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The Branch Called Messiah

2023-02-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 11:1-16.  This passage teaches us about who this promised Messiah is, what this Messiah will do and the impact this Messiah will have.

Isaiah 11:1 (NIV)
1  A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

On verse 1:  For some reason Isaiah has a thing with trees.  In Isaiah 10, Isaiah likens the Assyrians to a forest of tall cedar trees in Lebanon that will be cut down, never to rise again (10:33-34).  In Isaiah 6 Isaiah likens Judah to a bunch of terebinth and oak trees that have been cut down to their stump (6:13), but will rise again.

Now we come to chapter 11 verse 1 where Isaiah says that “[a] shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit”.  Who is Jesse?  Jesse was the father of King David, who lived centuries before Isaiah’s time.  So Isaiah is implying that just when Jesse and King David’s “family tree” seemed to be almost cut down like a stump, a leader will rise up.  This leader, who is called the “shoot” and the “Branch”, is God’s promised Messiah.

The Ax Holder Is More Important Than The Ax

2023-02-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 10:5-34.

Isaiah 10:5-19 (NIV)
5  “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
6  I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
7  But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations.
8  ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says.

On verses 5-19:  God was using Assyria as an instrument to carry out God’s wrath against nations like Judah and Israel.  However, Assyria was oblivious to this fact and pridefully assumed that all of its power and dominance was the result of Assyria’s own power, prowess and ability.  For example, in this passage:
–        the King of Assyria boasts that his commanders are kings (v8) and that the cities of Judah and Israel are destroyed just like other cities that the Assyrians defeated (v9-11).
–        the King of Assyria boasts that by his own strength and wisdom he conquered other nations (v13-14)

當以訓誨和法度為標準

2023-02-12 in , /by

以賽亞書8:20   人當以訓誨和法度為標準。他們所說的若不與此相符，必不得見晨光。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書 8:11-22

16你要捲起律法書，在我門徒中間封住訓誨。17我要等候那掩面不顧雅各家的耶和華，我也要仰望他。18看哪，我與耶和華所給我的兒女，就是從住在錫安山萬軍之耶和華來的，在以色列中作為預兆和奇蹟。

從第11節起，以賽亞以第一人稱講述自己的小故事︰「耶和華以大能的手，指教我不可行這百姓所行的道，對我這樣說」(8:11)。以賽亞面對眾人的壓力，也有搖擺不定的時候，但神用大能的手托住他，神的靈在他身上，使他感受到神的力量。「這百姓說同謀背叛，你們不要說同謀背叛。他們所怕的，你們不要怕，也不要畏懼。但要尊萬軍之耶和華為聖，以他為你們所當怕的，所當畏懼的。」(8:12-13) 「你們」顯示出以賽亞並非獨自一人，他有妻兒家室，也有門徒。無論在任何光景中，我們都要惟獨敬畏那能殺身體又殺靈魂的神。

「他必作為聖所，卻向以色列兩家作絆腳的石頭，跌人的磐石；向耶路撒冷的居民作為圈套和網羅。」(8:14) 北國以色列和南國猶大在最關鍵的問題上沒有倚靠神，一定會跌倒。「你要捲起律法書，在我門徒中間封住訓誨。」(8:16) 「訓誨」指第一至七章神對以色列的訓誨，神讓以賽亞寫下來，然後封存，在歷史上成為見證，證實神話語會真實應驗。

Holiness Doesn’t Play Favourites

2023-02-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 9:8-10:4.

As usual, I highly recommend that you read the whole passage on your own a few times first.  Then take a look at my sharing below.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 9:8-21 (NIV)
8  The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel.
9  All the people will know it– Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria– who say with pride and arrogance of heart,
10  “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”
11  But the LORD has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them and has spurred their enemies on.

