撒母耳記下9:1-13

9:1 大衛問說：「掃羅家還有剩下的人沒有？我要因約拿單的緣故向他施恩。」
9:2 掃羅家有一個僕人，名叫洗巴，有人叫他來見大衛，王問他說：「你是洗巴嗎？」回答說：「僕人是。」
9:3 王說：「掃羅家還有人沒有？我要照上帝的慈愛恩待他。」洗巴對王說：「還有約拿單的一個兒子，是瘸腿的。」
9:4 王說：「他在哪裡？」洗巴對王說：「他在羅‧底巴，亞米利的兒子瑪吉家裡。」
9:5 於是大衛王打發人去，從羅‧底巴亞米利的兒子瑪吉家裡召了他來。
9:6 掃羅的孫子、約拿單的兒子米非波設來見大衛，伏地叩拜。大衛說：「米非波設！」米非波設說：「僕人在此。」
9:7 大衛說：「你不要懼怕，我必因你父親約拿單的緣故施恩與你，將你祖父掃羅的一切田地都歸還你；你也可以常與我同席吃飯。」
9:8 米非波設又叩拜，說：「僕人算甚麼，不過如死狗一般，竟蒙王這樣眷顧！」
9:9 王召了掃羅的僕人洗巴來，對他說：「我已將屬掃羅和他的一切家產都賜給你主人的兒子了。
9:10 你和你的眾子、僕人要為你主人的兒子米非波設耕種田地，把所產的拿來供他食用；他卻要常與我同席吃飯。」洗巴有十五個兒子，二十個僕人。
9:11 洗巴對王說：「凡我主我王吩咐僕人的，僕人都必遵行。」王又說：「米非波設必與我同席吃飯，如王的兒子一樣。」
9:12 米非波設有一個小兒子，名叫米迦。凡住在洗巴家裡的人都作了米非波設的僕人。
9:13 於是米非波設住在耶路撒冷，常與王同席吃飯。他兩腿都是瘸的。

1 One day David asked, "Is anyone in Saul's family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants. "Are you Ziba?" the king asked.
  "Yes sir, I am," Ziba replied.
  3 The king then asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them."
  Ziba replied, "Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet."
  4 "Where is he?" the king asked.
  "In Lo-debar," Ziba told him, "at the home of Makir son of Ammiel."
  5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir's home.6 His name was Mephibosheth*; he was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, "Greetings, Mephibosheth."
  Mephibosheth replied, "I am your servant."
  7 "Don't be afraid!" David said. "I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king's table!"
  8 Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, "Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?"
  9 Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.10 You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master's household.* But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, will eat here at my table." (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
  11 Ziba replied, "Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded." And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David's table,* like one of the king's own sons.
  12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba's household were Mephibosheth's servants.13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king's table.

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米非波設是掃羅的孫子、約拿單的兒子，以色列王大衛當面對他說：「你不要懼怕，我必因你父親約拿單的緣故施恩與你，將你祖父掃羅的一切田地都歸還你；你也可以常與我同席吃飯。」

    對米非波設這是何等的恩典啊！正如經文所說：「於是米非波設住在耶路撒冷，常與王同席吃飯。他兩腿都是瘸的。」

    說到這裡，我們也是與上帝的兒子耶穌基督一起吃飯，就像我們得聖餐禮儀，就是與基督一同吃飯。啟示錄3章20節說：「看哪，我站在門外叩門，若有聽見我聲音就開門的，我要進到他那裡去，我與他，他與我一同坐席。」

    這裡的「坐席」，就是一起吃飯！而我們不僅要與基督一起吃飯，還要一起做王，如啟示錄22章5節：「不再有黑夜；他們也不用燈光、日光，因為主上帝要光照他們。他們要作王，直到永永遠遠。」

