Tuesday, 12th April 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-2 God Plants
V1 ‘Now let me sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.’ Do we know that we are God’s beloved? He loves us and He has created everything beautiful for us. it’s not about how much we can do for God but simply because He loves us as who we are.
V2 ‘He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.’ God has created the world for us, He sees everything as good. He wants us to enjoy His creation. Do we believe that everything God has given to us is good? Are we able to give thanks in all circumstances?
Section Two V3-7 God Prunes
V3-4 ‘And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?’
V5-6 ‘And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.’ Do we have a merciful heart and see the needs of others? God will prune us when we turn away from God and only care about our own needs and desires.
V7 ‘For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.’ We have already heard the Good News, but when we don’t share this Good News, then we are stopping others to receive life. We thought we are not doing people any wrongs, but when we don’t share God’s Word, then in a way we are contributing to the death of the lost souls.
Section Three V8-30 God Judges
We must reach out! Do not stay in our own comfort zone, but boldly walk out for God, to respond to the vision God has given to us. He will judge us, He will look into our lives and see how we really live out His Word. V8-9 ‘Woe to those who join house to house; they add field to field, till there is no place where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land! In my hearing the Lord of hosts said, Truly, many houses shall be desolate, great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.’ What we should gather for our next generations should not be worldly wealth but the Word of God and the Teaching of God.
V12 ‘The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute, and wine are in their feasts; but they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands.’ What is our attuited when we read the Word of God and worship God? do we only seek the blessings from God for us and our children? Are we only focusing on worldly satisfaction? If we don’t take heart in God’s teaching and regard for the Work of God, then we can never see God in our lives!
V13 ‘Therefore my people have gone into captivity because they have no knowledge; their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.’ We are being taken captive by this world, we see ourselves bigger than other things, and we cannot see God’s Work in the surrounding. Then we will feel thirsty and dissatisfied, we cannot give thanks, instead, we will hold grudges and bitterness towards everything.
The Name of God will always be exalted, no matter in season or out of season, the Power of the Name of God will never cease. V16 ‘But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.’ If we come before God with a simple heart, then we can receive the green pastures and still water He provides for us. God has already prepared everything we need, despite the darkness in the world, God is the Light and we can shine with Him.
V24 ‘Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom will ascend like dust; because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.’ How do we see the teaching and the law of the Lord of hosts? Our attitude determines how we will respond to God’s teaching and also how God sees us. Are we willing to be used by God? Are we willing to walk the extra mile for God?
以赛亚书 5 – 末后的日子 神的作为
2022年4月12日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
主耶稣在世时不断向人传扬：“天国近了，你们要悔改。”在这样一个千疮百孔的世界，我们的心究竟在想什么？人们不愿意知道明天如何，就算知道了也不想去补救。我们跟从神的人是否只是知道有永恒的生命，然而在行为上却是相反的？在末后的日子，我们要知道神的作为。
一、v.1-2 神栽种
V1 这“葡萄园”是神所亲爱的，神在一开始的时候就是这样对我们说，我们是神“所亲爱的”。你相信自己是神所亲爱的吗，还是在生命中做很多事情来赚取这个“所亲爱的”关系？很多人、甚至服事神的人都不知道这个真理，因为我们从小在家庭、学校、社会都被要求要表现卓越，所以我们以为要靠着我们的doing来赢得神对我们说“我所亲爱的”。有爱的地方，人就愿意头破血流，我们是因为要回应神的爱，所以愿意摆上自己有限的生命。神为他所亲爱的人预备的是美好的未来。
V2 神知道我们需要好土去被栽种，所以愿意“刨挖园子，捡去石头”- “石头”代表我们生命中的问题，神为我们一颗一颗捡起来。神看我们都是“上等的”，不是次等的。“楼”是主人可以住下的地方，说明神的心意就是要与我们住在一起。神栽种，不是为了让我们受苦 – 我们有内在誓言，以为做人就是苦，但是神看我们是美好的、他所亲爱的、要与我们一同欢庆。他“指望结好葡萄，反倒结了野葡萄”，所以神就要出手处理。
二、v.3-7 神修理
V7a “葡萄园”就是以色列家，也就是我们，然而，神“指望的是公平，谁知倒有暴虐”- “暴虐”也译作“流人血” – 我们并没有拿着刀去伤害人，但我们没有将福音传给那些有需要的人，阻止了他们得永生，神要我们拯救这个世界，我们却眼睁睁的看着世人被撒旦欺骗、走进死亡的地狱，这就是流人血的罪。在神的国度里，神已经给了我们权柄，我们每一天穿戴属灵军装就是在宣告我们需要神。我们是否觉得很难跟人传福音就不跟他们打交道？这其实都是在白白流他们的血。
V7b“冤声”就是在埃及的劳苦做工人的声音。我们是否有看到在所住的社区有多少人为奴为仆，是否就让他们这样颠沛流离、转眼不顾他们的冤声？不要让神不愿再住在这个葡萄园了。
三、v.8-30 神审判
V8 这节经文讲的是喜欢搞小圈子的人。我们一天只有24小时，每天为家人和工作忙碌完，剩下给自己的时间不多，却只喜欢用来跟与我们聊得来的人打交道。我们确实需要有肢体的生活，但这是帮助我们成为后方的力量，让我们能出去接触人群、向未信主的人传福音。
V9 不要以为自己的房子又大又漂亮、什么都有，神说这些要“成为荒凉，无人居住”。
V10 不要以为自己很有能力，我们摆上的时间，耕耘“三十亩”地，结果只产出一点点的果效。我们的努力只换来苟且活下去的为奴为仆的生活，结果我们的后代也是如此。唯有生命才能影响生命，让我们为下一代要留存的是神的真光真理，是永恒的祝福。
V11-12 我们清早起来，没有亲近神，却“追求浓酒”- 我们来晨祷是为了什么？是否只是为自己和孩子追求属世的好处？我们“弹琴、鼓瑟、击鼓、吹笛”，若不是为敬拜神，那是为了什么？我们每天写下10件感恩的事情，就是在训练自己能“顾念耶和华的作为，……留心他手所做的”，不然我们会以为能有这样好的生活都是靠自己努力获得的。
V13 我们以为自己很懂，其实是无知的，被这个情欲的世界掳走，将自己看得很大，却看不见神。有地位的“尊贵人”里面是空虚的，群众没有在神的活水江河里生活，没有感恩，只有干渴，只想更多追求世界。
V14 地狱的门打开了，所以这个世界的荣耀和活在灯红酒绿的人“都落在其中”。
V15 所有的人都在卑微痛苦里过日子。
V16 神的名不会因为我们的问题就消失。无论得时不得时，在任何世代，神的名都是被高举的，我们是有盼望的！
V17 当神的名被高举，虽然世界荒凉、充满混乱和死亡，那些单纯的人“必来吃草”。我们愿意效法主耶稣做单纯的羊羔吗？当我们单纯、愿意为神摆上的时候，神就会供应我们青草地和可安歇的溪水。
V18-22 当我们不愿意回转，依旧倚靠自己的时候，就有很多“祸哉”的事情发生。
V24 有些人不觉得神的“训诲”对他们是有祝福的，反倒觉得被训诲、提升的时候就是被批评论断，所以感觉受伤。但神的话是大有能力的，当我们打开神的书卷，神的教导真光就照进我们里面。
在末后的日子，神要清理这些“野葡萄” – 就是外表敬虔却不能被神使用的人。我们是否愿意做“好葡萄”？我们是否只顾自己的好处，还是愿意为神多走一里路？