On verses 9:8 to 10:4:  In response to Israel’s sin and their unwillingness to repent, God will:
–        allow Israel’s enemies to attack and defeat Israel (v11-12)
–        cut off Israel’s elders and prophets (v14-15)
–        remove God’s protecting grace from Israel and instead release God’s wrath, giving rise to chaos and unrest in Israel (v19-20)

仰望賜水源的神

2023-02-10 in , /by

以賽亞書8:10    任憑你們同謀，終歸無有，任憑你們言定，終不成立，因為神與我們同在。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書8:1-10

1耶和華對我說：「你取一個大牌，拿人所用的筆，寫上：瑪黑珥沙拉勒哈施罷斯。2我要用誠實的見證人，祭司烏利亞和耶比利家的兒子撒迦利亞記錄這事。」3我以賽亞與妻子同室，她懷孕生子。耶和華就對我說：「給他起名叫瑪黑珥沙拉勒哈施罷斯，4因為在這小孩子不曉得叫父叫母之先，大馬士革的財寶和撒馬利亞的擄物必在亞述王面前搬了去。」

神吩咐以賽亞把預言寫下來，使牌匾成為一個兆頭：「瑪黑珥沙拉勒哈施罷斯（就是擄掠速臨、搶奪快到的意思）」(參賽8:1) 它把第六和七章的預言作了一個總結。無論以色列和敘利亞怎樣同盟對抗亞述，擄掠和搶奪都必快速臨到。北方兩國的計謀無法抵抗亞述，而這個計謀對南國猶大產生了壓力。當時猶大王亞哈斯有一個反計謀，想藉與亞述結盟來消解這個壓力。然而，這只是暫緩之計，最後亞述一樣會擄掠猶大。無論北方的計謀還是南方的反計謀，最終都要落空。

我們面對各種艱難的時候，想盡辦法，但都只不過是按自己的能力和眼前所見的來思考，並沒有把神計算在內。「先神後人再大地」，是我們思考時要作的選擇，我們要凡事先求問神。

神應許亞哈斯一個兆頭

2023-02-09 in , /by

以賽亞書7:14   因此，主自己要給你們一個兆頭，必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書7:10-25

10耶和華又曉諭亞哈斯說：11「你向耶和華你的神求一個兆頭，或求顯在深處，或求顯在高處。」12亞哈斯說：「我不求，我不試探耶和華。」13以賽亞說：「大衛家啊，你們當聽！你們使人厭煩豈算小事？還要使我的神厭煩嗎？14因此，主自己要給你們一個兆頭，必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利。15到他曉得棄惡擇善的時候，他必吃奶油與蜂蜜。16因為在這孩子還不曉得棄惡擇善之先，你所憎惡的那二王之地必致見棄。17耶和華必使亞述王攻擊你的日子臨到你和你的百姓並你的父家，自從以法蓮離開猶大以來，未曾有這樣的日子。

神應許、拯救的兆頭(7:10-16)

神應許亞哈斯有一個兆頭。「你向耶和華你的神求一個兆頭：或求顯在深刻，或求顯在高處。」(7:11) 是想像不到的奇妙，只要求，神便會給他這個兆頭。「亞哈斯說、我不求、我不試探耶和華。」(7:12) 他居然拒絕了，因為他心裡已經有了計劃。所以「以賽亞說、大衛家阿、你們當聽。你們使人厭煩豈算小事，還要使我的神厭煩嗎？」(7:13) 這句話不單是對亞哈斯一個人說，也是對整個大衛家說的，尤其說猶大的謀士和宮庭裡的策士，他們一直煩厭神的先知，不願意聽神的勸喻，他們拒絕先知，拒絕神，心中有自己的計策。

The Child Who Would Be God

2023-02-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 8:1-22.

As usual, I highly recommend that you read the whole passage on your own a few times first.  Then take a look at my sharing below.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 8:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
2  And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me.”
3  Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
4  Before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

On verses 1-4:  God had impressed upon Isaiah these words “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz”, which means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”.  God then gets Isaiah to write these words down on a large scroll in the presence of two hostile witnesses (v1-2) who were close associates of King Ahaz of Judah: Uriah the priest (a “sketchy” priest in that when Ahaz wanted to build an altar just like the one the Arameans used to worship idols, he got Uriah to make the sketch (2 Kings 16:10)) and Zechariah, who was most likely King Ahaz’s father-in-law (2 Kings 18:2).

