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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）。

God’s Heart for the Excluded

2023-04-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 56:1-8.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)
1  This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2  Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
 
On verses 1-2:  In Isaiah 55, Isaiah has just announced God’s open invitation to everyone to come and freely receive the forgiveness, mercy and freedom that He makes possible.  You would think that this would be a fitting way to end the book of Isaiah.  Yet the book of Isaiah continues on for 10 more chapters dealing with various topics, two of the biggest being what God expects of His people now and what God will do at the very end of time. 

神對古列的託付

2023-04-10 in , /by

以賽亞書45:6   從日出之地到日落之處，使人都知道除了我以外，沒有別神。我是耶和華，在我以外並沒有別神。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 45:1-13

1「我耶和華所膏的居魯士，我攙扶他的右手，使列國降伏在他面前。我也要放鬆列王的腰帶，使城門在他面前敞開，不得關閉。我對他如此說： 2 『我必在你前面行，修平崎嶇之地；我必打破銅門，砍斷鐵閂。 3 我要將暗中的寶物和隱密的財寶賜給你，使你知道提名召你的，就是我耶和華以色列的神。 4 因我僕人雅各，我所揀選以色列的緣故，我就提名召你，你雖不認識我，我也加給你名號。

本段是耶和華七個信息中的第五個，是接著第四個信息，繼續講論神對古列的揀選。

本段中一再重複宣示「我是耶和華」以及「在我以外，並沒有別神」的信念。語氣很明顯是對古列說的，顯示出被揀選的古列王，根本不認識耶和華神。因此祂便不厭其煩地一再強調祂是那一位唯一的真神。

在本段中，神首先以征服列國來印證祂揀選古列的事實。他是神所膏的僕人（45:1a「膏」一詞乃是舊約對於受聖職的君王、祭司與先知所施行的禮儀，象徵施行聖職的權柄來自於上帝的授權，也象徵承接聖職者乃是出於神的揀選），在祂的扶助之下，列王「的腰帶都要被放鬆」（象徵列國君王都要在古列面前棄甲投降，「腰帶」乃是力量的象徵）。

God’s Open Invitation

2023-04-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 55.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 55:1-7 (NIV)
1  “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3  Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
4  See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples.
5  Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6  Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
 
On verses 1-7:  In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah has shown himself capable of empathizing with different perspectives.  In Isaiah 54, Isaiah is writing with a woman’s needs in mind, likening God’s people to a woman who longs for security and protection.  In contrast, Isaiah 55 is written from a man’s perspective, speaking to the concerns of a man who desperately wants God’s forgiveness.  Yet the messages of Isaiah 54 and 55 are one and the same: if we want the security, the protection and the forgiveness that we long for so much, we will not be able to get it ourselves.  We need God’s help.