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偶像無法與祂比較

2023-04-09 in , /by

以賽亞書44:24    我耶和華是創造萬物的，是獨自鋪張諸天、鋪開大地的。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 44:6-28

6 「耶和華以色列的君，以色列的救贖主，萬軍之耶和華如此說：『我是首先的，我是末後的，除我以外，再沒有真神。 7 自從我設立古時的民，誰能像我宣告並且指明，又為自己陳說呢？讓他將未來的事和必成的事說明。 8 你們不要恐懼，也不要害怕！我豈不是從上古就說明指示你們嗎？並且你們是我的見證。除我以外，豈有真神嗎？誠然沒有磐石，我不知道一個！』」

本段為耶和華七個信息的第三、四個，分別是44:6-23為第三個信息，44:24-28為第四個信息。

首先，先知論到耶和華神乃是獨一的神，是偶像所不能比擬的。先知透過第一人稱語法表達神的自我介紹──祂是「首先的，是末後的」。再沒有人像祂一樣可以知道上古以及未來之事，除祂之外，沒有一人（44:6-8）。

再者，耶和華神論到工匠製造偶像的過程，藉此嘲諷拜偶像的愚蠢。祂指出鑄造偶像的鐵匠，為了製造偶像，耗盡心力，卻又不得不忍受饑餓乾渴。製造偶像的木匠也是一樣愚眛。首先他找到一棵自認為好的香柏木，然後先取一段當柴火取暖，再取一段烤肉以裹腹。最後在吃飽暖身之後，把剩下的最後一段依照人的形狀體態雕成偶像，並且向它俯伏叩拜，祈求它的保護（44:9-17）。先知指出，以色列百姓不要繼續裝迷糊，從來不思索拜偶像這樣的事倒底是不是愚眛的。

Restored Because of Jesus

2023-04-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 54.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 54:1-8 (NIV)
1  “Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.
2  “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

On verses 1-8:  Back in Isaiah’s time there were three situations that were specifically difficult and shame-inducing for Jewish women: being barren, being a widow and being a divorcee.  Isaiah compares God’s people to a barren woman in verses 1-3, a widow in verses 4-5 and a divorcee in verses 6-8.  But in each case His point is that the LORD is going to take away His people’s shame and restore them to a place of glory, joy and blessing.  From a barren woman, God is going to supernaturally bless His people with far more descendants than she could ever have had naturally (v1).  She will have so many children that she will need to find a bigger tent and her territory will expand into other nations (v2-3).  We see much of this prophecy fulfilled already in our day.

The Greatest Passage in Isaiah?

2023-04-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

More than any other passage in Isaiah, Isaiah 53 points us to what Jesus Christ would do for us, how He would die for our sins so that we could be forgiven.  It is incredible to think that 700 years before Jesus walked on this earth, Isaiah perceived what this Servant would do on behalf of all of us. 

Isaiah 52:13-15 (NIV)
13  See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14  Just as there were many who were appalled at him– his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness–
15  so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53:1-12 (NIV)
1  Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2  He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

神主動的救贖

2023-04-07 in , /by

以賽亞書44:3   因為我要將水澆灌口渴的人，將河澆灌乾旱之地，我要將我的靈澆灌你的後裔，將我的福澆灌你的子孫。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 43:14-44:5

43:14 耶和華你們的救贖主，以色列的聖者如此說：「因你們的緣故，我已經打發人到巴比倫去，並且我要使迦勒底人如逃民，都坐自己喜樂的船下來。 15 我是耶和華你們的聖者，是創造以色列的，是你們的君王。」 16 耶和華在滄海中開道，在大水中開路， 17 使車輛、馬匹、軍兵、勇士都出來，一同躺下不再起來，他們滅沒好像熄滅的燈火。 18 耶和華如此說：「你們不要記念從前的事，也不要思想古時的事。

在先知宣告耶和華拯救以色列的第一首僕人之歌後，接著先知便宣告了耶和華神的七個信息。每一個信息都以「耶和華如此說」做為信息的起頭。本篇是七個信息的第一個，論到神對祂百姓永久的旨意。

首先，先知提及耶和華神永恆的態度（43:1-7），而這個永恆的態度就是愛（43:4「現在」一詞，乃是暗示第四十三章的信息，乃是與第四十二章不同的，前者乃是帶著怒氣的責備，後者乃是充滿了救贖之愛的口吻）。

耶和華獨一與永恆的愛旨

2023-04-06 in , /by

以賽亞書43:2    你從水中經過，我必與你同在；你趟過江河，水必不漫過你；你從火中行過，必不被燒，火焰也不著在你身上。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 43:1-13

1雅各啊，創造你的耶和華，以色列啊，造成你的那位，現在如此說：「你不要害怕，因為我救贖了你；我曾提你的名召你，你是屬我的。 2 你從水中經過，我必與你同在；你趟過江河，水必不漫過你；你從火中行過，必不被燒，火焰也不著在你身上。 3 因為我是耶和華你的神，是以色列的聖者，你的救主。我已經使埃及做你的贖價，使古實和西巴代替你。 4 因我看你為寶為尊，又因我愛你，所以我使人代替你，使列邦人替換你的生命。 5 不要害怕，因我與你同在。我必領你的後裔從東方來，又從西方招聚你。

