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You’re Protected Under the Shadow of God’s Hand

2023-04-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 50:4-51:8.  Let’s go!

The previous passage, 49:14-50:3, dealt with three complaints that God and Isaiah expect the Jewish exiles to make in response to God’s promise of deliverance.  Having dealt with those complaints, Isaiah goes back to talking about the Servant again.
 
Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)
4  The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
 
On 50:4:  Here we learn something about the LORD and about His servant.  About the LORD, we know His heart is to speak words that sustain the weary.  He is the God who “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). 

Confident Even In Suffering

2023-04-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 50:4-51:8.  Let’s go!

The previous passage, 49:14-50:3, dealt with three complaints that God and Isaiah expect the Jewish exiles to make in response to God’s promise of deliverance.  Having dealt with those complaints, Isaiah goes back to talking about the Servant again.
 
Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)
4  The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
 
On 50:4:  Here we learn something about the LORD and about His servant.  About the LORD, we know His heart is to speak words that sustain the weary.  He is the God who “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). 

耶和华公义仆人的显现

2023-04-04 in , /by

以赛亚书42:6 我耶和华凭公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你做众民的中保，做外邦人的光。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 42:1-9

1看哪，我的仆人，我所扶持、所拣选，心里所喜悦的，我已将我的灵赐给他，他必将公理传给外邦。 2 他不喧嚷，不扬声，也不使街上听见他的声音。 3 压伤的芦苇他不折断，将残的灯火他不吹灭，他凭真实将公理传开。 4 他不灰心，也不丧胆，直到他在地上设立公理，海岛都等候他的训诲。」

在上一章论到耶和华神对偶像的挑战尾声，先知有一个救赎的伏笔──「看哪！我要将一位报好信息的赐给耶路撒冷」（41:27），暗示神将兴起一位比古列更重要的人物，出现在以色力的历史中，做为祂拯救的仆人。在本段中，先知首先宣告：「看哪！我的仆人……」，先知在这里所用的口吻，与古代近东国家的君王介绍大臣任命他们担任新职时所用的口气是一样的，其重要性可见一斑。这一句宣告，开启了以赛亚书的第一首仆人之歌。

首先，先知描述这一位被兴起的仆人，乃是耶和华神所扶持所拣选，心里「所喜悦的」（42:1a）。圣子耶稣在约旦河受浸之后，圣灵仿佛鸽子降在祂的身上，同时圣父从天发声宣告耶稣乃是祂所喜悦的，这乃是预言耶稣把自己献上为赎罪祭，乃是完美无瑕的祭物，是通得过神并蒙神所悦纳的。因着神悦纳耶稣这个赎罪祭，因此开启了人类新的希望。

神对偶像所发出的挑战

2023-04-03 in , /by

以赛亚书41:20   好叫人看见、知道、思想、明白这是耶和华的手所做的，是以色列的圣者所造的。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 41:1-29

1「众海岛啊，当在我面前静默！众民当重新得力，都要近前来才可以说话，我们可以彼此辩论。 2 谁从东方兴起一人，凭公义召他来到脚前呢？耶和华将列国交给他，使他管辖君王，把他们如灰尘交于他的刀，如风吹的碎秸交于他的弓。 3 他追赶他们，走他所未走的道，坦然前行。 4 谁行做成就这事，从起初宣召历代呢？就是我耶和华，我是首先的，也与末后的同在。 5 海岛看见就都害怕，地极也都战兢，就近前来。 6 他们各人帮助邻舍，各人对弟兄说：『壮胆吧！』 7 木匠勉励银匠，用锤打光的勉励打砧的，论焊工说：『焊得好！』又用钉子钉稳，免得偶像动摇。

在宣告完耶和华的威严之后，以赛亚接着论到耶和华神向列国（41:1「众海岛」）所发出的宣告，祂以召聚众民前来与祂辩论的型式，开始这一段宣告。

这个宣告首先提到神将在东方兴起一人（即波斯王古列，参阅44:28，45:1），祂要向列国证明，这一位将被兴起以征服他们的君王（41:2b），乃是掌控于祂的手中（41:4）。而这一位被兴起的君王将要如何对待列国呢？──「他追赶他们，隐然前进，快速如脚不落地」、「他的刀杀人，如摧枯拉朽；他的箭射人，使他们像风前的禾楷」（41:2-3现代中译本）先知预言在古列王的军事行动中，列国将如灰尘与碎楷般的不堪一击。然后，先知指出这一切的发生并非偶然，而是那一位从起初就掌管列国历史的上帝所行作的。

You’re Never Beyond Hope

2023-04-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 49:14-50:3.  Let’s go!

To me this passage reflects the genius of the LORD and Isaiah working together.  In Isaiah chapters 40-48, not only does Isaiah predict future events and write down messages for a people not yet born; even more, Isaiah anticipates how this future people might complain and object to those messages and addresses those complaints and objections in advance. 
 
In particular, Isaiah addresses three complaints that he expects the Jewish exiles in Babylon would have when they hear the news that the LORD will deliver them from their captivity.  I wonder if the Jewish exiles in Babylon, upon reading Isaiah’s messages, must have felt like Isaiah and the Holy Spirit had read their minds, or that they were carrying on a debate with someone who lived 150 years before. 

