以賽亞書18:1-7

以賽亞書18:1-7

18:1 唉！古實河外翅膀刷刷響聲之地，
18:2 差遣使者在水面上，坐蒲草船過海。先知說：你們快行的使者，要到高大光滑的民那裡去。自從開國以來，那民極其可畏，是分地界踐踏人的；他們的地有江河分開。
18:3 世上一切的居民和地上所住的人哪，山上豎立大旗的時候你們要看；吹角的時候你們要聽。
18:4 耶和華對我這樣說：我要安靜，在我的居所觀看，如同日光中的清熱，又如露水的雲霧在收割的熱天。
18:5 收割之先，花開已謝，花也成了將熟的葡萄；他必用鐮刀削去嫩枝，又砍掉蔓延的枝條，
18:6 都要撇給山間的鷙鳥和地上的野獸。夏天，鷙鳥要宿在其上；冬天，野獸都臥在其中。
18:7 到那時，這高大光滑的民，就是從開國以來極其可畏、分地界踐踏人的，他們的地有江河分開；他們必將禮物奉給萬軍之耶和華，就是奉到錫安山─耶和華安置他名的地方。

Ah, land of whirring wings

beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

2

sending ambassadors by the Nile

in vessels of papyrus on the waters!

Go, you swift messengers,

to a nation tall and smooth,

to a people feared near and far,

a nation mighty and conquering,

whose land the rivers divide.

3

All you inhabitants of the world,

you who live on the earth,

when a signal is raised on the mountains, look!

When a trumpet is blown, listen!

4

For thus the Lord said to me:

I will quietly look from my dwelling

like clear heat in sunshine,

like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

5

For before the harvest, when the blossom is over

and the flower becomes a ripening grape,

he will cut off the shoots with pruning hooks,

and the spreading branches he will hew away.

6

They shall all be left

to the birds of prey of the mountains

and to the animals of the earth.

And the birds of prey will summer on them,

and all the animals of the earth will winter on them.

⁷ At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts.

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

    這裡的「古實」就是「衣索匹亞」，是屬於非洲的國家，派使者秘密訪問耶

路撒冷，要建立反叛亞述帝國的聯盟。然而從先知所得到的神諭看來，上帝要他

們等待，不可以輕舉妄動，因為上帝有祂的時間！

    在聖經中強調凡事都有定時，人要耐心等候上帝的時間。的確，我們得上帝

是做事的上帝，在時間還沒到的時候，我們不能做甚麼；但是時間一到，我就要

趕快有行動！不然，機會一去是不再來的！

    同樣，在我們的人生當中，我們一定要隨時準備好自己，來配合上帝的時機。

正如使徒行傳說到腓力因為配合到上帝的時間，所以可以將福音傳給衣索匹亞的

太監，使得該國成為基督化的國家，使上帝在此的應許成就了。

    求主保守我們，不輕舉妄動之外，還能把握時機，與主同工成就大事！

以賽亞書17章

    以賽亞書17:1-14  ,

以賽亞書17:1-14

17:1 論大馬士革的默示：看哪，大馬士革已被廢棄，不再為城，必變作亂堆。
17:2 亞羅珥的城邑已被撇棄，必成為牧羊之處；羊在那裡躺臥，無人驚嚇。
17:3 以法蓮不再有保障；大馬士革不再有國權；亞蘭所剩下的必像以色列人的榮耀消滅一樣。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。
17:4 到那日，雅各的榮耀必至枵薄；他肥胖的身體必漸瘦弱。
17:5 就必像收割的人收斂禾稼，用手割取穗子，又像人在利乏音谷拾取遺落的穗子。
17:6 其間所剩下的不多，好像人打橄欖樹─在儘上的枝梢上只剩兩三個果子；在多果樹的旁枝上只剩四五個果子。這是耶和華─以色列的上帝說的。
17:7 當那日，人必仰望造他們的主，眼目重看以色列的聖者。
17:8 他們必不仰望祭壇，就是自己手所築的，也不重看自己指頭所做的，無論是木偶是日像。
17:9 在那日，他們的堅固城必像樹林中和山頂上所撇棄的地方，就是從前在以色列人面前被人撇棄的。這樣，地就荒涼了。
17:10 因你忘記救你的上帝，不記念你能力的磐石；所以，你栽上佳美的樹秧子，插上異樣的栽子。
17:11 栽種的日子，你周圍圈上籬笆，又到早晨使你所種的開花；但在愁苦極其傷痛的日子，所收割的都飛去了。
17:12 唉！多民鬨嚷，好像海浪匉訇；列邦奔騰，好像猛水滔滔；
17:13 列邦奔騰，好像多水滔滔；但上帝斥責他們，他們就遠遠逃避，又被追趕，如同山上的風前糠，又如暴風前的旋風土。
17:14 到晚上有驚嚇，未到早晨他們就沒有了。這是擄掠我們之人所得的分，是搶奪我們之人的報應。

