Tuesday, 7th June 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Acts 1:7-8 says, ‘And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ We are called, saved, filled by the Holy Spirit so we can fulfil the Great Commission God has given to us. We have a life purpose, and we will never feel lost, if we really live and bind this purpose.
Section One V1-7 Hear, Do Not Fear
V1 ‘And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.’ We hear a lot of voices every day, people may say negative things to us, discourage us, slander us, put us down… but we should not all these words and voices defeat us. Do not treat what we hear bigger than God. Hezekiah heard the words from the king of Assyria, he tore his robe off and put on sack cloth. Because he wanted God to know that he surrendered everything to God, to let the old self die and hide under the covering of God.
V2-3 ‘Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.’ Not only Hezekiah did this, he also told his subordinates to do the same, so they would all humble themselves to God instead of trying to fight with their own ways, to plan with their own worldly knowledge. He was determined to seek God therefore he went to Isaiah, the prophet of God. The people of Judah knew God had been protecting them and guiding them. Therefore when they faced difficult times and when the enemy came, they realized they had sinned against God.
V4 ‘It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ Ezekiel reminded God they were His people. Do not take it personally, but humble and lift it all to God
Section Two V8-20 See, Come Before God
Hezekiah did not respond, instead, he lifted up everything before God.
Section Three V21-38 Wait for God’s Hand
V30-32 ‘This shall be a sign to you: You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, and the second year what springs from the same; also in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.’ God was responding to what Hezekiah had said before, that they were the remnant of the people of God. God encouraged them to rise up and to walk out, others will join them and come to their aid.
Do we really know who we are and where we stand? We must be more willing to humble ourselves and submit to God. Give Him everything we have and let He come to our aid.
以赛亚书 37 – 如何面对困境
2022年6月7日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
过去的这一周我们庆祝五旬圣灵降临节。圣灵充满不是一个形式或宗教活动，而是圣灵来到我们里面，转化我们的生命，让我们有能力将福音传出去。我们今天已经知道我们的异象，知道自己蒙召得永生，为要完成大使命、聚宝在天上，所以无论前方遇到多大的困境、自身有什么难处，我们都能走下去。然而，在旧约时代，人们没有圣灵、不知道异象，犹大王希西家面对亚述王兵临城下这样如此真实的挑战和困难，要如何去处理？我们常说“人的尽头是神的开始”，本章的经文可以帮助我们学习如何面对生活中大大小小的困境。
一、v.1-7 听见了 不要惧怕
V1 当听见了问题来了，我们不要惧怕，不然就会失去平安。 我们会听见很多别人威吓、挑衅我们的声音，我们很容易被这些负面声音挑动情绪，但不要看这些大过神。以赛亚书36章记载了亚述将军对犹大百姓讲了一堆威逼利诱的话，希西家听见后，“就撕裂衣服，披上麻布”- 这是当时的人奔丧的服饰，表明他看自己是完全“死去”的人，无法靠自己，唯有倚靠耶和华神。希西家选择放下自己一切的防卫机制，躲在耶和华翅膀底下。当我们觉得自己被人冤枉的时候，是否马上反弹，想要靠自己处理事情？
V2 希西家不仅自己倚靠神，还让那些跟随他的人都如此行。人们很容易在事情发生的时候给出很多意见，但希西家王不让他周围的人在这关键时刻七嘴八舌来影响他，而是让这些人与他一同“死去”，去见先知以赛亚，求问耶和华。
V3 当我们遇到冲着我们来的事情时，是否用“急难、责罚、凌辱”来鉴察我们的生命？以色列人知道神一直在带领他们，所以急难来的时候就是“责罚”来的时候 – 因为百姓得罪神了。急难和责罚带来的是“凌辱”，希西家看到他们是耶和华的子民，他们沦落到被敌人笑话的光景，这就是对神的“凌辱”。面对这些仇敌羞辱的话语，希西家形容他们“就如妇人将要生产婴孩，却没有力量生产”- 他承认自己已经没有力量了，就完全谦卑在神的面前。当我们遇到挑战、困境时，首先要求神来帮助我们。
V4 希西家王没有把拉伯沙基辱骂他的话当成针对他个人的话。我们被人挑衅的时候，若感到心虚，那是因为我们没有走在神的法则里。希西家很聪明，知道犹大国百姓是被神拣选、亲自从埃及带出来的“余剩的民”。
V6-7 神借先知的话安慰犹大王，当他们愿意不去为自己抵抗、而是让神掌权，神就必出手。当我们遇到问题、困境的时候，不要以为这些攻击是冲着自己来的，而是完全交给神，才能有喜乐平安的心。
二、v.8-20 看见了 要到神的面前
V8-13 亚述王散播流言，还写信给希西家看。
V14-15 希西家看见书信后没有回应，而是去耶和华的殿祷告。他打不还手、骂不还口，将一切陈明在神面前。
V16- 希西家知道“列国的神像”都是“人手所造的”，所以求神救犹大国“脱离亚述王的手，使天下万国都知道，唯有你是耶和华”。他对这位自有永有的神十分信任。我们面对困境，不用在别人面前为自己争辩，只要来到神面前，将一切都告诉神。
三、v.21-38 等候神出手
V26 神都知道，他早有预备。
V30 神应许他的百姓：“你们今年要吃自生的，明年也要吃自长的，至于后年，你们要耕种收割，栽植葡萄园，吃其中的果子”。葡萄树在种植的过程中是不能随便动的，当往上长的时候，人要把枝子固定好，它才能结果子 – 这样的环境说明犹大国不会有兵荒马乱。
V31-32 这句话就是回应希西家之前关于“余剩的民”的祈求（37:4），鼓励他们要更加倚靠神。他们不是躲在那里整天挨打，而是还可以走出去，甚至让别人向往他们。今天我们都是剩余的民，我们愿意往下扎根在耶稣基督的磐石，向上结出生命树的果子吗？
V35-36 神做得这一切不是因为犹大国的人有多虔诚，而是“为自己的缘故，又为我仆人大卫的缘故”。我们不愿意将自己的生活、婚姻、儿女交给神，反而要自己去争取，自封为王，因为我们不知道一切丰盛的祝福都是从神而来。求神帮助我们愿意谦卑，来到神的面前，将我们所有的都交给他，将一切荣耀颂赞都归于神。