their pre-existing chains.  That is because idolatry produces bondage but where the Spirit of the LORD is there is freedom.

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神對西拿基立的審判

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以賽亞書 37:31  猶大家所逃脫餘剩的，仍要往下扎根，向上結果。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 37:21-38

21 亞摩斯的兒子以賽亞就打發人去見希西家，說：「耶和華以色列的神如此說：你既然求我攻擊亞述王西拿基立， 22 所以耶和華論他這樣說：『錫安的處女藐視你，嗤笑你，耶路撒冷的女子向你搖頭。 23 你辱罵誰，褻瀆誰？揚起聲來，高舉眼目攻擊誰呢？乃是攻擊以色列的聖者！ 24 你藉你的臣僕辱罵主，說：「我率領許多戰車上山頂，到黎巴嫩極深之處，我要砍伐其中高大的香柏樹和佳美的松樹，我必上極高之處，進入肥田的樹林。 25 我已經挖井喝水，我必用腳掌踏乾埃及的一切河。」』

西拿基立真應了「驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前」這一句話。他的信當被希西家呈遞在耶華神的面前的時候，促使耶和華神決心立即懲罰這一個傲慢之徒，祂藉著以賽亞傳遞了亞述隊即將被摧毀的預言（37:21-29）。而同時，先知也宣告了耶和華給猶大的證據，以未來連年五穀豐收來證明耶和華必拯救到底（37:30-32）。希西家向猶大發預言說：「以色列人哪！我賜你們一個證據。你們今年要吃自生的，明年也要吃自長的，至於後年，你們要耕種收割栽植葡萄園，吃其中的果子」。

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The God Who Calls You By Name

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 44:23-45:13.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 44:23-27 (NIV)
23  Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.
24  “This is what the LORD says– your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
25  who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
26  who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27  who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’

On verses 23-27:  These verses speak of how God will speak into existence the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem and have them rebuild their ruined city.  God will do this to the chagrin of false prophets, diviners and so-called experts who claimed this would never happen (v25).  As verse 23 suggests, it would be a glorious day when God would redeem His people by allowing the Jewish exiles to be set free.  In verse 27, God seems to compare this miracle to His earlier miracles in Exodus when He would allow His people to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan River on dry land.

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God Vs. Idols

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 44:6-22.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 44:6-8 (NIV)
6  “This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
7  Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come– yes, let him foretell what will come.
8  Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
 
On verses 6-8:  One of the biggest themes in Isaiah 40-66 is that the LORD is the one true God.  Only God is able to foretell what is to come.

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希西家的憂慮與禱告

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以賽亞書 37:6  以賽亞對他們說：要這樣對你們的主人說：『耶和華如此說：你聽見亞述王的僕人褻瀆我的話，不要懼怕。  

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 37:1-20

1希西家王聽見，就撕裂衣服，披上麻布，進了耶和華的殿。 2 使家宰以利亞敬和書記舍伯那並祭司中的長老都披上麻布，去見亞摩斯的兒子先知以賽亞， 3 對他說：「希西家如此說：今日是急難、責罰、凌辱的日子，就如婦人將要生產嬰孩，卻沒有力量生產。 4 或者耶和華你的神聽見拉伯沙基的話，就是他主人亞述王打發他來辱罵永生神的話，耶和華你的神聽見這話就發斥責。故此，求你為餘剩的民揚聲禱告。」

當希西家聽到以利亞敬等三位使者向他所做的報告之後，他就憂憂愁愁的進入聖殿（37:1），因為當時的亞述王西拿基立已然攻下了猶大城邑總計四十六座，這對希西家來說是極大的挫敗。然而，同時希西家也差人去見先知以賽亞（37:2），顯然他的心裡已經意識到唯有他的祖先所事奉的那一位神才可能幫助他，而先前一切投靠埃及的主張乃是不智的。或許先前希西家較傾向靠埃及的看法，沒有決心倚靠耶和華，所以此時雖然進入聖殿，心裡卻不敢面對神禱告。

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