选民虚假的虔诚

以赛亚书29:14    我在这百姓中要行奇妙的事,就是奇妙又奇妙的事。他们智慧人的智慧必然消灭,聪明人的聪明必然隐藏。   

阅读经文:以赛亚书29:1-14

1「唉,亚利伊勒,亚利伊勒,大卫安营的城!任凭你年上加年,节期照常周流, 2 我终必使亚利伊勒困难,她必悲伤哀号,我却仍以她为亚利伊勒。 3 我必四围安营攻击你,屯兵围困你,筑垒攻击你。 4 你必败落,从地中说话,你的言语必微细出于尘埃。你的声音必像那交鬼者的声音出于地,你的言语低低微微出于尘埃。

本段为第二个「祸哉」,先知论到亚利伊勒(即祭坛的火炉之意)将成为耶路撒冷的另一个名字。用以宣示耶路撒冷素来为有神祭坛设立之处,但却年复一年的维持外表上的节期与献祭,而丧失了对神的内在虔敬(29:1、13)。因此,神要攻击耶路撒冷,使这城成为名符其实的亚利伊勒。然而,在耶路撒冷真实归回自己之前,它要先成为被攻击而败落的尘土,它要「从地中向神哀告」(比喻卑微凄凉的处境)(29:3-4)。神要扫除国中所有虚假的虔诚,这虚假的虔诚乃是基于对时势的错误认知,他们过度靠埃及,以致于漠视对耶和神真心的求告。

Turning Your Desert into Springs

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 35:1-10.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 35:1-10 (NIV)
1  The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
2  it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
3  Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
4  say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

On verses 1-10:  Isaiah paints the picture of a desert becoming a place of joy, glory, refreshing and healing, where “[t]he burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs” (v7)), where the lame leap and the mute shout for joy (v6), and where streams flow in the desert (v6).  For those of us who struggle with fear, verse 4 can be especially comforting.

领袖虚幻的盼望

以赛亚书28:16   所以主耶和华如此说:「看哪,我在锡安放一块石头作为根基,是试验过的石头,是稳固根基,宝贵的房角石,信靠的人必不着急。 

阅读经文:以赛亚书28:1-29

1祸哉,以法莲的酒徒!住在肥美谷的山上,他们心里高傲,以所夸的为冠冕,犹如将残之花。 2 看哪,主有一大能大力者,像一阵冰雹,像毁灭的暴风,像涨溢的大水,他必用手将冠冕摔落于地。 3 以法莲高傲的酒徒,他的冠冕必被踏在脚下。 4 那荣美将残之花,就是在肥美谷山上的,必像夏令以前初熟的无花果,看见这果的就注意,一到手中就吞吃了。

从第二十八章以后到卅五章,是以赛亚再度公开的宣讲时期,这与当时亚述的西拿基立入侵有关。

此一部份从28~33章是论到有关神的百姓的信息,第34~35章则是论到列国的信息。前一部份先知提到了有关神百姓的六重灾祸,每一重灾祸都是以「祸灾」作为开头。今天的内容乃是第一个「祸哉」,论到犹大以为联合埃及就能够抵抗亚述的想法,乃是虚幻不切实际的。

在一开始,先知向犹大举以法莲(即北国)被摧毁为例,说明了犹大正踩在以法莲的老路,不思依靠耶和华神,却注目于向其他强国求援。他称以法莲为「酒徒」,乃是象征以法莲在属灵上的混乱,只重现实麻醉自己,丝毫没有危机意识。

神必为选民击打仇敌

以赛亚书27:6  将来雅各要扎根,以色列要发芽开花,他们的果实必充满世界。 

阅读经文:以赛亚书27:1-13

1到那日,耶和华必用他刚硬有力的大刀刑罚鳄鱼,就是那快行的蛇,刑罚鳄鱼,就是那曲行的蛇,并杀海中的大鱼。

2 当那日,有出酒的葡萄园,你们要指这园唱歌说: 3 「我耶和华是看守葡萄园的,我必时刻浇灌,昼夜看守,免得有人损害。 4 我心中不存愤怒,唯愿荆棘蒺藜与我交战,我就勇往直前,把她一同焚烧。 5 不然,让它持住我的能力,使她与我和好;愿她与我和好!」 6 将来雅各要扎根,以色列要发芽开花,他们的果实必充满世界。

