Thursday, 5th May 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-16 God Disciplines
V1 ‘The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.’ Why did God choose Egypt for us to learn from? Egypt represents the world, and our hearts often go to the world. Egypt is full of idols, just like this world, money, authority, lust, unbelief, rebellious… all these idols are created by people, but God said He will set Egyptians against Egyptians.
V2 ‘I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; everyone will fight against his brother, and everyone against his neighbour, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.’ The world is like this, fighting against each other, but if we live under the fragrance of the Tree of Life, we will humble, obey, deny ourselves and benefit others, we will not fight for our own right, but we can always have the peace from God in our hearts. Nothing can be hidden in the sight of God, and by following God, He will reveal the things in our hearts and in our lives that belong to this world.
V3 ‘The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, and they will consult the idols and the charmers, the mediums and the sorcerers.’ When we face difficulties, we seek people instead of God; we tend to complain to others and wish for them to stand in our shoes, see our difficulties, but by doing this, people become our idols, and our hearts cannot stay in the flow of the Tree of Life.
V16 ‘In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it.’ The more we follow the pattern of the world, the more we will feel tired and weary. At the end we can no longer see God and we will fall into the snares of Egypt. Therefore, we must continue to live under the fragrance of Tree of Life, to always seek God first, and to receive His teaching.
Section Two V17-22 Men Respond
V17 ‘And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has determined against it.’ On the day, when God’s judgement comes, are we willing to admit that we can’t do it with our own hands? Are we willing to seek God for help? Instead of complaining or trying to prove ourselves?
V19-20 ‘In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Saviour and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them.’ What is the Will of God for this world? To have everyone saved. We must let everyone see God! Be true to ourselves and be true to God, stop the bitterness, the unforgiveness, the hurt, the confusion… inside of us, come out to light! God wants us to be saved!
V21 ‘Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it.’ God wants to make Himself known to the world, because He has brought salvation upon al the people. We must be still and observe God’s Work at hand!
Section Three V23-25 God Blesses
V23 ‘In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians.’ The world is the people of God and the works of God. Everything happens because God allows it. Are we willing to bless this world? Stop judging and start blessing; pray for the lovable and the unlovable; love our enemies…
May God help us to pray for those prosecuting us, let God rule and reign in our lives, He will vindicate for us. The Will of God is for us to be blessed and for us to bless this world, we may be facing troubles and difficulties, but when we are willing to see our own problems, come to God and ask for His help, His salvation will surely come to us!
以赛亚书 19 – 神对世界的旨意
2022年5月5日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
神对这个世界的心意是什么？若他只想毁灭这个世界，就不用如此大费周章帮助我们.当我们愿意出黑暗如光明、活出命定的时候，我们就能荣耀神。神对我们的心意不是只有惩罚，而是充满父亲的爱、医治的爱。神是“耶和华罗伊”的神 – 耶和华是我的牧者，他的杖他的竿都安慰我们，也会走过悬崖峭壁去把迷途的羔羊寻找回来。
一、v.1-16 神必管教
神对世界的旨意并不是放任或放纵。有时候父母为了让孩子乖乖听话，会将手机或平板丢给他们自己玩，结果现在的年轻人被手机或平板电脑掌控。当我们没有从小教导孩子认识神的时候，我们就放任他们在世界的侵蚀下成长。
V1 神使用埃及为我们学习的榜样因为“埃及”代表世界，也代表我们。神从天上垂看，就看得清埃及里面的问题。埃及充满偶像，就陷在掌控、不信、叛逆里面。
V2 我们说要爱神爱人，然而我们心里充满很多批评论断、攻击、不服气、斗争。当我们的心没有属于神，没有活在生命树气息下，我们就不愿意舍去自己的权利让别人蒙福、不愿顺服教导，就没有办法真正去爱人。我们里面的东西是不能隐藏的，神会让我们周遭发生的事让我们更认识到自己的问题。唯有谦卑悔改来到神的面前，让神的恩典包裹我们，我们才能出黑暗、进入神的光明中。
V3-4 人遇到问题的时候，喜欢去寻求偶像或人的帮助，却不寻求神。当我们心里不开心，我们去找人来倾诉，希望得到安慰或解答，但这样我们不能得到真正长久的平安。我们也不要成为的只会说让别人暂时舒服的话的“行巫术的”人。当我们没有办法在生命树的气息下，我们传出去的水流也是臭的。
V5-10 跟从神的人不缺乏，而跟从世界的人好像拥有很多，但都是一瞬时的，没过多久，问题又会回来。
V12 这是神对埃及的管教。当我们没有走在神的教导之下，我们会慢慢离开，里面充满自怜自艾。神让一些事发生在我们身上，因为他要管教我们，经历什么是无神的日子。
二、v. 17-22 人的回应
V17 当犹大人愿意兴起回应神的时候，“犹大地必使埃及惊恐，向谁提起犹大地，谁就惧怕”。遇到问题，我们是向埃及还是向神求助，我们是否先神后人再大地？问题发生的时候，我们是否先抱怨或想赶快解决，还是寻求神？
V18 “当那日”埃及必会学习希伯来话。
V20 当神借着我们身边的事情让我们看到我们自己是不行的时候，我们愿意谦卑来到神面前求主帮助吗？当人祈求神，神就差遣救主。
V21-22 神对这个世界的心意是拯救。我们做神的事，是否心里充满苦毒？神要医治世界、医治我们，我们要安静观看神的作为。不要觉得我们在教会领受的教导跟我们在世界上的生活是两回事，神的是我们脚前的灯、路上的光。
三、v.23-25 神的祝福
V25 原来世界是神的百姓，亚述怎么攻打其它国家都是在神的工作里。我们愿意祝福那些攻击我们的人、愿意为那些人祷告吗？神掌权，他会为我们出手。我们能否对仇敌有怜悯的心，还是充满愤怒与不平？要看到世界都是神的百姓，神的心意是让我们蒙福，也让我们祝福这个世界。当遇到令我们无法忍受的事情时，我们不要看别人的问题，而是先看自己的问题，明白神的心意 – 他要使他的百姓兴起，救恩就临到！