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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.

希西家的愚眛误国

2023-03-30 in , /by

以赛亚书39:6 日子必到，凡你家里所有的，并你列祖积蓄到如今的，都要被掳到巴比伦去，不留下一样。这是耶和华说的。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 39:1-8

1那时，巴比伦王巴拉但的儿子米罗达巴拉但听见希西家病而痊愈，就送书信和礼物给他。 2 希西家喜欢见使者，就把自己宝库的金子、银子、香料、贵重的膏油和他武库的一切军器，并所有的财宝，都给他们看。他家中和全国之内，希西家没有一样不给他们看的。

痊愈后的希西家重获了生机，然而，此时的希西家却让我们体验到，人在患难中可以紧紧抓住神，在平安顺利中却容易遗忘神的心态。这也是以赛亚要将本段历史记录在书卷中的目的。

事情是这样子的，当亚述王西拿基立被他的两个儿子刺杀之后，以撒哈顿续位，然而新兴的巴比伦羽翼渐丰，一直追求扩展外交，想要遂其取代亚述称霸的野心。因此，巴比伦王便派遣自己的儿子米罗达巴拉旦带着礼物前来假装向希西家道贺病得痊愈。表面上是好意，骨子里却是想一探犹大国的虚实。

希西家的绝症与神主动的医治

2023-03-29 in , /by

以赛亚书 38:17  看哪，我受大苦本为使我得平安，祢因爱我的灵魂，便救我脱离败坏的坑，因为祢将我一切的罪扔在祢的背后。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 38:1-22

1那时，希西家病得要死。亚摩斯的儿子先知以赛亚去见他，对他说：「耶和华如此说：你当留遗命于你的家，因为你必死，不能活了。」 2 希西家就转脸朝墙，祷告耶和华说： 3 「耶和华啊，求你记念我在你面前怎样存完全的心，按诚实行事，又做你眼中所看为善的。」希西家就痛哭了。

本段记载希西家王的绝症复得医治的故事，先知记载本段的意义，乃是为了再次显示耶和华神的怜悯，并点出希西家王个人的信仰转变。君王乃是一个国家的象征，君王的信仰往往是改变一个国家命运的关键，因此以赛亚特别写下这一段故事，也给我们后来的人阅读时，可以有所勉励。

故事一开始提到「那时」希西家王染了绝症（希西家二十五岁登基，此事发生在希西家十四年，因此当时的希西家约莫四十岁，算是中年），而先知以赛亚也奉耶和华之命前去向希西家宣告死讯，并要他「留遗命与你的家」（38:1指安排好王位继承人）。你想神还需要对一个濒死的人再不厌其烦的派先知去向他宣告死讯吗？耶和华神如此作，必定有祂的目的。事实上，这乃是神想要主动医治希西家的一个动作，透过先知的宣告，把希西家生命中敬畏神的一面激发出来（38:2a），并且激励希西家诚实的面对神（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.

神对西拿基立的审判

2023-03-28 in , /by

以赛亚书 37:31  犹大家所逃脱余剩的，仍要往下扎根，向上结果。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 37:21-38

21 亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚就打发人去见希西家，说：「耶和华以色列的神如此说：你既然求我攻击亚述王西拿基立， 22 所以耶和华论他这样说：『锡安的处女藐视你，嗤笑你，耶路撒冷的女子向你摇头。 23 你辱骂谁，亵渎谁？扬起声来，高举眼目攻击谁呢？乃是攻击以色列的圣者！ 24 你藉你的臣仆辱骂主，说：「我率领许多战车上山顶，到黎巴嫩极深之处，我要砍伐其中高大的香柏树和佳美的松树，我必上极高之处，进入肥田的树林。 25 我已经挖井喝水，我必用脚掌踏干埃及的一切河。」』

西拿基立真应了「骄傲在败坏以先，狂心在跌倒之前」这一句话。他的信当被希西家呈递在耶华神的面前的时候，促使耶和华神决心立即惩罚这一个傲慢之徒，祂借着以赛亚传递了亚述队即将被摧毁的预言（37:21-29）。而同时，先知也宣告了耶和华给犹大的证据，以未来连年五谷丰收来证明耶和华必拯救到底（37:30-32）。希西家向犹大发预言说：「以色列人哪！我赐你们一个证据。你们今年要吃自生的，明年也要吃自长的，至于后年，你们要耕种收割栽植葡萄园，吃其中的果子」。

The God Who Calls You By Name

2023-03-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 44:23-45:13.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 44:23-27 (NIV)
23  Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.
24  “This is what the LORD says– your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
25  who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
26  who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’
27  who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’

On verses 23-27:  These verses speak of how God will speak into existence the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem and have them rebuild their ruined city.  God will do this to the chagrin of false prophets, diviners and so-called experts who claimed this would never happen (v25).  As verse 23 suggests, it would be a glorious day when God would redeem His people by allowing the Jewish exiles to be set free.  In verse 27, God seems to compare this miracle to His earlier miracles in Exodus when He would allow His people to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan River on dry land.

