以賽亞書50:1-11

50:1 耶和華如此說：我休你們的母親，休書在哪裡呢？我將你們賣給我哪一個債主呢？你們被賣，是因你們的罪孽；你們的母親被休，是因你們的過犯。
50:2 我來的時候，為何無人等候呢？我呼喚的時候，為何無人答應呢？我的膀臂豈是縮短、不能救贖嗎？我豈無拯救之力嗎？看哪，我一斥責，海就乾了；我使江河變為曠野；其中的魚因無水腥臭，乾渴而死。
50:3 我使諸天以黑暗為衣服，以麻布為遮蓋。
50:4 主耶和華賜我受教者的舌頭，使我知道怎樣用言語扶助疲乏的人。主每早晨提醒，提醒我的耳朵，使我能聽，像受教者一樣。
50:5 主耶和華開通我的耳朵；我並沒有違背，也沒有退後。
50:6 人打我的背，我任他打；人拔我腮頰的鬍鬚，我由他拔；人辱我，吐我，我並不掩面。
50:7 主耶和華必幫助我，所以我不抱愧。我硬著臉面好像堅石；我也知道我必不致蒙羞。
50:8 稱我為義的與我相近；誰與我爭論，可以與我一同站立；誰與我作對，可以就近我來。
50:9 主耶和華要幫助我；誰能定我有罪呢？他們都像衣服漸漸舊了，為蛀蟲所咬。
50:10 你們中間誰是敬畏耶和華、聽從他僕人之話的？這人行在暗中，沒有亮光。當倚靠耶和華的名，仗賴自己的上帝。
50:11 凡你們點火，用火把圍繞自己的可以行在你們的火焰裡，並你們所點的火把中。這是我手所定的：你們必躺在悲慘之中。

Thus says the Lord:

Where is your mother’s bill of divorce

with which I put her away?

Or which of my creditors is it

to whom I have sold you?

No, because of your sins you were sold,

and for your transgressions your mother was put away.

2

Why was no one there when I came?

Why did no one answer when I called?

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

By my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink for lack of water,

and die of thirst.

3

I clothe the heavens with blackness,

and make sackcloth their covering.

4

The Lord God has given me

the tongue of a teacher,

that I may know how to sustain

the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens—

wakens my ear

to listen as those who are taught.

5

The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious,

I did not turn backward.

6

I gave my back to those who struck me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;

I did not hide my face

from insult and spitting.

7

The Lord God helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame;

8

he who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?

Let us stand up together.

Who are my adversaries?

Let them confront me.

9

It is the Lord God who helps me;

who will declare me guilty?

All of them will wear out like a garment;

the moth will eat them up.

10

Who among you fears the Lord

and obeys the voice of his servant,

who walks in darkness

and has no light,

yet trusts in the name of the Lord

and relies upon his God?

11

But all of you are kindlers of fire,

lighters of firebrands.

Walk in the flame of your fire,

and among the brands that you have kindled!

This is what you shall have from my hand:

you shall lie down in torment.

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

    在人的生命中常常受到責備的影響，不管是別人的責備或是自責。然而這些責備常常是不公正，也不完全。因人對自己和別人的認識有限，也常常誤解。然而唯一有資格責備人的只有上帝，因為祂是全知全能的！所以，先知會說：「主耶和華必幫助我，所以我不抱愧。」「主耶和華要幫助我；誰能定我有罪呢？」

    也因為如此，人可以倚靠上帝勝過別人的責備和自我的責備，可以靠著主耶穌的恩典接納自己並在人面前勇敢站立，展現真正的自信。這是，從認清自己按照上帝的形象和樣式受造而開始的，並且相信耶穌的救贖的大功，沒有誰能定我們的罪。

    所以，基督徒雖然在傳福音時指明人有罪的事實，但這不是說上帝賦予我們定別人和自己的罪之權柄。而是要使人清楚需要倚靠上帝在基督裡的豐盛救恩，靠主耶穌的恩典勝過罪惡，不是靠責備勝過罪惡，所以馬丁路德宣告：「勇敢的犯罪吧！」

以賽亞書49:14-26

49:14 錫安說：耶和華離棄了我；主忘記了我。
49:15 婦人焉能忘記她吃奶的嬰孩，不憐恤她所生的兒子？即或有忘記的，我卻不忘記你。
49:16 看哪，我將你銘刻在我掌上；你的牆垣常在我眼前。
49:17 你的兒女必急速歸回；毀壞你的，使你荒廢的，必都離你出去，
49:18 你舉目向四方觀看；他們都聚集來到你這裡。耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓：你必要以他們為妝飾佩戴，以他們為華帶束腰，像新婦一樣。
49:19 至於你荒廢淒涼之處，並你被毀壞之地，現今眾民居住必顯為太窄；吞滅你的必離你遙遠。
49:20 你必聽見喪子之後所生的兒女說：這地方我居住太窄，求你給我地方居住。
49:21 那時你心裡必說：我既喪子獨居，是被擄的，漂流在外。誰給我生這些？誰將這些養大呢？撇下我一人獨居的時候，這些在哪裡呢？
49:22 主耶和華如此說：我必向列國舉手，向萬民豎立大旗；他們必將你的眾子懷中抱來，將你的眾女肩上扛來。
49:23 列王必作你的養父；王后必作你的乳母。他們必將臉伏地，向你下拜，並舔你腳上的塵土。你便知道我是耶和華；等候我的必不致羞愧。
49:24 勇士搶去的豈能奪回？該擄掠的豈能解救嗎？
49:25 但耶和華如此說：就是勇士所擄掠的，也可以奪回；強暴人所搶的，也可以解救。與你相爭的，我必與他相爭；我要拯救你的兒女。
49:26 並且我必使那欺壓你的吃自己的肉，也要以自己的血喝醉，好像喝甜酒一樣。凡有血氣的必都知道我─耶和華是你的救主，是你的救贖主，是雅各的大能者。

14

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,

my Lord has forgotten me.”

