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論古實

2023-03-02 in , /by

以賽亞書18:5  收割之先，花開已謝，花也成了將熟的葡萄，他必用鐮刀削去嫩枝，又砍掉蔓延的枝條。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書17:12-18:7

17:12 唉！多民鬨嚷，好像海浪砰訇；列邦奔騰，好像猛水滔滔。 13 列邦奔騰，好像多水滔滔，但神斥責他們，他們就遠遠逃避，又被追趕，如同山上的風前糠，又如暴風前的旋風土。 14 到晚上有驚嚇，未到早晨他們就沒有了。這是擄掠我們之人所得的份，是搶奪我們之人的報應。

18:1唉！古實河外翅膀刷刷響聲之地， 2 差遣使者在水面上，坐蒲草船過海。先知說：「你們快行的使者，要到高大光滑的民那裡去，自從開國以來那民極其可畏，是分地界踐踏人的，他們的地有江河分開。」 3 世上一切的居民和地上所住的人哪，山上豎立大旗的時候，你們要看！吹角的時候，你們要聽！

「高大光滑的民」，亦即古實，即現今的衣索匹亞人。「高大」一字的原意為伸出、延長，而非指長度上的高。此句在此暗示該民族乃是擁有長久歷史的國家。該國位於尼羅河上游（埃及則位於下游），因此先知稱之為「有江河分開之地」（18:2, 7）。

在論到第五個國家之後，先知插入了一段的獨白。這一段獨白分為了兩個部份，第一部份是講論到周圍列國的景況。第二部份則是談到先知對使者的宣示。兩段都以感嘆語「唉」作為開始（17:12，18:1「唉」一字的原意含有「禍哉！」的警告內涵）。

When God Disciplines

2023-03-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 27:2-13.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 27:2-6 (NIV)
2  In that day– “Sing about a fruitful vineyard:
3  I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.
4  I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire.
5  Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me.”
6  In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.
 
On verses 2-6:  Previously in Isaiah 5, Isaiah shared a song about Israel as a vineyard that was consistently unfruitful despite everything the Lord had done for it, and so God destroyed it.  Now in Isaiah 27:2 we get another song about a vineyard, but the message and tone are completely different.  This vineyard that Isaiah now sings about is a fruitful vineyard that God protects with a passion.  God even challenges the briers and thorns [i.e. other nations] who want to try to take His vineyard away from Him (v4-5) and suggests that He makes peace with them.  His promise is that this vineyard, Israel, will become so fruitful that it will fill the world with its fruit (v6).  
 

論大馬士革的默示

2023-03-01 in , /by

以賽亞書17:1    看哪，大馬士革已被廢棄，不再為城，必變做亂堆。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書17:1-11

1論大馬士革的默示。「看哪，大馬士革已被廢棄，不再為城，必變做亂堆。 2 亞羅珥的城邑已被撇棄，必成為牧羊之處，羊在那裡躺臥，無人驚嚇。 3 以法蓮不再有保障，大馬士革不再有國權，亞蘭所剩下的必像以色列人的榮耀消滅一樣。」這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

4 「到那日，雅各的榮耀必致枵薄，他肥胖的身體必漸瘦弱。 5 就必像收割的人收斂禾稼，用手割取穗子，又像人在利乏音谷拾取遺落的穗子。 6 其間所剩下的不多，好像人打橄欖樹，在儘上的枝梢上只剩兩三個果子，在多果樹的旁枝上只剩四五個果子。」這是耶和華以色列的神說的。 7 當那日，人必仰望造他們的主，眼目重看以色列的聖者。 8 他們必不仰望祭壇，就是自己手所築的，也不重看自己指頭所做的，無論是木偶是日像。 9 在那日，他們的堅固城必像樹林中和山頂上所撇棄的地方，就是從前在以色列人面前被人撇棄的，這樣地就荒涼了。

本段為第五個先知所論到的國家：亞蘭，先知以亞蘭的首都大馬色來作為指稱。亞蘭（大馬色）之所以受到審判，是因為它與以法蓮結盟，致使以法蓮離棄耶和華。這兩個國家結盟之後為求自保，曾發動對猶大王亞哈斯的攻擊（7:1-2）。耶和華神對大馬色的審判，其實帶有懲罰以法蓮的動機，目的是希望以法蓮能夠專心轉向祂。

本段分為三個部份進行：

第一部份先知論到耶和華神對大馬色（亞蘭）的毀滅，17:3a指出了它被審判的原因：使「以法蓮不再有保障」，也因此神要奪去大馬色的國權（17:3b）。先知指出這兩個結盟國將遭受同樣的下場－－「亞蘭所剩下的，必像以色列人的榮耀消滅一樣」。解經家認為此一預言到了亞述王提革拉毗列色王和撒縵以色王時代便應驗了（參閱王下15:29，17:1-41，18:9-12）。

When the Kingdom of God Expands

2023-03-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 26:1-27:1.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 26:1-15 (NIV)
1  In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts.
2  Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.
3  You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
4  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

On verses 1-15:  Isaiah 26 continues Isaiah’s message about the end times.  Isaiah 26 shares the same tone and cadence as some of the most beautiful Psalms.  Yet Isaiah 26 is also like many of the chapters in the book of Proverbs in that every line is packed with powerful truth and could be a sermon on its own.  Isaiah 26 continues some of the most beautiful phrases in all of Isaiah.  My personal favourites include verses 3, 4, 8 and 12.

摩押遭災之期

2023-02-28 in , /by

以賽亞書16:12    摩押人朝見的時候，在高處疲乏，又到他聖所祈禱，也不蒙應允。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書16:8-14

8 因為希實本的田地和西比瑪的葡萄樹都衰殘了。列國的君主折斷其上美好的枝子，這枝子長到雅謝，延到曠野；嫩枝向外探出，直探過鹽海。 9 「因此，我要為西比瑪的葡萄樹哀哭，與雅謝人哀哭一樣。希實本、以利亞利啊，我要以眼淚澆灌你，因為有交戰呐喊的聲音臨到你夏天的果子，並你收割的莊稼。 10 從肥美的田中奪去了歡喜快樂，在葡萄園裡必無歌唱，也無歡呼的聲音；踹酒的在酒榨中不得踹出酒來，我使他歡呼的聲音止息。 11 因此我心腹為摩押哀鳴如琴，我心腸為吉珥哈列設也是如此。 12 摩押人朝見的時候，在高處疲乏，又到他聖所祈禱，也不蒙應允。」

在本段中先知繼續論到摩押的荒涼。

首先，先知以整座葡萄園被摧毀，列王折斷了其上美好的枝子，來比喻摩押國中的貴冑與有才幹之士，已經在屢次的戰役中被消滅殆盡。餘民好像剩下的殘枝一般，孤單的向外逃難（16:8），猶如這殘剩的葡萄枝子向外地伸展，直到「鹽海」之外（從以東往西經過鹽海，即是猶大的領土），正應驗了先知對摩押難民逃入猶大乞援的預言（16:4）。

然而，猶大卻不對摩押伸出援手，因為猶太人都聽說摩押人是驕傲的。先知形容摩押人的驕傲，不僅是一點點驕傲，而是「極其驕傲」。猶太人也聽說摩押人狂妄，到處向列國說忿怒、誇大與虛空的話（16:6）。這些無禮的言語，已很真實的把摩押的驕傲顯露出來。

The City of Man vs. The Mountain of God

2023-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 25:1-12.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 25:1-5 (NIV)
1  O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.
2  You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.
3  Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
4  You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
5  and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
 
On verses 1-5:  Isaiah 25 begins with this beautiful exclamation of praise to God.  But then in verse 2 you may be wondering why Isaiah is praising God for turning “a city into a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more” (v2), never to be rebuilt.  What city is Isaiah referring to?  This city, which is also mentioned in Isaiah 24:10, represents those all over the world who pridefully live for themselves and their own glory rather than trusting in and living for the Lord.  You could call this city, as the early church father Augustine did, the “city of man”.  Even to this day, many people around the world still live in the “city of man”, building kingdoms that are for their own glory and fame.  This city is ruled by “foreigners” (v2, 5), that is, people who are foreign to the kingdom of God. 

When God Starts Over

2023-02-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 24:1-23.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 24:1-23 (NIV)
1  See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants–
2  it will be the same for priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor.
3  The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word.
4  The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish.
5  The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.

On verses 1-23:  Just prior to this, in Isaiah’s book of burdens (Isaiah 13-23), Isaiah gave warnings to specific nations.  Now we see in Isaiah 24 a message for the entire world about what will happen in the end times.  Isaiah 24-27 are often seen as one group sometimes called “Isaiah’s Apocalypse” in that these chapters all deal with the end times on a global scale.

Verses 1-4 describe the devastation of the entire planet. Verses 5-6 explain the reason: it is because of people’s sins that the earth is now defiled, under a curse and must be destroyed.  Verses 7-13 describe the effect that this destruction will have on human civilization: revelry stops (v7-9), a city lies desolate [What city?