    感謝主！這是何等得福分啊！像米非波設一般，與主耶穌同在到永遠！

以賽亞書7:10-25

7:10 耶和華又曉諭亞哈斯說：
7:11 「你向耶和華─你的上帝求一個兆頭：或求顯在深處，或求顯在高處。」
7:12 亞哈斯說：「我不求；我不試探耶和華。」
7:13 以賽亞說：「大衛家啊，你們當聽！你們使人厭煩豈算小事，還要使我的上帝厭煩嗎？
7:14 因此，主自己要給你們一個兆頭，必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利（就是上帝與我們同在的意思）。
7:15 到他曉得棄惡擇善的時候，他必吃奶油與蜂蜜。
7:16 因為在這孩子還不曉得棄惡擇善之先，你所憎惡的那二王之地必致見棄。
7:17 耶和華必使亞述王攻擊你的日子臨到你和你的百姓，並你的父家，自從以法蓮離開猶大以來，未曾有這樣的日子。
7:18 「那時，耶和華要發嘶聲，使埃及江河源頭的蒼蠅和亞述地的蜂子飛來；
7:19 都必飛來，落在荒涼的谷內、磐石的穴裡，和一切荊棘籬笆中，並一切的草場上。
7:20 「那時，主必用大河外賃的剃頭刀，就是亞述王，剃去頭髮和腳上的毛，並要剃淨鬍鬚。
7:21 「那時，一個人要養活一隻母牛犢，兩隻母綿羊；
7:22 因為出的奶多，他就得吃奶油，在境內所剩的人都要吃奶油與蜂蜜。
7:23 「從前，凡種一千棵葡萄樹、值銀一千舍客勒的地方，到那時必長荊棘和蒺藜。
7:24 人上那裡去，必帶弓箭，因為遍地滿了荊棘和蒺藜。
7:25 所有用鋤刨挖的山地，你因怕荊棘和蒺藜，不敢上那裡去；只可成了放牛之處，為羊踐踏之地。」

¹⁰ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. ¹²But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. ¹³Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. ¹⁵He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. ¹⁶For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. ¹⁷The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”

¹⁸ On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. ¹⁹And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.

²⁰ On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well.

²¹ On that day one will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, ²²and will eat curds because of the abundance of milk that they give; for everyone that is left in the land shall eat curds and honey.

²³ On that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. ²⁴With bow and arrows one will go there, for all the land will be briers and thorns; ²⁵and as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

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    亞哈斯王不是一個順服的國王，當上帝要他求一個兆頭時，他竟然退卻，於是上帝就親自給他一個特別的兆頭：「必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利（就是上帝與我們同在的意思）。」

    上帝這個兆頭後來用在主耶穌的降生，我們讀馬太福音的時候，也看見這段經文。

也因為這段經文，我們的信經中也宣告：「因著聖靈感孕，從童貞女馬利亞所生。」

    先知當時用這個兆頭是要宣告以色列和亞蘭的敗亡，先知說：「在這孩子還不曉得棄惡擇善之先，你所憎惡的那二王之地必致見棄。」

    而這樣的兆頭是要當時的人注意亞述帝國的力量要起來了，正如先知宣告：「耶和華必使亞述王攻擊你的日子臨到你和你的百姓，並你的父家，自從以法蓮離開猶大以來，未曾有這樣的日子。」

