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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)

当以训诲和法度为标准

2023-02-12 in , /by

以赛亚书8:20   人当以训诲和法度为标准。他们所说的若不与此相符，必不得见晨光。

阅读经文：以赛亚书 8:11-22

16你要卷起律法书，在我门徒中间封住训诲。17我要等候那掩面不顾雅各家的耶和华，我也要仰望他。18看哪，我与耶和华所给我的儿女，就是从住在锡安山万军之耶和华来的，在以色列中作为预兆和奇蹟。

从第11节起，以赛亚以第一人称讲述自己的小故事︰「耶和华以大能的手，指教我不可行这百姓所行的道，对我这样说」(8:11)。以赛亚面对众人的压力，也有摇摆不定的时候，但神用大能的手托住他，神的灵在他身上，使他感受到神的力量。「这百姓说同谋背叛，你们不要说同谋背叛。他们所怕的，你们不要怕，也不要畏惧。但要尊万军之耶和华为圣，以他为你们所当怕的，所当畏惧的。」(8:12-13) 「你们」显示出以赛亚并非独自一人，他有妻儿家室，也有门徒。无论在任何光景中，我们都要惟独敬畏那能杀身体又杀灵魂的神。

「他必作为圣所，却向以色列两家作绊脚的石头，跌人的磐石；向耶路撒冷的居民作为圈套和网罗。」(8:14) 北国以色列和南国犹大在最关键的问题上没有倚靠神，一定会跌倒。「你要卷起律法书，在我门徒中间封住训诲。」(8:16) 「训诲」指第一至七章神对以色列的训诲，神让以赛亚写下来，然后封存，在历史上成为见证，证实神话语会真实应验。

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)

仰望赐水源的神

2023-02-10 in , /by

以赛亚书8:10    任凭你们同谋，终归无有，任凭你们言定，终不成立，因为神与我们同在。

阅读经文：以赛亚书8:1-10

1耶和华对我说：「你取一个大牌，拿人所用的笔，写上：玛黑珥沙拉勒哈施罢斯。2我要用诚实的见证人，祭司乌利亚和耶比利家的儿子撒迦利亚记录这事。」3我以赛亚与妻子同室，她怀孕生子。耶和华就对我说：「给他起名叫玛黑珥沙拉勒哈施罢斯，4因为在这小孩子不晓得叫父叫母之先，大马士革的财宝和撒马利亚的掳物必在亚述王面前搬了去。」

神吩咐以赛亚把预言写下来，使牌匾成为一个兆头：「玛黑珥沙拉勒哈施罢斯（就是掳掠速临、抢夺快到的意思）」(参赛8:1) 它把第六和七章的预言作了一个总结。无论以色列和叙利亚怎样同盟对抗亚述，掳掠和抢夺都必快速临到。北方两国的计谋无法抵抗亚述，而这个计谋对南国犹大产生了压力。当时犹大王亚哈斯有一个反计谋，想藉与亚述结盟来消解这个压力。然而，这只是暂缓之计，最后亚述一样会掳掠犹大。无论北方的计谋还是南方的反计谋，最终都要落空。

我们面对各种艰难的时候，想尽办法，但都只不过是按自己的能力和眼前所见的来思考，并没有把神计算在内。「先神后人再大地」，是我们思考时要作的选择，我们要凡事先求问神。

神应许亚哈斯一个兆头

2023-02-09 in , /by

以赛亚书7:14   因此，主自己要给你们一个兆头，必有童女怀孕生子，给他起名叫以马内利。

阅读经文：以赛亚书7:10-25

10耶和华又晓谕亚哈斯说：11「你向耶和华你的神求一个兆头，或求显在深处，或求显在高处。」12亚哈斯说：「我不求，我不试探耶和华。」13以赛亚说：「大卫家啊，你们当听！你们使人厌烦岂算小事？还要使我的神厌烦吗？14因此，主自己要给你们一个兆头，必有童女怀孕生子，给他起名叫以马内利。15到他晓得弃恶择善的时候，他必吃奶油与蜂蜜。16因为在这孩子还不晓得弃恶择善之先，你所憎恶的那二王之地必致见弃。17耶和华必使亚述王攻击你的日子临到你和你的百姓并你的父家，自从以法莲离开犹大以来，未曾有这样的日子。

神应许、拯救的兆头(7:10-16)

神应许亚哈斯有一个兆头。「你向耶和华你的神求一个兆头：或求显在深刻，或求显在高处。」(7:11) 是想像不到的奇妙，只要求，神便会给他这个兆头。「亚哈斯说、我不求、我不试探耶和华。」(7:12) 他居然拒绝了，因为他心里已经有了计划。所以「以赛亚说、大卫家阿、你们当听。你们使人厌烦岂算小事，还要使我的神厌烦吗？」(7:13) 这句话不单是对亚哈斯一个人说，也是对整个大卫家说的，尤其说犹大的谋士和宫庭里的策士，他们一直烦厌神的先知，不愿意听神的劝喻，他们拒绝先知，拒绝神，心中有自己的计策。

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).