15

Can a woman forget her nursing child,

or show no compassion for the child of her womb?

Even these may forget,

yet I will not forget you.

16

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are continually before me.

17

Your builders outdo your destroyers,

and those who laid you waste go away from you.

18

Lift up your eyes all around and see;

they all gather, they come to you.

As I live, says the Lord,

you shall put all of them on like an ornament,

and like a bride you shall bind them on.

19

Surely your waste and your desolate places

and your devastated land—

surely now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,

and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20

The children born in the time of your bereavement

will yet say in your hearing:

“The place is too crowded for me;

make room for me to settle.”

21

Then you will say in your heart,

“Who has borne me these?

I was bereaved and barren,

exiled and put away—

so who has reared these?

I was left all alone—

where then have these come from?”

22

Thus says the Lord God:

I will soon lift up my hand to the nations,

and raise my signal to the peoples;

and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,

and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

23

Kings shall be your foster fathers,

and their queens your nursing mothers.

With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,

and lick the dust of your feet.

Then you will know that I am the Lord;

those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.

24

Can the prey be taken from the mighty,

or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?

25

But thus says the Lord:

Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,

and the prey of the tyrant be rescued;

for I will contend with those who contend with you,

and I will save your children.

26

I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,

and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.

Then all flesh shall know

that I am the Lord your Savior,

and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

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

    在這樣沒有收入的日子，常常會感覺自己是不是被上帝所遺棄了？一直街那麼多的委託物件，忙著駐點，發DM，甚至帶看，但是離成交的路途似乎還很遙遠，就會感是到先知所說的：「錫安說：耶和華離棄了我；主忘記了我。」

    然而上帝給先知的答案是：「婦人焉能忘記她吃奶的嬰孩，不憐恤她所生的兒子？即或有忘記的，我卻不忘記你。看哪，我將你銘刻在我掌上；你的牆垣常在我眼前。」

    在耶穌基督未來到以前，上帝用被擄歸回來激勵猶大百姓，讓他們知道上帝沒有忘記他們。今日上帝用耶穌的復活與再來激勵我們，表示祂不會忘記我們的，即使我們眼前是多麼艱難與缺乏，上帝沒有忘記，上帝仍然記得我們，保守我們到底！

    雖然這段時間沒有牧會，做房仲沒有成交，完全沒有收入，但是上帝並沒有離棄我，仍然讓我有吃有喝有住有穿，就當感謝！但是，心中卻深深的盼望有轉機，讓我可以繼續服事上帝，牧養祂的羊群，求主保守與引導！

 

以賽亞書49:8-13

49:8 耶和華如此說：在悅納的時候，我應允了你；在拯救的日子，我濟助了你。我要保護你，使你作眾民的中保（中保：原文是約）；復興遍地，使人承受荒涼之地為業。
49:9 對那被捆綁的人說：出來吧！對那在黑暗的人說：顯露吧！他們在路上必得飲食，在一切淨光的高處必有食物。
49:10 不飢不渴，炎熱和烈日必不傷害他們；因為憐恤他們的必引導他們，領他們到水泉旁邊。
49:11 我必使我的眾山成為大道；我的大路也被修高。
49:12 看哪，這些從遠方來；這些從北方、從西方來；這些從秦（原文是希尼）國來。
49:13 諸天哪，應當歡呼！大地啊，應當快樂！眾山哪，應當發聲歌唱！因為耶和華已經安慰他的百姓，也要憐恤他困苦之民。

8

Thus says the Lord:

In a time of favor I have answered you,

on a day of salvation I have helped you;

I have kept you and given you

as a covenant to the people,

to establish the land,

to apportion the desolate heritages;

9

saying to the prisoners, “Come out,”

to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”

They shall feed along the ways,

on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;

10

they shall not hunger or thirst,

neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,

for he who has pity on them will lead them,

and by springs of water will guide them.

11

And I will turn all my mountains into a road,

and my highways shall be raised up.

12

Lo, these shall come from far away,

and lo, these from the north and from the west,

and these from the land of Syene.

13

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted his people,

and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

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

    保羅引用了「在悅納的時候，我應允了你；在拯救的日子，我濟助了你」，來宣告：「看哪，現在正是悅納的時候！現在正是拯救的日子！」

    是的，上帝無時無刻不是要悅納我們與拯救我們！也因此，我們要隨時隨刻來讚美上帝，因為祂的悅納和拯救，我們的生命變的有價值和有意義。雖然人為了自己的財富和權力，來掠奪和欺壓，但是上帝要從其中將我們拯救出來！

    人不僅有個人性的罪惡，更是有結構性的罪惡。因為，我們都是罪人，集合起來還是一樣的罪惡，一樣的悖逆上帝，就像巴別塔的建立，是要聯合眾人來高舉人名，要達到人類道德的最高標準。然而這樣的行為中，每個人都很「道德」，卻產生不道德的結果，就悖逆上帝！

    我們以「服務人群」的高超理想是很好，可是若將「服務人群」當成目的，而不是以事奉上帝為目的，這樣的行為終究會被上帝所厭棄，正如蓋巴別塔所造成的結果！

    也因此，我們就是要來讚美主，歸榮耀給上帝！