以賽亞書43:8-13

43:8 你要將有眼而瞎、有耳而聾的民都帶出來！
43:9 任憑萬國聚集；任憑眾民會合。其中誰能將此聲明，並將先前的事說給我們聽呢？他們可以帶出見證來，自顯為是；或者他們聽見便說：這是真的。
43:10 耶和華說：你們是我的見證，我所揀選的僕人。既是這樣，便可以知道，且信服我，又明白我就是耶和華。在我以前沒有真神（真：原文是造作的）；在我以後也必沒有。
43:11 惟有我是耶和華；除我以外沒有救主。
43:12 我曾指示，我曾拯救，我曾說明，並且在你們中間沒有別神。所以耶和華說：你們是我的見證。我也是上帝；
43:13 自從有日子以來，我就是上帝；誰也不能救人脫離我手。我要行事誰能阻止呢？

8

Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,

who are deaf, yet have ears!

9

Let all the nations gather together,

and let the peoples assemble.

Who among them declared this,

and foretold to us the former things?

Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,

and let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10

You are my witnesses, says the Lord,

and my servant whom I have chosen,

so that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

Before me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after me.

11

I, I am the Lord,

and besides me there is no savior.

12

I declared and saved and proclaimed,

when there was no strange god among you;

and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.

13

I am God, and also henceforth I am He;

there is no one who can deliver from my hand;

I work and who can hinder it?

**********

    人常常高舉自己、或是自己所欽佩的人、或是自己所拜的神明，但是從來沒有人想到創造和拯救的上帝，這一位獨一的真神。當感謝、讚美與敬拜的，唯有這位上帝！

    許多自稱是基督徒的，更是推崇有名的牧師，在社會上有地位的弟兄姐妹，把他們的話當成金科玉律，把他們的傳記當成生命的範本。不但如此的，更是將聖經的人物當成信心英雄，效法他們的嘉言懿行！雖然沒有向天主教信徒將聖人當成守護神一般，可是在心目中把這些信心英雄當成完全人了！

    然而上帝卻在這裡透過先知宣告：「惟有我是耶和華；除我以外沒有救主。我曾指示，我曾拯救，我曾說明，並且在你們中間沒有別神。所以耶和華說：你們是我的見證。我也是上帝；自從有日子以來，我就是上帝；誰也不能救人脫離我手。我要行事誰能阻止呢？」

    求主保守我們，讓我們只做耶穌基督的見證人，不再推崇自己、或是自己所欽佩的人、聖徒、信心英雄或是別的神明，因為一切的榮耀與作為都來自創造和拯救的上帝，唯有祂當得讚美與榮耀！

以賽亞書43:1-7

43:1 雅各啊，創造你的耶和華，以色列啊，造成你的那位，現在如此說：你不要害怕！因為我救贖了你。我曾提你的名召你，你是屬我的。
43:2 你從水中經過，我必與你同在；你蹚過江河，水必不漫過你；你從火中行過，必不被燒，火焰也不著在你身上。
43:3 因為我是耶和華─你的上帝，是以色列的聖者─你的救主；我已經使埃及作你的贖價，使古實和西巴代替你。
43:4 因我看你為寶為尊；又因我愛你，所以我使人代替你，使列邦人替換你的生命。
43:5 不要害怕，因我與你同在；我必領你的後裔從東方來，又從西方招聚你。
43:6 我要對北方說，交出來！對南方說，不要拘留！將我的眾子從遠方帶來，將我的眾女從地極領回，
43:7 就是凡稱為我名下的人，是我為自己的榮耀創造的，是我所做成，所造作的。

But now thus says the Lord,

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

3

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I give Egypt as your ransom,

Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

4

Because you are precious in my sight,

and honored, and I love you,

I give people in return for you,

nations in exchange for your life.

5

Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

and from the west I will gather you;

6

I will say to the north, “Give them up,”

and to the south, “Do not withhold;

bring my sons from far away

and my daughters from the end of the earth—

7

everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.”

**********

    上帝是我們的創造主，也因此也是我們的救贖主！創造與救贖是上帝工作的一體兩面，有創造就有救贖，救贖又是再創造，兩者是不斷的循環，於是使我們的生命，在上帝的手中不斷地走向完全的地步！

    然而上帝的創造普遍性的，救贖卻是有對向性的。正如先知在此宣告，「因為我是耶和華─你的上帝，是以色列的聖者─你的救主；我已經使埃及作你的贖價，使古實和西巴代替你。因我看你為寶為尊；又因我愛你，所以我使人代替你，使列邦人替換你的生命。」

    上帝救贖的作為是「不要害怕，因我與你同在；我必領你的後裔從東方來，又從西方招聚你。我要對北方說，交出來！對南方說，不要拘留！將我的眾子從遠方帶來，將我的眾女從地極領回，就是凡稱為我名下的人，是我為自己的榮耀創造的，是我所做成，所造作的。」

    所以，我們要悔改歸入主的名下，使我們成為屬乎主的人是非常重要的！我們要順從聖靈的呼召，接受耶穌基督為救主，信靠祂成為上帝的兒女，是我們一生最要的事！

 

以賽亞書42:21-25

42:21 耶和華因自己公義的緣故，喜歡使律法（或譯：訓誨）為大，為尊。
42:22 但這百姓是被搶被奪的，都牢籠在坑中，隱藏在獄裡；他們作掠物，無人拯救，作擄物，無人說交還。
42:23 你們中間誰肯側耳聽此，誰肯留心而聽，以防將來呢？
42:24 誰將雅各交出當作擄物，將以色列交給搶奪的呢？豈不是耶和華嗎？就是我們所得罪的那位。他們不肯遵行他的道，也不聽從他的訓誨。
42:25 所以，他將猛烈的怒氣和爭戰的勇力傾倒在以色列的身上。在他四圍如火著起，他還不知道，燒著他，他也不介意。

21

The Lord was pleased, for the sake of his righteousness,

to magnify his teaching and make it glorious.

