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剩余的归回

2023-02-19 in , /by

以赛亚书11:16   为主余剩的百姓，就是从亚述剩下回来的，必有一条大道，如当日以色列从埃及地上来一样。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 11:11-16

11 当那日，主必二次伸手救回自己百姓中所余剩的，就是在亚述、埃及、巴忒罗、古实、以拦、示拿、哈马并众海岛所剩下的。 12 他必向列国竖立大旗，招回以色列被赶散的人，又从地的四方聚集分散的犹大人。 13 以法莲的嫉妒就必消散，扰害犹大的必被剪除；以法莲必不嫉妒犹大，犹大也不扰害以法莲。 14 他们要向西飞，扑在非利士人的肩头上，一同掳掠东方人，伸手按住以东和摩押，亚扪人也必顺服他们。 15 耶和华必使埃及海汊枯干，抡手用暴热的风使大河分为七条，令人过去不致湿脚。 16 为主余剩的百姓，就是从亚述剩下回来的，必有一条大道，如当日以色列从埃及地上来一样。

一、前言－－－以色列将由各地归回

今天所读的这段经文特别告诉我们，以色列就像主耶稣所说，它像无花果树，并要发嫩长叶；所以在1948年他们终于复国了，而且也回到他们的家乡；这个无花果树一面指著以色列国，同时也指著以色列地；那块地乃是　神所赐给他们的迦南美地；因着这个缘故，一面来讲是政治的归回，二是实质的回到家乡。所以从1948年以后，果然就像圣经所预言的，他们陆陆续续的回到迦南地。

The Good King

2023-02-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 16:1-14.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 16:1-5 (NIV)
1  Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of the Daughter of Zion.
2  Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
3  “Give us counsel, render a decision. Make your shadow like night– at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees.
4  Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.” The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land.
5  In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it– one from the house of David– one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

On verses 1-5:  Isaiah 16 continues Isaiah’s oracle concerning Moab.  In Isaiah 15, the Moabites were pictured fleeing from their own country because of an attack, possibly by Assyria.  Now in Isaiah 16, the Moabites are pictured as refugees fleeing to their neighbours in Judah for safety.  To show that they come in peace and in exchange for protection from Judah, the Moabites are urged to “send lambs as tribute…to the daughter of Zion [i.e. Judah]” (v1), much like the king of Moab did in 2 Kings 3:4.  In verses 2-3, the Moabite women are pictured looking to Judah for protection.

Hope In God Alone

2023-02-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 14:28 to 15:9.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 14:28-32 (NIV)
28  This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died:
29  Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
30  The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
31  Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
32  What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”

On verses 28-32:  Earlier in Isaiah 6, Isaiah described the vision he saw in the year that King Uzziah died (approximately 739 B.C.)  Now here in Isaiah 14:28, Isaiah describes the message he received many years later in the year when King Ahaz had died and his son Hezekiah is taking over the throne in Judah.

耶西之根

2023-02-17 in , /by

以赛亚书11:2 耶和华的灵必住在他身上，就是使他有智慧和聪明的灵，谋略和能力的灵，知识和敬畏耶和华的灵。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 11:1-10

1从耶西的本必发一条，从他根生的枝子必结果实。 2 耶和华的灵必住在他身上，就是使他有智慧和聪明的灵，谋略和能力的灵，知识和敬畏耶和华的灵。 3 他必以敬畏耶和华为乐，行审判不凭眼见，断是非也不凭耳闻； 4 却要以公义审判贫穷人，以正直判断世上的谦卑人，以口中的杖击打世界，以嘴里的气杀戮恶人。 5 公义必当他的腰带，信实必当他胁下的带子。

「从耶西的本必发一条」，这一句话中的本字下有小字「原文作不」，这个不字非不字，音墩，其意指木秃其上，而仅余留的根株（六13）。粤人以截木作垫为不。文理本圣经译为「耶西之根株必将萌蘖」。吕振中译本作「从耶西的树墩子必生出一根枝条来」。在粤语本及客话本译为树头。但最容易使人明白的译词为树墩，就是树被砍伐或锯断所留下树根的秃出部分，英文圣经译为Stump，亦即为木头墩或树桩之意。中英译法，意音都很相近，在原文上是一个字，其他中文译本多译为树干（参伯十四8）。这里所说从耶西的本或称为树不（墩）所发的枝条，乃是豫言弥赛亚基督，他是从耶西的根而生，是大卫的苗裔，这事早已应验。―― 李道生《旧约圣经问题总解》

从这一章里，我们可以看出神创世的本意。神把管理世界的权柄交给神子耶稣，也就是弥赛亚基督，耶西的根。在〈约翰福音〉第十三章第3节里记载：“耶稣知道父已将万有交在他手里，且知道自己是从神出来的，又要归到神那里去”；在第十四章里耶稣说：“你们若认识我，也就认识我的父。从今以后，你们认识祂，并且已经看见祂”。耶稣不断地强调：“我在父里面，父在我里面”。

Satan’s Fall and Our Rescue

2023-02-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 14:1-27.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 14:1-11 (NIV)
1  The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.
2  Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
3  On the day the LORD gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage,
4  you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!

On verses 1-11:  I know these verses are technically part of Isaiah’s oracle against Babylon that started in the previous chapter.  But when I read these verses from Isaiah 14, I can’t help but think about how well these verses describe what God did for us through Jesus Christ: how God, through Jesus Christ, set us free from the burden of the “king of Babylon”, from Satan the king of false religion who once held us captive (v4).  In fact, the entire Isaiah 14 seems to speak in much bigger, more cosmic, more spiritual terms than just talking about the fall of one ancient kingdom.

