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Mind Blown

2023-03-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 29:1-14.  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, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 29:1-8 (NIV)
1  Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.
2  Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth.
3  I will encamp against you all around; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you.

On verses 1-8:  Have you ever gone from not understanding a passage in the Bible to loving it?  That’s what happened to me when it comes to Isaiah 29:1-14.
My first question when reading this passage was: who is “Ariel”?  Ariel is another name for Jerusalem, “the city where David settled” (v1).

論三國使地上的人得福

2023-03-05 in , /by

以賽亞書19:24  當那日，以色列必與埃及、亞述三國一律，使地上的人得福。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書19:16-25

16 到那日，埃及人必像婦人一樣，他們必因萬軍之耶和華在埃及以上所掄的手戰兢懼怕。 17 猶大地必使埃及驚恐，向誰提起猶大地，誰就懼怕。這是因萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意。18 當那日，埃及地必有五城的人說迦南的方言，又指著萬軍之耶和華起誓，有一城必稱為滅亡城。

19 當那日，在埃及地中必有為耶和華築的一座壇，在埃及的邊界上必有為耶和華立的一根柱。 20 這都要在埃及地為萬軍之耶和華做記號和證據。埃及人因為受人的欺壓哀求耶和華，他就差遣一位救主，做護衛者，拯救他們。 21 耶和華必被埃及人所認識，在那日，埃及人必認識耶和華，也要獻祭物和供物敬拜他，並向耶和華許願還願。 22 耶和華必擊打埃及，又擊打又醫治，埃及人就歸向耶和華。他必應允他們的禱告，醫治他們。

本段先知繼續論到埃及的希望。先知以特殊的分段（五個「當那日」）來作為論述的開頭。本段被置於對埃及的兩個咒詛中間（19:1-15與20:1-6），在文學上相當奇特。

第一個「到那日」（19:16-17）──先知提到埃及的驚恐，只因他們聽到了猶大的名號，因為這城有耶和華神為他們爭戰。

第二個「當那日」（19:18）──因著耶和華神向埃及降災，使得埃及對猶大起了懼帕的心。事實上，並不是埃及人懼怕猶大，而是懼怕猶太人所信的耶和華神。為此，先知指出將有五個埃及的城市歸降於猶大，這五個城的百姓並且學習用希伯來人的方言敬拜耶和華神。屆時他們並將指著耶和華起誓，定然棄絕對太陽神的崇拜，轉而敬拜耶和華神（「滅亡城」，又譯為「有太陽神廟在其中被拆毀的那城」，太陽神為埃及人所敬拜的偶像）。

A Tale of Two Wreaths

2023-03-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 28:1-29.  Let’s go!
 
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, not help them, and that Judah’s only true hope is trusting in the LORD.

Isaiah 28:1-8 (NIV)
1  Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley– to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
2  See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
3  That wreath, the pride of Ephraim’s drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
4  That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest– as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it.

On verses 1-8:  In the first 6 verses Isaiah paints the picture of two wreaths.  The first wreath is the political leaders of Israel, who like a “fading flower” (v1, 4), will be plucked and trampled on (v3).  Their “glorious beauty” (v1, 4) will be taken away.  The second wreath is the LORD Himself (v5).  He is described as “a glorious crown” and “a spirit of justice” for the willing leader, “a source of strength” to Israel’s soldiers (v5-6).

論埃及

2023-03-03 in , /by

以賽亞書19:12  你的智慧人在哪裡呢？萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意，他們可以知道，可以告訴你吧！

閱讀經文：以賽亞書19:1-15

1論埃及的默示。看哪，耶和華乘駕快雲，臨到埃及。埃及的偶像在他面前戰兢，埃及人的心在裡面消化。 2 「我必激動埃及人攻擊埃及人，弟兄攻擊弟兄，鄰舍攻擊鄰舍，這城攻擊那城，這國攻擊那國。 3 埃及人的心神必在裡面耗盡，我必敗壞他們的謀略，他們必求問偶像和念咒的、交鬼的、行巫術的。 4 我必將埃及人交在殘忍主的手中，強暴王必轄制他們。」這是主萬軍之耶和華說的。

第六個論到的國家是埃及，先知分三個段落來敘述，第一個段落19:1-15，主旨是埃及的災難；第二個段落是19:16-25，主旨是埃及的希望；第三個段落是20:1-6，主旨是埃及的毀滅。

