Wednesday, 4th May 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-2 The Plan of Men
V1-2 ‘Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, which sends ambassadors by sea, even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying, “Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin, to a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down, whose land the rivers divide.”’ Ethiopia was a great nation and when king Hezekiah faced enemies, he wanted to make alliance with Ethiopia to fight against the enemy. But this is the plan made by men, not the Work of God.
Section Two V3-6 The Providence of God
V3 ‘All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth: when he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it; and when he blows a trumpet, you hear it.’ We can’t hear and we can’t see, because we are to busy, we have too many things we hold onto on this earth, we think we have a lot, resources, wealth, people, power, etc. we narrowed our own perspectives, and we stop seeking God. It’s so easy to see the undesirable things happening in our lives, we see all the wastes in the treasures. Today God has led us this far, to the land of New Zealand and plant us to be like tress. Can we see it and do we believe God will provide?
V4 ‘For so the Lord said to me, “I will take My rest, and I will look from My dwelling place like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”’ Isaiah was a great prophet, he had the ability to do many things, but God asked him to be still. We may be able to do a lot of things, we may see many things require change and we want to be the one to make a difference. We have the ability and skills to do it, but yet, God told us to be still and observe. Everything we see may fade away in a short moment.
V5 ‘For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches.’ God wanted Isaiah to wait for God’s timing. Do not think that when we have everything, we require we can take the action, we must wait! God’s timing is the best timing. The people of Ethiopia may be a mighty people with great strength, but our God is Jehovah Nissi, He is our banner, and He is the Lord Almighty!
Section Three V7 To Set Apart
V7 ‘In that time a present will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth of skin, and from a people terrible from their beginning onward, a nation powerful and treading down, whose land the rivers divide—to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion.’ We must see God more than we see people! Where is God in our lives? Why do we worry, why do we fear and why are we angry? Because we cannot see God! The great people of Ethiopia saw what happened to the people of Syria, then they decided to give gifts to the Lord.
Do we let people see God and see the servants of God? Or do we only allow people to see ourselves? It’s easy to bring people to ourselves, but we must share the Word of God to those around u and let the living water flow.
Do people see the Great Work of God in our lives? Can people recognise God more than they see ourselves? We must know God’s Name and we must know God! Let us be still and observe the Work of the Lord, do not walk faster than God, but to humble, to obey, to deny ourselves and to benefit others.
以赛亚书 18 – 要安静 观看神的作为
2022年5月4日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
锡安山是神“安置他名的地方”(v.7)，我们认识神的名吗？在这个全世界疫情严峻、动荡不安的环境下，我们是否知道神的名在这个国家、这个教会，还是我们身在福中不知福？我们是否看到这片土地的好，是否感恩？在我们日常生活中，我们能看见神的名的能力有多少，还是只看到我们自己做的事情？神要我们谦卑，不要骄傲，不要以为都是自己做了很多事，而要感恩，看到神为我们做了很多。在动荡、人人自危的时刻，神跟他所拣选的人说：“要安静观看神的作为”。你能安静等候神的出手吗，还是有很多挂虑、只想现在就解决问题？当我们愿意安静观看，就会看见神是耶和华以勒、为我们预备的神。
一、v.1-2 人的谋算
列王纪下 19章记载了这件事的背景：亚述对犹大的攻击在古实也被听见了，于是古实来与犹大联合要攻打亚述，而亚述就派人来恐吓希西家王。
V1-2 “先知”原文只是使者。古实是现在非洲的人。古实人说自己是“高大光滑”的民，希西家当时面对亚述大军很害怕，所以想跟古实联盟，抵御亚述的攻击。这就是人的谋算。
二、v.3-6 神的预备
V3 这“山”就是锡安山，这“大旗”就是耶和华的旌旗（“耶和华尼西”）。旌旗的竖立代表打胜仗。耶和华的旌旗是在锡安山上，我们是否看到旌旗，还是只看到生活中负面的东西？耶稣基督说过，他已经胜过了这世界，我们相信吗？我们要如何去“看”去“听”？我们看不到听不见，因为我们太忙了，里面有太多自己和世界的声音。世人对我们说自己很厉害，让我们听不进神的声音，而我们只看到周围和媒体所报道出来的负面的事情。我们看到不好的东西就想逃跑，但神将我们带到新西兰这个地方，要让我们立定在此，成为千年巨木。
V4 大先知以赛亚很有能力，他看到亚述欺凌神的子民，然而神没有让他做什么改变，而是对他说“我要安静”，神要在以赛亚的“居所观看”。很多时候我们不愿意安静，想走得比神快，不想安静在教会中，只想自己成就一番事业。耶和华以勒是为我们预备的神，你相信吗？神要我们安静观看，并非意味着我们什么都不理睬，而是继续在他的居所中关注事情，用祷告来守望。
V5-6 我们所看到的东西只会存在很短一段时间。神在这里对以赛亚说，他不需要以赛亚在此刻运用他的恩赐去做什么大事，也不要倚靠高大威猛的古实人，只要安静等候，等到了对的时候，神就会亲自“用镰刀削去嫩枝，又砍掉蔓延的枝条”。以赛亚书10:27-34讲述了 神对犹大的应许：“到那日，亚述王的重担必离开你的肩头，他的轭必离开你的颈项，那轭也必因肥壮的缘故撑断”。被削去的树枝就是亚述，神会处理，而你愿意留在自己的居所观看吗？
三、V7 分别为圣
当事情发生的时候，我们要安静，如此，人才能看见神而不是我们的能力。没有人知道“到那时”是什么时候，但我们若因此而生气、焦虑，说明我们不愿意放下自己，不愿意谦卑顺服、舍己利他。当高大威猛、战无不胜的古实看到神处理亚述的方式之后，就会献祭给耶和华。我们是否有让人看见耶和华？当我们代表教会去牧养照顾别人的时候，我们是否让人看到牧师师母？是否用神的话牧养我们下面的人，让从上而来的水流传下去，还是只将那些人带我们自己这里、让他们只看到我们？当人看见神，才能将礼物献给神。我们不是拉人来教会，更重要的是要让人看见神在我们生命中的作为 。
耶和华沙玛 – 这是耶和华所在的地方，我们来到教会，真的有认识神吗？我们要安静，观看神的作为，相信神能够，不要走得比神快，而要谦卑顺服、舍己利他，在生命树的气息下被神牧养。