以賽亞書13:6-22

13:6 你們要哀號，因為耶和華的日子臨近了！這日來到，好像毀滅從全能者來到。
13:7 所以，人手都必軟弱；人心都必消化。
13:8 他們必驚惶悲痛；愁苦必將他們抓住。他們疼痛，好像產難的婦人一樣，彼此驚奇相看，臉如火焰。
13:9 耶和華的日子臨到，必有殘忍、忿恨、烈怒，使這地荒涼，從其中除滅罪人。
13:10 天上的眾星群宿都不發光；日頭一出就變黑暗；月亮也不放光。
13:11 我必因邪惡刑罰世界，因罪孽刑罰惡人，使驕傲人的狂妄止息，制伏強暴人的狂傲。
13:12 我必使人比精金還少，使人比俄斐純金更少。
13:13 我─萬軍之耶和華在忿恨中發烈怒的日子，必使天震動，使地搖撼，離其本位。
13:14 人必像被追趕的鹿，像無人收聚的羊，各歸回本族，各逃到本土。
13:15 凡被仇敵追上的必被刺死；凡被捉住的必被刀殺。
13:16 他們的嬰孩必在他們眼前摔碎；他們的房屋必被搶奪；他們的妻子必被玷污。
13:17 我必激動米底亞人來攻擊他們。米底亞人不注重銀子，也不喜愛金子。
13:18 他們必用弓擊碎少年人，不憐憫婦人所生的，眼也不顧惜孩子。
13:19 巴比倫素來為列國的榮耀，為迦勒底人所矜誇的華美，必像上帝所傾覆的所多瑪、蛾摩拉一樣。
13:20 其內必永無人煙，世世代代無人居住。阿拉伯人也不在那裡支搭帳棚；牧羊的人也不使羊群臥在那裡。
13:21 只有曠野的走獸臥在那裡；咆哮的獸滿了房屋。鴕鳥住在那裡；野山羊在那裡跳舞。
13:22 豺狼必在它宮中呼號；野狗必在它華美殿內吼叫。巴比倫受罰的時候臨近；它的日子必不長久。

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;

it will come like destruction from the Almighty!

7

Therefore all hands will be feeble,

and every human heart will melt,

8

and they will be dismayed.

Pangs and agony will seize them;

they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.

They will look aghast at one another;

their faces will be aflame.

9

See, the day of the Lord comes,

cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,

to make the earth a desolation,

and to destroy its sinners from it.

10

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations

will not give their light;

the sun will be dark at its rising,

and the moon will not shed its light.

11

I will punish the world for its evil,

and the wicked for their iniquity;

I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant,

and lay low the insolence of tyrants.

12

I will make mortals more rare than fine gold,

and humans than the gold of Ophir.

13

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,

and the earth will be shaken out of its place,

at the wrath of the Lord of hosts

in the day of his fierce anger.

14

Like a hunted gazelle,

or like sheep with no one to gather them,

all will turn to their own people,

and all will flee to their own lands.

15

Whoever is found will be thrust through,

and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.

16

Their infants will be dashed to pieces

before their eyes;

their houses will be plundered,

and their wives ravished.

17

See, I am stirring up the Medes against them,

who have no regard for silver

and do not delight in gold.

18

Their bows will slaughter the young men;

they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;

their eyes will not pity children.

19

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,

the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans,

will be like Sodom and Gomorrah

when God overthrew them.

20

It will never be inhabited

or lived in for all generations;

Arabs will not pitch their tents there,

shepherds will not make their flocks lie down there.

21

But wild animals will lie down there,

and its houses will be full of howling creatures;

there ostriches will live,

and there goat-demons will dance.

22

Hyenas will cry in its towers,

and jackals in the pleasant palaces;

its time is close at hand,

and its days will not be prolonged.