22

But this is a people robbed and plundered,

all of them are trapped in holes

and hidden in prisons;

they have become a prey with no one to rescue,

a spoil with no one to say, “Restore!”

23

Who among you will give heed to this,

who will attend and listen for the time to come?

24

Who gave up Jacob to the spoiler,

and Israel to the robbers?

Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,

in whose ways they would not walk,

and whose law they would not obey?

25

So he poured upon him the heat of his anger

and the fury of war;

it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;

it burned him, but he did not take it to heart.

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

    舊約時代的律法和保羅時代的律法，又有所不同的。所以，不要看到「律法」，就想到「律法主義」。在舊約時代的律法是以色列人出埃及之後，要讓世上的萬民認出以色列是上帝的子民的一種記號！

    也因為如此，基督徒不是反對上帝透過摩西所頒布的律法，反而要遵行，成為生活的準則。這也是為甚麼馬丁路德與加爾文等改教家，在他們的著作中強調「十誡」的教導，要信徒好好讀舊約，甚至恢復到希伯來文的聖經，而不是希臘文的七十士譯本，或拉丁文的聖經。就是要我們回到舊約的原汁原味，恢復到源頭！

    舊約中讓我們看見以色列和猶大得滅國，的原因就是不遵行上帝的律法！同樣，今日的教會若輕忽上帝的律法，也是自取敗亡！所以，我們要回到聖經，回到上帝的律法，活出上帝子民的榮美！

以賽亞書42:10-20

42:10 航海的和海中所有的，海島和其上的居民，都當向耶和華唱新歌，從地極讚美他。
42:11 曠野和其中的城邑，並基達人居住的村莊都當揚聲；西拉的居民當歡呼，在山頂上吶喊。
42:12 他們當將榮耀歸給耶和華，在海島中傳揚他的頌讚。
42:13 耶和華必像勇士出去，必像戰士激動熱心，要喊叫，大聲吶喊，要用大力攻擊仇敵。
42:14 我許久閉口不言，靜默不語；現在我要喊叫，像產難的婦人；我要急氣而喘哮。
42:15 我要使大山小岡變為荒場，使其上的花草都枯乾；我要使江河變為洲島，使水池都乾涸。
42:16 我要引瞎子行不認識的道，領他們走不知道的路；在他們面前使黑暗變為光明，使彎曲變為平直。這些事我都要行，並不離棄他們。
42:17 倚靠雕刻的偶像，對鑄造的偶像說：你是我們的神；這等人要退後，全然蒙羞。
42:18 你們這耳聾的，聽吧！你們這眼瞎的，看吧！使你們能看見。
42:19 誰比我的僕人眼瞎呢？誰比我差遣的使者耳聾呢？誰瞎眼像那與我和好的？誰瞎眼像耶和華的僕人呢？
42:20 你看見許多事卻不領會，耳朵開通卻不聽見。

10

Sing to the Lord a new song,

his praise from the end of the earth!

Let the sea roar and all that fills it,

the coastlands and their inhabitants.

11

Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,

the villages that Kedar inhabits;

let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy,

let them shout from the tops of the mountains.

12

Let them give glory to the Lord,

and declare his praise in the coastlands.

13

The Lord goes forth like a soldier,

like a warrior he stirs up his fury;

he cries out, he shouts aloud,

he shows himself mighty against his foes.

14

For a long time I have held my peace,

I have kept still and restrained myself;

now I will cry out like a woman in labor,

I will gasp and pant.

15

I will lay waste mountains and hills,

and dry up all their herbage;

I will turn the rivers into islands,

and dry up the pools.

16

I will lead the blind

by a road they do not know,

by paths they have not known

I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I will do,

and I will not forsake them.

17

They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame—

those who trust in carved images,

who say to cast images,

“You are our gods.”

18

Listen, you that are deaf;

and you that are blind, look up and see!

19

Who is blind but my servant,

or deaf like my messenger whom I send?

Who is blind like my dedicated one,

or blind like the servant of the Lord?

20

He sees many things, but does not observe them;

his ears are open, but he does not hear.

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

    若沒有上帝透過聖靈來光照我們，我們對上帝就如同眼瞎和耳聾的人，是「看見許多事卻不領會，耳朵開通卻不聽見」！

    我們在上帝面前要承認自己的無知，因為我們是受造之物，我們的智慧怎能超過那造我們的主呢？我們只能承受祂的引導，不能用自己的學術訓練來研究祂，更不能用我們的經歷來定義上帝，因為這些免不了都會發生「瞎子摸象」的情形。

    也因為如此，我們更不能用我們的經歷來論斷人，批評誰愛不愛主？有沒有屬靈的生命？這些都會帶來紛亂，造成弟兄姐妹彼此的分裂，都是不智慧的舉動！真正屬靈的人，反倒是承認自己是眼瞎與耳聾，需要聖靈來啟示與引導，需要上帝的話來指引我們的道路，因為唯有耶穌基督是道路、真理和生命，唯有藉著耶穌基督才可以道上帝那裏去！