An oracle concerning Damascus. 

See, Damascus will cease to be a city,

and will become a heap of ruins.

2

Her towns will be deserted forever;

they will be places for flocks,

which will lie down, and no one will make them afraid.

3

The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,

and the kingdom from Damascus;

and the remnant of Aram will be

like the glory of the children of Israel,

says the Lord of hosts.

4

On that day

the glory of Jacob will be brought low,

and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.

5

And it shall be as when reapers gather standing grain

and their arms harvest the ears,

and as when one gleans the ears of grain

in the Valley of Rephaim.

6

Gleanings will be left in it,

as when an olive tree is beaten—

two or three berries

in the top of the highest bough,

four or five

on the branches of a fruit tree,

says the Lord God of Israel.

⁷ On that day people will regard their Maker, and their eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel; ⁸they will not have regard for the altars, the work of their hands, and they will not look to what their own fingers have made, either the sacred poles or the altars of incense.

⁹ On that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the Hivites and the Amorites, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.

 

10

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation,

and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;

therefore, though you plant pleasant plants

and set out slips of an alien god,

11

though you make them grow on the day that you plant them,

and make them blossom in the morning that you sow;

yet the harvest will flee away

in a day of grief and incurable pain.

12

Ah, the thunder of many peoples,

they thunder like the thundering of the sea!

Ah, the roar of nations,

they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!

13

The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,

but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,

chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind

and whirling dust before the storm.

14

At evening time, lo, terror!

Before morning, they are no more.

This is the fate of those who despoil us,

and the lot of those who plunder us.

***********

    以色列為了抵擋亞述帝國，竟然和敘利亞、亞蘭等國聯盟，卻不來倚靠上帝。而這樣的聯盟，不僅無法抵擋亞述的侵略，反而一一被亞述所打敗與消滅！所以聖經告訴我們：「不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的靈方能成事。」

    許多時候，我們就像以色列一般，希望獲得盟友的幫助，卻不盼望上帝的幫助。以為盟友的幫助較實際，上帝的幫助好像飄渺不可得，因為上帝看不見、摸不著。哪知，那看的見的是不牢靠的，那看不見的才是牢靠的！因為看得見的是短暫的，看不見的才是永恆的！