斧锯和棍

2023-02-16 in , /by

以赛亚书10:15    斧岂可向用斧砍木的自夸呢？锯岂可向用锯的自大呢？好比棍抡起那举棍的，好比杖举起那非木的人。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 10:1-34

1 祸哉，那些设立不义之律例的和记录奸诈之判语的， 2 为要屈枉穷乏人，夺去我民中困苦人的理，以寡妇当做掳物，以孤儿当做掠物。 3 到降罚的日子，有灾祸从远方临到，那时你们怎样行呢？你们向谁逃奔求救呢？你们的荣耀[a]存留何处呢？ 4 他们只得屈身在被掳的人以下，仆倒在被杀的人以下。虽然如此，耶和华的怒气还未转消，他的手仍伸不缩。

中国传统帝制的官箴，概以宋太宗的〈诫石铭〉为典范，其上写着：“尔俸尔禄，民膏民脂，下民易虐，上天难欺” 来警戒官员，可惜用了那么多年，看来成效并不显著，贪官污吏彼彼皆是。在〈以赛亚书〉第十章的第一段，神对那些设立律例和记录判语的人做出了如下的定罪：一,他们屈枉穷乏人；二, 夺去困苦人的理。他们以寡妇当做掳物，以孤儿当做掠物，也就是欺负弱势者。因此，有一天，神要让他们变成弱势者，成为被掳之人，仆倒被杀。

人所设的律例和神所定的律例相比较，我们就知道神和人之不同。神的律例不管经过几千年，仍然立定天下，到处都可以应用；但是人订的律例不同，因为都是因应时势潮流而定，因此经常要改。何况拥有统治权的人自己并没有公义和公平，订起律例也都有私心，因此对一些人有利，对一些人不利。

错误的引导者

2023-02-15 in , /by

以赛亚书9:16   因为引导这百姓的使他们走错了路，被引导的都必败亡。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 9:8-21

8主使一言入于雅各家，落于以色列家，9这众百姓，就是以法莲和撒马利亚的居民，都要知道。他们凭骄傲自大的心说：10「砖墙塌了，我们却要凿石头建筑；桑树砍了，我们却要换香柏树。」11因此，耶和华要高举利汛的敌人来攻击以色列，并要激动以色列的仇敌，12东有亚兰人，西有非利士人，他们张口要吞吃以色列。虽然如此，耶和华的怒气还未转消，他的手仍伸不缩。

台湾有一些新闻，讲到一些不良的补习班老师趁著补习时诱奸女学生。这样的新闻让人叹息不已，因为老师的职责原是要带领学生走正途，不料这些衣冠禽兽却以他们的情欲污染了学生的一辈子。也让更多家长警惕，若是不加倍留意孩子的动向，很可能赔了夫人又折兵，交钱去补习，却赔上女儿的一生。在这段经文里，神讲到以色列家的灭亡，正是因为引导百姓的使他们走错了路，以致于被引导的都必败亡。这是神最深沉的伤痛。群羊的灭亡不是因牠们的无知，而是牧羊人的错误。

Bye Bye Babylon

2023-02-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 13:1-22.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 13 marks the beginning of a new section in Isaiah which is sometimes called the “book of burdens”.  That is because from Isaiah 13 to 23, Isaiah delivers 10 messages to specific nations and Isaiah calls each of these messages in Hebrew a “massa”, or in English a “burden” (sometimes also translated an “oracle”).  When you read Isaiah 13-23 the tone and content are certainly heavy since much of Isaiah 13-23 is talking about judgment against various nations.  Still there are some important lessons we can learn as we go through this section of Isaiah.

Isaiah 13:1-9 (NIV)
1  An oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
2  Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.
3  I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath– those who rejoice in my triumph.
4  Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war.

Jesus Is Your Salvation, Strength and Song

2023-02-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 12:1-6.

Isaiah 12:1-6 (NIV)
1  In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.
2  Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”
3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4  In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5  Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.
6  Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

On verses 1-6:  Here is Isaiah painting a beautiful picture of what will happen in the end. “In that day” (v1, 4) when the Messiah comes to reign, it will be a time when the people of God sing of how good God is, how God’s anger turned away and God’s comfort came (v1), how their fears were overcome by trusting in God (v2), and how God became their salvation, strength and song (v2-3).  Instead of complaining or taking for granted God’s goodness, God’s people will give thanks to God and want to make Him known everywhere (v4-5), especially through shouts and joyful singing (v6).

因有一婴孩为我们而生

2023-02-14 in , /by

以赛亚书9:6  因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 9:6-7

6 因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。 7 祂的政权与平安必加增无穷，祂必在大卫的宝座上治理祂的国，以公平、公义使国坚定稳固，从今直到永远。万军之耶和华的热心必成就这事。

在〈诗篇〉八章2节，诗人说：“祢因敌人的缘故，从婴孩和吃奶的口中建立了能力，使仇敌和报仇的闭口无言”。神真是非常幽默。以色列人期待弥赛亚救世主从天来临，拯救他们脱离敌人的摩掌。祂赐给他们的，却不是像基甸那样的勇士，也不是像耶弗他那样充满智慧的领导者，祂赐给以色列人和全世界一个婴孩。

在世人眼中，婴孩没有自主的能力，要完全倚靠人的帮助和供应，但是这个奇妙的婴孩，却有特别的能力，使仇敌和报仇的闭口无言。这使我们想起，主耶稣当年面对那些向祂挑衅的宗教界人士时，祂只说一句话，就让他们惭愧地离开；每一次面对邪灵，祂只说一句话，就让牠们抱头鼠窜，逃得无影无踪。这个婴孩的口中充满了能力。这个婴孩就是弥赛亚耶稣。