    這也再一次讓猶大百姓體會到上帝是如何的愛猶大啊！同樣，以馬內利，更是讓我[們認識上帝在基督裡是何等的愛呢！

以賽亞書7章

      以賽亞書7:1-9 , 

      以賽亞書7:10-25   ,  以賽亞書7:14 ,

以賽亞書7:1-9

7:1 烏西雅的孫子、約坦的兒子、猶大王亞哈斯在位的時候，亞蘭王利汛和利瑪利的兒子、以色列王比加上來攻打耶路撒冷，卻不能攻取。

7:2 有人告訴大衛家說：「亞蘭與以法蓮已經同盟。」王的心和百姓的心就都跳動，好像林中的樹被風吹動一樣。

7:3 耶和華對以賽亞說：「你和你的兒子施亞雅述出去，到上池的水溝頭，在漂布地的大路上，去迎接亞哈斯，

7:4 對他說：『你要謹慎安靜，不要因亞蘭王利汛和利瑪利的兒子這兩個冒煙的火把頭所發的烈怒害怕，也不要心裡膽怯。

7:5 因為亞蘭和以法蓮，並利瑪利的兒子，設惡謀害你，

7:6 說：我們可以上去攻擊猶大，擾亂它，攻破它，在其中立他比勒的兒子為王。

7:7 所以主耶和華如此說：這所謀的必立不住，也不得成就。

7:8 原來亞蘭的首城是大馬士革；大馬士革的首領是利汛。（六十五年之內，以法蓮必然破壞，不再成為國民。）

7:9 以法蓮的首城是撒馬利亞；撒馬利亞的首領是利瑪利的兒子。你們若是不信，定然不得立穩。』」

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with[a] Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place,

    it will not happen,

8

for the head of Aram is Damascus,

    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.

Within sixty-five years

    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

9

The head of Ephraim is Samaria,

    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.

If you do not stand firm in your faith,

    you will not stand at all.’”

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    以色列和亞蘭聯合要攻打猶大，雖然讓猶大國上下感到恐懼，但是上帝透過先知以賽亞的話語，讓他們得到安慰。而先知的話語當中傳達了以色列將要滅亡之訊息：「六十五年之內，以法蓮必然破壞，不再成為國民。」

    後來以色列真的被亞述帝國所滅，所有的國民都被擄到外國去，甚至於消失在歷史的洪流之中。這也讓我們警覺到上帝是輕慢不得的，即使是號稱上帝的選民，也會遭受滅亡之命運！

    當然上帝因為大衛的緣故，特別眷顧猶大國。但是猶大國也是因為行上帝所不喜悅的事，後來為巴比倫所滅。雖然如此，上帝仍然留餘種，讓猶大的百姓被擄後七十年，仍然可以回來耶路撒冷，聖殿得以重建！

以賽亞書6:8-13

6:8 我又聽見主的聲音說：「我可以差遣誰呢？誰肯為我們去呢？」我說：「我在這裡，請差遣我！」
6:9 他說：「你去告訴這百姓說：你們聽是要聽見，卻不明白；看是要看見，卻不曉得。
6:10 要使這百姓心蒙脂油，耳朵發沉，眼睛昏迷；恐怕眼睛看見，耳朵聽見，心裡明白，回轉過來，便得醫治。」
6:11 我就說：「主啊，這到幾時為止呢？」他說：直到城邑荒涼，無人居住，房屋空閒無人，地土極其荒涼。
6:12 並且耶和華將人遷到遠方，在這境內撇下的地土很多。
6:13 境內剩下的人若還有十分之一，也必被吞滅，像栗樹、橡樹雖被砍伐，樹墩子卻仍存留。這聖潔的種類在國中也是如此。

⁸Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” ⁹And he said, “Go and say to this people:

‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;

keep looking, but do not understand.’

10

Make the mind of this people dull,

and stop their ears,

and shut their eyes,

so that they may not look with their eyes,

and listen with their ears,

and comprehend with their minds,

and turn and be healed.”

11

Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said:

“Until cities lie waste

without inhabitant,

and houses without people,

and the land is utterly desolate;

12

until the Lord sends everyone far away,

and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.

13

Even if a tenth part remain in it,

it will be burned again,

like a terebinth or an oak

whose stump remains standing

when it is felled.”

The holy seed is its stump.

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    整本聖經充滿復活的字眼，正如這段經文中說道：「境內剩下的人若還有十分之一，也必被吞滅，像栗樹、橡樹雖被砍伐，樹墩子卻仍存留。這聖潔的種類在國中也是如此。」

    說到「樹墩子」就想到湖口教會的龍眼樹被砍掉之後，大約兩三年，「樹墩子」長出綠色的枝子，讓然感受到復活的力量！其實舊約中說到的「復興」、「被擄歸回」、「聖殿重建」、…，都是復活的象徵！

    所以，復活是上帝所要展現的大能大力，也要在每一位屬祂的兒女身上發生，來彰顯祂的榮耀！正如祂藉猶大人被擄歸回、聖殿重建，看見祂的拯救大能一般！