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Are You Facing A Wall?

2023-03-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

There are so many powerful lessons we can learn from today’s passage in Isaiah 38.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 38:1-2 (NIV)
1  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
2  Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
 
On verses 1-2:  After receiving some grim news that he will soon die, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays to the LORD.  You may be facing a wall right now as well, but you can pray to the LORD who is greater than that wall you are facing.

坐而不動的拉哈伯

2023-03-17 in , /by

以賽亞書30:7  埃及的幫助是徒然無益的，所以我稱他為『坐而不動的拉哈伯』。  

閱讀經文：以賽亞書30:1-14

1耶和華說：「禍哉，這悖逆的兒女！他們同謀卻不由於我，結盟卻不由於我的靈，以致罪上加罪。 2 起身下埃及去，並沒有求問我，要靠法老的力量加添自己的力量，並投在埃及的蔭下。 3 所以法老的力量必做你們的羞辱，投在埃及的蔭下要為你們的慚愧。 4 他們的首領已在瑣安，他們的使臣到了哈內斯。 5 他們必因那不利於他們的民蒙羞，那民並非幫助，也非利益，只做羞恥凌辱。」

先知在譴責猶大密謀與埃及結盟的政客之後，接著就論述到與埃及的結盟是完全沒有用處的。本段為第四個「禍哉」。計分為兩部份，第一部份為30:1-14，第二部份為30:15-33。

在第一部份先知再度重申與埃及結密盟，並不是求問神的結果，也不是出於神的心意（30:1-2），他們倚靠埃及卻不仰望神的舉動，無異於「罪上加罪」。因此耶和華神要讓他們的使臣在埃及人面前蒙羞，因為埃及原本就不利於猶大，猶大卻滿載禮物曲承它（30:3-5）。

God Did It All

2023-03-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

There are so many lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Isaiah 37:8-38.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 37:8-13 (NIV)
8  When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
9  Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the Cushite king [of Egypt], was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word:

On verses 8-13:  More trash talking from Assyria, this time from King Sennacherib personally.  Sennacherib’s message is similar to tone to that of his field commander in chapter 36, except that instead of bringing up four points to shake Hezekiah’s confidence, Sennacherib focuses on one point: he tells Hezekiah, “do not let the god you depend on deceive you”.  In other words, Sennacherib goes one step further than the field commander by directly attacking the God that Hezekiah worships.  Sennacherib accuses the LORD of deceiving Hezekiah into thinking that Hezekiah can get out of this alive.  As we will see, God will take issue with Sennacherib’s pride-fueled blasphemy.

夜郎自大的遺憾

2023-03-16 in , /by

以賽亞書29:18    那時，聾子必聽見這書上的話，瞎子的眼必從迷蒙黑暗中得以看見。  

閱讀經文：以賽亞書29:15-24

15 禍哉！那些向耶和華深藏謀略的，又在暗中行事，說：「誰看見我們呢？誰知道我們呢？」 16 你們把事顛倒了！豈可看窯匠如泥嗎？被製作的物豈可論製作物的說「他沒有製作我」？或是被創造的物論造物的說「他沒有聰明」？

本段經文記載第三個「禍哉」的內容，禍源主要是來自一批政客，他們自以為深藏謀略，深思熟慮，行事隱密，甚至連耶和華神都可以瞞過，他們得意的竊竊私語說：「誰看見我們呢？誰聽見我們呢？」（29:15當然這是指他們密謀與埃及結盟的詭計）。卻沒有想到，一山還有一山高，因為真正的計劃掌握在耶和華神的手中，猶大的命運全然繫乎眷顧它的神。先知指出這批政客的愚昧自大，好比「看窯匠如泥」，被造物論斷製造他的主人，被造者批評造物主沒有比自己更聰明一般的夜郎自大（29:16）。因此先知拆穿這批短視的政客的無知，並且接著向他們宣告神將臨到的拯救。

選民虛假的虔誠

2023-03-15 in , /by

以賽亞書29:14    我在這百姓中要行奇妙的事，就是奇妙又奇妙的事。他們智慧人的智慧必然消滅，聰明人的聰明必然隱藏。   

閱讀經文：以賽亞書29:1-14

1「唉，亞利伊勒，亞利伊勒，大衛安營的城！任憑你年上加年，節期照常周流， 2 我終必使亞利伊勒困難，她必悲傷哀號，我卻仍以她為亞利伊勒。 3 我必四圍安營攻擊你，屯兵圍困你，築壘攻擊你。 4 你必敗落，從地中說話，你的言語必微細出於塵埃。你的聲音必像那交鬼者的聲音出於地，你的言語低低微微出於塵埃。

本段為第二個「禍哉」，先知論到亞利伊勒（即祭壇的火爐之意）將成為耶路撒冷的另一個名字。用以宣示耶路撒冷素來為有神祭壇設立之處，但卻年復一年的維持外表上的節期與獻祭，而喪失了對神的內在虔敬（29:1、13）。因此，神要攻擊耶路撒冷，使這城成為名符其實的亞利伊勒。然而，在耶路撒冷真實歸回自己之前，它要先成為被攻擊而敗落的塵土，它要「從地中向神哀告」（比喻卑微淒涼的處境）（29:3-4）。神要掃除國中所有虛假的虔誠，這虛假的虔誠乃是基於對時勢的錯誤認知，他們過度靠埃及，以致於漠視對耶和神真心的求告。

Who Will You Listen To?