The Name God Gave You

2023-02-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 8:1-22.

As usual, I highly recommend that you read the whole passage on your own a few times first.  Then take a look at my sharing below.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 8:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
2  And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me.”
3  Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
4  Before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

On verses 1-4:  God had impressed upon Isaiah these words “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz”, which means “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”.  God then gets Isaiah to write these words down on a large scroll in the presence of two hostile witnesses (v1-2) who were close associates of King Ahaz of Judah: Uriah the priest (a “sketchy” priest in that when Ahaz wanted to build an altar just like the one the Arameans used to worship idols, he got Uriah to make the sketch (2 Kings 16:10)) and Zechariah, who was most likely King Ahaz’s father-in-law (2 Kings 18:2).

冒煙的火把頭

2023-02-08 in , /by

以賽亞書7:7  所以主耶和華如此說：這所謀的必立不住，也不得成就。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書7:1-9

1烏西雅的孫子、約坦的兒子猶大王亞哈斯在位的時候，亞蘭王利汛和利瑪利的兒子以色列王比加，上來攻打耶路撒冷，卻不能攻取。 2 有人告訴大衛家說：「亞蘭與以法蓮已經同盟。」王的心和百姓的心就都跳動，好像林中的樹被風吹動一樣。

「烏西雅的孫子約坦的兒子猶大王亞哈斯在位的時候、亞蘭王利汛、和利瑪利的兒子以色列王比加上來攻打耶路撒冷、卻不能攻取。」(7:1) 這是歷史書的寫作方法。約坦前半段與父親烏西雅一同作王治理猶大，後半段與兒子亞哈斯一同治理。烏西雅王崩的那一年，就是主前的740年，亞哈斯在位的時候是主前736年，所以從烏西雅到亞哈斯作王，中間只有五年，但是在這五年裡，猶大已經進入了一個極深的管治低谷裡。烏西雅的太平盛世很快便過去，亞哈斯登基的時候國家正面對一個很大的危機，北方的亞蘭和以色列國竟然聯盟要上來攻打耶路撒冷。

當時亞述帝國正在興起，要向南征討列國，首當其衝的就是亞蘭和大馬士革。他們為了抵抗亞述強大的攻擊便結盟了，但是他們又擔心南面的猶大使他們腹背受敵，所以南下耶路撒冷去推翻大衛家，建立一個與他們能夠結盟的傀儡皇帝，這樣三國便可以聯合起來對抗亞述帝國。

以賽亞得見主榮

2023-02-07 in , /by

以賽亞書6:7  將炭沾我的口，說：「看哪，這炭沾了你的嘴，你的罪孽便除掉，你的罪惡就赦免了。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書6:1-13

1當烏西雅王崩的那年，我見主坐在高高的寶座上，他的衣裳垂下，遮滿聖殿。2其上有撒拉弗侍立，各有六個翅膀，用兩個翅膀遮臉，兩個翅膀遮腳，兩個翅膀飛翔，3說：「聖哉，聖哉，聖哉，萬軍之耶和華！他的榮光充滿全地！」4因呼喊者的聲音，門檻的根基震動，殿充滿了煙雲。5那時我說：「禍哉！我滅亡了。因為我是嘴唇不潔的人，又住在嘴唇不潔的民中，又因我眼見大君王萬軍之耶和華。」

最近有一位傳道人和我分享她蒙召的經過，當她在敘述時，雙眼發光，滿臉喜樂，因為神的呼召是那麼明確，神的印證是那樣信實。我相信每一個服事神的人在回想領受神的呼召時，都會忍不住熱血澎湃，情緒激動。因為與神相遇是一件何等奇妙的事。這個經驗對以賽亞而言，也是再奇妙不過了。因為在烏西雅王駕崩的那年，原是國喪之年，大家都應該在悲傷的情緒之中。卻沒想到神就在此時向以賽亞顯現了。