本段主旨是论到神使列国复兴的第三小段,先知以简短有力的声调,阐述了神将为选民的原故,击打一切的仇敌。祂以葡萄园主人照管护卫葡萄园的比喻,来说明犹大将临的复兴。

在这一段中包含了最后第四至第七个信息,仍以「到那日」为信息的起头。分别是:神对恶势力的审判、葡萄园之歌、雅各打碎偶像后复得赦免、被赶散之民赴圣山的敬拜。

27:1〔第四个信息〕论到神对恶势力的审判,祂刚硬有力的大刀,要将海中的「鳄鱼」(在诗74:13埃及法老被形容为鳄鱼,鳄鱼栖息在尼罗河及非洲其他的河流中,生性残暴,专被用以象征凶暴的君王,它动作迅速,游行极快,因此又被称为『快行的蛇、曲行的蛇』,在此则指残暴的埃及)、「大鱼」(敏捷的巴比伦)一一刺杀对付。

The Wrath of God Expressed

Today’s passage is Isaiah 34:1-17. Let’s go!

Isaiah 34:1-17 (NIV)
1 Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter.
3 Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed.

On verses 1-17:  Isaiah 34 is the wrath of God speaking.  Because God is a just and holy God who cannot tolerate sin and wickedness, and because people in all the nations around the world are guilty of sin and wickedness, Isaiah 34 describes the wrath of God toward all nations around the world because of their sin.   That is why Romans 3:23 says that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” while Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death”.  In Isaiah 34 we see God’s justice and wrath being expressed.

The King In His Beauty

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:17-24.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 33:17-24 (NIV)
17  Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.
18  In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: “Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”
19  You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.
20  Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.

On verses 17-24:  Remember that so far in Isaiah 28 to 32 (which I call the “Five Woes and Five Hopes” section of Isaiah), Isaiah presents messages of woe and hope to Judah.  Each message contains not only a picture of destruction that Judah would face, but even more a picture of hope and restoration that Judah would experience.  We see that happening here again in Isaiah 33.  The picture of destruction was in verses 1-16.  Now in verses 17-24 Isaiah describes how peaceful Jerusalem will be the moment God removes the threat of Assyria.

耶和华是永久的磐石

以赛亚书26:4  你们当倚靠耶和华,直到永远,因为耶和华是永久的磐石。 

阅读经文:以赛亚书26:1-21

1当那日,在犹大地人必唱这歌说:「我们有坚固的城,耶和华要将救恩定为城墙,为外郭。 2 敞开城门,使守信的义民得以进入! 3 坚心倚赖你的,你必保守他十分平安,因为他倚靠你。 4 你们当倚靠耶和华,直到永远,因为耶和华是永久的磐石。 5 他使住高处的与高城一并败落,将城拆毁,拆平直到尘埃。 6 要被脚践踏,就是被困苦人的脚和穷乏人的脚践踏。」 7 义人的道是正直的,你为正直的主,必修平义人的路。

赛26:1-21是论到神使列国复兴的第二小段,先知以诗歌的方式吟唱出第三个信息内容,同样以「当那日」做为信息的起头。

本章是一首赞美诗,颂扬对耶和华神真正相信者的得胜。在诗歌中先知以新城的歌与旧城的歌为对比(26:1为犹太民众称颂救恩之赞歌,26:2为耶和华神接纳义民的回应26:3-19为犹太民众对神各样属性的赞歌,26:20-21为耶和华神安慰庇护的回应),交错指出神将成为相信祂的犹大百姓的新坚固城(26:1-4),而那些骄傲的外邦旧城之民将面临败落的命运(26:5-6)。

