失敗五要素 FIVE KEY ELEMENTS OF FAILURE (Isaiah 以賽亞書 9:1-15)

讀經:  以賽亞書  十九1~15

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 19:1-15

釋義: 埃及在舊約許多時候代表敵對神的勢力, 而以賽亞那時猶大企圖與她結盟來抵抗亞述的侵略。但是耶和華警告猶大人切勿投靠埃及, 因為耶和華要「乘駕快雲」威風凜凜地臨到埃及, 施行審判毀壞(1)。

In the Old Testament, Egypt often represents forces that oppose God; and during the time of Isaiah, Judah attempted to make an alliance with her to resist Assyrian’s invasion.  But the Lord warns Judah against seeking protection from Egypt; because the Lord will ride on a swift cloud, descend to Egypt majestically to execute judgment and destruction (1).

接著講論神攻擊埃及的五個要點:

The prophet then continues to talk about the 5 key points regarding the attack of Egypt by God:

自私無情--  2節五次提到「攻擊」,這固然披露埃及的凶殘行為, 但這些是彼此攻擊, 更先是兄弟相殘, 然後是鄰舍、城市、國家。說明他們廝殺, 不是爭權奪利, 乃嗜殺成性, 不顧親情, 雖是同根生, 仍急相煎。

SELFISH AND RUTHLESS – Verse 2 mentions “(fight) against” 5 times, which certainly reveals Egypt’s brutality; but these are Egyptians against Egyptians, starting with brothers, then neighbors, cities, and kingdoms.  It shows that they slaughter not to gain power or money, but to satisfy their appetite to kill, with no regard for their kinship.  Despite coming from the same root, they are eager to destroy each other.

錯謬信仰--  當耶和華擊打他們時, 「埃及人的心神必在裡面耗盡」, 他們的對策就是: 「求問偶像和念咒的、交鬼的、行巫術的。」(3)

ERRONEOUS FAITH – When the Lord attacks them, “the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out”, their counter-strategy is to “inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers” (3).

強暴政權 --  學者對4節的「殘忍主、強暴王」是誰持不同意見。他可能是亞述王(廿4): 主前670年亞述王以撒哈頓征服過埃及。也有人認為是後來統一國家的森美忒庫法老王(主前663至609年）、以苛刻手段對待百姓。

FIERCE POLITICAL REGIME – Regarding who the “hard master, and a fierce king” is in verse 4, scholars hold different opinions.  Some think he could be the Assyrian king (20:4):  Assyrian king Esarhaddon had conquered Egypt in 670 BC.  Others think he is Pharaoh Psammetichus I (663 – 609 BC) who unified the kingdom and treated his people harshly.

河旱打擊 -- 5-10節預言尼羅河乾涸。埃及赤道的位置, 加上沙漠的地理環境, 尼羅河穩定的水源可以說是他們的命脈。河水減少枯乾 (5-6)的打擊實在致命: 農作物「衰殘、枯乾、歸於無有」;人則「悲傷、衰弱、羞愧、愁煩」。

STRUCK BY DROUGHT – Verse 5 – 10 prophesies the drying up of the Nile.  With Egypt on the equator and her dessert geographical environment, the steady water supply from the Nile is her lifeline.  The blow from a dried and parched river is essentially fatal – Crops “rot away, parched, and be no more’; people “mourn, languish, in despair, and grieve”.

愚頑不靈 --  埃及祭司以智慧稱著, 不少法老王出自祭司派系; 這裡提到的智者兼有智慧的傳統和王室的血統。事實上埃及產生了一些當時近東最優秀文學家與政治家，有些甚至影響了以色列的文化(例箴廿二17-廿四22清楚表明借用了埃及的形式) 。但是先知稱呼這些智慧人「極其愚昧」,因為他們不知道神的旨意。(12)

FOOLISH AND STUBBORN – Egyptian priests are famous for their wisdom; many pharaohs came from the line of priests.  The wise men mentioned here possess both the tradition of wisdom and royal blood.  Egypt indeed produced some of the best writers and politicians in the Near East at that time; some even had influence over the Israelite culture (example, Proverbs 22:17 – 24:22 clearly show the adoption of Egyptian style).  Yet the prophet calls these wise men “utterly foolish”; because they do not know God’s will (12).

華倫本尼斯和伯特‧納斯合作撰寫《領導人物》(Leaders)一書時, 訪問了不少最高層領導人物。這些領導人在性格方面和一般人顯著不同。兩位作者說: 「他們不會想到失敗。他們甚至不用這點詞, 必要時就用毛病、差錯、錯誤、困境之類的字眼來代替, 但從不說失敗。」

When Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus co-authored the book “Leaders”, they interviewed many top leaders.  The personalities of these leaders are notably different from those of ordinary people.  The two authors said, ‘They simply don't think about failure, don't even use the word, relying on such synonyms as "mistake", "glitch", "bungle", or countless others, but never “failure”.’

