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The Wrath of God Expressed

2023-03-13 in /by

Today’s passage is Isaiah 34:1-17. Let’s go!

Isaiah 34:1-17 (NIV)
1 Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter.
3 Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed.

On verses 1-17:  Isaiah 34 is the wrath of God speaking.  Because God is a just and holy God who cannot tolerate sin and wickedness, and because people in all the nations around the world are guilty of sin and wickedness, Isaiah 34 describes the wrath of God toward all nations around the world because of their sin.   That is why Romans 3:23 says that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” while Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death”.  In Isaiah 34 we see God’s justice and wrath being expressed.

The King In His Beauty

2023-03-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:17-24.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 33:17-24 (NIV)
17  Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.
18  In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: “Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”
19  You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.
20  Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.

On verses 17-24:  Remember that so far in Isaiah 28 to 32 (which I call the “Five Woes and Five Hopes” section of Isaiah), Isaiah presents messages of woe and hope to Judah.  Each message contains not only a picture of destruction that Judah would face, but even more a picture of hope and restoration that Judah would experience.  We see that happening here again in Isaiah 33.  The picture of destruction was in verses 1-16.  Now in verses 17-24 Isaiah describes how peaceful Jerusalem will be the moment God removes the threat of Assyria.

耶和華是永久的磐石

2023-03-12 in , /by

以賽亞書26:4  你們當倚靠耶和華，直到永遠，因為耶和華是永久的磐石。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書26:1-21

1當那日，在猶大地人必唱這歌說：「我們有堅固的城，耶和華要將救恩定為城牆，為外郭。 2 敞開城門，使守信的義民得以進入！ 3 堅心倚賴你的，你必保守他十分平安，因為他倚靠你。 4 你們當倚靠耶和華，直到永遠，因為耶和華是永久的磐石。 5 他使住高處的與高城一併敗落，將城拆毀，拆平直到塵埃。 6 要被腳踐踏，就是被困苦人的腳和窮乏人的腳踐踏。」 7 義人的道是正直的，你為正直的主，必修平義人的路。

賽26:1-21是論到神使列國復興的第二小段，先知以詩歌的方式吟唱出第三個信息內容，同樣以「當那日」做為信息的起頭。

本章是一首讚美詩，頌揚對耶和華神真正相信者的得勝。在詩歌中先知以新城的歌與舊城的歌為對比（26:1為猶太民眾稱頌救恩之讚歌，26:2為耶和華神接納義民的回應26:3-19為猶太民眾對神各樣屬性的讚歌，26:20-21為耶和華神安慰庇護的回應），交錯指出神將成為相信祂的猶大百姓的新堅固城（26:1-4），而那些驕傲的外邦舊城之民將面臨敗落的命運（26:5-6）。

論彌賽亞的降臨

2023-03-10 in , /by

以賽亞書25:1  耶和華啊，祢是我的神！我要尊崇祢，我要稱讚祢的名，因為祢以忠信誠實行過奇妙的事，成就祢古時所定的。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書24:21-25:12

24:21  到那日，耶和華在高處必懲罰高處的眾軍，在地上必懲罰地上的列王。 22 他們必被聚集，像囚犯被聚在牢獄中，並要囚在監牢裡，多日之後便被討罪。 23 那時，月亮要蒙羞，日頭要慚愧，因為萬軍之耶和華必在錫安山，在耶路撒冷做王，在敬畏祂的長老面前必有榮耀。

先知在論述完彌賽亞來臨之前世界的荒涼之後，接著便提到彌賽亞的降臨將帶給世界的復興。此一部份又分為三小段：廿四章21～廿五章12是第一小段，論到神使列國復興的原因。

在這一小段中包括七個「到那日」信息的前兩個信息。

第一個信息為24:21～25:8，指出耶和華的統治。先知提到當「那日」（指審判世界的日子），在天上，耶和華必懲罰「高處的眾軍」（指天上的惡靈）；在地上，列國的君王要像囚犯一般，被耶和華神所聚集監禁（24:21-22），最後他們的罪行將要像囚犯一般被聚集，正如當年他們對待俘擄一般。等到關鎖多日之後，他們今要被「討罪」（指接受審判）。列王將被廢而丟棄權位，他們雖自比為像日頭與月亮般的高潔發光，至終無法不在榮耀威嚴的耶和華神面前感到自慚形穢（24:23上）。此情此景，使先知以賽亞不禁想起當年與摩西在西乃山上的那七十位長老，在耶和面前一面吃喝，一面觀看耶和華的作為的故事，因而以此加強敘述神的威榮（24:23下）。

Not by Our Merit, But by God’s Mercy

2023-03-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:1-16.  Let’s go!   As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself a couple times and see what you can extract from the passage before reading the message below.

Isaiah 33:1 (NIV)
1  Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.

On verse 1:  Remember that chapters 28-33 contain 5 messages of both woe and hope, all in connection with Judah, Judah’s alliance with Egypt and the threat of Assyria.  Here in this third of five messages of woe, Isaiah is likely addressing Assyria and predicting that after Assyria has destroyed other nations, Assyria itself will be destroyed.  The reason Isaiah calls Assyria a “traitor” is possibly because Assyria and Judah seemed to make peace in 2 Kings 18:13-16, only for Assyria to break that peace shortly after and invade Judah (as described in 2 Chronicles 32:1).

