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火焰的飞龙被杀

2023-02-24 in , /by

以赛亚书14:29 非利士全地啊，不要因击打你的杖折断就喜乐，因为从蛇的根必生出毒蛇，牠所生的是火焰的飞龙。 

阅读经文：以赛亚书 14:28-32

28 亚哈斯王崩的那年，就有以下的默示。29 「非利士全地啊，不要因击打你的杖折断就喜乐，因为从蛇的根必生出毒蛇，牠所生的是火焰的飞龙。 30 贫寒人的长子必有所食，穷乏人必安然躺卧。我必以饥荒治死你的根，你所余剩的人必被杀戮。 31 门哪，应当哀号！城啊，应当呼喊！非利士全地啊，你都消化了！因为有烟从北方出来，他行伍中必无乱队的。」32 可怎样回答外邦的使者呢？必说：「耶和华建立了锡安，他百姓中的困苦人必投奔在其中。」

本段中先知论到第三个国家──非利士。先知提到这一段预言是在犹大王亚哈斯崩的那年所发出来的，时间大约是在主前715年左右。亚哈斯曾与父亲约坦共同执政十二年，之后篡位为王。他之所以篡位成功，原因在于当时的贵族看出他亲善亚述的倾向，认为支持亚哈斯必能获得亚述的好感。然而，因为犹大采取亲善亚述政策，因而引起亚兰王与以色列王联军来袭，想要逼犹大反叛亚述，结果反遭亚哈斯乞援的亚述大军所击溃。

此后，犹大便臣服于亚述，向它称臣纳贡（代下28:20-21）。接着以后的数年，犹大一直在亚述的蹂躏下被洗劫，应验了先知以赛亚先前的警告（第七至八章）。

When Facing a Crisis

2023-02-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 22:1-25.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 22:1-4 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning the Valley of Vision: What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs,
2  O town full of commotion, O city of tumult and revelry? Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle.
3  All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using the bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4  Therefore I said, “Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people.”
 
On verses 1-4:  This next oracle is concerning Jerusalem, which is identified by its nickname the City of David and other landmarks in verses 9-10.  Some scholars believe that Isaiah gave this message when Jerusalem was under siege by Assyria in 701 B.C.  
 
Here in verses 1-4 Isaiah laments how the leaders of his people Judah have fled and been taken prisoner (v3), how (as we will see in verses 12-13) the people of Jerusalem responded to the siege with revelry instead of looking to God for help (v2) and how Jerusalem is on the verge of being destroyed (v4). 

What Waiting on the Lord Looks Like

2023-02-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 21:1-17.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 21:1-10 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror.
2  A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3  At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see.
4  My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.
5  They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, they drink! Get up, you officers, oil the shields!

On verses 1-10:  Scholars are quite certain that this oracle concerns Babylon (v9), which Isaiah calls the “Desert by the Sea” (v1).  However, it is less certain what exact time in history Isaiah is talking about here.  John B. Polhill in the New American Commentary on Isaiah gives a well reasoned argument for why this oracle is probably describing the defeat of Babylon’s King Merodach-baladan at the hands of Assyria in 689 B.C., at a time when the Medes (v2), the Elamites (v2) and even King Hezekiah of Judah (Isaiah 39) were all allied to Babylon.  However, other scholars think this oracle is predicting the final fall of Babylon at the hands of the Persians and Medes in 586 B.C.  Others still think this oracle is talking about Assyria defeating King Marduk-apal-iddina  of Babylon in 702 B.C.   There are even those who think that Isaiah is not referring to any one defeat of Babylon but is “telescoping” and putting together in one all the defeats that Babylon would experience.   Whichever one of Babylon’s defeats Isaiah is talking about, Isaiah is shaken by this vision of Babylon’s fall which he has seen (v4).

