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The Gospel According to Isaiah

2023-04-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 59:15b-21.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 59:15-19 (NIV)
15  Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.
16  He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
17  He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
18  According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.
19  From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.

On verses 15b-19:  In verses 1-15 Isaiah gave vividly showed the effects that sin has on our lives, how all of us have sinned and how our sins separate us from God.  After presenting this problem, Isaiah is now going to offer the solution.   He says that God saw our helpless predicament.  Since no one else could help, “his own arm worked salvation for him” (v16).  “His arm” isn’t just a poetic way of saying that God did something. 

和平之君的被選召與使命

2023-04-16 in , /by

以賽亞書49:5b  原來耶和華看我為尊貴，我的神也成為我的力量。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 49:1-13

1「眾海島啊，當聽我言！遠方的眾民哪，留心而聽！自我出胎，耶和華就選召我；自出母腹，他就提我的名。 2 他使我的口如快刀，將我藏在他手蔭之下；又使我成為磨亮的箭，將我藏在他箭袋之中。 3 對我說：『你是我的僕人以色列，我必因你得榮耀。』 4 我卻說：『我勞碌是徒然，我盡力是虛無虛空，然而我當得的理必在耶和華那裡，我的賞賜必在我神那裡。』

本段是對列國論到彌賽亞和平之君事工的開始，先知強調這一位「僕人」，乃是一出母腹中即被選召的。祂將以口中所出的真理完成使命（49:1-2）。「僕人」一詞，在乃是指彌賽亞，而非指以色列。因為此僕人將要成為眾民的中保（或作「約」），明顯是指出彌賽亞救贖主的身份與所要成就的事工，此非以色列所能達成的。

Our Biggest Problem

2023-04-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 59:1-15.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 59:1 (NIV)
1  Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
 
On verse 1:  Here in Isaiah 59 Isaiah is going to present a problem and then offer a solution.  The problem is described in verses 2-15 and the solution is described in verses 16-21.  But before explaining the problem, Isaiah needs to make an important clarification:  the problem is not with God; the problem is with us.  That is why verse 1 says, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” In other words, it’s not God’s fault that this problem exists.  The fault is ours.  Now let’s look at what the problem is.

耶和華救贖餘民的恩慈

2023-04-14 in , /by

以賽亞書48:10  我熬煉你，卻不像熬煉銀子；你在苦難的爐中，我揀選你。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 48:1-22

1「雅各家，稱為以色列名下、從猶大水源出來的，當聽我言！你們指著耶和華的名起誓，提說以色列的神，卻不憑誠實，不憑公義。 2 （他們自稱為聖城的人，所倚靠的是名為萬軍之耶和華以色列的神。）」 3 主說：「早先的事我從古時說明，已經出了我的口，也是我所指示的，我忽然行做，事便成就。 4 因為我素來知道你是頑梗的，你的頸項是鐵的，你的額是銅的，

本章主旨在於說明神對餘民的拯救，而本章對餘民的定義，乃是指猶大家（「從猶大水源出來的」）。

神預告祂將把這一批餘民從巴比倫救贖出來（48:20），然而，這並不是因為這一批將被救拯的餘民表現出行為上的信德。事實上。先知說他們乃是「頑梗的，頸項是鐵的，額是銅的」（48:4）；並且他們「自從出胎以來，便稱為悖逆的」（48:8）。而是他們對耶和華神有著全然的信心，因他們自稱為聖城中人，以耶和華神為他們所信靠的（48:1-2）。因此神暫且饒了他們，也忍住了祂的怒氣，不將餘民剪除。祂如此作，一方面是為了熬煉猶大，另一方面乃是為了不使餘民歸回的榮耀被歸給假神，以致讓祂的名被褻瀆（48:11）。

When You Have a Tough Time Sensing God, This Could Be A Reason

2023-04-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 58.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 58:1 (NIV)
1  “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.
 
On verse 1:  In Isaiah 57:14-21, Isaiah declared the forgiveness, the mercy and the freedom from captivity to sin that God has made possible for His people.  Yet here in Isaiah 58, God tells Isaiah to raise his voice like a trumpet and declare to the people their rebellion and their sins.  What does this teach us?   Even after we have received the forgiveness, the mercy and the freedom that God freely makes available to us, there is still work for us to do.  It’s the sanctification after the salvation.  It’s the growing up after being born again.  It’s about becoming mature after you become a member of God’s family. 

