亞利伊勒 ARIEL (Isaiah 以賽亞書 29:1 - 24) - 每日讀經 by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

 亞利伊勒  ARIEL

讀經 :   以賽亞書 廿九1~24

SCRIPTURE READING:   Isaiah 29:1 - 24

釋義 : 「亞利伊勒」是本章獨有名詞, 意思是「祭壇供臺」。第二節說它是「大衛安營的城」而八節指這是預言錫安的遭遇, 所以亞利伊勒是耶路撒冷的一個代號。這城被稱為設立神真實祭壇之處。但是它卻冷淡疏忽，年上加年，讓節期照常周流。因此耶和華要審判這城，好使它成為真正的亞利伊勒，也就是神真正的祭壇。

INSIGHT:  “Ariel” is a unique noun in this chapter, meaning “altar hearth”. It is said to be “the city where David encamped” in verse 2 and the prophecy of the fate of Zion in verse 8; therefore, Ariel is a synonym for Jerusalem. This city is called the place of the true altar of God; yet she is indifferent, adding year to year by the rotation of her feasts.   Because of that, the Lord will move in judgment, in order that she will indeed become Ariel, the true altar of God.

  

 亞利伊勒的豫言分為兩個部分：第一部分豫告耶路撒冷災難性的被圍攻(1-4)；第二部分描繪耶路撒冷命運的突然扭轉，圍城軍隊的戰敗(5-8)。這可能是預言主前七○一年被亞述圍困，然而在神降災之下，敵人一夜之間死傷無數，潰不成軍(見卅七36)。不過經文提及眾多的敵人(5,7), 所以這個預言或指向末日的世界性正邪大戰。

There are two parts in the prophecy of Ariel: The first part prophesies the catastrophic siege of Jerusalem (1-4), and the second part describes the sudden twist of Jerusalem’s fate with the failure of the besieging army. This may be referring to the siege by Assyria in 701 BC where almost the entire Assyrian camp died overnight under the disaster that God sent (see 37:36). However, “a multitude of foes” (5,7) so this prophecy probably indicates the final battle between good and evil at the end time.

   

 以賽亞指出, 以色列人當時最大的問題就是: 盲目。

Isaiah points out that Israel’s biggest problem at the time is:  Blindness.

   

• 執迷不悟(9)  「宴樂昏迷吧」近代的中、英文譯本都翻譯為:  「自我蒙蔽, 繼續盲目吧」, 說明以色列人不願悔改。

Being Stubborn (9) – Translated text such as “feast and be drunk” in the Chinese Union Version or “blind yourself and be blind” in more recent Chinese and English versions both illustrate the Israelites’ refusal to repent.

    

• 眼不能看(10-11)  神對頑梗的人宣告放棄, 任憑、甚至驅使他們繼續剛愎自大, 以致他們眼瞎。(參六9-10出九12詩八一12羅九18)。

Unable to See (10-11) - God proclaims abandonment of those who are stubborn.  He even drives them to continue with their arrogant way, resulting in their blindness (refer to 6:9-10, Exodus 9:12, Psalm 81:12, Romans 9:18)

    

• 心眼關閉(13-14)  對神只有表面的敬畏, 絕不會對生命產生影響。耶穌就引用這句聖經, 顯示法利賽人的假冒為善(太十五8-9)。

Lacking Discernment (13-14) – They show reverence for God on the outside only; deep within their hearts  they are far from God. It is this scripture that Jesus used to bring to light the Pharisees’ hypocrisy also (Matthew 15:8-9).

   

 -  眼光顛倒(15-16)  他們將自己和神的地位對調, 否定神是創造者, 接著的推論就是: 神不能察看他們的作為。

Being Preposterous (15-16) – They swapped position with God, denying God being their Creator, and concluded accordingly:  God cannot examine their acts.

    

神的恩典非常奇妙。即使以色列人如此盲目, 神仍說, 這不過是「只有一點點時候……聾子必聽見這書上的話；瞎子的眼必從迷矇黑暗中得以看見。」(17-18)眼瞎得痊癒, 不是得著眼藥的治療; 先知也沒有提到他們悔改。關鍵在於神的「救贖」(22), 這是信仰的基礎,  也是我們的盼望。

God’s grace is amazing. Even though the Israelites were very blind, God said that it would just be “a very little while until…..the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see” (17-18). From blindness to sight, it’s not by the power of any eye medicine; the prophet never mentions their repentance either. Here the key is the “redemption” (22) from God, the foundation of our faith; it is also our hope.