**********

    巴比倫興起之後，也會走向敗亡之路。這是一切國家的走向，就連中國也是經過好幾個朝代，其實也是興起與敗亡。國家和政權的替換，讓我們看見人所建立的國度都是短暫的，唯有上帝是永恆的！

    從歷史的演替，讓我們再一次體認到，人是敵不過上帝的，人只能依附或倚靠上帝，將短暫有限的生命交託在上帝的手中，讓上帝的救贖臨到，才有辦法化短暫為永恆，使生命不再受時間和空間的限制，並且享受耶穌基督所賜得永生之福。

    我們相信，上帝在耶穌基督裡的應許都是會成就的，也因為這樣，我們今天被上帝揀選並安置在基督裡，就要存著感謝的心來在基督裡尊上帝為大，要不是上帝預備救恩，我們就無法得拯救，我們豈能說是這個救恩是上帝和我合作完成的呢！反到要將榮耀歸給上帝說：唯獨上帝的恩典，我們才可以得救！

以賽亞書13章

     以賽亞書13:1-5  ,  以賽亞書13:6-22  ,

以賽亞書13:1-5

13:1 亞摩斯的兒子以賽亞得默示，論巴比倫。
13:2 應當在淨光的山豎立大旗，向群眾揚聲招手，使他們進入貴冑的門。
13:3 我吩咐我所挑出來的人；我招呼我的勇士─就是那矜誇高傲之輩，為要成就我怒中所定的。
13:4 山間有多人的聲音，好像是大國人民。有許多國的民聚集鬨嚷的聲音；這是萬軍之耶和華點齊軍隊，預備打仗。
13:5 他們從遠方來，從天邊來，就是耶和華並他惱恨的兵器要毀滅這全地。

The oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw.

 

2

On a bare hill raise a signal,

cry aloud to them;

wave the hand for them to enter

the gates of the nobles.

3

I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,

have summoned my warriors, my proudly exulting ones,

to execute my anger.

4

Listen, a tumult on the mountains

as of a great multitude!

Listen, an uproar of kingdoms,

of nations gathering together!

The Lord of hosts is mustering

an army for battle.

5

They come from a distant land,

from the end of the heavens,

the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,

to destroy the whole earth.

**********

    先知以賽亞在此預言巴比倫的興起，這個國家要取代亞述，成為超級強國，甚至要將亞述消滅，都在上帝的掌握之中。所以，國家和政權的存亡，事由上帝決定不是由人來決定。

    聖經對於歷史的結局已經像我們宣告了，正如啟示錄11章15節所說：「第七位天使吹號，天上就有大聲音說：世上的國成了我主和主基督的國；他要作王，直到永永遠遠。」

    也因為如此，我們不要害怕世界局勢的變化詭異，國家前途茫茫，全球經濟衰退或興盛，地球暖化，這些種種問題，終會過去，最後存留得就是上帝的國，也唯有基督的王權是永恆的！而主耶穌更是將祂的王權分享給我們，使我們一同在榮耀中。

以賽亞書12章

       以賽亞書12:1-6  , 

       以賽亞書12:2 ,

       以賽亞書12:2   , 

       以賽亞書12:3  ,

      以賽亞書12:4  ,

     以賽亞書12:5  ,

以賽亞書12:1-6

 

12:1 到那日，你必說：耶和華啊，我要稱謝你！因為你雖然向我發怒，你的怒氣卻已轉消；你又安慰了我。
12:2 看哪！上帝是我的拯救；我要倚靠他，並不懼怕。因為主耶和華是我的力量，是我的詩歌，他也成了我的拯救。
12:3 所以，你們必從救恩的泉源歡然取水。
12:4 在那日，你們要說：當稱謝耶和華，求告他的名；將他所行的傳揚在萬民中，提說他的名已被尊崇。
12:5 你們要向耶和華唱歌，因他所行的甚是美好；但願這事普傳天下。
12:6 錫安的居民哪，當揚聲歡呼，因為在你們中間的以色列聖者乃為至大。

You will say in that day:

I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

and you comforted me.

2

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my might;

he has become my salvation.

³ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ⁴And you will say in that day:

Give thanks to the Lord,

call on his name;

make known his deeds among the nations;

proclaim that his name is exalted.

5

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

let this be known in all the earth.

