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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安慰被掳之民的声音

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以赛亚书40:8   草必枯干，花必凋残，唯有我们神的话必永远立定。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 40:1-11

1你们的神说：「你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓！ 2 要对耶路撒冷说安慰的话，又向她宣告说，她争战的日子已满了，她的罪孽赦免了，她为自己的一切罪从耶和华手中加倍受罚。」3 有人声喊著说：「在旷野预备耶和华的路，在沙漠地修平我们神的道！ 4 一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平，高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。 5 耶和华的荣耀必然显现，凡有血气的必一同看见，因为这是耶和华亲口说的。」

以赛亚书第一至卅九章为第一部，主题为神对选民的审判。而从四十章以后至六十六章进入第二部，主题是神的选民蒙安慰。本段（40:1-11）被认为是第四十至五十五章（第二以赛亚）的序言。第四十至五十五章预言的当代历史背景是：亚述已经没落，巴比伦已被新兴的波斯所取代，波斯王古列被神拣选释放神的百姓归回，归回后的犹大百姓并且计划重建圣殿。综观四十至六十六章，其内容均论述到在希西家统治下的犹大，以后将被掳与归回的预言。

本小段一开始由先知呼喊「你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓」揭开序幕，这象征著一个新的救赎时代已经来临，亦即弥赛亚的时代将临。接着，先知宣布因新时代的来临，犹大的罪获得了赦免，战争要完全停止，因为它所受的刑罚已经「加倍」（指足够了，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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希西家的愚眛误国

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以赛亚书39:6 日子必到，凡你家里所有的，并你列祖积蓄到如今的，都要被掳到巴比伦去，不留下一样。这是耶和华说的。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 39:1-8

1那时，巴比伦王巴拉但的儿子米罗达巴拉但听见希西家病而痊愈，就送书信和礼物给他。 2 希西家喜欢见使者，就把自己宝库的金子、银子、香料、贵重的膏油和他武库的一切军器，并所有的财宝，都给他们看。他家中和全国之内，希西家没有一样不给他们看的。

痊愈后的希西家重获了生机，然而，此时的希西家却让我们体验到，人在患难中可以紧紧抓住神，在平安顺利中却容易遗忘神的心态。这也是以赛亚要将本段历史记录在书卷中的目的。

事情是这样子的，当亚述王西拿基立被他的两个儿子刺杀之后，以撒哈顿续位，然而新兴的巴比伦羽翼渐丰，一直追求扩展外交，想要遂其取代亚述称霸的野心。因此，巴比伦王便派遣自己的儿子米罗达巴拉旦带着礼物前来假装向希西家道贺病得痊愈。表面上是好意，骨子里却是想一探犹大国的虚实。

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希西家的绝症与神主动的医治

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以赛亚书 38:17  看哪，我受大苦本为使我得平安，祢因爱我的灵魂，便救我脱离败坏的坑，因为祢将我一切的罪扔在祢的背后。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 38:1-22

1那时，希西家病得要死。亚摩斯的儿子先知以赛亚去见他，对他说：「耶和华如此说：你当留遗命于你的家，因为你必死，不能活了。」 2 希西家就转脸朝墙，祷告耶和华说： 3 「耶和华啊，求你记念我在你面前怎样存完全的心，按诚实行事，又做你眼中所看为善的。」希西家就痛哭了。

本段记载希西家王的绝症复得医治的故事，先知记载本段的意义，乃是为了再次显示耶和华神的怜悯，并点出希西家王个人的信仰转变。君王乃是一个国家的象征，君王的信仰往往是改变一个国家命运的关键，因此以赛亚特别写下这一段故事，也给我们后来的人阅读时，可以有所勉励。

故事一开始提到「那时」希西家王染了绝症（希西家二十五岁登基，此事发生在希西家十四年，因此当时的希西家约莫四十岁，算是中年），而先知以赛亚也奉耶和华之命前去向希西家宣告死讯，并要他「留遗命与你的家」（38:1指安排好王位继承人）。你想神还需要对一个濒死的人再不厌其烦的派先知去向他宣告死讯吗？耶和华神如此作，必定有祂的目的。事实上，这乃是神想要主动医治希西家的一个动作，透过先知的宣告，把希西家生命中敬畏神的一面激发出来（38:2a），并且激励希西家诚实的面对神（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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神对西拿基立的审判

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以赛亚书 37:31  犹大家所逃脱余剩的，仍要往下扎根，向上结果。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 37:21-38

21 亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚就打发人去见希西家，说：「耶和华以色列的神如此说：你既然求我攻击亚述王西拿基立， 22 所以耶和华论他这样说：『锡安的处女藐视你，嗤笑你，耶路撒冷的女子向你摇头。 23 你辱骂谁，亵渎谁？扬起声来，高举眼目攻击谁呢？乃是攻击以色列的圣者！ 24 你藉你的臣仆辱骂主，说：「我率领许多战车上山顶，到黎巴嫩极深之处，我要砍伐其中高大的香柏树和佳美的松树，我必上极高之处，进入肥田的树林。 25 我已经挖井喝水，我必用脚掌踏干埃及的一切河。」』

西拿基立真应了「骄傲在败坏以先，狂心在跌倒之前」这一句话。他的信当被希西家呈递在耶华神的面前的时候，促使耶和华神决心立即惩罚这一个傲慢之徒，祂借着以赛亚传递了亚述队即将被摧毁的预言（37:21-29）。而同时，先知也宣告了耶和华给犹大的证据，以未来连年五谷丰收来证明耶和华必拯救到底（37:30-32）。希西家向犹大发预言说：「以色列人哪！我赐你们一个证据。你们今年要吃自生的，明年也要吃自长的，至于后年，你们要耕种收割栽植葡萄园，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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希西家的忧虑与祷告

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以赛亚书 37:6  以赛亚对他们说：要这样对你们的主人说：『耶和华如此说：你听见亚述王的仆人亵渎我的话，不要惧怕。  

阅读经文：以赛亚书 37:1-20

1希西家王听见，就撕裂衣服，披上麻布，进了耶和华的殿。 2 使家宰以利亚敬和书记舍伯那并祭司中的长老都披上麻布，去见亚摩斯的儿子先知以赛亚， 3 对他说：「希西家如此说：今日是急难、责罚、凌辱的日子，就如妇人将要生产婴孩，却没有力量生产。 4 或者耶和华你的神听见拉伯沙基的话，就是他主人亚述王打发他来辱骂永生神的话，耶和华你的神听见这话就发斥责。故此，求你为余剩的民扬声祷告。」

当希西家听到以利亚敬等三位使者向他所做的报告之后，他就忧忧愁愁的进入圣殿（37:1），因为当时的亚述王西拿基立已然攻下了犹大城邑总计四十六座，这对希西家来说是极大的挫败。然而，同时希西家也差人去见先知以赛亚（37:2），显然他的心里已经意识到唯有他的祖先所事奉的那一位神才可能帮助他，而先前一切投靠埃及的主张乃是不智的。或许先前希西家较倾向靠埃及的看法，没有决心倚靠耶和华，所以此时虽然进入圣殿，心里却不敢面对神祷告。

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