God Vs. Idols

2023-03-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 44:6-22.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 44:6-8 (NIV)
6  “This is what the LORD says– Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
7  Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come– yes, let him foretell what will come.
8  Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
 
On verses 6-8:  One of the biggest themes in Isaiah 40-66 is that the LORD is the one true God.  Only God is able to foretell what is to come.

希西家的忧虑与祷告

2023-03-27 in , /by

以赛亚书 37:6  以赛亚对他们说：要这样对你们的主人说：『耶和华如此说：你听见亚述王的仆人亵渎我的话，不要惧怕。  

阅读经文：以赛亚书 37:1-20

1希西家王听见，就撕裂衣服，披上麻布，进了耶和华的殿。 2 使家宰以利亚敬和书记舍伯那并祭司中的长老都披上麻布，去见亚摩斯的儿子先知以赛亚， 3 对他说：「希西家如此说：今日是急难、责罚、凌辱的日子，就如妇人将要生产婴孩，却没有力量生产。 4 或者耶和华你的神听见拉伯沙基的话，就是他主人亚述王打发他来辱骂永生神的话，耶和华你的神听见这话就发斥责。故此，求你为余剩的民扬声祷告。」

当希西家听到以利亚敬等三位使者向他所做的报告之后，他就忧忧愁愁的进入圣殿（37:1），因为当时的亚述王西拿基立已然攻下了犹大城邑总计四十六座，这对希西家来说是极大的挫败。然而，同时希西家也差人去见先知以赛亚（37:2），显然他的心里已经意识到唯有他的祖先所事奉的那一位神才可能帮助他，而先前一切投靠埃及的主张乃是不智的。或许先前希西家较倾向靠埃及的看法，没有决心倚靠耶和华，所以此时虽然进入圣殿，心里却不敢面对神祷告。

God Makes A Way Through The Desert

2023-03-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 43:8-44:5.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 43:8-15 (NIV)
8  Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
9  All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10  “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

On verses 8-15:  Isaiah asks who predicted the rescuing of the Jewish exiles from Babylon (v8-9).  The answer is: no one except the LORD speaking through His servant (v10).  In so doing the LORD will show that He is the one true God (v10-12) and that He is sovereign (v13). God confirms that He will bring about the defeat of the Babylonians (v14) and that the real ruler over Israel is not Babylon but the LORD, “Israel’s Creator, your King” (v15).

兵临城下的心战喊话

2023-03-26 in , /by

以赛亚书 36:1  希西家王十四年，亚述王西拿基立上来攻击犹大的一切坚固城，将城攻取。   

阅读经文：以赛亚书 36:1-22

1希西家王十四年，亚述王西拿基立上来攻击犹大的一切坚固城，将城攻取。 2 亚述王从拉吉差遣拉伯沙基率领大军往耶路撒冷，到希西家王那里去。他就站在上池的水沟旁，在漂布地的大路上。 3 于是希勒家的儿子家宰以利亚敬，并书记舍伯那和亚萨的儿子史官约亚，出来见拉伯沙基。

从第卅六至卅九章是一段历史的插入记录，主要记载的是希西家王治国的困境与先知以赛亚对他的影响。这两章也是第廿九至卅三章先知预言的历史背景，这两章提供了廿九至卅三章内容的解释。

本段的第一部份（卅六章），先知记载亚述王西拿基立在希西家十四年（主前701年）势如破竹地陆续攻下了犹大的一些「坚固城」（指一切通往埃及与耶路撒冷城市），大军开拔到耶路撒冷西南方的拉吉（此城为西拿基立北取耶路撒冷，南攻埃及的站略要地）。这时候西拿基立派遣他的主帅拉伯沙基前来心战喊话。犹大则派遣以利亚敬以及书记舍伯那、史官约亚与之会晤。