這種說法可能具勵志性, 卻是掩耳盜鈴。基督徒不怕承認失敗, 因為得救的經歷告訴我們, 基督徒是在主裡得勝的失敗者。現在就請你向神承認失敗, 求祂再次腸恩, 使你得勝。

This way of thinking may be inspirational, but it is an ‘ostrich mentality’.  Christians are not afraid to fail because the salvation experience tells us that Christians are people who have overcome their failures through Christ.  Take a moment to confess your failures to God and ask Him to once again shed His grace upon, so that you could be victorious.

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

高大的人、高大的願望 TALL PEOPLE – HIGH HOPES (以賽亞書 Isaiah 18:1-7)

讀經:  賽十八1~7

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 18:1-7

釋義:  舊約時代的埃及是由南北兩國組成: 北國在地中海南岸, 尼羅 河下游的地方, 稱為埃及, 即今日的埃及; 南國是尼羅河上游。「古實河」包括了流經現今蘇丹與巴卡、奧亙斯、里比謝比利 (Barka, Awash, Redi Shebeli)的藍、白尼羅河, 及流經現今埃塞俄比亞與索馬利亞的其他河流, 聖經稱為埃提阿伯的古實,涵蓋的面積較現今埃賽塞俄比亞為大。本章以古實稱呼埃及國, 因為在以賽亞時代，埃及是受古實人統治，而這點反映在二十章中，那裡埃及與古實是記載於同一句中。

INSIGHT:  Egypt in the Old Testament era was divided into the northern and southern kingdoms:  The northern kingdom was the land along the south coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the lower reaches of the Nile known as Egypt, or the present-day Egypt; the southern kingdom was in the upper reaches of the Nile.  “The rivers of Cush” include the White and Blue Nile that flow through the present-day Sudan, Barka, Awash, and Redi Shebeli, and the other rivers that flow through present-day Ethiopia and Somalia.  Cush, called Ethiopia in the Bible, covered an area larger than today’s Ethiopia.  In this chapter, Egypt is called Cush because in Isaiah’s times, Egypt was ruled by the people of Cush; this is reflected in chapter 20 where Egypt and Cush are recorded in the same sentence.

先知重複稱讚古實人高大(2,7), 毫不誇張。主前五世紀希臘的希羅多德(Herodotus)描寫他們為「人中之最高大俊美者」。 即然如此, 這些偉人怎樣也不能與創造偉人的神相比。第四節是以賽亞書最美麗而有力的神諭之一。最重要的是它指出了人間一切的喧嚷混亂,神都在默然觀看,這是對上帝信心的表現。

The prophet praises the people of Cush repeatedly for being tall (2, 7), with no exaggeration at all.  In the 5th century BC, Herodotus of Greece described them as “the tallest and most handsome among men”. Despite that, these great people cannot compare to God who creates great people.  Verse 4 is one of the most beautiful and powerful oracles in the Book of Isaiah; the most important thing is that it points out that in the midst of all the rowdiness and chaos on earth, God is quietly looking; this mentality is a display of faith in God.

神的「居所」, 不論是耶路撒冷的聖殿,或是天上(參六1),都是穩如泰山,無法搖動。「清熱」與「露水的雲霧」是十分突出的形像。前者具有視覺效果,把連微風也不能攪擾的清晰寧靜的酷熱暑天,來比作全能者的穩定,在祂的榮耀中,作為這個迷惘而困擾的世界的光明與平安的來源。第二個形像化的露水,可能是較為觸覺性,正如在酷熱下,經過一天辛勞工作,清涼的晚風使人感到清新與甦醒,同樣地神的智慧,透過祂僕人眾先知的傳講,使有需要者獲得力量與勇氣。

God’s “dwelling”, whether it’s the temple in Jerusalem or in heaven (refer to 6:1), is secure and unshakable.  “Clear heat” and “a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest” are very prominent images.  The former possesses visual effects - a clear and quiet scorching summer day, undisturbed even by light breezes, analogizing the Almighty’s immutability; His glory is a source of light and peace in this confusing and disturbing world.  The second visualization, the dew, is perhaps more tactile; after a day of toiling work in scorching heat, a cool evening breeze refreshes and restores.  Likewise, God’s wisdom, through the preaching of his servants and the prophets, gives strength and courage to those in need.