在第一個段落中，先知論到埃及的災難。先知一開始以耶和華「乘駕快雲臨到埃及」暗示審判乃是劈天而降的。祂的降臨使埃及的偶像以及人心都震顫不已（19:1），所有偶像、唸咒的、交鬼的和行巫術的，都不能救埃及脫離耶和華神的手。屆時，全埃及的社會大亂，偶像既不能依靠，人人因為自危而彼此攻擊（19:2），那時他們已經不再有任何的謀略和採取智慧行動的能力了（19:3）。

接下來，先知從另一個角度敘述神的審判。祂將要使維繫全埃及的命脈──尼羅河──全然乾涸（19:5「海中的水必絕盡，河也消沒乾涸」），這將帶來以下一連串的效應。

論古實

2023-03-02 in , /by

以賽亞書18:5  收割之先，花開已謝，花也成了將熟的葡萄，他必用鐮刀削去嫩枝，又砍掉蔓延的枝條。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書17:12-18:7

17:12 唉！多民鬨嚷，好像海浪砰訇；列邦奔騰，好像猛水滔滔。 13 列邦奔騰，好像多水滔滔，但神斥責他們，他們就遠遠逃避，又被追趕，如同山上的風前糠，又如暴風前的旋風土。 14 到晚上有驚嚇，未到早晨他們就沒有了。這是擄掠我們之人所得的份，是搶奪我們之人的報應。

18:1唉！古實河外翅膀刷刷響聲之地， 2 差遣使者在水面上，坐蒲草船過海。先知說：「你們快行的使者，要到高大光滑的民那裡去，自從開國以來那民極其可畏，是分地界踐踏人的，他們的地有江河分開。」 3 世上一切的居民和地上所住的人哪，山上豎立大旗的時候，你們要看！吹角的時候，你們要聽！

「高大光滑的民」，亦即古實，即現今的衣索匹亞人。「高大」一字的原意為伸出、延長，而非指長度上的高。此句在此暗示該民族乃是擁有長久歷史的國家。該國位於尼羅河上游（埃及則位於下游），因此先知稱之為「有江河分開之地」（18:2, 7）。

在論到第五個國家之後，先知插入了一段的獨白。這一段獨白分為了兩個部份，第一部份是講論到周圍列國的景況。第二部份則是談到先知對使者的宣示。兩段都以感嘆語「唉」作為開始（17:12，18:1「唉」一字的原意含有「禍哉！」的警告內涵）。

When God Disciplines

2023-03-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 27:2-13.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 27:2-6 (NIV)
2  In that day– “Sing about a fruitful vineyard:
3  I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.
4  I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire.
5  Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me.”
6  In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.
 
On verses 2-6:  Previously in Isaiah 5, Isaiah shared a song about Israel as a vineyard that was consistently unfruitful despite everything the Lord had done for it, and so God destroyed it.  Now in Isaiah 27:2 we get another song about a vineyard, but the message and tone are completely different.  This vineyard that Isaiah now sings about is a fruitful vineyard that God protects with a passion.  God even challenges the briers and thorns [i.e. other nations] who want to try to take His vineyard away from Him (v4-5) and suggests that He makes peace with them.  His promise is that this vineyard, Israel, will become so fruitful that it will fill the world with its fruit (v6).  
 

論大馬士革的默示

2023-03-01 in , /by

以賽亞書17:1    看哪，大馬士革已被廢棄，不再為城，必變做亂堆。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書17:1-11

1論大馬士革的默示。「看哪，大馬士革已被廢棄，不再為城，必變做亂堆。 2 亞羅珥的城邑已被撇棄，必成為牧羊之處，羊在那裡躺臥，無人驚嚇。 3 以法蓮不再有保障，大馬士革不再有國權，亞蘭所剩下的必像以色列人的榮耀消滅一樣。」這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

4 「到那日，雅各的榮耀必致枵薄，他肥胖的身體必漸瘦弱。 5 就必像收割的人收斂禾稼，用手割取穗子，又像人在利乏音谷拾取遺落的穗子。 6 其間所剩下的不多，好像人打橄欖樹，在儘上的枝梢上只剩兩三個果子，在多果樹的旁枝上只剩四五個果子。」這是耶和華以色列的神說的。 7 當那日，人必仰望造他們的主，眼目重看以色列的聖者。 8 他們必不仰望祭壇，就是自己手所築的，也不重看自己指頭所做的，無論是木偶是日像。 9 在那日，他們的堅固城必像樹林中和山頂上所撇棄的地方，就是從前在以色列人面前被人撇棄的，這樣地就荒涼了。