奇異恩典       

紐頓

Amazing Grace

Newton

奇異恩典, 何等甘甜, 我罪已得赦免;

前我失喪, 今被尋回, 瞎眼今得看見。

Amazing grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost

But now I’m found

Was blind, but now I see

每日讀經 by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

農夫的比喻 THE PARABLE OF THE FARMER - (賽 Isaiah 28:23-290

 

農夫的比喻 THE PARABLE OF THE FARMER

讀經: 賽廿八23~29

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 28:23-29

釋義 : 以色列人多數是農夫, 所以聖經也經常用耕種來比喻屬靈教訓。 例如士師記九章, 樹木選王的寓言; 詩篇第一篇以果榭和糠比喻義人和惡人; 耶穌用農夫撒種、芥棻種、麥子和稗子比喻天國等。 以賽亞書也曾兩次以葡萄園為喻, 講論耶和華與以色列人的關係。

INSIGHT: Most Israelites were farmers. So, agriculture is often used in the Bible to symbolize a spiritual lesson. For example, the parable of the trees selecting their king in Judges Chapter 9 and the parallel of fruits and chaff to the righteous and the wicked in Psalm 1. In the teaching of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus told parables of the farmer sowing seeds and of various plants such as mustard seeds, wheat and weeds, etc. Also, in the Book of Isaiah, the parable of the vineyard is used twice to speak of the relationship between the Lord and the Israelites.

本段以耕種的比喻, 預言以色列人經過審判的恐怖(17-22)後，事情會好轉:

Using references to agriculture, this passage prophesies that things will turn around for the better after the horror of God’s judgment (17-22):

1) 首先是耕地的季節 - 當然耕地是生動地象徵可怕的壓迫(詩一廿九 3)。 但正如耙地一樣，這不會永遠繼續下去(24)。

1) THE SEASON OF PLOWING - Plowing surely is a vivid symbol of dreadful affliction (Psalm 129:3). But just as plowing, this will not continue forever (24).

2) 接著就是開始播種的季節(25) - 這些經節的準確程度十分重要， 因為農夫與神的智慧是相應的。 例如，小茴香與大茴香一類的多產 香草是隨意撒種，而小麥、大麥與粗麥則是較為有秩序地按行列種。 同樣, 當收割後，處理這些穀物的不同技術也有仔細描述： 大茴香可 以輕易地用一枝幼棒來分開嫩穀，但小茴香則要用略粗的杖來打出種子, 而麥子是以馬車輥過，或在打穀場打散。

2) THE SEASON OF SOWING (25) – The accuracy of these verses is very important; because the wisdom of the farmers and that of God are corresponding. For example, prolific herbs such as dill and cumin are sowed randomly; whereas wheat, barley, and emmer are planted orderly in rows. In a similar manner, the different ways of handling them after harvest are also described in detail – for cumin, a thin stick can easily separate the grain from the plant; but for dill, it needs a sturdier rod to loosen the seed; as for wheat, it is rolled over by cart wheel or beaten on a threshing floor.

「打穀」隱喻折磨與壓迫(例摩一3；四十一15), 而比喻的教訓十分清晰: 神以祂無比的智慧，像熟練的農夫那樣，不會使我們忍受無法承擔的痛苦。 祂知道我們每個人的力量與軟弱；不會施刑罰過於我們所能受的(林前十13)。 像耕耘與打穀，痛苦將會停止。

“Threshing” metaphors torture and oppression (examples, Amos 1:3, 41:15), and the teaching is fairly clear: God, being magnificent in wisdom, like an experienced farmer, will not let us suffer beyond our ability. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of each of us; He will not punish more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). Just as plowing and threshing, pain will stop.

憫農 - 李紳

Sympathy for the Peasants

~ Poem by Shen Li

鋤禾日當午，汗滴禾下土

誰知盤中餐，粒粒皆辛苦

Hoeing millet in mid-day heat,

Sweat dripping to the earth beneath.

Do you know the food on your plate,

Each grain was hard-earned!

農夫辛勞耕種, 才能從地土收成殼粒。同樣地, 生命的果子也得來不易。 耶穌將生命埋在地裡死了, 長出種籽。 還有保羅栽種, 亞波羅澆灌。 經過多番辛勞, 仍只有神才能使它生長(林前三7)。 能夠參與耕耘、 看到聖靈果子的成長, 豈可不讚嘆神恩典的豐盛?

Farmers have to work hard in order to have good harvest. In the same way, the fruit of life does not come easily. Jesus laid down His life to produce the seed; then Paul planted and Apollos watered. However, even after all this, only God can make it grow (1 Corinthians 3:7). Blessed with the opportunity to participate in the cultivation and seeing the fruit of the Holy Spirit grow, how can we not be in awe of God’s abundant grace?

每日讀經 by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung