讀經: 賽十六1~14
SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 16:1-14
釋義: 本章繼續講論摩押, 仍然提到許多地名, 但是風格明顯不同。 上章先知是宣講耶和華啟示的旁觀者, 用第三身稱呼摩押;
這裡先知 卻與多人討論。先知以「我」自稱, 而講話對象分別有「你們、我們 、他(們)、你、他」等。
INSIGHT: This chapter continues to speak on Moab, still
mentioning a lot of names of places, but of clearly different style. In the
previous chapter, the prophet spoke of the Lord’s revelation as a bystander,
referring to Moab in the third person. Here the prophet discusses with multiple
parties, calling himself ‘I’, and the others ‘you’ (plural), ‘we’, ‘they’,
‘you’ (singular), ‘he’, and etc.
這些不同的代名詞多數是指摩押「你們」(1)根據7節的界定,應 該是摩押。「他」(6; 而4,12近代中文譯本都按照原文是「他們」)
也是摩押。但「你」卻指不同人物 : 9節的「你」仍然是摩押; 3
節的 「你」是摩押人將來仰望哀求的對象; 一位誠誠實實坐在寶座上， 在大衛帳幕中施行審判，尋求公平，速行公義(5)的救主。
Most of these pronouns refer to Moab. The ‘you’
in verse 1 ought to be Moab according to the specification in verse 7. ‘He’ (6; ‘them’ in 4, 12 of recent Chinese
versions based on the original) refers to Moab. But ‘you’ refers to a different
party; the ‘you’ in verse 9 still refers to Moab, whereas in verse 3, it is the
subject that the Moabites are going to look to and plead with, the savior who
“sits in faithfulness in the tent of David, one who judges and seeks justice,
one is swift to do righteousness.” (5)
神是公義和忌邪的審判者, 對驕傲、狂妄、忿怒的摩押毫不手軟。 本章以以賽亞書常用的葡萄園和葡萄樹來比喻摩押。正如神對變壞了
的葡萄園以色列不留情地拆毀(五章), 同樣會蹂躪這個葡萄園摩押(7-8),
以致先知伴陪摩押人同聲哀號(7,9,11節共七次類同的動詞),
甚至「要以眼淚澆灌你…心腹為摩押哀鳴如琴」(9,11)。
God is a righteous and jealous judge; he is
unrelenting in dealing with the proud, arrogant, and angry Moab. This chapter
uses vineyard and vine that are utilized often in the Book of Isaiah as a
metaphor for Moabites. Just as God will mercilessly break down the vineyard
that has gone bad, Israel; he will also ravage this vineyard, Moab (7-8), such that the prophet will wail with the
Moabites (7 times of similar verbs in verse 7, 9, 11), and will even “drench
you with my tears… my inner parts mourn like a lyre” (9, 11).
感謝神, 祂不永遠懷怒。責罰之餘仍賜盼望: 神不趕盡殺絕, 為 受罰的留下「餘剩的人」。這是以賽亞書的一個主題。耶和華責罰選 民時,
存留餘民(一9十一11,16),
即使數目稀少;祂對外邦也一視同人。 神預言亞述「他林中剩下的樹必稀少，就是孩子也能寫其數」(10:19);
同樣在摩押的默示中，「餘剩的人，甚少無幾。」(14)這裡指出一件 事實:就是在神的管理之下，即使祂施行審判時，方式上也會有所 差異, 但祂要保留足夠的人組成一個核心，他們將來必得到最後的復興。
Thanks to God, for he does not keep his anger
forever. He punishes yet still gives
hope: God does not annihilate; he would
leave “those who remain” for the punished. This is the one theme of the Book of
Isaiah. When the Lord punishes his people, he would leave a remnant (1:9,
11:11, 16), even though very few; and he treats the gentiles equally. God prophesizes
regarding Assyria, “The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that
a child can write them down.” (10:19) In the same way, the oracle
concerning Moab says, “those who remain will be
very few and feeble.” (14) One thing is clear here: Under God’s rule,
regardless of the form of judgment, he is to keep enough people to form a core,
and they will get the final revival.
神會存留餘剩的人是信徒在苦難、責罰中的希望。
God saving those who remain is the hope for
believers in the midst of tribulation and punishment.
人們在世上所幹的一切事情都依賴於希望。如果一個農民對穀物生長、
結實不抱希望, 他就不會種下一粒種籽; 如果一個單身漢沒有希望婚 後能得到孩子, 他也不會娶妻結婚; 如果商人不希望獲利, 他們也不 去工作了。 馬丁路德,《桌邊談話》
“Everything that is done in the world is done by
hope. No husbandman would sow one grain of corn, if he hoped not it would grow
up and become seed; no bachelor would marry a wife, if he hoped not to have
children; no merchant or tradesman would set himself to work, if he did not
hope to reap benefit thereby.” – Martin Luther, Table Talk
若不是萬軍之耶和華給我們稍留餘種，我們早已像所多瑪、蛾摩拉的
樣子了。(一9) 所以讓我們懷著希望面對挑戰!
“If the LORD of hosts had not left
us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 1:9). Therefore, let us face challenges with hope!
每日讀經 by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung
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