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得救在乎归回安息

以赛亚书30:29   你们必唱歌,像守圣节的夜间一样;并且心中喜乐,像人吹笛,上耶和华的山,到以色列的磐石那里。   

阅读经文:以赛亚书30:15-33

15 主耶和华以色列的圣者曾如此说:「你们得救在乎归回安息,你们得力在乎平静安稳。」你们竟自不肯! 16 你们却说:「不然,我们要骑马奔走。」所以你们必然奔走。又说:「我们要骑飞快的牲口。」所以追赶你们的也必飞快。 17 一人叱喝必令千人逃跑,五人叱喝你们都必逃跑,以致剩下的好像山顶的旗杆,冈上的大旗。

先知在谴责犹大密谋与埃及结盟的政客之后,接着就论述到与埃及的结盟是完全没有用处的。本段为第四个「祸哉」。计分为两部份,第一部份为30:1-14,第二部份为30:15-33。

在第一部份先知再度重申与埃及结密盟,并不是求问神的结果,也不是出于神的心意(30:1-2),他们倚靠埃及却不仰望神的举动,无异于「罪上加罪」。因此耶和华神要让他们的使臣在埃及人面前蒙羞,因为埃及原本就不利于犹大,犹大却满载礼物曲承它(30:3-5)。

Are You Facing A Wall?

Hi GAMErs!

There are so many powerful lessons we can learn from today’s passage in Isaiah 38.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 38:1-2 (NIV)
1  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
2  Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
 
On verses 1-2:  After receiving some grim news that he will soon die, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays to the LORD.  You may be facing a wall right now as well, but you can pray to the LORD who is greater than that wall you are facing.

坐而不动的拉哈伯

以赛亚书30:7  埃及的帮助是徒然无益的,所以我称他为『坐而不动的拉哈伯』。  

阅读经文:以赛亚书30:1-14

1耶和华说:「祸哉,这悖逆的儿女!他们同谋却不由于我,结盟却不由于我的灵,以致罪上加罪。 2 起身下埃及去,并没有求问我,要靠法老的力量加添自己的力量,并投在埃及的荫下。 3 所以法老的力量必做你们的羞辱,投在埃及的荫下要为你们的惭愧。 4 他们的首领已在琐安,他们的使臣到了哈内斯。 5 他们必因那不利于他们的民蒙羞,那民并非帮助,也非利益,只做羞耻凌辱。」

先知在谴责犹大密谋与埃及结盟的政客之后,接着就论述到与埃及的结盟是完全没有用处的。本段为第四个「祸哉」。计分为两部份,第一部份为30:1-14,第二部份为30:15-33。

在第一部份先知再度重申与埃及结密盟,并不是求问神的结果,也不是出于神的心意(30:1-2),他们倚靠埃及却不仰望神的举动,无异于「罪上加罪」。因此耶和华神要让他们的使臣在埃及人面前蒙羞,因为埃及原本就不利于犹大,犹大却满载礼物曲承它(30:3-5)。

God Did It All

Hi GAMErs!

There are so many lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Isaiah 37:8-38.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 37:8-13 (NIV)
8  When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
9  Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king [of Egypt], was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word:

On verses 8-13:  More trash talking from Assyria, this time from King Sennacherib personally.  Sennacherib’s message is similar to tone to that of his field commander in chapter 36, except that instead of bringing up four points to shake Hezekiah’s confidence, Sennacherib focuses on one point: he tells Hezekiah, “do not let the god you depend on deceive you”.  In other words, Sennacherib goes one step further than the field commander by directly attacking the God that Hezekiah worships.  Sennacherib accuses the LORD of deceiving Hezekiah into thinking that Hezekiah can get out of this alive.  As we will see, God will take issue with Sennacherib’s pride-fueled blasphemy.

夜郎自大的遗憾

以赛亚书29:18    那时,聋子必听见这书上的话,瞎子的眼必从迷蒙黑暗中得以看见。  

阅读经文:以赛亚书29:15-24

15 祸哉!那些向耶和华深藏谋略的,又在暗中行事,说:「谁看见我们呢?谁知道我们呢?」 16 你们把事颠倒了!岂可看窑匠如泥吗?被制作的物岂可论制作物的说「他没有制作我」?或是被创造的物论造物的说「他没有聪明」?

本段经文记载第三个「祸哉」的内容,祸源主要是来自一批政客,他们自以为深藏谋略,深思熟虑,行事隐密,甚至连耶和华神都可以瞒过,他们得意的窃窃私语说:「谁看见我们呢?谁听见我们呢?」(29:15当然这是指他们密谋与埃及结盟的诡计)。却没有想到,一山还有一山高,因为真正的计划掌握在耶和华神的手中,犹大的命运全然系乎眷顾它的神。先知指出这批政客的愚昧自大,好比「看窑匠如泥」,被造物论断制造他的主人,被造者批评造物主没有比自己更聪明一般的夜郎自大(29:16)。因此先知拆穿这批短视的政客的无知,并且接着向他们宣告神将临到的拯救。

选民虚假的虔诚

以赛亚书29:14    我在这百姓中要行奇妙的事,就是奇妙又奇妙的事。他们智慧人的智慧必然消灭,聪明人的聪明必然隐藏。   

阅读经文:以赛亚书29:1-14

1「唉,亚利伊勒,亚利伊勒,大卫安营的城!任凭你年上加年,节期照常周流, 2 我终必使亚利伊勒困难,她必悲伤哀号,我却仍以她为亚利伊勒。 3 我必四围安营攻击你,屯兵围困你,筑垒攻击你。 4 你必败落,从地中说话,你的言语必微细出于尘埃。你的声音必像那交鬼者的声音出于地,你的言语低低微微出于尘埃。