6

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

**************

    當人感受到上帝的慈愛時，自然會讚美上帝！這也就是說，對上帝的敬拜是被動性，不是主動性的。人不會主動敬拜上帝，若是的話只是在眾神中多一位神，等於是偶像崇拜，不是真正敬拜上帝。

    真正敬拜上帝是心被恩趕來讚美上帝，只有尊上帝為大！其他的都不是上帝，只不過是偶像。偶像不能行上帝的事，我們也不用屈膝敬拜。但是，上帝我們必須把祂當成唯一的上帝來敬拜，並且要享受祂的救恩，正如先知所說：「所以，你們必從救恩的泉源歡然取水。」

    當然我們不僅要享受上帝得救恩，更是要宣揚上帝的名，為主的拯救大能做見證！正如先知所說：「你們要向耶和華唱歌，因他所行的甚是美好；但願這事普傳天下。錫安的居民哪，當揚聲歡呼，因為在你們中間的以色列聖者乃為至大。」

    所以基督徒，當在耶穌基督裡尊上帝為大，將榮耀歸給上帝，不要將榮耀歸給自己！

以賽亞書11:10-16

11:10 到那日，耶西的根立作萬民的大旗；外邦人必尋求他，他安息之所大有榮耀。
11:11 當那日，主必二次伸手救回自己百姓中所餘剩的，就是在亞述、埃及、巴忒羅、古實、以攔、示拿、哈馬，並眾海島所剩下的。
11:12 他必向列國豎立大旗，招回以色列被趕散的人，又從地的四方聚集分散的猶大人。
11:13 以法蓮的嫉妒就必消散；擾害猶大的必被剪除。以法蓮必不嫉妒猶大，猶大也不擾害以法蓮。
11:14 他們要向西飛，撲在非利士人的肩頭上（肩頭上：或譯西界），一同擄掠東方人，伸手按住以東和摩押；亞捫人也必順服他們。
11:15 耶和華必使埃及海汊枯乾，掄手用暴熱的風使大河分為七條，令人過去不致濕腳。
11:16 為主餘剩的百姓，就是從亞述剩下回來的，必有一條大道，如當日以色列從埃及地上來一樣。

¹⁰ On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

¹¹ On that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.

12

He will raise a signal for the nations,

and will assemble the outcasts of Israel,

and gather the dispersed of Judah

from the four corners of the earth.

13

The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,

the hostility of Judah shall be cut off;

Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,

and Judah shall not be hostile towards Ephraim.

14

But they shall swoop down on the backs of the Philistines in the west,

together they shall plunder the people of the east.

They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab,

and the Ammonites shall obey them.

15

And the Lord will utterly destroy

the tongue of the sea of Egypt;

and will wave his hand over the River

with his scorching wind;

and will split it into seven channels,

and make a way to cross on foot;

16

so there shall be a highway from Assyria

for the remnant that is left of his people,

as there was for Israel

when they came up from the land of Egypt.

**************

    猶大的歸回已經實現了，但是以色列的歸回卻遲遲未現，甚至讓人認為以色列的十個支派已經不見了！但是上帝既然要拯救萬民，那些以色列人必並會再歸回，使萬民看見上帝奇妙的拯救！

    這也讓我們感受到，許多事在人看來是不可能，但是在上帝沒有甚麼不可能，因為一切的規則都在上帝掌理之中，而且只有上帝能突破一切規條的建立原則，為人立一個新的法則！

    上帝在基督耶穌裡的救贖何嘗不是如此呢？祂使用「道成肉身」和「神人二性」，是耶穌基督成為上帝和人之間真正的中保，使上帝和人破裂的關係，可以建立起來。

以賽亞書11章

     

     以賽亞書11:1-9   , 以賽亞書11:1  ,

    上主的靈要降在他身上  (以賽亞書11章2-5節)    ,

     以 賽 亞 書 11:2-5   , 以賽亞書11章2-5節  ,

    以賽亞書11章2-5節   ,

    以賽亞書11章2-4節  , 

     以賽亞書11:10-16 ,