2023-03-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 36:1-37:7.  Let’s go!  Isaiah 36-39 is a small but dramatic section of history sandwiched between large sections of prophecy from Isaiah 1-35 and Isaiah 40-66.  Isaiah would have had first hand knowledge of the events that he writes about in Isaiah 36-39, since he figures as an important character in all these events.  Isaiah’s writings of these events would also make it into the royal annals of Israel, as shown in 2 Kings 18-20.  In addition to describing some important history, Isaiah 36-39 teach us many valuable lessons for us today. 

Isaiah 36:1-3 (NIV)
1  In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
2  Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. When the commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field,
3  Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to him.  
 

Turning Your Desert into Springs

2023-03-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 35:1-10.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 35:1-10 (NIV)
1  The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
2  it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
3  Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
4  say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

On verses 1-10:  Isaiah paints the picture of a desert becoming a place of joy, glory, refreshing and healing, where “[t]he burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs” (v7)), where the lame leap and the mute shout for joy (v6), and where streams flow in the desert (v6).  For those of us who struggle with fear, verse 4 can be especially comforting.

領袖虛幻的盼望

2023-03-14 in , /by

以賽亞書28:16   所以主耶和華如此說：「看哪，我在錫安放一塊石頭作為根基，是試驗過的石頭，是穩固根基，寶貴的房角石，信靠的人必不著急。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書28:1-29

1禍哉，以法蓮的酒徒！住在肥美谷的山上，他們心裡高傲，以所誇的為冠冕，猶如將殘之花。 2 看哪，主有一大能大力者，像一陣冰雹，像毀滅的暴風，像漲溢的大水，他必用手將冠冕摔落於地。 3 以法蓮高傲的酒徒，他的冠冕必被踏在腳下。 4 那榮美將殘之花，就是在肥美谷山上的，必像夏令以前初熟的無花果，看見這果的就注意，一到手中就吞吃了。

從第二十八章以後到卅五章，是以賽亞再度公開的宣講時期，這與當時亞述的西拿基立入侵有關。

此一部份從28～33章是論到有關神的百姓的信息，第34～35章則是論到列國的信息。前一部份先知提到了有關神百姓的六重災禍，每一重災禍都是以「禍災」作為開頭。今天的內容乃是第一個「禍哉」，論到猶大以為聯合埃及就能夠抵抗亞述的想法，乃是虛幻不切實際的。

在一開始，先知向猶大舉以法蓮（即北國）被摧毀為例，說明了猶大正踩在以法蓮的老路，不思依靠耶和華神，卻注目於向其他強國求援。他稱以法蓮為「酒徒」，乃是象徵以法蓮在屬靈上的混亂，只重現實麻醉自己，絲毫沒有危機意識。

神必為選民擊打仇敵

2023-03-13 in , /by

以賽亞書27:6  將來雅各要扎根，以色列要發芽開花，他們的果實必充滿世界。 

閱讀經文：以賽亞書27:1-13

1到那日，耶和華必用他剛硬有力的大刀刑罰鱷魚，就是那快行的蛇，刑罰鱷魚，就是那曲行的蛇，並殺海中的大魚。

2 當那日，有出酒的葡萄園，你們要指這園唱歌說： 3 「我耶和華是看守葡萄園的，我必時刻澆灌，晝夜看守，免得有人損害。 4 我心中不存憤怒，唯願荊棘蒺藜與我交戰，我就勇往直前，把她一同焚燒。 5 不然，讓它持住我的能力，使她與我和好；願她與我和好！」 6 將來雅各要扎根，以色列要發芽開花，他們的果實必充滿世界。

本段主旨是論到神使列國復興的第三小段，先知以簡短有力的聲調，闡述了神將為選民的原故，擊打一切的仇敵。祂以葡萄園主人照管護衛葡萄園的比喻，來說明猶大將臨的復興。

在這一段中包含了最後第四至第七個信息，仍以「到那日」為信息的起頭。分別是：神對惡勢力的審判、葡萄園之歌、雅各打碎偶像後復得赦免、被趕散之民赴聖山的敬拜。

27:1〔第四個信息〕論到神對惡勢力的審判，祂剛硬有力的大刀，要將海中的「鱷魚」（在詩74:13埃及法老被形容為鱷魚，鱷魚棲息在尼羅河及非洲其他的河流中，生性殘暴，專被用以象徵兇暴的君王，它動作迅速，游行極快，因此又被稱為『快行的蛇、曲行的蛇』，在此則指殘暴的埃及）、「大魚」（敏捷的巴比倫）一一刺殺對付。

The Wrath of God Expressed

2023-03-13 in /by

Today’s passage is Isaiah 34:1-17. Let’s go!

Isaiah 34:1-17 (NIV)
1 Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter.
3 Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed.

On verses 1-17:  Isaiah 34 is the wrath of God speaking.  Because God is a just and holy God who cannot tolerate sin and wickedness, and because people in all the nations around the world are guilty of sin and wickedness, Isaiah 34 describes the wrath of God toward all nations around the world because of their sin.   That is why Romans 3:23 says that “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” while Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death”.  In Isaiah 34 we see God’s justice and wrath being expressed.