耶和华神圣无可比拟

2023-04-02 in , /by

以赛亚书40:18  你们究竟将谁比神，用什么形象与神比较呢？

阅读经文：以赛亚书 40:12-31

12 谁曾用手心量诸水，用手虎口量苍天，用升斗盛大地的尘土，用秤称山岭，用天平平冈陵呢？ 13 谁曾测度耶和华的心，或做他的谋士指教他呢？ 14 他与谁商议，谁教导他？谁将公平的路指示他，又将知识教训他，将通达的道指教他呢？ 15 看哪，万民都像水桶的一滴，又算如天平上的微尘，他举起众海岛，好像极微之物。 16 黎巴嫩的树林不够当柴烧，其中的走兽也不够做燔祭。 17 万民在他面前好像虚无，被他看为不及虚无，乃为虚空。

本段提到耶和华神的威荣，先知以三个角度来叙述本段。

第一个角度，先知论到耶和华神的全能（40:12-17），这全能展现在祂的创造中。先知举出人所不能做到的五件事──用手心量诸水、用手虎口量苍天、用升斗量尘土、用秤量山岭和冈陵（40:12-13）。先知也列出一连串人所不能回答的问题，来指出耶和华神的作为是不需要人给予教导的，也不需要与谁商议。因为人的藐小，犹如「水桶的一滴，又算如天平上的微尘」，而世人认为巨大威猛如「海岛」（比喻列国）、树林与走兽者，在耶和华神的手中，却是轻而易举、极其细微的，就连万民在祂面前，几乎是视若无物一般（40:14-17）。在世上没有任何比祂更有智慧的存在者可以指导祂公平的治里祂的国，祂也毋须仰赖他人的协助以管理一切的被造。

Enter The Servant

2023-04-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 49:1-13.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 49:1-12 (NIV)
1  Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.
2  He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.
3  He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

On verses 1-12: After speaking repeatedly in chapters 41-48 about how the Jewish people would be delivered from captivity in Babylon by a man called Cyrus, suddenly starting in chapter 49 Isaiah stops referring to Babylon and Cyrus.  Instead, he turns his focus to someone he calls “the Servant”.  This servant would have an impact not only on the Jewish people, but on the nations, bringing “light for the Gentiles” and “salvation to the ends of the earth” (v6).

God Always Has Your Best Interest in Mind

2023-03-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 48.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 48:1-7 (NIV)
1  “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel– but not in truth or righteousness–
2  you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel– the LORD Almighty is his name:
3  I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
4  For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6  You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.
7  They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’
 
On verses 1-7:  So as to hopefully bypass the hardness of His own people’s hearts, God decided to tell the Jewish exiles way in advance (i.e. 150 years in advance) through Isaiah that they would be released from captivity in Babylon.  That way they could not credit their release from captivity to an idol (v5) or claim that they knew this themselves (v7).

安慰被掳之民的声音

2023-03-31 in , /by

以赛亚书40:8   草必枯干，花必凋残，唯有我们神的话必永远立定。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 40:1-11

1你们的神说：「你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓！ 2 要对耶路撒冷说安慰的话，又向她宣告说，她争战的日子已满了，她的罪孽赦免了，她为自己的一切罪从耶和华手中加倍受罚。」3 有人声喊著说：「在旷野预备耶和华的路，在沙漠地修平我们神的道！ 4 一切山洼都要填满，大小山冈都要削平，高高低低的要改为平坦，崎崎岖岖的必成为平原。 5 耶和华的荣耀必然显现，凡有血气的必一同看见，因为这是耶和华亲口说的。」

以赛亚书第一至卅九章为第一部，主题为神对选民的审判。而从四十章以后至六十六章进入第二部，主题是神的选民蒙安慰。本段（40:1-11）被认为是第四十至五十五章（第二以赛亚）的序言。第四十至五十五章预言的当代历史背景是：亚述已经没落，巴比伦已被新兴的波斯所取代，波斯王古列被神拣选释放神的百姓归回，归回后的犹大百姓并且计划重建圣殿。综观四十至六十六章，其内容均论述到在希西家统治下的犹大，以后将被掳与归回的预言。

本小段一开始由先知呼喊「你们要安慰，安慰我的百姓」揭开序幕，这象征著一个新的救赎时代已经来临，亦即弥赛亚的时代将临。接着，先知宣布因新时代的来临，犹大的罪获得了赦免，战争要完全停止，因为它所受的刑罚已经「加倍」（指足够了，40:2）。

When God Gives You Power

2023-03-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 47.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 47:1-11 (NIV)
1  “Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.
2  Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams.
3  Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”
4  Our Redeemer–the LORD Almighty is his name– is the Holy One of Israel.

On verses 1-11:  About 150 years before it happens, Isaiah predicts the fall of the Babylonian empire.  God used Babylon to discipline Israel and Judah (v6a), but Babylon was merciless in how she exercised her power (v6b).  Babylon was also full of pride, thinking that she had no equal (v10) and could never suffer harm (v8).  So God will hold Babylon to account.  Babylon “the queen of kingdoms” (v5) will be dethroned.