A Shelter from the Wind and the Storm

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 32:1-20.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 32:1-8 (NIV)
1  See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.
2  Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3  Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4  The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5  No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

On verses 1-8:  Isaiah predicts the day when a king will reign in righteousness and his princes will reign with him in justice (v1).  Because of their righteous, just rule, they will provide refuge and refreshing for the people (v2), the simple and stuttering will find understanding and clarity (v3-4), while scoundrels will be found out (v5).  Whereas people suffer under the rule of a fool (v6-7), people will prosper under the rule of this noble king (v8).

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论异象谷

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以赛亚书22:22   我必将大卫家的钥匙放在他肩头上，他开无人能关，他关无人能开。

阅读经文：以赛亚书22:1-25

1论异象谷的默示。有什么事使你这满城的人都上房顶呢？ 2 你这满处呐喊、大有喧哗的城，欢乐的邑啊，你中间被杀的，并不是被刀杀，也不是因打仗死亡。 3 你所有的官长一同逃跑，都为弓箭手所捆绑；你中间一切被找到的都一同被捆绑，他们本是逃往远方的。 4 所以我说：「你们转眼不看我，我要痛哭！不要因我众民[a]的毁灭就竭力安慰我。」

本段为「论异象谷的默示」，根据22:9-10的经文可知，所谓异象谷乃是指大卫城，也就是耶路撒冷，因耶路撒冷附近有许多山谷，其中有称为「嘉美的谷」的（22:7指利乏音谷，此处的土地最为肥沃），而这异象的内容乃是发生在这些山谷中。

在本段中先知论到耶路撒冷在大祸临头之前，却仍酖迷于犯罪作乐之中，因此，先知不仅宣布了耶路撒冷的罪状，更转述神将撤换朝中主张与埃及结盟以抵抗巴比伦的那一批政客。因他们以为与埃及结盟，就可以使犹大高枕无忧了，而这观念（「有甚么事使你……」）便是先知嘲问百姓在大难来临惊恐呐喊的原因了。神将兴起新人接掌权柄，以取代无能的领袖。

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Our Lion and Our Shield

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 31:1-9.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 31:1-3 (NIV)
1  Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.
2  Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers.
3  But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together.

On verses 1-3:  To those who looked to Egypt for help but not to the LORD (v1), Isaiah warns that Egypt is a bunch of mere human being and not God (v3a), whereas the LORD is all powerful.  Isaiah promises that because they did not look to the LORD, both Egypt the helper and Judah the helped will fall together (v3b). 

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Seek the Strength that God Provides

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Hi GAMErs!

There is so much we can learn from today’s passage in Isaiah 30:1-33.  Let’s go!
Remember that Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 30:1-5 (NIV)
1  “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
2  who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.
3  But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace.
4  Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
5  everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace.”

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先知论列国

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以赛亚书21:16  主对我这样说：一年之内，照雇工的年数，基达的一切荣耀必归于无有。

阅读经文：以赛亚书20:1-6

1论海旁旷野的默示。有仇敌从旷野，从可怕之地而来，好像南方的旋风猛然扫过。 2 令人悽惨的异象已默示于我：诡诈的行诡诈，毁灭的行毁灭。以拦哪，你要上去！玛代啊，你要围困！主说：「我使一切叹息止住。」 3 所以我满腰疼痛，痛苦将我抓住，好像产难的妇人一样。我疼痛甚至不能听，我惊惶甚至不能看。 4 我心慌张，惊恐威吓我，我所羡慕的黄昏变为我的战兢。 5 他们摆设筵席，派人守望，又吃又喝——「首领啊，你们起来，用油抹盾牌！」 6 主对我如此说：「你去设立守望的，使他将所看见的述说。 7 他看见军队，就是骑马的一对一对地来，又看见驴队、骆驼队，就要侧耳细听。」

本段分为三部份，各别是对巴比伦、度玛与亚拉伯的预言，这是先知自十三章起一连串论述列国命运的第八与第九个预言。

第一部份21:1-10是论到巴比伦将被波斯军队所攻击的预言（「海旁旷野」乃是指幼发拉底河所冲积而成的巴比伦肥沃月湾，古时此地即为巴比伦帝国所在）。为何这里先知要提到巴比伦倾覆的预言呢？因为他要向选民宣告：以前欺压他们的仇敌埃及与亚述，最后如何在神的手中被倾覆，如今他们所畏惧的巴比伦也不例外。

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以色列人必因所仰望的羞愧

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以赛亚书20:5   以色列人必因所仰望的古实、所夸耀的埃及，惊惶羞愧。