明亮之星的陨落

2023-02-23 in , /by

以赛亚书14:12   明亮之星，早晨之子啊，你何竟从天坠落？你这攻败列国的，何竟被砍倒在地上？

阅读经文：以赛亚书 14:1-27

1耶和华要怜恤雅各，必再拣选以色列，将他们安置在本地，寄居的必与他们联合，紧贴雅各家。 2 外邦人必将他们带回本土，以色列家必在耶和华的地上得外邦人为仆婢，也要掳掠先前掳掠他们的，辖制先前欺压他们的。

本段中先知论及第一和第二个国家──巴比伦与亚述。先知在本章中预言以色列将归回本土，并且要辖管先前辖制他们的巴比伦。巴比伦人要服在以色列人的手下为仆婢。

本章是一种哀歌的型式，是嘲讽诗。诗歌共分为五部份：

第一部份为14:3-8，论述到那压迫者的国将倾倒，因此全地获得祥和宁静。先知以松树和香柏木来比喻列国，它们将因巴比伦的倾倒而脱离被砍伐的命运而快乐。

第二部份为14:9-11，先知以戏剧性的手法表达出巴比伦的高傲和虚空，先知引用阴间的场景，来转喻巴比伦由盛而败，并且沦落到与那些被他所征服杀戮的列王一般微弱的光景。先知甚至用虫和蛆来比喻低微与失败的巴比伦王。（「首领」，直译为公羊，乃群雄之首，可能是指亚述王＼「离位」并非指阴间仍有宝座，而是指他们生前的身份使他们得到相对的处境）

论巴比伦的预言(下)

2023-02-22 in , /by

以赛亚书13:19  巴比伦素来为列国的荣耀，为迦勒底人所矜夸的华美，必像神所倾覆的所多玛、蛾摩拉一样。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 13:17-22

17 「我必激动玛代人来攻击他们，玛代人不注重银子，也不喜爱金子。 18 他们必用弓击碎少年人，不怜悯妇人所生的，眼也不顾惜孩子。 19 巴比伦素来为列国的荣耀，为迦勒底人所矜夸的华美，必像神所倾覆的所多玛、蛾摩拉一样。 20 其内必永无人烟，世世代代无人居住。阿拉伯人也不在那里支搭帐篷，牧羊的人也不使羊群卧在那里。 21 只有旷野的走兽卧在那里，咆哮的兽满了房屋，鸵鸟住在那里，野山羊在那里跳舞。 22 豺狼必在她宫中呼号，野狗必在她华美殿内吼叫。巴比伦受罚的时候临近，她的日子必不长久。」

上一篇论到神兴起巴比伦，将亚述帝国倾覆。然而，当神的工具巴比伦在全地尽行毁灭之际，它也要像亚述一样，因加害神的百姓过重而受罚（参阅10:7）。于是，神另外兴起玛代成为刑罚骄傲之巴比伦的工具（13:17），它要像所多玛、蛾摩拉一般被毁灭（13:19），甚至不再拥有昔日的风华（13:21-22）。

关于此一倾覆巴比伦之战役叙述，先知首先以「玛代人不注重银子，也不喜爱金子」一语（指巴比伦纵使向玛代进贡金银，乃是无法使战争停止的），来强调玛代出兵的决心。先知认为玛代不会为任何原因撤兵，因此，巴比伦将要面临的灭国之祸乃是确定的。

Baring All For Him

2023-02-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 19:1-20:6.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 19:1-17 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
2  “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian– brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3  The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
4  I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
5  The waters of the river will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and dry.

On verses 1-17:  Isaiah’s oracle about Egypt is not only a warning to Egypt; even more it is a warning to Isaiah’s own people of Judah not to rely on an alliance with Egypt as their hope against a larger power like Assyria.  Isaiah speaks of how Egypt will suffer from internal division (v2), fear and hopelessness (v8-10), a lack of wise leadership (v11-13) and confusion (v14).  Isaiah’s oracle is reminiscent of images in the book of Exodus many centuries before (v5-7) when the Nile stank and was no longer the water source that the Egyptians could depend on.  Rather than Judah being impressed by Egypt, Egypt will be afraid of Judah, Isaiah says in verse 17, all because of what God has in store for Egypt.

When God Prunes You?

2023-02-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 17:12-18:7.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 17:12-14 (NIV)
12  Oh, the raging of many nations– they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples– they roar like the roaring of great waters!
13  Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale.
14  In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.
 
On verses 12-14:  Isaiah has just written an oracle against Aram and Israel (v1-11).  He follows up with these verses, the message being that no matter how fierce, how powerful, how loud a nation or a group of nations may seem, there are nothing compared to the LORD.  The one we are to fear is not an alliance of nations or people but the LORD.

