Thursday, 28th April 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
The Book of Isaiah used two chapters to talk about the end of Moab. The root of Babylon was confusion, and the root of Moab is pride. Moab comes from the decedent of Lot and his daughter because at the time, Lot had no son and his daughters wanted to bear sons for the family so their name would not be wiped out. Lot’s daughters felt that their father was old, and when he passed there would be no man in the family to protect them. They did not seek God for Lot, on the other hand, they used their own way to try to solve the problem. Lot was a relative of Abraham, but he was prideful, he did not believe that everything he had was because of the blessings of Abraham. Therefore, Lot went a separate way from Abraham, and he also walked away from the blessings of God.
It’s a common mistake people make; we focus on our own problems more than honouring the people God has chosen. We thought that servants of God have everything they have, therefore, we don’t need to provide for them, instead, we tend to take things from them and from God.
Section One V1-2 Laid Waste and Destroyed
V1-2 ‘The burden against Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and destroyed, because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste and destroyed, he has gone up to the temple and Dibon, to the high places to weep. Moab will wail over Nebo and over Medeba; on all their heads will be baldness, and every beard cut off.’ Ar and Kir were the two strongest cities of Moab, the important cities, of which they are proud. But at the night, they would be destroyed. What are the things that make us proud? We must honour God in everything we have, because everything may be destroyed overnight if we are prideful.
I Kings 11:7 says, ‘Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.’ God called the god of Moab the abomination. Destruction may come in a night because of our pride, do not think that there is anything in this world that can save us, only God is our true salvation.
Section Two V3-4 Fight to Death
V3-4 ‘In their streets they will clothe themselves with sackcloth; on the tops of their houses and in their streets, everyone will wail, weeping bitterly. Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, their voice shall be heard as far as Jahaz; therefore the armed soldiers of Moab will cry out; his life will be burdensome to him.’ Moab did not have a sense of urgency, they did not think that the destruction would come to them, because they lived so far away from all the wars and disasters. Sometimes we are also like this, we don’t think the destruction will come to us, we don’t have the alertness and we continue to sin in our lustful desires.
Section Three V5-9 Complete Destruction
V5-6 ‘My heart will cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee to Zoar, like a three-year-old heifer. For by the Ascent of Luhith they will go up with weeping; for in the way of Horonaim they will raise up a cry of destruction, for the waters of Nimrim will be desolate, for the green grass has withered away; the grass fails, there is nothing green.’ Are our hearts crying out? What is our attitude towards those, who don’t know God yet? Do we show love to our neighbours as we love ourselves? Zoar was the place Lot and his daughters fled to; when Moab was in destruction, they did not think of God, instead they sought their ancestors, when they faced problems.
V7 ‘Therefore the abundance they have gained, and what they have laid up, they will carry away to the Brook of the Willows.’ We thought we could rely on this world, our wealth, our health, our past experience… but nothing can give us true peace, and nothing lasts forever. V8 ‘For the cry has gone all around the borders of Moab, its wailing to Eglaim and its wailing to Beer Elim.’ Moab was prideful, they didn’t believe in God, at the end destruction came upon them and they did not seek God for help at the end.
V9 ‘For the waters of Dimon will be full of blood; because I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him who escapes from Moab, and on the remnant of the land.’ We must get rid of our pride, when the prophet of God spoke to us, we must repent and return, do not let anything stops us seeking God!
以赛亚书 15 – 无神的国度
2022年4月28日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
本章和第16章是讲述摩押的下场。巴比伦的根是混乱，摩押的根是骄傲。摩押是罗得和他的大女儿所生的后裔，因为当时罗得的两个女儿认为父亲年纪大了，害怕将来罗得家没有儿子，她们会被人欺负，于是就把父亲灌醉，与父亲同房。罗得是亚伯拉罕的侄子，原本跟着亚伯拉罕居住，但他的仆人与亚伯拉罕的仆人争执，于是罗得与亚伯拉罕分道扬镳。罗得因着骄傲，没有看到自己所得到的一切祝福是因着亚伯拉罕信服神而得来。罗得的两个女儿不觉得父亲的神能够帮助他们，所以要用自己的方式来使自己父亲的后裔得祝福。我们是否也是这样不让人经历神，不愿意成为代祷者，只想要靠自己的方式来让人得到属灵的祝福？罗得因着骄傲，在与亚伯拉罕分开时为自己选最好的地业。当我们只想为自己谋算，骄傲自私的时候，我们就会慢慢远离神。在教会中，我们没有看重神的仆人，认为神理所当然会照顾他们，而我们就只顾着自己能得到的好处。当罗得这样行的时候，神就会处理他的后代。本章的经文讲到的是骄傲的生命和结果。
一、v.1-2 归于无有
V1 我们不要以为自己很厉害，没有什么问题，然而神的时间来临是我们所无法预测的。“一夜之间”一词说明是我们没有想到的时间，在一夜之间，摩押人所引以为傲、以为可以保护自己的的两个城市就“归于无有”。我们所引以为傲的东西：能力、权力、甚至孩子、家庭，真的有可能一夜之间都没有了。
V2 人的尽头是神的开始，但这些摩押人遇到问题没有去找耶和华，而是去找他们的偶像。 王上11:7讲到“所罗门为摩押可憎的神基抹……建筑丘坛”。这“可憎的神”基抹就是“骄傲”。摩押人向他们的神所做的那一切事都没有用。不要以为我们引以为傲的东西可以帮助我们，这一切都会过去。
二、v.3-4 垂死挣扎
当人看见他们所信的神都无法帮助他们的时候，反而垂死挣扎。这些摩押人看见自己的一切在一夜之间归于无有，却还不愿归回到耶和华面前，只是在情欲上宣泄，以为靠着自己还有希望。希实本是摩押最北边抵御外敌的城市，他们会觉得战事远在天边，自己是没问题的。我们是否也是这样没有危机意识，觉得现在还可以？当我们觉得“还可以”的时候，我们其实是在纵容自己。当神呼召约拿去尼尼微宣告审判后，尼尼微全城的人都谦卑回转。我们是否看到国攻打国、看到疫情的严峻，是否觉得事不关己、还在放纵自己的情欲？
三、v.5-9 一败涂地
V5 以色列与摩押是有血缘关系的，这里以赛亚就说“我心为摩押悲哀”。当我们看到世上的人面对困难、战争、死亡，我们的心如何呢？是否只是觉得他们罪有应得？我们是否愿意爱人如己？那些在战争中剩下的摩押逃民所跑去的锁珥是当年罗得和女儿逃难的地方，他们没有看见罗得背后照顾他们的神，只想要跑回自己祖先躲避灾难的地方。有时我们会觉得自己的家乡比较好，为自己留后路，不想拿这边的国籍，却没有看到神将我们带来的这个国家是流奶与蜜的应许之地，只抱着为奴为仆的寄居心态，没有得到只有公民的身份才有的得地为业的属灵遗产。摩押人没有看到锁珥是自己祖先乱伦的地方，是神所厌恶的，这就是骄傲的后果。
V6 宁林的水原本是清澈的，也有嫩绿的青草，可是结局令人唏嘘。我们想为自己留一手，但没有想到，最后我们以为好的东西反而会 一无所有。
V7 这些摩押人辛苦赚来的财物最后都不能享用，不能给他们平安。
V8-9 神对待骄傲不会留一手。天上背叛神的天使最后的结局就是硫磺火湖，因为他们不信神。但神是爱我们的，我们愿意记念神的摆上吗？让我们像尼尼微城的百姓那样，当我们听到神的话语，就要谦卑悔改归向神。