本段为第二个「祸哉」,先知论到亚利伊勒(即祭坛的火炉之意)将成为耶路撒冷的另一个名字。用以宣示耶路撒冷素来为有神祭坛设立之处,但却年复一年的维持外表上的节期与献祭,而丧失了对神的内在虔敬(29:1、13)。因此,神要攻击耶路撒冷,使这城成为名符其实的亚利伊勒。然而,在耶路撒冷真实归回自己之前,它要先成为被攻击而败落的尘土,它要「从地中向神哀告」(比喻卑微凄凉的处境)(29:3-4)。神要扫除国中所有虚假的虔诚,这虚假的虔诚乃是基于对时势的错误认知,他们过度靠埃及,以致于漠视对耶和神真心的求告。

Who Will You Listen To?

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 36:1-37:7.  Let’s go!  Isaiah 36-39 is a small but dramatic section of history sandwiched between large sections of prophecy from Isaiah 1-35 and Isaiah 40-66.  Isaiah would have had first hand knowledge of the events that he writes about in Isaiah 36-39, since he figures as an important character in all these events.  Isaiah’s writings of these events would also make it into the royal annals of Israel, as shown in 2 Kings 18-20.  In addition to describing some important history, Isaiah 36-39 teach us many valuable lessons for us today. 

Isaiah 36:1-3 (NIV)
1  In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
2  Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field,
3  Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him.  
 

Turning Your Desert into Springs

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 35:1-10.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 35:1-10 (NIV)
1  The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
2  it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
3  Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
4  say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

On verses 1-10:  Isaiah paints the picture of a desert becoming a place of joy, glory, refreshing and healing, where “[t]he burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs” (v7)), where the lame leap and the mute shout for joy (v6), and where streams flow in the desert (v6).  For those of us who struggle with fear, verse 4 can be especially comforting.

领袖虚幻的盼望

以赛亚书28:16   所以主耶和华如此说:「看哪,我在锡安放一块石头作为根基,是试验过的石头,是稳固根基,宝贵的房角石,信靠的人必不着急。 

阅读经文:以赛亚书28:1-29

1祸哉,以法莲的酒徒!住在肥美谷的山上,他们心里高傲,以所夸的为冠冕,犹如将残之花。 2 看哪,主有一大能大力者,像一阵冰雹,像毁灭的暴风,像涨溢的大水,他必用手将冠冕摔落于地。 3 以法莲高傲的酒徒,他的冠冕必被踏在脚下。 4 那荣美将残之花,就是在肥美谷山上的,必像夏令以前初熟的无花果,看见这果的就注意,一到手中就吞吃了。

从第二十八章以后到卅五章,是以赛亚再度公开的宣讲时期,这与当时亚述的西拿基立入侵有关。

此一部份从28~33章是论到有关神的百姓的信息,第34~35章则是论到列国的信息。前一部份先知提到了有关神百姓的六重灾祸,每一重灾祸都是以「祸灾」作为开头。今天的内容乃是第一个「祸哉」,论到犹大以为联合埃及就能够抵抗亚述的想法,乃是虚幻不切实际的。

在一开始,先知向犹大举以法莲(即北国)被摧毁为例,说明了犹大正踩在以法莲的老路,不思依靠耶和华神,却注目于向其他强国求援。他称以法莲为「酒徒」,乃是象征以法莲在属灵上的混乱,只重现实麻醉自己,丝毫没有危机意识。

神必为选民击打仇敌

以赛亚书27:6  将来雅各要扎根,以色列要发芽开花,他们的果实必充满世界。 

阅读经文:以赛亚书27:1-13

1到那日,耶和华必用他刚硬有力的大刀刑罚鳄鱼,就是那快行的蛇,刑罚鳄鱼,就是那曲行的蛇,并杀海中的大鱼。

2 当那日,有出酒的葡萄园,你们要指这园唱歌说: 3 「我耶和华是看守葡萄园的,我必时刻浇灌,昼夜看守,免得有人损害。 4 我心中不存愤怒,唯愿荆棘蒺藜与我交战,我就勇往直前,把她一同焚烧。 5 不然,让它持住我的能力,使她与我和好;愿她与我和好!」 6 将来雅各要扎根,以色列要发芽开花,他们的果实必充满世界。

本段主旨是论到神使列国复兴的第三小段,先知以简短有力的声调,阐述了神将为选民的原故,击打一切的仇敌。祂以葡萄园主人照管护卫葡萄园的比喻,来说明犹大将临的复兴。

在这一段中包含了最后第四至第七个信息,仍以「到那日」为信息的起头。分别是:神对恶势力的审判、葡萄园之歌、雅各打碎偶像后复得赦免、被赶散之民赴圣山的敬拜。

27:1〔第四个信息〕论到神对恶势力的审判,祂刚硬有力的大刀,要将海中的「鳄鱼」(在诗74:13埃及法老被形容为鳄鱼,鳄鱼栖息在尼罗河及非洲其他的河流中,生性残暴,专被用以象征凶暴的君王,它动作迅速,游行极快,因此又被称为『快行的蛇、曲行的蛇』,在此则指残暴的埃及)、「大鱼」(敏捷的巴比伦)一一刺杀对付。