禍哉! 我滅亡了 WOE TO ME! 《以賽亞書 Isaiah 6:1-13》

讀經:  《以賽亞書》六章1-13節 

SCRIPTURE READING:   Isaiah : 6: 1 – 13

釋義:  牧師在講壇上承認: 「我是一個污穢、卑鄙、下賤、詭詐的小人, 是門徒中的猶大。」你還可以坦誠地接受他擔任聖職嗎？

INSIGHT:   Your pastor confessed at the pulpit,  ‘I am a filthy, despicable, contemptible and deceitful low life, a Judas among the disciples.’  Can you still honestly accept him in a position that carries out God’s work?

你期望傳道人是怎樣品格的人? 即或不是十全十美的聖人, 至少也是德高望重, 道貌岸然的好人吧。這個理想並不過分, 問題是按什麼標準評判好壞? 如果按鑒察人心之神的標準, 到底人格還可以多高尚? 所以保羅說: 在罪人中我是個罪魁(提前一15), 同樣以賽亞先知雖然已經傳達了五章神的啟示, 仍然自卑地說: 禍哉! 我滅亡了!

What character do you expect from a preacher?   Maybe not a perfect saint, but at the least a respectable and decent person as far as one can see.  This ideology is not too demanding.  The question is what standard should be used to evaluate good or bad.  If the standard of God who examines men’s heart is used, how highly regarded can any man’s character be?  Therefore, Paul said, ‘…sinners – of whom I am the worst’ (1 Timothy 1:15).  In the same way, although Isaiah realized that he had already prophesized five chapters of God’s revelation, he still said shamefully,  ‘Woe to me! I am ruined!’

●自卑的原因:

REASONS FOR FEELING UNWORTHY:

1.  認識環境的不可靠。第一節說明先知是當烏西雅王崩的那年時感到自卑。烏西雅是猶大國的一位賢能君王, 推行宗教改革, 敬愛神(代下廿六), 在他英明的領導下, 以賽亞得以暢順地傳講神的信息, 現在烏西雅去世, 先知頓失支援, 感到徬徨。然而屬靈經歷告訴我們, 困難逆境比較順利安妥更能使人謙卑, 專心仰望神。

1. RECOGNIZE THE UNDEPENDABLE NATURE OF CIRCUMSTANCE -- Verse 1 says that the prophet felt unworthy the year King Uzziah died.  Uzziah was a virtuous and capable king who implemented religious reform, and loved and revered God (2 Chronicles 26).  Under his brilliant reign, Isaiah got to pass God’s message freely and smoothly.  With Uzziah’s death, the prophet suddenly lost support and felt anxious.  Yet spiritual experience tells us that, difficult times, much more so than prosperity, make us humble and look up to God with all our hearts.

2. 見異像。聖經沒有清楚描述撒拉弗, 但是名字應該與火有關, 加上震撼門檻的聲音和充滿聖殿的煙雲榮光, 不難想像到在這樣威嚴的異像中, 必定令人畏懼, 感到渺小卑微。

2. SAW A VISION -- The Bible did not vividly describe seraphs. But the name has something to do with fire.  Also, with the sound of the shaking doorposts and thresholds, and the smoke and light that filled the temple, it is not hard to imagine that in this majestic vision, one would definitely fear and feel minute and low.

3.  反省。 上面所提的都是外在的環境因素, 而自卑是個人的心態, 所以內心的反省才是自卑的最重要

因素。在反省中, 面對環境的嚴峻驅使人認真檢察自己的實況, 就好像以賽亞那樣, 作為先知多時, 傳講了不少叫別人正視罪性的信息,絲毫沒有提說自己有軟弱, 及至面對政治環境和屬靈氣氛的壓力, 才懂得自我反省,發現原來我是嘴唇不潔的人,又住在嘴唇不潔的民中。

3. SELF-REFLECT  --  Those mentioned above are external circumstantial factors.  However, feeling unworthy is the mentality of a person.  Therefore, self-reflection is the most important factor in feeling unworthy.  In self-reflection, facing the severity of a situation makes us examine our status seriously.  Isaiah was in a similar situation.  As a prophet for a long time, he spoke many times asking people to confront their sin, never mentioned that he had weaknesses.  Not until he faced pressure from political environment and spiritual atmosphere did he recognize the need to self-reflect, and realize that he was a man of unclean lips, and lived among a people of unclean lips.

●自卑的出路 –

WAYS TO RESOLVE THE FEELING OF UNWORTHINESS

1.神的潔淨。神使用撒拉弗以祭壇紅炭沾咀, 象徵潔淨先知咀唇的不潔, 因為神的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全, 所以保羅說: 的什麼時候軟弱, 什麼時候就剛強了(林後十二9-10).

1. GOD’S PURIFICATION -- God used seraphs to touch the prophet’s mouth with live coal from the altar.  It signifies the cleansing of the prophet’s unclean lips. ‘… for my power is made perfect in weakness’ Therefore Paul said ‘For when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

2.回應神的差遣。以賽亞在聽見神的呼召, 願意受神差遣, 一方面顯示神沒有嫌棄有愧的人, 同時說明積極事奉是克服自卑的良方。

2.  RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL --  Isaiah heard God’s call and he was willing to be sent.  First, it shows that God doesn’t despise and reject people who are ashamed of themselves.  It also shows that serving faithfully is a good way to overcome one’s feeling of unworthiness.

立志:  主, 我雖然卑微, 卻不喪志, 求你差遣我。

RESOLUTION:   Dear Lord, although I am not worthy, I will not give up.  Please send me.

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung