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论古实

2023-03-02 in , /by

以赛亚书18:5  收割之先，花开已谢，花也成了将熟的葡萄，他必用镰刀削去嫩枝，又砍掉蔓延的枝条。 

阅读经文：以赛亚书17:12-18:7

17:12 唉！多民哄嚷，好像海浪砰訇；列邦奔腾，好像猛水滔滔。 13 列邦奔腾，好像多水滔滔，但神斥责他们，他们就远远逃避，又被追赶，如同山上的风前糠，又如暴风前的旋风土。 14 到晚上有惊吓，未到早晨他们就没有了。这是掳掠我们之人所得的份，是抢夺我们之人的报应。

18:1唉！古实河外翅膀刷刷响声之地， 2 差遣使者在水面上，坐蒲草船过海。先知说：「你们快行的使者，要到高大光滑的民那里去，自从开国以来那民极其可畏，是分地界践踏人的，他们的地有江河分开。」 3 世上一切的居民和地上所住的人哪，山上竖立大旗的时候，你们要看！吹角的时候，你们要听！

「高大光滑的民」，亦即古实，即现今的衣索匹亚人。「高大」一字的原意为伸出、延长，而非指长度上的高。此句在此暗示该民族乃是拥有长久历史的国家。该国位于尼罗河上游（埃及则位于下游），因此先知称之为「有江河分开之地」（18:2, 7）。

在论到第五个国家之后，先知插入了一段的独白。这一段独白分为了两个部份，第一部份是讲论到周围列国的景况。第二部份则是谈到先知对使者的宣示。两段都以感叹语「唉」作为开始（17:12，18:1「唉」一字的原意含有「祸哉！」的警告内涵）。

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).  
 

论大马士革的默示

2023-03-01 in , /by

以赛亚书17:1    看哪，大马士革已被废弃，不再为城，必变做乱堆。 

阅读经文：以赛亚书17:1-11

1论大马士革的默示。「看哪，大马士革已被废弃，不再为城，必变做乱堆。 2 亚罗珥的城邑已被撇弃，必成为牧羊之处，羊在那里躺卧，无人惊吓。 3 以法莲不再有保障，大马士革不再有国权，亚兰所剩下的必像以色列人的荣耀消灭一样。」这是万军之耶和华说的。

4 「到那日，雅各的荣耀必致枵薄，他肥胖的身体必渐瘦弱。 5 就必像收割的人收敛禾稼，用手割取穗子，又像人在利乏音谷拾取遗落的穗子。 6 其间所剩下的不多，好像人打橄榄树，在尽上的枝梢上只剩两三个果子，在多果树的旁枝上只剩四五个果子。」这是耶和华以色列的神说的。 7 当那日，人必仰望造他们的主，眼目重看以色列的圣者。 8 他们必不仰望祭坛，就是自己手所筑的，也不重看自己指头所做的，无论是木偶是日像。 9 在那日，他们的坚固城必像树林中和山顶上所撇弃的地方，就是从前在以色列人面前被人撇弃的，这样地就荒凉了。

本段为第五个先知所论到的国家：亚兰，先知以亚兰的首都大马色来作为指称。亚兰（大马色）之所以受到审判，是因为它与以法莲结盟，致使以法莲离弃耶和华。这两个国家结盟之后为求自保，曾发动对犹大王亚哈斯的攻击（7:1-2）。耶和华神对大马色的审判，其实带有惩罚以法莲的动机，目的是希望以法莲能够专心转向祂。

本段分为三个部份进行：

第一部份先知论到耶和华神对大马色（亚兰）的毁灭，17:3a指出了它被审判的原因：使「以法莲不再有保障」，也因此神要夺去大马色的国权（17:3b）。先知指出这两个结盟国将遭受同样的下场－－「亚兰所剩下的，必像以色列人的荣耀消灭一样」。解经家认为此一预言到了亚述王提革拉毗列色王和撒缦以色王时代便应验了（参阅王下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.

摩押遭灾之期

2023-02-28 in , /by

以赛亚书16:12    摩押人朝见的时候，在高处疲乏，又到他圣所祈祷，也不蒙应允。

阅读经文：以赛亚书16:8-14

8 因为希实本的田地和西比玛的葡萄树都衰残了。列国的君主折断其上美好的枝子，这枝子长到雅谢，延到旷野；嫩枝向外探出，直探过盐海。 9 「因此，我要为西比玛的葡萄树哀哭，与雅谢人哀哭一样。希实本、以利亚利啊，我要以眼泪浇灌你，因为有交战呐喊的声音临到你夏天的果子，并你收割的庄稼。 10 从肥美的田中夺去了欢喜快乐，在葡萄园里必无歌唱，也无欢呼的声音；踹酒的在酒榨中不得踹出酒来，我使他欢呼的声音止息。 11 因此我心腹为摩押哀鸣如琴，我心肠为吉珥哈列设也是如此。 12 摩押人朝见的时候，在高处疲乏，又到他圣所祈祷，也不蒙应允。」

在本段中先知继续论到摩押的荒凉。

首先，先知以整座葡萄园被摧毁，列王折断了其上美好的枝子，来比喻摩押国中的贵冑与有才干之士，已经在屡次的战役中被消灭殆尽。余民好像剩下的残枝一般，孤单的向外逃难（16:8），犹如这残剩的葡萄枝子向外地伸展，直到「盐海」之外（从以东往西经过盐海，即是犹大的领土），正应验了先知对摩押难民逃入犹大乞援的预言（16:4）。

然而，犹大却不对摩押伸出援手，因为犹太人都听说摩押人是骄傲的。先知形容摩押人的骄傲，不仅是一点点骄傲，而是「极其骄傲」。犹太人也听说摩押人狂妄，到处向列国说忿怒、夸大与虚空的话（16:6）。这些无礼的言语，已很真实的把摩押的骄傲显露出来。

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?

摩押狂傲遭罚

2023-02-27 in , /by

以赛亚书16:5    必有宝座因慈爱坚立，必有一位诚诚实实坐在其上，在大卫帐幕中施行审判，寻求公平，速行公义。

阅读经文：以赛亚书16:1-7

1你们当将羊羔奉给那地掌权的，从西拉往旷野，送到锡安城的山。 2 摩押的居民在亚嫩渡口，必像游飞的鸟，如拆窝的雏。 3 「求你献谋略，行公平，使你的影子在午间如黑夜，隐藏被赶散的人，不可显露逃民。 4 求你容我这被赶散的人和你同居；至于摩押，求你做她的隐密处，脱离灭命者的面。」勒索人的归于无有，毁灭的事止息了，欺压人的从国中除灭了。 5 必有宝座因慈爱坚立，必有一位诚诚实实坐在其上，在大卫帐幕中施行审判，寻求公平，速行公义。

6 我们听说摩押人骄傲，是极其骄傲，听说她狂妄、骄傲、愤怒，她夸大的话是虚空的。 7 因此，摩押人必为摩押哀号，人人都要哀号。你们摩押人要为吉珥哈列设的葡萄饼哀叹，极其忧伤。

当那些在三王合攻之下仓皇逃难的人渡过了「柳树河」（原文为「白杨溪谷」）。此时，他们的的处境，先知将之比喻为「游飞的鸟，如拆窝的雏」（象征离乡背井，无家可归），他们直向以东边境逃难。

逃到了以东之后，他们便投靠犹大的庇护（因为当时的以东是犹大的臣属国），并且应允按照先前纳给以色列王的贡物（王下3:4），照样纳给犹大王（16:1）。先知告诉他们「当将羊羔奉给那地掌权的」，亦即看准了犹大敬拜耶和华神的信仰特质，而呼吁他们配合犹大归信于耶和华神，并向祂献祭。这祭物要往哪里送呢？「从西拉（以东的首都）往旷野，送到锡安城的山（亦即圣殿的所在）」。有解经家认为这是先知呼吁犹太人设法解救摩押人的宣示，为摩押指示了一条生路。

摩押变为荒废

2023-02-26 in , /by

以赛亚书15:1   一夜之间，摩押的亚珥变为荒废，归于无有。一夜之间，摩押的基珥变为荒废，归于无有。

阅读经文：以赛亚书15:1-9

1一夜之间，摩押的亚珥变为荒废，归于无有。一夜之间，摩押的基珥变为荒废，归于无有。 2 他们上巴益，又往底本，到高处去哭泣。摩押人因尼波和米底巴哀号，各人头上光秃，胡须剃净。 3 他们在街市上都腰束麻布，在房顶上和宽阔处俱各哀号，眼泪汪汪。 4 希实本和以利亚利悲哀的声音达到雅杂，所以摩押带兵器的高声喊嚷，人心战兢。 5 「我心为摩押悲哀，她的贵胄[a]逃到琐珥，到伊基拉、施利施亚。他们上鲁希坡随走随哭，在何罗念的路上因毁灭举起哀声。

本段为先知论到的第四个国家，完整的经文应该是包含了15:1～16:14。今天我们要先来看对摩押预言的第一部份，就是15:1-9的部份。

摩押人乃是亚伯拉罕姪子罗得的后代，他们世居在死海以东的高原上。在摩西律法中明订摩押人不可入耶和华的会。虽然如此，我们却看到摩押女子路得竟成为耶稣的先祖，而被列在家谱中（太1:5）。

有学者认为本段经文原先乃是一首挽歌，后来被收纳进以赛亚的预言里面，并且加入了16:14的部份，因此把预言分成「从前旧的预言」与「现在新的预言」两个部份（参阅16:13-14「这是耶和华从前论摩押的话，但现在耶和华说……」的经文自述）。

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.