阅读经文：以赛亚书20:1-6

1亚述王撒珥根打发他珥探到亚实突的那年，他珥探就攻打亚实突，将城攻取。2 那时，耶和华晓谕亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚说：「你去，解掉你腰间的麻布，脱下你脚上的鞋。」以赛亚就这样做，露身赤脚行走。 3 耶和华说：「我仆人以赛亚怎样露身赤脚行走三年，作为关乎埃及和古实的预兆奇蹟， 4 照样，亚述王也必掳去埃及人，掠去古实人，无论老少，都露身赤脚，现出下体，使埃及蒙羞。 5 以色列人必因所仰望的古实、所夸耀的埃及，惊惶羞愧。 6 那时，这沿海一带的居民必说：『看哪，我们素所仰望的，就是我们为脱离亚述王逃往求救的，不过是如此！我们怎能逃脱呢？』」

本段可以视之为19:1-15预言的应验，先知在19:1-15中论述到埃及将受到耶和华神的降灾，导致以农、渔、制纸、建筑、制衣等行业为首的百业为之萧条，国力顿时衰败下来。对于这样的一个国家，犹大怎能想望从它的身上得到甚么帮助呢？埃及自身已难保，若勉强出兵帮助犹大与亚述抗衡，无异于以卵击石啊！

本段是论到埃及的第三部份，主旨是埃及的毁灭。这是一篇散文形式的传记，记载以赛亚如何竭尽所能的劝阻希西家王不要投靠埃及，因为埃及将被倾覆。这样一个自身难保的国家，又怎能够前往投靠呢？

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Transformed by God’s Amazing Grace

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 29:15-24.  Let’s go!
 
Remember that Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 29:15-16 (NIV)
15  Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
16  You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?

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Mind Blown

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 29:1-14.  Let’s go!
 
Remember that Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 29:1-8 (NIV)
1  Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.
2  Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth.
3  I will encamp against you all around; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you.

On verses 1-8:  Have you ever gone from not understanding a passage in the Bible to loving it?  That’s what happened to me when it comes to Isaiah 29:1-14.
My first question when reading this passage was: who is “Ariel”?  Ariel is another name for Jerusalem, “the city where David settled” (v1).

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论三国使地上的人得福

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以赛亚书19:24  当那日，以色列必与埃及、亚述三国一律，使地上的人得福。

阅读经文：以赛亚书19:16-25

16 到那日，埃及人必像妇人一样，他们必因万军之耶和华在埃及以上所抡的手战兢惧怕。 17 犹大地必使埃及惊恐，向谁提起犹大地，谁就惧怕。这是因万军之耶和华向埃及所定的旨意。18 当那日，埃及地必有五城的人说迦南的方言，又指著万军之耶和华起誓，有一城必称为灭亡城。

19 当那日，在埃及地中必有为耶和华筑的一座坛，在埃及的边界上必有为耶和华立的一根柱。 20 这都要在埃及地为万军之耶和华做记号和证据。埃及人因为受人的欺压哀求耶和华，他就差遣一位救主，做护卫者，拯救他们。 21 耶和华必被埃及人所认识，在那日，埃及人必认识耶和华，也要献祭物和供物敬拜他，并向耶和华许愿还愿。 22 耶和华必击打埃及，又击打又医治，埃及人就归向耶和华。他必应允他们的祷告，医治他们。

本段先知继续论到埃及的希望。先知以特殊的分段（五个「当那日」）来作为论述的开头。本段被置于对埃及的两个咒诅中间（19:1-15与20:1-6），在文学上相当奇特。

第一个「到那日」（19:16-17）──先知提到埃及的惊恐，只因他们听到了犹大的名号，因为这城有耶和华神为他们争战。

第二个「当那日」（19:18）──因着耶和华神向埃及降灾，使得埃及对犹大起了惧帕的心。事实上，并不是埃及人惧怕犹大，而是惧怕犹太人所信的耶和华神。为此，先知指出将有五个埃及的城市归降于犹大，这五个城的百姓并且学习用希伯来人的方言敬拜耶和华神。届时他们并将指著耶和华起誓，定然弃绝对太阳神的崇拜，转而敬拜耶和华神（「灭亡城」，又译为「有太阳神庙在其中被拆毁的那城」，太阳神为埃及人所敬拜的偶像）。

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A Tale of Two Wreaths

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 28:1-29.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 28:1-8 (NIV)
1  Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley– to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
2  See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
3  That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
4  That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest– as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it.

On verses 1-8:  In the first 6 verses Isaiah paints the picture of two wreaths.  The first wreath is the political leaders of Israel, who like a “fading flower” (v1, 4), will be plucked and trampled on (v3).  Their “glorious beauty” (v1, 4) will be taken away.  The second wreath is the LORD Himself (v5).  He is described as “a glorious crown” and “a spirit of justice” for the willing leader, “a source of strength” to Israel’s soldiers (v5-6).

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