耶和華的奇妙, 就是祂的偉大不單臨到選民, 也期望甚至受責罰的古實人都能認識和經歷。本章預言用首尾呼應的格式, 表達了神這個心願。開始時差遣快行的使者「要到高大光滑的民那裡去。自從開國以來，那民極其可畏，是分地界踐踏人的；他們的地有江河分開」(2), 目的在最後一節: 期望「他們必將禮物奉給萬軍之耶和華，就是奉到錫安山─耶和華安置他名的地方。」(7)

The Lord’s wonderfulness, or His greatness, is not limited to the chosen people. The hope is that even the punished people of Cush could understand and experience it. This chapter employs the echo technique to express God’s desire.  At the beginning, swift messengers are sent “to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide” (2); the purpose is in the last verse – hoping that  “At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.” (7)

耶穌吩咐信徒要愛敵人如己。這不是一個口號; 這是神的心願。如果神對敵人古實尚且發出接納他們悔改敬拜的呼求, 我們今天可否向「仇敵」伸出友誼的手, 與他們復和? 打電話給他們? 寫張便條或心意卡表達在主裡的接納?

Jesus commands believers to love our enemies as ourselves. This is not a catchphrase; it is God’s desire.  If God even accepts the cry of repentance and worship from the people of Cush, his enemy, shouldn’t we extend a hand of friendship to our “enemies”, and make amends with them?  Call them?  Write a note or a thinking-of-you card to express our acceptance of them in Christ?

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

三國誌 RECORDS OF THREE KINGDOMS (以賽亞書 Isaiah 17:1-14)

 

讀經:  賽十七1~14

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 17:1-14

釋義:  本章的標題是論大馬色的默示(1)，內容卻包括以法蓮(3;指以色列國)及雅各(4;指猶大國), 所以本章預言涉及三個接鄰的國家。

INSIGHT:  The title of this chapter is an oracle concerning Damascus (1); yet the contents include Ephraim (3; refers to the kingdom of Israel) and Jacob (4; refers to the kingdom of Judah); so the prophecy of this chapter involves three neighboring nations.

這三個小國位於兩個古代近東強國之間(地中海南的埃及和米所波大米兩河流域的亞述/巴比倫),經常受到它們的侵犯和欺壓,所以政治游移不定,有時一國靠攏某強國而排擠他邦, 有時卻與另一國組成聯盟以抗衡霸權。以賽亞發表本章預言時,應是主前七三五至七三三年間， 乃亞蘭與以法蓮同盟危機的時期。當時亞蘭(首都大馬色)與以色列結為聯盟反對猶大(參上文七至八章)。一至三節(特別是第三節)對亞蘭和以色列的預言, 在先知宣講後不久應驗:亞蘭果於主前七三三年被亞述王提拉毘列色三世所滅。而在主前七二二年，以色列亡於亞述王撒珥根(王下17:6)手上。

These three small nations were located between two powerful countries in ancient Near East (Egypt, south of the Mediterranean; and Assyria/Babylon, along Mesopotamia within the Tigris-Euphrates river system). They were often invaded and oppressed by them, and therefore in constant political turmoil. At times one nation joined with another to push the other out; other times one allied with another to challenge the hegemony.  Isaiah proclaimed the prophecy, around 735 – 733 BC, in the midst of the crisis of the alliance between Aram and Ephraim.  At that time, Aram (capital Damascus) and Israel formed an alliance to resist Judah (reference previous notes on chapter 7 – 8).  The prophecy regarding Aram and Israel in verse 1 – 3 (especially verse 3) was fulfilled not long after the prophet proclaimed it – Aram was conquered by Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III in 733 BC; and in 722 BC, Israel fell to Assyrian king Sargon (2 King 17:6).

第四節開始, 預言對象轉到雅各(猶大)。雖然本章開始時提到大馬色(即亞蘭國)和以法蓮(以色列國)的遭遇, 但本章預言主體(4-14)卻是講論猶大國運。她與亞蘭/以色列聯盟國有類似的情況: 城邑被撇棄 (1-2,9);各自提及「剩下」的人(3,6)和「榮耀」(3,4)。她們被神責罰的原因極清楚:「因你忘記救你的神,不記念你能力的磐石」(10)。

Starting from verse 4, the subject of the prophecy switches to Jacob (Judah). Although the beginning of the chapter mentions the fate of Damascus (Aram) and Ephraim (the kingdom of Israel), the main body of the prophecy (4-14) is about the fate of the kingdom of Judah. Her situation is similar to the Aram/Israel alliance - The cities are deserted (1-2, 9); each of their “remnant” (3,6) and “glory” (3,4) are mentioned.  The reason for them to be punished by God is clear: “For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge” (10).