論推羅

2023-03-09 in , /by

以賽亞書23:8    推羅本是賜冠冕的，她的商家是王子，她的買賣人是世上的尊貴人。遭遇如此，是誰定的呢？

閱讀經文：以賽亞書23:1-18

1論推羅的默示。他施的船隻，都要哀號！因為推羅變為荒場，甚至沒有房屋，沒有可進之路。這消息是從基提地得來的。 2 沿海的居民，就是素來靠航海西頓的商家得豐盛的，你們當靜默無言！ 3 在大水之上，西曷的糧食、尼羅河的莊稼是推羅的進項，她做列國的大碼頭。 4 西頓哪，你當慚愧！因為大海說，就是海中的保障說：「我沒有劬勞，也沒有生產；沒有養育男子，也沒有撫養童女。」 5 這風聲傳到埃及，埃及人為推羅的風聲極其疼痛。 6 推羅人哪，你們當過到他施去！沿海的居民哪，你們都當哀號！ 7 這是你們歡樂的城，從上古而有的嗎？其中的居民往遠方寄居。

本段論到推羅的預言共分為兩部份，第一部份（23:1-14）以詩歌體材敘述推羅的毀滅。第二部份（23:15-18）的散文則提到災後七十年推羅將有復興。

在第一部份中，先知以腓尼基的船員在基提（即居比路）聽到推羅的惡耗，驚訝地發現停泊港他施已經被迫封閉了（23:1「沒有可進之路」）做為這首輓歌的起頭。這一個以往主要靠著載運埃及西曷（即尼羅河）的穀物而致富的國家（23:3、5），一夕之間變成了廢墟，腓尼基的水手們因找不到終點的停靠港而哀號，埃及這一個託運大國也為它悲痛（23:5），因為尼羅河的穀物再也找不到出口港了（23:3）。

A Shelter from the Wind and the Storm

2023-03-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 32:1-20.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 32:1-8 (NIV)
1  See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.
2  Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
3  Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
4  The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
5  No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

On verses 1-8:  Isaiah predicts the day when a king will reign in righteousness and his princes will reign with him in justice (v1).  Because of their righteous, just rule, they will provide refuge and refreshing for the people (v2), the simple and stuttering will find understanding and clarity (v3-4), while scoundrels will be found out (v5).  Whereas people suffer under the rule of a fool (v6-7), people will prosper under the rule of this noble king (v8).

論異象谷

2023-03-08 in , /by

以賽亞書22:22   我必將大衛家的鑰匙放在他肩頭上，他開無人能關，他關無人能開。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書22:1-25

1論異象谷的默示。有什麼事使你這滿城的人都上房頂呢？ 2 你這滿處呐喊、大有喧嘩的城，歡樂的邑啊，你中間被殺的，並不是被刀殺，也不是因打仗死亡。 3 你所有的官長一同逃跑，都為弓箭手所捆綁；你中間一切被找到的都一同被捆綁，他們本是逃往遠方的。 4 所以我說：「你們轉眼不看我，我要痛哭！不要因我眾民[a]的毀滅就竭力安慰我。」

本段為「論異象谷的默示」，根據22:9-10的經文可知，所謂異象谷乃是指大衛城，也就是耶路撒冷，因耶路撒冷附近有許多山谷，其中有稱為「嘉美的谷」的（22:7指利乏音谷，此處的土地最為肥沃），而這異象的內容乃是發生在這些山谷中。

在本段中先知論到耶路撒冷在大禍臨頭之前，卻仍酖迷於犯罪作樂之中，因此，先知不僅宣佈了耶路撒冷的罪狀，更轉述神將撤換朝中主張與埃及結盟以抵抗巴比倫的那一批政客。因他們以為與埃及結盟，就可以使猶大高枕無憂了，而這觀念（「有甚麼事使你……」）便是先知嘲問百姓在大難來臨驚恐吶喊的原因了。神將興起新人接掌權柄，以取代無能的領袖。

Our Lion and Our Shield

2023-03-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 31:1-9.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 31:1-3 (NIV)
1  Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.
2  Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers.
3  But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together.

On verses 1-3:  To those who looked to Egypt for help but not to the LORD (v1), Isaiah warns that Egypt is a bunch of mere human being and not God (v3a), whereas the LORD is all powerful.  Isaiah promises that because they did not look to the LORD, both Egypt the helper and Judah the helped will fall together (v3b). 

Seek the Strength that God Provides

2023-03-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

There is so much we can learn from today’s passage in Isaiah 30:1-33.  Let’s go!
Remember that Isaiah chapters 28-33 represent a new section in the book of Isaiah.  Scholars believe that this section relates to the time when Judah was considering forming an alliance with Egypt in order to help defend against the threat of Assyria.  The ongoing message from Isaiah is that this alliance will only hurt Judah and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 30:1-5 (NIV)
1  “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
2  who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.
3  But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame, Egypt’s shade will bring you disgrace.
4  Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
5  everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor advantage, but only shame and disgrace.”