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！

以賽亞書42:1-9

42:1 看哪，我的僕人─我所扶持所揀選、心裡所喜悅的！我已將我的靈賜給他；他必將公理傳給外邦。
42:2 他不喧嚷，不揚聲，也不使街上聽見他的聲音。
42:3 壓傷的蘆葦，他不折斷；將殘的燈火，他不吹滅。他憑真實將公理傳開。
42:4 他不灰心，也不喪膽，直到他在地上設立公理；海島都等候他的訓誨。
42:5 創造諸天，鋪張穹蒼，將地和地所出的一併鋪開，賜氣息給地上的眾人，又賜靈性給行在其上之人的上帝耶和華，他如此說：
42:6 我─耶和華憑公義召你，必攙扶你的手，保守你，使你作眾民的中保（中保：原文是約），作外邦人的光，
42:7 開瞎子的眼，領被囚的出牢獄，領坐黑暗的出監牢。
42:8 我是耶和華，這是我的名；我必不將我的榮耀歸給假神，也不將我的稱讚歸給雕刻的偶像。
42:9 看哪，先前的事已經成就，現在我將新事說明，這事未發以先，我就說給你們聽。

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2

He will not cry or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

3

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4

He will not grow faint or be crushed

until he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

5

Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

6

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

7

to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

8

I am the Lord, that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to idols.

9

See, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

I tell you of them.

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

    上帝透過先知所說的話，讓我們認識到耶穌基督的作為，雖然在那個時候耶穌基督尚未降生，但是上帝透過先知已經明明的說：「看哪，先前的事已經成就，現在我將新事說明，這事未發以先，我就說給你們聽。」

    然而這樣的事對我們而言已經發生了，耶穌基督早已降生，也透過福音書的記載讓我們感受到：耶穌基督本是與上帝同等，也就是上帝，為了成為上帝和人之間的中保，竟然取了人身，與人生活在一起，甚至未救贖人上了十字架而死，並且藉由死敗壞死亡和魔鬼，於是就從死裡中復活，顯明了祂真是上帝的兒子，只要信靠祂就可以一同享受祂的的得勝，正如先知在這裡所宣告的！

    我們要為我們能成為基督徒來感謝上帝，因為上帝在聖靈裡，讓我們認識與感受到成肉身的奧秘，使我們的生命充滿盼望。基督的得勝，也就是我們的得勝，我們乃是與基督聯合的！

以賽亞書41:21-29

41:21 耶和華對假神說：你們要呈上你們的案件；雅各的君說：你們要聲明你們確實的理由。
41:22 可以聲明，指示我們將來必遇的事，說明先前的是甚麼事，好叫我們思索，得知事的結局，或者把將來的事指示我們。
41:23 要說明後來的事，好叫我們知道你們是上帝。你們或降福，或降禍，使我們驚奇，一同觀看。
41:24 看哪，你們屬乎虛無；你們的作為也屬乎虛空。那選擇你們的是可憎惡的。
41:25 我從北方興起一人；他是求告我名的，從日出之地而來。他必臨到掌權的，好像臨到灰泥，彷彿窯匠踹泥一樣。
41:26 誰從起初指明這事，使我們知道呢？誰從先前說明，使我們說他不錯呢？誰也沒有指明；誰也沒有說明；誰也沒有聽見你們的話。
41:27 我首先對錫安說：看哪，我要將一位報好信息的賜給耶路撒冷。
41:28 我看的時候並沒有人；我問的時候，他們中間也沒有謀士可以回答一句。
41:29 看哪，他們和他們的工作都是虛空，且是虛無。他們所鑄的偶像都是風，都是虛的。

21

Set forth your case, says the Lord;

bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.

22

Let them bring them, and tell us

what is to happen.

Tell us the former things, what they are,

so that we may consider them,

and that we may know their outcome;

or declare to us the things to come.

23

Tell us what is to come hereafter,

that we may know that you are gods;

do good, or do harm,

that we may be afraid and terrified.

24

You, indeed, are nothing

and your work is nothing at all;

whoever chooses you is an abomination.

25

I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,

from the rising of the sun he was summoned by name.

He shall trample on rulers as on mortar,

as the potter treads clay.

26

Who declared it from the beginning, so that we might know,

and beforehand, so that we might say, “He is right”?

There was no one who declared it, none who proclaimed,

none who heard your words.

27

I first have declared it to Zion,

and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.

28

But when I look there is no one;

among these there is no counselor

who, when I ask, gives an answer.

29

No, they are all a delusion;

their works are nothing;

their images are empty wind..

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

    在人的感覺神明是有靈有驗，會達成人心中的願望，尤其是做生意求財的人，更是拜神明拜得很虔誠。甚至有的人除了拜偶像之外，還有人花大錢供養法師、活佛，辦各樣的儀式，以為這樣會有豐厚得收入，累積許多的財富！

    但是先知在這裡宣告，這一切的作為是無意義的，因為偶像是虛無的，是無法幫助人甚麼，更何況這些都是人造的，怎能賜福給造它的人呢？說穿了不過是心理安慰罷了！

    所以，不要執迷於上帝之外的人事物，這些都不能真正提供我們真正的平安與滿足的！