冒烟的火把头

2023-02-08 in , /by

以赛亚书7:7  所以主耶和华如此说：这所谋的必立不住，也不得成就。

阅读经文：以赛亚书7:1-9

1乌西雅的孙子、约坦的儿子犹大王亚哈斯在位的时候，亚兰王利汛和利玛利的儿子以色列王比加，上来攻打耶路撒冷，却不能攻取。 2 有人告诉大卫家说：「亚兰与以法莲已经同盟。」王的心和百姓的心就都跳动，好像林中的树被风吹动一样。

「乌西雅的孙子约坦的儿子犹大王亚哈斯在位的时候、亚兰王利汛、和利玛利的儿子以色列王比加上来攻打耶路撒冷、却不能攻取。」(7:1) 这是历史书的写作方法。约坦前半段与父亲乌西雅一同作王治理犹大，后半段与儿子亚哈斯一同治理。乌西雅王崩的那一年，就是主前的740年，亚哈斯在位的时候是主前736年，所以从乌西雅到亚哈斯作王，中间只有五年，但是在这五年里，犹大已经进入了一个极深的管治低谷里。乌西雅的太平盛世很快便过去，亚哈斯登基的时候国家正面对一个很大的危机，北方的亚兰和以色列国竟然联盟要上来攻打耶路撒冷。

当时亚述帝国正在兴起，要向南征讨列国，首当其冲的就是亚兰和大马士革。他们为了抵抗亚述强大的攻击便结盟了，但是他们又担心南面的犹大使他们腹背受敌，所以南下耶路撒冷去推翻大卫家，建立一个与他们能够结盟的傀儡皇帝，这样三国便可以联合起来对抗亚述帝国。

以赛亚得见主荣

2023-02-07 in , /by

以赛亚书6:7  将炭沾我的口，说：「看哪，这炭沾了你的嘴，你的罪孽便除掉，你的罪恶就赦免了。

阅读经文：以赛亚书6:1-13

1当乌西雅王崩的那年，我见主坐在高高的宝座上，他的衣裳垂下，遮满圣殿。2其上有撒拉弗侍立，各有六个翅膀，用两个翅膀遮脸，两个翅膀遮脚，两个翅膀飞翔，3说：「圣哉，圣哉，圣哉，万军之耶和华！他的荣光充满全地！」4因呼喊者的声音，门槛的根基震动，殿充满了烟云。5那时我说：「祸哉！我灭亡了。因为我是嘴唇不洁的人，又住在嘴唇不洁的民中，又因我眼见大君王万军之耶和华。」

最近有一位传道人和我分享她蒙召的经过，当她在叙述时，双眼发光，满脸喜乐，因为神的呼召是那么明确，神的印证是那样信实。我相信每一个服事神的人在回想领受神的呼召时，都会忍不住热血澎湃，情绪激动。因为与神相遇是一件何等奇妙的事。这个经验对以赛亚而言，也是再奇妙不过了。因为在乌西雅王驾崩的那年，原是国丧之年，大家都应该在悲伤的情绪之中。却没想到神就在此时向以赛亚显现了。

What Are You Standing On?

2023-02-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 7:1-25. Let’s go!

Isaiah 7:1-3 (NIV)
1  When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
2  Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3  Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field.

On verses 1-3:  By now years have passed since the events described in Isaiah 6.  Many scholars estimate the date to be 734 B.C.  To help protect themselves against the threat of Assyria, the nation of Aram led by King Rezin and the nation of Israel led by King Pekah form an alliance.  Aram and Israel want the nation of Judah to join their alliance, but when Judah’s King Ahaz refuses, Aram and Israel threaten to attack Judah and replace King Ahaz with a new king of their choosing, a man called Tabeel (v6).  King Ahaz and the people of Judah are terrified, like “trees of the forest…shaken by the wind” (v2).