巴比倫敗落的描述

2023-04-13 in , /by

以賽亞書47:15   你所勞神的事都要這樣與你無益，從幼年與你貿易的也都各奔各鄉，無人救你。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 47:1-15

1「巴比倫的處女啊，下來坐在塵埃！迦勒底的閨女啊，沒有寶座，要坐在地上！因為你不再稱為柔弱嬌嫩的。 2 要用磨磨麵；揭去帕子，脫去長衣，露腿趟河。 3 你的下體必被露出，你的醜陋必被看見。我要報仇，誰也不寬容。」 4 我們救贖主的名是萬軍之耶和華以色列的聖者！

當先知預言巴比倫的敗落之後，本章緊接著以詩歌的形式，描述了巴比倫的敗象。

一開始，先知以女孩子作為喻，提到她將在奢華之後，被從寶座上拉下來丟到塵埃中，嚐一嚐貧困受羞辱的生活。巴比倫將不再是高高在上，臉上蒙著帕子叫人迷戀的驕女；而是將要拋頭露臉，淪為像磨麵的婢女一般低微（47:1-2）。這一切的改變，都是因為耶和華神對巴比倫所施行的公義報復所致（47:3-4）。

When People You Care About Hurt You

2023-04-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 57:14-21.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 57:14-19 (NIV)
14  And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”
15  For this is what the high and lofty One says– he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16  I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me– the breath of man that I have created.
17  I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways.
18  I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
19  creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”

On verses 14-19:  Here we see the incredible mercy and compassion of God.  For after expressing His dismay at the idolatry and corruption of His people (57:1-13) and their leaders (56:9-12), God says that He will not accuse forever or always be angry, lest the spirit of man grow faint before Him (v16).

預言巴比倫必敗落

2023-04-12 in , /by

以賽亞書46:9  你們要追念上古的事，因為我是神，並無別神。我是神，再沒有能比我的。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 46:1-13

1彼勒屈身，尼波彎腰；巴比倫的偶像馱在獸和牲畜上，他們所抬的如今成了重馱，使牲畜疲乏。 2 都一同彎腰屈身，不能保全重馱，自己倒被擄去。3 「雅各家，以色列家一切餘剩的，要聽我言！你們自從生下，就蒙我保抱；自從出胎，便蒙我懷揣。 4 直到你們年老，我仍這樣；直到你們髮白，我仍懷揣。我已造做，也必保抱；我必懷抱，也必拯救。

在以上數章論到神將揀選古列「降伏列國」的預言之後（45:1），先知接著便以巴比倫的敗落，做為此一預言的印證。第四十六與四十七章的主旨均在稱頌耶和華神在巴比倫覆亡中所彰顯的權能。這信息分為兩部份，第一部份（四十六章）先宣告巴比倫必敗落，第二部份（四十七章）則描述敗落之巴比倫景象。本篇乃是第一部份的論述。

What God Looks At

2023-04-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 56:9-57:13.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 56:9-12 (NIV)
9  Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10  Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.
11  They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.
12  “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.”
 
On 56:9-12:  Isaiah has just finished explaining how those who were once thought to be excluded from God’s people – eunuchs and Gentiles – can actually have a place in God’s house and God’s family if they keep His covenant (Isaiah 56:1-8).  Now Isaiah turns his attention to those whose place in God’s kingdom no one would usually question, but Isaiah is going to question it.   Starting in verse 10, Isaiah speaks about the leaders of Israel, “Israel’s watchmen”. 

神的智謀乃是自隱而不可測的

2023-04-11 in , /by

以賽亞書45:22    地極的人都當仰望我，就必得救，因為我是神，再沒有別神。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 45:14-25

14 耶和華如此說：「埃及勞碌得來的和古實的貨物必歸你，身量高大的西巴人必投降你，也要屬你。他們必戴著鎖鏈過來隨從你，又向你下拜祈求你說：『神真在你們中間，此外再沒有別神，再沒有別的神。』」 15 救主以色列的神啊，你實在是自隱的神！ 16 凡製造偶像的，都必抱愧蒙羞，都要一同歸於慚愧。 17 唯有以色列必蒙耶和華的拯救，得永遠的救恩。你們必不蒙羞，也不抱愧，直到永世無盡。

本段為耶和華七個信息的第六、七個信息，繼續論到神要賜福給以色列，讓祂在列邦中為尊為大，並使萬國都知道耶和華為天地間唯一的真神。

首先，先知在第六個信息中（45:14-17）以非洲三大富足的國家埃及、古實和西巴為喻，提到列邦勞碌所得的，將要歸給以色列。就連那些比以色列身材更高大的西巴人，也要因為看見耶和華與以色列同在，而甘願束手就擒，降卑為以色列人的奴僕（45:14）。然後，那些先前嘲諷耶和華神的外邦人，終將向以色列人承認神乃是「自隱的神」（表示祂的智慧與謀算，是深藏而無人能測透的）。連那些製造偶像、倚靠偶像的外邦人，也都要一同抱愧蒙羞。因為他們終於知道自己的愚昧無知了。至於以色列民，他們將要在神的定旨下被拯救。他們雖然以前在外邦人中蒙羞，卻反要享受永世無盡的救恩（45:17）。