本段為第五個先知所論到的國家：亞蘭，先知以亞蘭的首都大馬色來作為指稱。亞蘭（大馬色）之所以受到審判，是因為它與以法蓮結盟，致使以法蓮離棄耶和華。這兩個國家結盟之後為求自保，曾發動對猶大王亞哈斯的攻擊（7:1-2）。耶和華神對大馬色的審判，其實帶有懲罰以法蓮的動機，目的是希望以法蓮能夠專心轉向祂。

本段分為三個部份進行：

第一部份先知論到耶和華神對大馬色（亞蘭）的毀滅，17:3a指出了它被審判的原因：使「以法蓮不再有保障」，也因此神要奪去大馬色的國權（17:3b）。先知指出這兩個結盟國將遭受同樣的下場－－「亞蘭所剩下的，必像以色列人的榮耀消滅一樣」。解經家認為此一預言到了亞述王提革拉毗列色王和撒縵以色王時代便應驗了（參閱王下15:29，17:1-41，18:9-12）。

When the Kingdom of God Expands

2023-03-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 26:1-27:1.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 26:1-15 (NIV)
1  In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts.
2  Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.
3  You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
4  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

On verses 1-15:  Isaiah 26 continues Isaiah’s message about the end times.  Isaiah 26 shares the same tone and cadence as some of the most beautiful Psalms.  Yet Isaiah 26 is also like many of the chapters in the book of Proverbs in that every line is packed with powerful truth and could be a sermon on its own.  Isaiah 26 continues some of the most beautiful phrases in all of Isaiah.  My personal favourites include verses 3, 4, 8 and 12.

摩押遭災之期

2023-02-28 in , /by

以賽亞書16:12    摩押人朝見的時候，在高處疲乏，又到他聖所祈禱，也不蒙應允。

閱讀經文：以賽亞書16:8-14

8 因為希實本的田地和西比瑪的葡萄樹都衰殘了。列國的君主折斷其上美好的枝子，這枝子長到雅謝，延到曠野；嫩枝向外探出，直探過鹽海。 9 「因此，我要為西比瑪的葡萄樹哀哭，與雅謝人哀哭一樣。希實本、以利亞利啊，我要以眼淚澆灌你，因為有交戰呐喊的聲音臨到你夏天的果子，並你收割的莊稼。 10 從肥美的田中奪去了歡喜快樂，在葡萄園裡必無歌唱，也無歡呼的聲音；踹酒的在酒榨中不得踹出酒來，我使他歡呼的聲音止息。 11 因此我心腹為摩押哀鳴如琴，我心腸為吉珥哈列設也是如此。 12 摩押人朝見的時候，在高處疲乏，又到他聖所祈禱，也不蒙應允。」

在本段中先知繼續論到摩押的荒涼。

首先，先知以整座葡萄園被摧毀，列王折斷了其上美好的枝子，來比喻摩押國中的貴冑與有才幹之士，已經在屢次的戰役中被消滅殆盡。餘民好像剩下的殘枝一般，孤單的向外逃難（16:8），猶如這殘剩的葡萄枝子向外地伸展，直到「鹽海」之外（從以東往西經過鹽海，即是猶大的領土），正應驗了先知對摩押難民逃入猶大乞援的預言（16:4）。

然而，猶大卻不對摩押伸出援手，因為猶太人都聽說摩押人是驕傲的。先知形容摩押人的驕傲，不僅是一點點驕傲，而是「極其驕傲」。猶太人也聽說摩押人狂妄，到處向列國說忿怒、誇大與虛空的話（16:6）。這些無禮的言語，已很真實的把摩押的驕傲顯露出來。

The City of Man vs. The Mountain of God

2023-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 25:1-12.  Let’s go!
 
Isaiah 25:1-5 (NIV)
1  O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.
2  You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.
3  Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.
4  You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
5  and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
 
On verses 1-5:  Isaiah 25 begins with this beautiful exclamation of praise to God.  But then in verse 2 you may be wondering why Isaiah is praising God for turning “a city into a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more” (v2), never to be rebuilt.  What city is Isaiah referring to?  This city, which is also mentioned in Isaiah 24:10, represents those all over the world who pridefully live for themselves and their own glory rather than trusting in and living for the Lord.  You could call this city, as the early church father Augustine did, the “city of man”.  Even to this day, many people around the world still live in the “city of man”, building kingdoms that are for their own glory and fame.  This city is ruled by “foreigners” (v2, 5), that is, people who are foreign to the kingdom of God.