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神對偶像所發出的挑戰

2023-04-03 in , /by

以賽亞書41:20   好叫人看見、知道、思想、明白這是耶和華的手所做的，是以色列的聖者所造的。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 41:1-29

1「眾海島啊，當在我面前靜默！眾民當重新得力，都要近前來才可以說話，我們可以彼此辯論。 2 誰從東方興起一人，憑公義召他來到腳前呢？耶和華將列國交給他，使他管轄君王，把他們如灰塵交於他的刀，如風吹的碎秸交於他的弓。 3 他追趕他們，走他所未走的道，坦然前行。 4 誰行做成就這事，從起初宣召歷代呢？就是我耶和華，我是首先的，也與末後的同在。 5 海島看見就都害怕，地極也都戰兢，就近前來。 6 他們各人幫助鄰舍，各人對弟兄說：『壯膽吧！』 7 木匠勉勵銀匠，用錘打光的勉勵打砧的，論焊工說：『焊得好！』又用釘子釘穩，免得偶像動搖。

在宣告完耶和華的威嚴之後，以賽亞接著論到耶和華神向列國（41:1「眾海島」）所發出的宣告，祂以召聚眾民前來與祂辯論的型式，開始這一段宣告。

這個宣告首先提到神將在東方興起一人（即波斯王古列，參閱44:28，45:1），祂要向列國證明，這一位將被興起以征服他們的君王（41:2b），乃是掌控於祂的手中（41:4）。而這一位被興起的君王將要如何對待列國呢？──「他追趕他們，隱然前進，快速如腳不落地」、「他的刀殺人，如摧枯拉朽；他的箭射人，使他們像風前的禾楷」（41:2-3現代中譯本）先知預言在古列王的軍事行動中，列國將如灰塵與碎楷般的不堪一擊。然後，先知指出這一切的發生並非偶然，而是那一位從起初就掌管列國歷史的上帝所行作的。

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. 

耶和華神聖無可比擬

2023-04-02 in , /by

以賽亞書40:18  你們究竟將誰比神，用什麼形象與神比較呢？

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 40:12-31

12 誰曾用手心量諸水，用手虎口量蒼天，用升斗盛大地的塵土，用秤稱山嶺，用天平平岡陵呢？ 13 誰曾測度耶和華的心，或做他的謀士指教他呢？ 14 他與誰商議，誰教導他？誰將公平的路指示他，又將知識教訓他，將通達的道指教他呢？ 15 看哪，萬民都像水桶的一滴，又算如天平上的微塵，他舉起眾海島，好像極微之物。 16 黎巴嫩的樹林不夠當柴燒，其中的走獸也不夠做燔祭。 17 萬民在他面前好像虛無，被他看為不及虛無，乃為虛空。

本段提到耶和華神的威榮，先知以三個角度來敘述本段。

第一個角度，先知論到耶和華神的全能（40:12-17），這全能展現在祂的創造中。先知舉出人所不能做到的五件事──用手心量諸水、用手虎口量蒼天、用升斗量塵土、用秤量山嶺和岡陵（40:12-13）。先知也列出一連串人所不能回答的問題，來指出耶和華神的作為是不需要人給予教導的，也不需要與誰商議。因為人的藐小，猶如「水桶的一滴，又算如天平上的微塵」，而世人認為巨大威猛如「海島」（比喻列國）、樹林與走獸者，在耶和華神的手中，卻是輕而易舉、極其細微的，就連萬民在祂面前，幾乎是視若無物一般（40:14-17）。在世上沒有任何比祂更有智慧的存在者可以指導祂公平的治裡祂的國，祂也毋須仰賴他人的協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).

安慰被擄之民的聲音

2023-03-31 in , /by

以賽亞書40:8   草必枯乾，花必凋殘，唯有我們神的話必永遠立定。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 40:1-11

1你們的神說：「你們要安慰，安慰我的百姓！ 2 要對耶路撒冷說安慰的話，又向她宣告說，她爭戰的日子已滿了，她的罪孽赦免了，她為自己的一切罪從耶和華手中加倍受罰。」3 有人聲喊著說：「在曠野預備耶和華的路，在沙漠地修平我們神的道！ 4 一切山窪都要填滿，大小山岡都要削平，高高低低的要改為平坦，崎崎嶇嶇的必成為平原。 5 耶和華的榮耀必然顯現，凡有血氣的必一同看見，因為這是耶和華親口說的。」

