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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. 

和平之君的被选召与使命

2023-04-16 in , /by

以赛亚书49:5b  原来耶和华看我为尊贵，我的神也成为我的力量。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 49:1-13

1「众海岛啊，当听我言！远方的众民哪，留心而听！自我出胎，耶和华就选召我；自出母腹，他就提我的名。 2 他使我的口如快刀，将我藏在他手荫之下；又使我成为磨亮的箭，将我藏在他箭袋之中。 3 对我说：『你是我的仆人以色列，我必因你得荣耀。』 4 我却说：『我劳碌是徒然，我尽力是虚无虚空，然而我当得的理必在耶和华那里，我的赏赐必在我神那里。』

本段是对列国论到弥赛亚和平之君事工的开始，先知强调这一位「仆人」，乃是一出母腹中即被选召的。祂将以口中所出的真理完成使命（49:1-2）。「仆人」一词，在乃是指弥赛亚，而非指以色列。因为此仆人将要成为众民的中保（或作「约」），明显是指出弥赛亚救赎主的身份与所要成就的事工，此非以色列所能达成的。

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.

耶和华救赎余民的恩慈

2023-04-14 in , /by

以赛亚书48:10  我熬炼你，却不像熬炼银子；你在苦难的炉中，我拣选你。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 48:1-22

1「雅各家，称为以色列名下、从犹大水源出来的，当听我言！你们指著耶和华的名起誓，提说以色列的神，却不凭诚实，不凭公义。 2 （他们自称为圣城的人，所倚靠的是名为万军之耶和华以色列的神。）」 3 主说：「早先的事我从古时说明，已经出了我的口，也是我所指示的，我忽然行做，事便成就。 4 因为我素来知道你是顽梗的，你的颈项是铁的，你的额是铜的，

本章主旨在于说明神对余民的拯救，而本章对余民的定义，乃是指犹大家（「从犹大水源出来的」）。

神预告祂将把这一批余民从巴比伦救赎出来（48:20），然而，这并不是因为这一批将被救拯的余民表现出行为上的信德。事实上。先知说他们乃是「顽梗的，颈项是铁的，额是铜的」（48:4）；并且他们「自从出胎以来，便称为悖逆的」（48:8）。而是他们对耶和华神有着全然的信心，因他们自称为圣城中人，以耶和华神为他们所信靠的（48:1-2）。因此神暂且饶了他们，也忍住了祂的怒气，不将余民剪除。祂如此作，一方面是为了熬炼犹大，另一方面乃是为了不使余民归回的荣耀被归给假神，以致让祂的名被亵渎（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. 

巴比伦败落的描述

2023-04-13 in , /by

以赛亚书47:15   你所劳神的事都要这样与你无益，从幼年与你贸易的也都各奔各乡，无人救你。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 47:1-15

1「巴比伦的处女啊，下来坐在尘埃！迦勒底的闺女啊，没有宝座，要坐在地上！因为你不再称为柔弱娇嫩的。 2 要用磨磨面；揭去帕子，脱去长衣，露腿趟河。 3 你的下体必被露出，你的丑陋必被看见。我要报仇，谁也不宽容。」 4 我们救赎主的名是万军之耶和华以色列的圣者！

当先知预言巴比伦的败落之后，本章紧接着以诗歌的形式，描述了巴比伦的败象。

一开始，先知以女孩子作为喻，提到她将在奢华之后，被从宝座上拉下来丢到尘埃中，尝一尝贫困受羞辱的生活。巴比伦将不再是高高在上，脸上蒙着帕子叫人迷恋的骄女；而是将要抛头露脸，沦为像磨面的婢女一般低微（47:1-2）。这一切的改变，都是因为耶和华神对巴比伦所施行的公义报复所致（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).

预言巴比伦必败落

2023-04-12 in , /by

以赛亚书46:9  你们要追念上古的事，因为我是神，并无别神。我是神，再没有能比我的。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 46:1-13

1彼勒屈身，尼波弯腰；巴比伦的偶像驮在兽和牲畜上，他们所抬的如今成了重驮，使牲畜疲乏。 2 都一同弯腰屈身，不能保全重驮，自己倒被掳去。3 「雅各家，以色列家一切余剩的，要听我言！你们自从生下，就蒙我保抱；自从出胎，便蒙我怀揣。 4 直到你们年老，我仍这样；直到你们发白，我仍怀揣。我已造做，也必保抱；我必怀抱，也必拯救。

在以上数章论到神将拣选古列「降伏列国」的预言之后（45:1），先知接着便以巴比伦的败落，做为此一预言的印证。第四十六与四十七章的主旨均在称颂耶和华神在巴比伦覆亡中所彰显的权能。这信息分为两部份，第一部份（四十六章）先宣告巴比伦必败落，第二部份（四十七章）则描述败落之巴比伦景象。本篇乃是第一部份的论述。

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”. 

神的智谋乃是自隐而不可测的

2023-04-11 in , /by

以赛亚书45:22    地极的人都当仰望我，就必得救，因为我是神，再没有别神。 

阅读经文：以赛亚书 45:14-25

14 耶和华如此说：「埃及劳碌得来的和古实的货物必归你，身量高大的西巴人必投降你，也要属你。他们必戴着锁链过来随从你，又向你下拜祈求你说：『神真在你们中间，此外再没有别神，再没有别的神。』」 15 救主以色列的神啊，你实在是自隐的神！ 16 凡制造偶像的，都必抱愧蒙羞，都要一同归于惭愧。 17 唯有以色列必蒙耶和华的拯救，得永远的救恩。你们必不蒙羞，也不抱愧，直到永世无尽。

本段为耶和华七个信息的第六、七个信息，继续论到神要赐福给以色列，让祂在列邦中为尊为大，并使万国都知道耶和华为天地间唯一的真神。

首先，先知在第六个信息中（45:14-17）以非洲三大富足的国家埃及、古实和西巴为喻，提到列邦劳碌所得的，将要归给以色列。就连那些比以色列身材更高大的西巴人，也要因为看见耶和华与以色列同在，而甘愿束手就擒，降卑为以色列人的奴仆（45:14）。然后，那些先前嘲讽耶和华神的外邦人，终将向以色列人承认神乃是「自隐的神」（表示祂的智慧与谋算，是深藏而无人能测透的）。连那些制造偶像、倚靠偶像的外邦人，也都要一同抱愧蒙羞。因为他们终于知道自己的愚昧无知了。至于以色列民，他们将要在神的定旨下被拯救。他们虽然以前在外邦人中蒙羞，却反要享受永世无尽的救恩（45:17）。