Tuesday, 24 May 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-8 Woe to You, Jerusalem
We’re entering a new season, God has clearly directed us the way we should go. Since 2020, God has revealed to us to focus on discipleship and allow our lives to impact lives. V1 ‘Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year; let feasts come around.’ Prophet Isaiah said woe to you at the beginning, it was talking to Jerusalem, which means the lion of God. Not only once but Isaiah repeatedly said woe to you. God set apart the city for David and for his descendants. This is the city of God’s Temple, but God was declaring His wrath.
V2-4 ‘Yet I will distress Ariel; there shall be heaviness and sorrow, and it shall be to Me as Ariel. I will encamp against you all around, I will lay siege against you with a mound, and I will raise siegeworks against you. You shall be brought down, you shall speak out of the ground; your speech shall be low, out of the dust; your voice shall be like a medium’s, out of the ground; and your speech shall whisper out of the dust.’ Even though it was still the place of God’s dwelling but God still would attack it. When God really did then no matter how much they pray or cry out it would be no use. Do not wait until it’s too late to humble before God and return to Him. Do not wait until God stop listening then start praying. Because our words will be weak and useless.
V6 The lion of God, Jerusalem, had fallen. Why was this happening? The glamours city became
Section Two V9-16 Woe to You, Levites
The fall of the city was due to its leaders. The people of Jerusalem use their own imagination to see God’s vision for them. They did not receive directly from God, instead, they follow their lustful desires and misinterpretation God’s vision. God will reveal what He wants us to see, but why can’t we see it? Because we do not follow Him wholeheartedly.
V13-14 ‘Therefore the Lord said: Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honour Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work among this people, a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.’We follow God by our own strength, we thought we are working hard enough but in the end, our rebellious attitude will only lead to destruction. The wonders of God are the things we cannot understand. When we only follow God with our mouths and not with our hearts, God will know.
V15-16 ‘Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?’ We thought one sees and no one knows, but God knows everything. We’re being stubborn and we’re trying to cover ourselves. The people in Jerusalem, the people belling called are fallen… we thought we got away but God knows it all.
Section Three V17-24 God’s Salvation
God raised the environment so we cannot live in our own world. We may face a lot of troubles, but these are God’s salvation, to help us turn back and change our evil ways. Lebanon was the first place God would destroy but also the first place God would rebuild. God wants to save His people, He wants us to see! This is what our church received in Isaiah 61? To live under the Tree of Life, to humble ourselves, and follow Him with obedience. Are we willing to be shaped by God? Let Him prune our branches and trim our edges.
V21 ‘Who make a man an offender by a word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just by empty words.’ We are easily fingerprinting others, but hardly see our own faults and admit our mistakes.
V22-23 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now grow pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel.’ Who saved Abraham, the God of generations. His salvation is coming to us but can we see it? Can we change our ways? Can we return?
V24 ‘These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine.’ We don’t know why we keep on sinning, our minds are blocked and confused, but if we are willing to continue God’s way, teach our children the Way of God, live God and stop complaining, then God’s salvation will surely come. Our children are the inheritance from God, do we believe God has already given us everything we need to help our children? May God help us see and understand, what is it He wants us to do and what is it He wants our children to do. To never give up praying and seeking the Word of God.
以赛亚书 29 – 人的黑暗 神的奇妙
2022年5月24日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
一、v.1-8 祸哉 耶路撒冷
V1-2 “唉” – 原文是“祸哉”、表示叹气；“亚利伊勒”原文意思是“上帝的狮子”，就是耶路撒冷。这是神所拣选建立圣殿的地方、大卫的城，神对他们说“祸哉”，你们虽然在耶路撒冷的圣殿守节期、献祭，但“我终必使亚利伊勒困难，她必悲伤哀号”。神仍然看这城为上帝的狮子。
V3-4 言语“微细”说明他们的祷告和呼喊是没有果效的。当人把尘埃洒在身上的时候，代表谦卑，因为人本来就出于尘埃。然而这里，人说的话“低低微微出于尘埃”，再没有力量了。
V5 所有的问题似乎都来临了。
V6-7 耶路撒冷本来是圣殿的所在，在圣殿里所献的祭物是不停止的。然而，神的攻击不停止，原因何在？
二、v.9-16 祸哉 利未人
V9-10 圣殿的不堪原来在于神所呼召的利未人。
V10-12“你们”指的是那些在耶路撒冷圣殿里的人。以“眼”来当“先知”，以“头”当“先见”，指的是我们凭着自己眼睛看见的来带领我们，凭我们自己头脑的想象来看异象。神在责备这些人，你们只看到自己觉得好的东西就说是神给你们的异象，做自己想做的事。所以，这些人看不懂圣经的指示，只想到网上去看别人的解经。申命记29:29说过：“隐秘的事是属耶和华我们神的，唯有明显的事是永远属我们和我们子孙的，好叫我们遵行这律法上的一切话。”我们看不懂神的话，因为我们没有专心跟从他，而是凭着自己的力量来跟从神。
V13-14 神都知道我们这群利未人是否真的在跟从他、服事他。“奇妙”原文指的是你没有办法用你的智慧聪明明白、领受的东西。祸哉，我们这群利未人，因为我们只是用嘴唇尊敬神，心却没有真的跟从。
V15 我们“深藏谋略”，又“暗中行事”，还说没有人看得见。其实是我们听道没有行道，冥顽不灵，以为自己会没事。我们在耶路撒冷，原本是上帝的狮子，却变成豺狼，然而，我们所耍的小聪明，神都知道。
三、v.17-24 救赎必临到
神兴起环境，让我们没有办法再活在自我欺骗里面，我们所遇到的那么多问题，原来是帮助我们警醒，经历神的救赎。
V17 黎巴嫩在以色列最北边，代表最先被毁灭的北国以色列。神预言这荒凉的地方要变为“肥田”。今天我们可能看到很多不如意、不明白的事，然而，在神眼里，这都只是“一点点时候”。
V18 这也是以赛亚书61章1节所讲的我们要去传福音的对象。
V19我们愿意谦卑活在生命树气息之下吗？神不断对我们说要谦卑，放下自己的聪明，虚心跟从他。
V20 “强暴人”是令人惊吓、逼迫我们的人，这些人都要灭绝。我们里面的棱棱角角还有自我欺骗，都愿意被神剪除吗？
V21 我们遇到事情时，很容易就用手将问题指向别人，没有愿意谦卑的先看自己的生命。
V22-24“救赎亚伯拉罕”的是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神，他是看顾三代的神。。。。。我们有时做很多事情，却不知道为什么，这就是“心中迷糊”，然而，若是活在生命树下，我们的下一代必会明白；但我们若发怨言，就“必受训诲”。儿女是神给我们的产业，若我们说自己没有办法教育好我们的孩子，我们将永生神放在哪里？我们谦卑顺服、舍己利他，并非只在教会，也要忠心负起教导孩子学习神话语的责任。我们看重儿女学到的是什么呢？我们是否只是帮助我们的下一代有谋生的能力而已？我们的优先次序要安排好，最重要的是要帮助下一代成为敬虔爱主的人，神必保守他们，祝福我们一代又一代。
我们进入新的牧养体制下，让我们看到神的话和祷告是重要的。我们要看到自己里面的黑暗、假话，神要行他的奇妙在他的教会和我们的生命中，因为神看我们还是“上帝的狮子”，他对我们的心意仍然不改变，我们愿意谦卑跟随他吗？