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Who Will You Listen To?

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.  
 

選民虛假的虔誠

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。

Turning Your Desert into Springs

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

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

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

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.

The King In His Beauty

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:17-24.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 33:17-24 (NIV)
17  Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.
18  In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: “Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?”
19  You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.
20  Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.

On verses 17-24:  Remember that so far in Isaiah 28 to 32 (which I call the “Five Woes and Five Hopes” section of Isaiah), Isaiah presents messages of woe and hope to Judah.  Each message contains not only a picture of destruction that Judah would face, but even more a picture of hope and restoration that Judah would experience.  We see that happening here again in Isaiah 33.  The picture of destruction was in verses 1-16.  Now in verses 17-24 Isaiah describes how peaceful Jerusalem will be the moment God removes the threat of Assyria.

耶和華是永久的磐石

以賽亞書26:4  你們當倚靠耶和華,直到永遠,因為耶和華是永久的磐石。 

閱讀經文:以賽亞書26:1-21

1當那日,在猶大地人必唱這歌說:「我們有堅固的城,耶和華要將救恩定為城牆,為外郭。 2 敞開城門,使守信的義民得以進入! 3 堅心倚賴你的,你必保守他十分平安,因為他倚靠你。 4 你們當倚靠耶和華,直到永遠,因為耶和華是永久的磐石。 5 他使住高處的與高城一併敗落,將城拆毀,拆平直到塵埃。 6 要被腳踐踏,就是被困苦人的腳和窮乏人的腳踐踏。」 7 義人的道是正直的,你為正直的主,必修平義人的路。

賽26:1-21是論到神使列國復興的第二小段,先知以詩歌的方式吟唱出第三個信息內容,同樣以「當那日」做為信息的起頭。

本章是一首讚美詩,頌揚對耶和華神真正相信者的得勝。在詩歌中先知以新城的歌與舊城的歌為對比(26:1為猶太民眾稱頌救恩之讚歌,26:2為耶和華神接納義民的回應26:3-19為猶太民眾對神各樣屬性的讚歌,26:20-21為耶和華神安慰庇護的回應),交錯指出神將成為相信祂的猶大百姓的新堅固城(26:1-4),而那些驕傲的外邦舊城之民將面臨敗落的命運(26:5-6)。

論彌賽亞的降臨

以賽亞書25:1  耶和華啊,祢是我的神!我要尊崇祢,我要稱讚祢的名,因為祢以忠信誠實行過奇妙的事,成就祢古時所定的。

閱讀經文:以賽亞書24:21-25:12

24:21  到那日,耶和華在高處必懲罰高處的眾軍,在地上必懲罰地上的列王。 22 他們必被聚集,像囚犯被聚在牢獄中,並要囚在監牢裡,多日之後便被討罪。 23 那時,月亮要蒙羞,日頭要慚愧,因為萬軍之耶和華必在錫安山,在耶路撒冷做王,在敬畏祂的長老面前必有榮耀。

先知在論述完彌賽亞來臨之前世界的荒涼之後,接著便提到彌賽亞的降臨將帶給世界的復興。此一部份又分為三小段:廿四章21~廿五章12是第一小段,論到神使列國復興的原因。

在這一小段中包括七個「到那日」信息的前兩個信息。

第一個信息為24:21~25:8,指出耶和華的統治。先知提到當「那日」(指審判世界的日子),在天上,耶和華必懲罰「高處的眾軍」(指天上的惡靈);在地上,列國的君王要像囚犯一般,被耶和華神所聚集監禁(24:21-22),最後他們的罪行將要像囚犯一般被聚集,正如當年他們對待俘擄一般。等到關鎖多日之後,他們今要被「討罪」(指接受審判)。列王將被廢而丟棄權位,他們雖自比為像日頭與月亮般的高潔發光,至終無法不在榮耀威嚴的耶和華神面前感到自慚形穢(24:23上)。此情此景,使先知以賽亞不禁想起當年與摩西在西乃山上的那七十位長老,在耶和面前一面吃喝,一面觀看耶和華的作為的故事,因而以此加強敘述神的威榮(24:23下)。

Not by Our Merit, But by God’s Mercy

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 33:1-16.  Let’s go!   As usual, I recommend that you read the whole passage by yourself a couple times and see what you can extract from the passage before reading the message below.

Isaiah 33:1 (NIV)
1  Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.

On verse 1:  Remember that chapters 28-33 contain 5 messages of both woe and hope, all in connection with Judah, Judah’s alliance with Egypt and the threat of Assyria.  Here in this third of five messages of woe, Isaiah is likely addressing Assyria and predicting that after Assyria has destroyed other nations, Assyria itself will be destroyed.  The reason Isaiah calls Assyria a “traitor” is possibly because Assyria and Judah seemed to make peace in 2 Kings 18:13-16, only for Assyria to break that peace shortly after and invade Judah (as described in 2 Chronicles 32:1).