Friday, 15th April 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-4 The Truthfulness of God
Today is Good Friday, this is also a day for us to remember what Jesus has gone through on the day of suffering, when He died on the cross for us. In Isaiah 8, we see the fall of people, those who God has chosen to enter the Promised Land, but have fallen in this world. We are often like this, when we follow God, but at the same time, also compromise with this world. In the latter days, there is a period of darkness, we don’t see God and we don’t feel God, but God still shows us the light in this darkness. When we are in the darkness, we will calculate for ourselves, we rely on the world, we rely on others, and we rely on ourselves. We may believe in God, but we don’t allow the light of God to shine on us.
V1-2 ‘Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”’ God asked the prophet to take a large scroll, like a banner, a write down a very long name, which means ‘speed the spoil, hasten the booty’. Before Ahaz was king, it was the reign of Uzziah, when the people were wealthy and peaceful. But when Ahaz became king, the nations were shaken, and the enemies were attacking the land of Judah. Darkness came to the people, and that’s when God told Isaiah to write on the scroll.
V3-4 ‘Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”’ When we give thanks, do we really see God’s blessing and love for us from the bottom of our hearts? Do we see God’s presence with us in our thanksgiving? God sees inside our hearts, and He knows everything that went through our mind. What is our attitude in our thanksgiving? We must examine ourselves, do not take what we have for granted because we will never know what is going to happen next. King Ahaz sought the help of Assyria because he did not believe that God will save. It’s easy for us to see the strength of the people of the world and want to rely on their strength, but we don’t see God is most powerful and only He has the true salvation.
Section Two V5-15 Men’s Stubbornness
V5-7 ‘The Lord also spoke to me again, saying: “Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloah that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son; now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the River, strong and mighty—the king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels and go over all his banks.’ The people of Judah relied on Assyria instead of God, but at the end they would be destroyed by Assyria. We want to rely on this world because we can see the power of the world, but we cannot see the power of God, and gradually people stop relying on God, and lost the light in the darkness.
We must learn to see our low point, so we can see how God will lift us up, and we can live out the testimony for God. Do not compromise with this world, what we do, what we say and how we live should reflect the glory of God. On this Good Friday, let us see our true-self, our sins, our wickedness, our weaknesses… it was the religious people, who put Jesus on the cross, not the non-believers!
Section Three V16-22 Set Apart
V17-18 ‘And I will wait on the Lord, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.’ Even though we live in the world, we must live out the world! In this dark time, there seems to be no God, people seem to not need God. Are we willing to be still in the times full of temptations and troubles?
V19-20 ‘And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ So many people are seeking the worldly ways to solve their problems. We must hear the living God, not the dead people! When we receive the teaching of God, can we see the love of God and of our authority?
V21-22 ‘They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.’ If we don’t see God in our troubles, at the end we will enter darkness along with the other people. We will be driven into darkness, and we can no longer shine for God. How do we respond to God and to believe in the teaching of God is to help us to be better? We must face our true-self, examine into our hearts, and let God be the only God in our lives.