以賽亞書第一至卅九章為第一部，主題為神對選民的審判。而從四十章以後至六十六章進入第二部，主題是神的選民蒙安慰。本段（40:1-11）被認為是第四十至五十五章（第二以賽亞）的序言。第四十至五十五章預言的當代歷史背景是：亞述已經沒落，巴比倫已被新興的波斯所取代，波斯王古列被神揀選釋放神的百姓歸回，歸回後的猶大百姓並且計劃重建聖殿。綜觀四十至六十六章，其內容均論述到在希西家統治下的猶大，以後將被擄與歸回的預言。

本小段一開始由先知呼喊「你們要安慰，安慰我的百姓」揭開序幕，這象徵著一個新的救贖時代已經來臨，亦即彌賽亞的時代將臨。接著，先知宣佈因新時代的來臨，猶大的罪獲得了赦免，戰爭要完全停止，因為它所受的刑罰已經「加倍」（指足夠了，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.

希西家的愚眛誤國

2023-03-30 in , /by

以賽亞書39:6 日子必到，凡你家裡所有的，並你列祖積蓄到如今的，都要被擄到巴比倫去，不留下一樣。這是耶和華說的。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 39:1-8

1那時，巴比倫王巴拉但的兒子米羅達巴拉但聽見希西家病而痊癒，就送書信和禮物給他。 2 希西家喜歡見使者，就把自己寶庫的金子、銀子、香料、貴重的膏油和他武庫的一切軍器，並所有的財寶，都給他們看。他家中和全國之內，希西家沒有一樣不給他們看的。

痊癒後的希西家重獲了生機，然而，此時的希西家卻讓我們體驗到，人在患難中可以緊緊抓住神，在平安順利中卻容易遺忘神的心態。這也是以賽亞要將本段歷史記錄在書卷中的目的。

事情是這樣子的，當亞述王西拿基立被他的兩個兒子刺殺之後，以撒哈頓續位，然而新興的巴比倫羽翼漸豐，一直追求擴展外交，想要遂其取代亞述稱霸的野心。因此，巴比倫王便派遣自己的兒子米羅達巴拉旦帶著禮物前來假裝向希西家道賀病得痊癒。表面上是好意，骨子裡卻是想一探猶大國的虛實。

希西家的絕症與神主動的醫治

2023-03-29 in , /by

以賽亞書 38:17  看哪，我受大苦本為使我得平安，祢因愛我的靈魂，便救我脫離敗壞的坑，因為祢將我一切的罪扔在祢的背後。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 38:1-22

1那時，希西家病得要死。亞摩斯的兒子先知以賽亞去見他，對他說：「耶和華如此說：你當留遺命於你的家，因為你必死，不能活了。」 2 希西家就轉臉朝牆，禱告耶和華說： 3 「耶和華啊，求你記念我在你面前怎樣存完全的心，按誠實行事，又做你眼中所看為善的。」希西家就痛哭了。

本段記載希西家王的絕症復得醫治的故事，先知記載本段的意義，乃是為了再次顯示耶和華神的憐憫，並點出希西家王個人的信仰轉變。君王乃是一個國家的象徵，君王的信仰往往是改變一個國家命運的關鍵，因此以賽亞特別寫下這一段故事，也給我們後來的人閱讀時，可以有所勉勵。

故事一開始提到「那時」希西家王染了絕症（希西家二十五歲登基，此事發生在希西家十四年，因此當時的希西家約莫四十歲，算是中年），而先知以賽亞也奉耶和華之命前去向希西家宣告死訊，並要他「留遺命與你的家」（38:1指安排好王位繼承人）。你想神還需要對一個瀕死的人再不厭其煩的派先知去向他宣告死訊嗎？耶和華神如此作，必定有祂的目的。事實上，這乃是神想要主動醫治希西家的一個動作，透過先知的宣告，把希西家生命中敬畏神的一面激發出來（38:2a），並且激勵希西家誠實的面對神（38:2b）。

Even When Lifelessness Surrounds You, Hang Onto The LORD

2023-03-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 45:14-25.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 45:14 (NIV)
14  This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans– they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.'”
 
On verse 14:  In verses 14-25 we see God speaking reassuring words to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, encouraging them to not give up seeking the LORD and to put their trust in Him regardless of whatever anyone else around them does. 
 
Here in verse 14 in particular we see a picture of other nations recognizing the Lord as the one true God.  The image of the Egyptians, Cushites and Sabeans coming over to the Jews in chains may sound like the Jews are going to imprison and enslave these other nations, but I think a better reading of this is that the Egyptians, Cushites and Sabeans will come to the Jews for help with their pre-existing chains.  That is because idolatry produces bondage but where the Spirit of the LORD is there is freedom.