摩押狂傲遭罰

2023-02-27 in , /by

以賽亞書16:5    必有寶座因慈愛堅立，必有一位誠誠實實坐在其上，在大衛帳幕中施行審判，尋求公平，速行公義。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書16:1-7

1你們當將羊羔奉給那地掌權的，從西拉往曠野，送到錫安城的山。 2 摩押的居民在亞嫩渡口，必像遊飛的鳥，如拆窩的雛。 3 「求你獻謀略，行公平，使你的影子在午間如黑夜，隱藏被趕散的人，不可顯露逃民。 4 求你容我這被趕散的人和你同居；至於摩押，求你做她的隱密處，脫離滅命者的面。」勒索人的歸於無有，毀滅的事止息了，欺壓人的從國中除滅了。 5 必有寶座因慈愛堅立，必有一位誠誠實實坐在其上，在大衛帳幕中施行審判，尋求公平，速行公義。

6 我們聽說摩押人驕傲，是極其驕傲，聽說她狂妄、驕傲、憤怒，她誇大的話是虛空的。 7 因此，摩押人必為摩押哀號，人人都要哀號。你們摩押人要為吉珥哈列設的葡萄餅哀嘆，極其憂傷。

當那些在三王合攻之下倉皇逃難的人渡過了「柳樹河」（原文為「白楊溪谷」）。此時，他們的的處境，先知將之比喻為「遊飛的鳥，如拆窩的雛」（象徵離鄉背井，無家可歸），他們直向以東邊境逃難。

逃到了以東之後，他們便投靠猶大的庇護（因為當時的以東是猶大的臣屬國），並且應允按照先前納給以色列王的貢物（王下3:4），照樣納給猶大王（16:1）。先知告訴他們「當將羊羔奉給那地掌權的」，亦即看準了猶大敬拜耶和華神的信仰特質，而呼籲他們配合猶大歸信於耶和華神，並向祂獻祭。這祭物要往哪裡送呢？「從西拉（以東的首都）往曠野，送到錫安城的山（亦即聖殿的所在）」。有解經家認為這是先知呼籲猶太人設法解救摩押人的宣示，為摩押指示了一條生路。

摩押變為荒廢

2023-02-26 in , /by

以賽亞書15:1   一夜之間，摩押的亞珥變為荒廢，歸於無有。一夜之間，摩押的基珥變為荒廢，歸於無有。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書15:1-9

1一夜之間，摩押的亞珥變為荒廢，歸於無有。一夜之間，摩押的基珥變為荒廢，歸於無有。 2 他們上巴益，又往底本，到高處去哭泣。摩押人因尼波和米底巴哀號，各人頭上光禿，鬍鬚剃淨。 3 他們在街市上都腰束麻布，在房頂上和寬闊處俱各哀號，眼淚汪汪。 4 希實本和以利亞利悲哀的聲音達到雅雜，所以摩押帶兵器的高聲喊嚷，人心戰兢。 5 「我心為摩押悲哀，她的貴胄[a]逃到瑣珥，到伊基拉、施利施亞。他們上魯希坡隨走隨哭，在何羅念的路上因毀滅舉起哀聲。

本段為先知論到的第四個國家，完整的經文應該是包含了15:1～16:14。今天我們要先來看對摩押預言的第一部份，就是15:1-9的部份。

摩押人乃是亞伯拉罕姪子羅得的後代，他們世居在死海以東的高原上。在摩西律法中明訂摩押人不可入耶和華的會。雖然如此，我們卻看到摩押女子路得竟成為耶穌的先祖，而被列在家譜中（太1:5）。

有學者認為本段經文原先乃是一首輓歌，後來被收納進以賽亞的預言裡面，並且加入了16:14的部份，因此把預言分成「從前舊的預言」與「現在新的預言」兩個部份（參閱16:13-14「這是耶和華從前論摩押的話，但現在耶和華說……」的經文自述）。

Use Your Talents for God’s Glory

2023-02-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 23:1-18.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 23:1-18 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them.
2  Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched.
3  On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the marketplace of the nations.
4  Be ashamed, O Sidon, and you, O fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
5  When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.

On verses 1-18:  The final oracle in Isaiah’s book of burdens (Isaiah 13-23) is about the wealthy nation of Tyre.  Isaiah calls Tyre “the marketplace of the nations” (v3), as Tyre was a centre for commercial activity, located on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  In this oracle Isaiah also addresses Sidon (v2, 4, 12), another city along the eastern Mediterranean coast and a neighbour of Tyre.