神啊! 我渴想見到你。
O God! I long to see You.
新事
NEW THINGS
經文: Isaiah 以賽亞書 四八 1~22
釋義 : 你是不是很希望能夠在靈修見到新事, 在讀經時神向你啟示人從來沒有想過的隱蔽事? 你是否認為這樣的經歷是屬靈的高峰?
Insight: Do you wish you could see new things during your quiet time with God, or be revealed hidden things that no one has ever thought of? Do you regard such an experience as a spiritual summit?
以賽亞並不讚賞這種境界。
Actually, Isaiah does not commend such spiritual enlightenment.
什麼是「新事」?
What are ‘new things’?
以賽亞說, 「新事」是神直至如今向人隱藏之事，是前無可比、首次、忽然做成之事，是人未曾聽見，或即將發生的事(3,5~7)。這大概就是保羅所說的：「隱秘的言語，是人不可說的。」(林後十二4)
Isaiah says, ‘new things’ are things that God has been hiding from men until now; nothing from the past can compare with them, and they are done suddenly for the first time; no one has heard of them before, or they are things to happen in the future (3, 5-7). This is probably what Paul talks about, “things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.” (2 Corinthians 12:4)
這種得見預言的新境界或者令人驚歎, 卻不應成為追求的屬靈目標。以賽亞說, 神採用預言新事的方法, 某個角度來看, 是逼不得已:因為祂的百姓是詭詐、悖逆的(8)。耶和華用祂的先知預告事情，有兩個目的:使祂的百姓無法將這些事情歸功於偶像(5); 「忽然行作、並非從古就有、未曾聽見、未曾知道」(3,7~8)換句話說，這些事不是人為力量自然發展，或可以按歷史推論的結果, 免得人說: 「這事我早就知道了。」
This newly found phenomenon where one gets to see future events is perhaps astonishing. But it should not be a spiritual goal that we pursue. Isaiah says, from a certain perspective, the reason God reveals new things through prophecies is that He is left with no choice: because His people are treacherous and rebellious (8). The Lord has His prophets foretell future events to serve two purposes: i) so that His people will not be able to credit the idols (5); ii) “suddenly I did them…..they are created now, not long ago…..you have never heard, you have never known”(3, 7-8); in other words, these things do not develop naturally as a result of human intervention, nor are they deductible based on history, so that no one can say, “I knew them.”
其實神向人啟示新事是出於祂慈愛的理由。為了祂名的緣故(不將榮耀歸給假神)，祂對頑梗的人暫且忍怒, 並且宣告神奇妙的旨意: 祂揀選人。耶和華要透過這一切過程來預備器皿，以完成他的旨意，榮耀祂的名。
In fact, God reveals new things to us out of His love for us. For the sake of His name (not giving glory to fake gods), He holds His anger towards those who are stubborn, and He declares His wonderful will: He chooses us. The Lord prepares the vessels through these processes, to accomplish His will, to glorify His name.
12~22節告訴我們耶和華實行祂榮耀旨意的方法和期望。方法是:
(一) 我是那位召喚使萬物存在的(12-13);
(二) 我是那位選召古列的(14-16);
(三) 我是那位引導自己救贖的百姓/僕人(17-21)。
Verse 12-22 tells us the ways the Lord accomplishes His wonderful will and what he longs for. The ways are:
- I am the one who calls everything into existence (12-13);
- I am the one who calls Cyrus (14-16);
- I am the one who leads myself to deliver my people/servants (17-21).
耶和華的期望很清楚。祂不斷地說: 「當聽我言」(12);「當聚集而聽」(14);「要就近來聽這話」(16)。最後更呼籲: 「甚願你素來聽從我的命令」(18)。
The Lord’s desire is very clear. He keeps saying, “Listen to me” (12); “assemble, all of you, and listen” (14); “draw near to me, hear this” (16). He goes further at the end to call on us, “Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments” (18).
靈修的方式和時間, 可以因人而異, 各師各法。但必定是與神相聚, 彼此溝通。祈禱是與神談心, 讀經則是聆聽主的心聲。你這次的讀經聽到神的什麼話? 是祂將要行作的新事、隱蔽事(這是一個值得高興的事), 還是感受到祂的心聲而產生聽從的意願(這是最討神喜悅的)。
The way and the time of devotion can vary between individuals where everyone employs a method that best suits himself/herself. But it must achieve the same purpose which is to meet with God and have a two-way communication. Praying is to have a heart-to-heart conversation with God; and reading the scriptures is to listen to the Lord sharing His deepest emotions and thoughts. What did you get from God’s word this time? Is it new and hidden things that God is about to do (this is something to be happy about), or the desire to listen to God as a result of being touched by His innermost emotions (this is the most pleasing to God)?
每日讀經 by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung
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