论巴比伦的预言(上)

2023-02-21 in , /by

以赛亚书13:9   耶和华的日子临到，必有残忍、愤恨、烈怒，使这地荒凉，从其中除灭罪人。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 13:1-16

1亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚得默示论巴比伦。2 「应当在净光的山竖立大旗，向群众扬声招手，使他们进入贵胄的门！ 3 我吩咐我所挑出来的人，我招呼我的勇士，就是那矜夸高傲之辈，为要成就我怒中所定的。」 4 山间有多人的声音，好像是大国人民。有许多国的民聚集哄嚷的声音，这是万军之耶和华点齐军队，预备打仗。 5 他们从远方来，从天边来，就是耶和华并他恼恨的兵器，要毁灭这全地。

从第十三章开始，先知的信息转而论到列国，这要到廿三章为止。每一个被述及的国家或民族，都有一个主要的论题，总计被论及的对象包含耶路撒冷共有十个。每一篇信息都强调耶和华神的统治权，并祂支配列国的事实。

第一个被述及的国家是巴比伦，因为先知要为10:5-19所记亚述的被审判作交代，指出巴比伦乃是神兴起审判亚述的工具。

在论到巴比伦的预言中又分为两部份，第一部份记在13:2-22，第二部份则是14:4b-23，两部份均为诗歌体裁。

今天的信息是第一部份，预言巴比伦将在神的钦命下兴起，但之后它必受到新霸主玛代军队的倾覆。先知一开始论到巴比伦被神拣选的经过，他们是神眼中的「贵冑」（先知借由预言神对亚述出兵，来暗示祂拣选巴比伦，使它得以挤身霸主之位）、「勇士」（先知注解此勇士乃是矜夸高傲之辈），他们被呼唤召聚做为耶和华神的军队。

救恩的泉源

2023-02-20 in , /by

以赛亚书12:16   所以你们必从救恩的泉源欢然取水。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 12:1-16

1到那日，你必说：「耶和华啊，我要称谢祢！因为祢虽然向我发怒，祢的怒气却已转消，祢又安慰了我。 2 看哪！神是我的拯救，我要倚靠祂，并不惧怕。因为主耶和华是我的力量，是我的诗歌，祂也成了我的拯救。」 3 所以你们必从救恩的泉源欢然取水。 4 在那日，你们要说：「当称谢耶和华，求告祂的名，将祂所行的传扬在万民中，提说祂的名已被尊崇。 5 你们要向耶和华唱歌，因祂所行的甚是美好。但愿这事普传天下！ 6 锡安的居民哪，当扬声欢呼，因为在你们中间的以色列圣者乃为至大。」

“到那日”，那日有很多方面的意思。那日可以说是主再来的日子；那日，可以说是最后的审判大日；那日，也可以是以色列十二支派回归，赞美感谢神的日子。在那日尚未临到时，先知已被神感动，开始称谢神。所以称谢是一种灵里的看见之反应；称谢，不是因为现在所面临的一切，而是进入了神的计划，神的蓝图里，因而与神一起为将来要完成的事而欢呼而赞美，而称谢。

Are You a Crisis-Driven Believer?

2023-02-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 17:1-11.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 17:1-11 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning Damascus: “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins.
2  The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid.
3  The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty.
4  “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away.

On verses 1-11:  Isaiah’s next oracle is for the nation of Aram (represented by its capital city Damascus).  But as we can see starting from verse 3, really this is a message not only for Aram but also for Israel (aka “Ephraim” (v3), “Jacob” (v4)).  That is because Aram and Israel were working together as an alliance against Assyria and were putting pressure on Judah to join their alliance.  Isaiah’s message is that the glory and power of Israel and Aram will be taken away (v3-4), just like when grain is harvested (v5).  Playing still with the image of a harvest, Isaiah says that all the hard work that Aram and Israel put into planning their strategy and defense will come to nothing, just like a farmer who works so hard to plant and grow crops but is not able to harvest them (v9-11).  That is because Israel and Aram had forgotten about God and stopped trusting in Him (v9).