论弥赛亚的降临

以赛亚书25:1  耶和华啊,祢是我的神!我要尊崇祢,我要称赞祢的名,因为祢以忠信诚实行过奇妙的事,成就祢古时所定的。

阅读经文:以赛亚书24:21-25:12

24:21  到那日,耶和华在高处必惩罚高处的众军,在地上必惩罚地上的列王。 22 他们必被聚集,像囚犯被聚在牢狱中,并要囚在监牢里,多日之后便被讨罪。 23 那时,月亮要蒙羞,日头要惭愧,因为万军之耶和华必在锡安山,在耶路撒冷做王,在敬畏祂的长老面前必有荣耀。

先知在论述完弥赛亚来临之前世界的荒凉之后,接着便提到弥赛亚的降临将带给世界的复兴。此一部份又分为三小段:廿四章21~廿五章12是第一小段,论到神使列国复兴的原因。

在这一小段中包括七个「到那日」信息的前两个信息。

第一个信息为24:21~25:8,指出耶和华的统治。先知提到当「那日」(指审判世界的日子),在天上,耶和华必惩罚「高处的众军」(指天上的恶灵);在地上,列国的君王要像囚犯一般,被耶和华神所聚集监禁(24:21-22),最后他们的罪行将要像囚犯一般被聚集,正如当年他们对待俘掳一般。等到关锁多日之后,他们今要被「讨罪」(指接受审判)。列王将被废而丢弃权位,他们虽自比为像日头与月亮般的高洁发光,至终无法不在荣耀威严的耶和华神面前感到自惭形秽(24:23上)。此情此景,使先知以赛亚不禁想起当年与摩西在西乃山上的那七十位长老,在耶和面前一面吃喝,一面观看耶和华的作为的故事,因而以此加强叙述神的威荣(24:23下)。

Not by Our Merit, But by God’s Mercy

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:1-16.  Let’s go!   As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself a couple times and see what you can extract from the passage before reading the message below.

Isaiah 33:1 (NIV)
1  Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.

On verse 1:  Remember that chapters 28-33 contain 5 messages of both woe and hope, all in connection with Judah, Judah’s alliance with Egypt and the threat of Assyria.  Here in this third of five messages of woe, Isaiah is likely addressing Assyria and predicting that after Assyria has destroyed other nations, Assyria itself will be destroyed.  The reason Isaiah calls Assyria a “traitor” is possibly because Assyria and Judah seemed to make peace in 2 Kings 18:13-16, only for Assyria to break that peace shortly after and invade Judah (as described in 2 Chronicles 32:1).

论推罗

以赛亚书23:8    推罗本是赐冠冕的,她的商家是王子,她的买卖人是世上的尊贵人。遭遇如此,是谁定的呢?

阅读经文:以赛亚书23:1-18

1论推罗的默示。他施的船只,都要哀号!因为推罗变为荒场,甚至没有房屋,没有可进之路。这消息是从基提地得来的。 2 沿海的居民,就是素来靠航海西顿的商家得丰盛的,你们当静默无言! 3 在大水之上,西曷的粮食、尼罗河的庄稼是推罗的进项,她做列国的大码头。 4 西顿哪,你当惭愧!因为大海说,就是海中的保障说:「我没有劬劳,也没有生产;没有养育男子,也没有抚养童女。」 5 这风声传到埃及,埃及人为推罗的风声极其疼痛。 6 推罗人哪,你们当过到他施去!沿海的居民哪,你们都当哀号! 7 这是你们欢乐的城,从上古而有的吗?其中的居民往远方寄居。

本段论到推罗的预言共分为两部份,第一部份(23:1-14)以诗歌体材叙述推罗的毁灭。第二部份(23:15-18)的散文则提到灾后七十年推罗将有复兴。

在第一部份中,先知以腓尼基的船员在基提(即居比路)听到推罗的恶耗,惊讶地发现停泊港他施已经被迫封闭了(23:1「没有可进之路」)做为这首挽歌的起头。这一个以往主要靠着载运埃及西曷(即尼罗河)的谷物而致富的国家(23:3、5),一夕之间变成了废墟,腓尼基的水手们因找不到终点的停靠港而哀号,埃及这一个托运大国也为它悲痛(23:5),因为尼罗河的谷物再也找不到出口港了(23:3)。