    也因此，我們要藉由聖靈得工作，將耶穌基督的拯救應用在我們，我們才能成為真正倚靠上帝的人，在上帝的恩惠與慈愛中，直到永永遠遠，享受上帝豐盛的恩典！

以賽亞書16章

       以賽亞書16:1-14  ,

以賽亞書16:1-14

16:1 你們當將羊羔奉給那地掌權的，從西拉往曠野，送到錫安城（原文是女子）的山。
16:2 摩押的居民（原文是女子）在亞嫩渡口，必像遊飛的鳥，如拆窩的雛。
16:3 求你獻謀略，行公平，使你的影子在午間如黑夜，隱藏被趕散的人，不可顯露逃民。
16:4 求你容我這被趕散的人和你同居。至於摩押，求你作他的隱密處，脫離滅命者的面。勒索人的歸於無有，毀滅的事止息了，欺壓人的從國中除滅了，
16:5 必有寶座因慈愛堅立；必有一位誠誠實實坐在其上，在大衛帳幕中施行審判，尋求公平，速行公義。
16:6 我們聽說摩押人驕傲，是極其驕傲；聽說他狂妄、驕傲、忿怒；他誇大的話是虛空的。
16:7 因此，摩押人必為摩押哀號；人人都要哀號。你們摩押人要為吉珥‧哈列設的葡萄餅哀歎，極其憂傷。
16:8 因為希實本的田地和西比瑪的葡萄樹都衰殘了。列國的君主折斷其上美好的枝子；這枝子長到雅謝延到曠野，嫩枝向外探出，直探過鹽海。
16:9 因此，我要為西比瑪的葡萄樹哀哭，與雅謝人哀哭一樣。希實本、以利亞利啊，我要以眼淚澆灌你；因為有交戰吶喊的聲音臨到你夏天的果子，並你收割的莊稼。
16:10 從肥美的田中奪去了歡喜快樂；在葡萄園裡必無歌唱，也無歡呼的聲音。踹酒的在酒醡中不得踹出酒來；我使他歡呼的聲音止息。
16:11 因此，我心腹為摩押哀鳴如琴；我心腸為吉珥‧哈列設也是如此。
16:12 摩押人朝見的時候，在高處疲乏，又到他聖所祈禱，也不蒙應允。
16:13 這是耶和華從前論摩押的話。
16:14 但現在耶和華說：「三年之內，照雇工的年數，摩押的榮耀與他的群眾必被藐視，餘剩的人甚少無幾。」

Send lambs

to the ruler of the land,

from Sela, by way of the desert,

to the mount of daughter Zion.

2

Like fluttering birds,

like scattered nestlings,

so are the daughters of Moab

at the fords of the Arnon.

3

“Give counsel,

grant justice;

make your shade like night

at the height of noon;

hide the outcasts,

do not betray the fugitive;

4

let the outcasts of Moab

settle among you;

be a refuge to them

from the destroyer.”

When the oppressor is no more,

and destruction has ceased,

and marauders have vanished from the land,

5

then a throne shall be established in steadfast love

in the tent of David,

and on it shall sit in faithfulness

a ruler who seeks justice

and is swift to do what is right.

6

We have heard of the pride of Moab

—how proud he is!—

of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;

his boasts are false.

7

Therefore let Moab wail,

let everyone wail for Moab.

Mourn, utterly stricken,

for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.

8

For the fields of Heshbon languish,

and the vines of Sibmah,

whose clusters once made drunk

the lords of the nations,

reached to Jazer

and strayed to the desert;

their shoots once spread abroad

and crossed over the sea.

9

Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer

for the vines of Sibmah;

I drench you with my tears,

O Heshbon and Elealeh;

for the shout over your fruit harvest

and your grain harvest has ceased.

10

Joy and gladness are taken away

from the fruitful field;

and in the vineyards no songs are sung,

no shouts are raised;

no treader treads out wine in the presses;

the vintage-shout is hushed.

11

Therefore my heart throbs like a harp for Moab,

and my very soul for Kir-heres.

¹² When Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.

¹³ This was the word that the Lord spoke concerning Moab in the past. ¹⁴But now the Lord says, In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all its great multitude; and those who survive will be very few and feeble.

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

    摩押本來有機會獲得拯救，後來卻失去這樣基會的緣故是甚麼呢？就是先知所說：「我們聽說摩押人驕傲，是極其驕傲；聽說他狂妄、驕傲、忿怒；他誇大的話是虛空的。」

    他們為甚麼驕傲呢？因為先知向摩押人宣告：「至於摩押，求你作他的隱密處，脫離滅命者的面。勒索人的歸於無有，毀滅的事止息了，欺壓人的從國中除滅了，必有寶座因慈愛堅立；必有一位誠誠實實坐在其上，在大衛帳幕中施行審判，尋求公平，速行公義。」

    先知這樣說是要摩押人悔改歸向上帝，並尊重上帝所設立的猶大王朝。但是，他們沒有！之所以沒有，就是他們仍然以自我為中心，不願意尊耶和華為大。其實，在教會中作威作福的人，就是一些高傲的人，他們表面上是基督徒，內心仍然是以自我作中心。

    同樣，人不願意透過耶穌基督與上帝和好，企圖以自己的善行，來做得救的根據，就容易有老資格的自傲，來作威作福！這是與上帝的旨意相違背的，是與上帝為敵，若不悔改，終有一天會敗亡的！

以賽亞書15章

      以賽亞書15:1-9 ,