以赛亚书 8 – 在末世的黑暗与光明
2022年4月15日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
今天是受难日，神借着以赛亚书的经文要对我们说话。在无神的黑暗世界里，神所拣选的人会怎样？神在这章经文里很真实的让我们看见人的堕落 – 这些人是被神拯救的人。我们在跟从神的过程中迷失了，与世界苟合。末世是一段时间，我们会看见黑暗，但神也会让我们看见光明。
一、v.1-4 神的真实
在黑暗中我们看不见神，只看见自己的doing，只会为自己谋算，靠自己的努力往前走，因此别人无法从我们身上看见神。尽管如此，神仍然能在这个黑暗的时间中彰显他的光辉。
V1 “大牌”指的是大的告示牌，神让以赛亚在上面写“玛黑珥沙拉勒哈施罢斯”。亚哈斯诞生在乌西雅王统治的盛世，在未当王前他看到的都是歌舞升平，然而如今他所倚靠的东西、他头脑中的世界全都没有了。当亚哈斯王登位的时候（以赛亚书第七章），他面对的是亚兰王和以色列王的联合攻击。亚哈斯王看到的都是黑暗，而就在这样的环境下，神指示以赛亚写下一些字，因为以赛亚说了很多，可是人的耳朵已经发沉（以赛亚书 6:10）。“玛黑珥沙拉勒哈施罢斯”这名字预表着抢掠要临到了。
V2 见证、记录这事的是服事神、相信神的人。
V3-4 亚哈斯面对敌军攻击的时候，没有求告神，而是想要依靠亚述王来对抗北国以色列。然而，神在这里对他说，他所倚靠的亚述最后会将他的一切掳掠。神知道我们的心，当我们遇到困难的时候，我们倚靠的是谁呢？当我们感恩的时候，我们是发自内心的吗？我们的感恩是否给我们带来欢庆，还是带着一个doing、完成任务的心态？当我们在为“不好”的事情感恩时，我们只是记录发生的事，还是能看到背后神的爱、权能、和真实？犹大是有神的圣殿和祭司的国家，然而他们好像不认识神。这也是在受难日神提醒我们的事。我们做了很多事之后，是否能从中看到神的爱、是否发自内心的感恩，知道无论发生什么事神都会为我们包底、撑腰。不要以为我们可以苟安在暂时的和平中，最终我们的财物和儿女都要成为敌人的掳物。当耶稣坐着驴子进入耶路撒冷时，周围的民众热情欢迎他，然而当耶稣走在去往各各他山的路上时，这些人看到他们所期盼能为他们复国的君王竟然如此受苦，他们没有得到自己想要的，于是失望，就唾骂耶稣。亚哈斯看见的是亚述是强大的国家和资源，我们是否也是这样不愿意投靠神，而是投靠那能看得见摸得着的舒适的世界？到最后，我们只会一无所有。神吩咐以赛亚先知写给亚哈斯王和所有大卫家民众的话，我们看到了吗？我们是否看到神的真实和自己的虚伪？
二、v.5-15 人的顽固
V6 耶路撒冷原本是没有水源的，居民所喝的水从西罗亚引进，但他们觉得这水流得太慢了，比喻百姓觉得神的拯救太慢了，他们只看到亚述的兵力强盛。
V7-8 当犹大百姓没有依靠神时，他们所倚靠的亚述反而来侵略他们。本来神让我们成为这个世代的光和盐，但我们倚靠这个世界，我们所做的就像其他人那样，只靠自己的doing去做事，因为看不见神在我们人生的低点如何帮助、高举我们。别人从我们身上也看不见神，因为我们与周围的人没有什么分别，都是凭着自己的血气来面对其他人和事情。我们是否有用到神国度里的法则？耶稣被惩罚，是因为我们这些虚伪的人。让我们在受难日不是只求祝福，而是借着耶稣所受的苦看到自己里面的恶和虚伪，如此才能从耶稣基督所受的鞭伤、刑罚中得医治和自由。
三、v.16-22 要分别为圣
V17 我们要进入世界，但不要活得跟他们一样。在黑暗的时代我们觉得好像没有神，但即便如此，我们仍然要等候、仰望神。我们遇到这么多的事，是否仍然愿意安静下来？
V19 “人”指的是属神的子民。当我们听到那些“交鬼的和行巫术的”所讲的是让我们很舒服很喜欢去听的话，我们应当回答：“百姓不当求问自己的神吗？岂可为活人求问死人呢？”不要去求问那些必会灭亡的“死人”。
V20 我们在被提升的时候，是否看到可以感恩的地方，是否看到神和权柄对我们的爱，还是觉得生气、被冒犯、不耐烦？“训诲”是从人的师傅而来，“法度”就是妥拉 – 神的话语。
V21 不跟从神的人“必经过这地，受艰难，受饥饿，饥饿的时候心中焦躁”。
V22 我们在学房中看到的是否都是“艰难黑暗和幽暗的痛苦”？
我们怎样去持定神给我们的训诲和法度？在受难日，我们要求圣灵来察验自己的生命，真实面对自己是如何跟从神。求神帮助我们从受难日耶稣所受的鞭伤和刑罚中得着医治和平安，看见神给我们写下的属灵的大牌子。