在先知宣告耶和華拯救以色列的第一首僕人之歌後，接著先知便宣告了耶和華神的七個信息。每一個信息都以「耶和華如此說」做為信息的起頭。本篇是七個信息的第一個，論到神對祂百姓永久的旨意。

首先，先知提及耶和華神永恆的態度（43:1-7），而這個永恆的態度就是愛（43:4「現在」一詞，乃是暗示第四十三章的信息，乃是與第四十二章不同的，前者乃是帶著怒氣的責備，後者乃是充滿了救贖之愛的口吻）。

為了宣示這個態度，耶和華神要以色列民回顧昔日蒙拯救的歷史。神曾將他們從為奴之地救贖出來，無論他們從水中經過，從江河或火中經過，祂都保護他們免受災害（43:1-2）。耶和華如何證明祂的保護呢？

Waking Up to a New Reality in Jesus Christ

2023-04-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 51:17-52:12.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 51:17-23 (NIV)
17  Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger.
18  Of all the sons she bore there was none to guide her; of all the sons she reared there was none to take her by the hand.
19  These double calamities have come upon you– who can comfort you?– ruin and destruction, famine and sword– who can console you?

On 51:17-23:  Before in Isaiah 51:9, the people were telling God to “awake”.  But now it is God’s turn to tell His people to wake up, and He does so twice – once in verse 17 and again in 52:1.  What does God want His people to wake up to?  First, God wants His people to wake up to reality.   There are two realities which verses 17-20 talk about. The first reality is that Jerusalem has had to drink the cup of God’s wrath because of their sins (v17). The second reality is that over the centuries Jerusalem’s sons have generally failed to guide and provide for Jerusalem (v18).

耶和華拯救之歌

2023-04-05 in , /by

以賽亞書42:16    我要引瞎子行不認識的道，領他們走不知道的路，在他們面前使黑暗變為光明，使彎曲變為平直。這些事我都要行，並不離棄他們。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 42:10-25

10 航海的和海中所有的，海島和其上的居民，都當向耶和華唱新歌，從地極讚美他！ 11 曠野和其中的城邑，並基達人居住的村莊，都當揚聲！西拉的居民當歡呼，在山頂上呐喊！ 12 他們當將榮耀歸給耶和華，在海島中傳揚他的頌讚。 13 耶和華必像勇士出去，必像戰士激動熱心，要喊叫，大聲呐喊，要用大力攻擊仇敵。

當耶和華神宣告祂將興起一位公義的僕人，成就那將來必成的事（拯救）之後，先知接著以詩歌呼籲列國的百姓（「所有的海島和其上的居民」、「曠野和其中的城邑」）都來加入這歌頌的行列，以新歌來讚美耶和華的作為，並將榮耀歸給祂（42:10-12）。這些被呼召前來敬拜讚美神的列國是哪些國呢？

依據42:7的記載，他們乃是曾被神的僕人拯救與醫治過的百姓。當他們被神僕恩待之後，同時也就放棄了對偶像的敬拜，因此這時候耶和華神呼召他們要轉而敬拜祂。這些被呼召來敬拜祂的百姓，其中有稱為「基達」的，「基達」乃是以實瑪利的次子，在此指阿拉伯人，亦可泛指東方的居民，可見，這乃是預言救恩要臨到所有的回教徒（二十一世紀普世宣教的重點，就是對回教世界的宣教）。

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). 

耶和華公義僕人的顯現

2023-04-04 in , /by

以賽亞書42:6 我耶和華憑公義召你，必攙扶你的手，保守你，使你做眾民的中保，做外邦人的光。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 42:1-9

1看哪，我的僕人，我所扶持、所揀選，心裡所喜悅的，我已將我的靈賜給他，他必將公理傳給外邦。 2 他不喧嚷，不揚聲，也不使街上聽見他的聲音。 3 壓傷的蘆葦他不折斷，將殘的燈火他不吹滅，他憑真實將公理傳開。 4 他不灰心，也不喪膽，直到他在地上設立公理，海島都等候他的訓誨。」

在上一章論到耶和華神對偶像的挑戰尾聲，先知有一個救贖的伏筆──「看哪！我要將一位報好信息的賜給耶路撒冷」（41:27），暗示神將興起一位比古列更重要的人物，出現在以色力的歷史中，做為祂拯救的僕人。在本段中，先知首先宣告：「看哪！我的僕人……」，先知在這裡所用的口吻，與古代近東國家的君王介紹大臣任命他們擔任新職時所用的口氣是一樣的，其重要性可見一斑。這一句宣告，開啟了以賽亞書的第一首僕人之歌。

首先，先知描述這一位被興起的僕人，乃是耶和華神所扶持所揀選，心裡「所喜悅的」（42:1a）。聖子耶穌在約旦河受浸之後，聖靈彷彿鴿子降在祂的身上，同時聖父從天發聲宣告耶穌乃是祂所喜悅的，這乃是預言耶穌把自己獻上為贖罪祭，乃是完美無瑕的祭物，是通得過神並蒙神所悅納的。因著神悅納耶穌這個贖罪祭，因此開啟了人類新的希望。