先知突顯猶大與其他國家不同的遭遇: 亞蘭、所有列邦、甚至以色列, 他們的結局是「消滅、不再有、沒有了」(3,14); 但猶大雖然受罰遭擊打至體無完膚, 卻不致滅沒。先知用三個比喻(4-6)來形容這審判：身體日益消瘦的比喻;收穫的比喻;打橄欖樹的比喻。雖然這個審判極其嚴厲，但不會使以法蓮完全滅絕，從「在儘上的枝梢上，只剩兩三個果子」和「在多果樹的旁枝上，只剩四五個果子」這兩句話中，可以看出先知再次提醒神要保留餘民的神學主題。說明「然而你大發憐憫，不全然滅絕他們，也不丟棄他們；因為你是有恩典、有憐憫的神。」(尼九31)

The prophet then points out the difference between the fate of Judah and that of other nations - For Aram, all other nations, even Israel, their ending is described as  “disappear“  and  “no more” (3, 14); yet Judah, though punished severely, will not be destroyed completely. The prophet uses three metaphors (4-6) to describe the judgment:  i) the body slimming down;  ii) harvesting the ears;  iii) beating an olive tree.  Although the judgment is harsh, he will not annihilate Judah.  From these two phrases, “two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree”, we can see that the prophet reminds us that God will leave a remnant, making clear that “Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” (Nehemiah 9:31)

人為什麼會忘恩負義?

Why are people ungrateful?

只消對什麼事物失去了興趣, 就會把它忘記。  歌德,《格言和感想集》

“When you lose interest in anything, you also lose the memory for it.”  -- Goethe, Maxims and Reflections

如果一個人深入思考所讀課文的內容, 那麼雖然他並沒有努力去記住材料, 而材料卻能很容易地印入並牢固地保持在記憶裡。  贊科夫,《和教師的談話》

“If a person thinks through the content of the text he read, although he has not tried

hard to memorize the material, yet the material can easily be imprinted and stored in

the memory.” -- Zankov, Conversations with Teachers

請你立願:「我永不忘記你的訓詞，因你用這訓詞將我救活了。」(詩一一九93)

Please pledge, “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me

life.”  -- (Psalm 119:93)

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

你、我、他 YOU, I, HIM (以賽亞書 Isaiah 16:1-14)

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

耶和華與哀哭的人同哭 THE LORD WEEPS WITH THOSE WHO WEEP (以賽亞書 Isaiah 15:1-9)

讀經:  以賽亞書 十五1-9

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 15:1-9

釋義:  雖然摩押人也是外邦人, 但是本章預言與上章論巴比倫和非利士截然不同: 本段豫言的作者表現了對摩押人厄運的極大同情。  這裡沒有一種幸災樂禍的態度，本章是篇真正的哀歌，不像十四章那般嘲弄巴比倫；而且帶著「我心為摩悲哀」的痛苦呼喊（5)，使這篇「論摩押的默示」與別不同。

INSIGHT:  Although the Moabites are gentiles too, the prophecy in this chapter is strikingly different from previous chapters regarding Babylon and Philistia: The author of this prophecy expresses his deep sympathy for the adversity of the Moabites. There isn’t any attitude of gloating. This chapter is a genuine lamentation, unlike the taunting of Babylon in chapter 14.  It also carries the painful scream of “My heart cries out for Moab” (5), making this “An Oracle Concerning Moab” stand out.

摩押位於死海東部，居民是羅得的後裔(參創19:36-38)，與以色列人有點親屬關係。巴比倫和非利士, 則從始至終都是仇敵。  相比起來, 摩押就不是那麼「外邦」了。也許這是本章較富同情心的原因。

本章的語言與形像異常生動有力，「哭泣、哀號、悲哀、眼淚汪汪」等字眼的累積達十一次，突出了摩押人哭喪哀慟的深切。  「哀號」是含意特別豐富的字，共出現了四次(十五2,3,8)。  其他哀傷的表現包括剃淨鬍鬚與穿戴麻衣等(2-3)。  哀傷的情景到處可見 -- 「在街市上…在屋頂上和寬闊處…達到雅雜」。  而「青草枯乾，嫩草滅沒，青綠之物，一無所有」(6)當然不是指字面的意思，而是進一步表明摩押被徹底打敗的定局。

The language and images of this chapter are unusually powerful and animated.  Wording such as ‘cry’, ‘weep’, ‘wail’, and ‘melt in tears’ tallies to 11 times, underlining the deep sorrow of the Moabites. ‘Wail’ is an especially meaningful word, appearing a total of 4 times (15:2, 3, 8). Other acts of mourning include shaving and wearing sackcloth (2-3).  Mourning can be seen everywhere – “In the streets… on the housetops and in the squares… as far as Jahaz”.  “The grass is withered, the vegetation fails, the greenery is no more” (6) surely is not meant to be taken literally but to further affirm Moab’s inevitable total defeat.

有人認為「我心為摩押悲哀」(5)表達先知悲天憫人的心腸, 但是9節: 「我還要加增底們的災難」說明本章的「我」不是傳講信息的以賽亞先知, 而是啟示信息的耶和華。  神既公義又慈悲;  祂是執行審判的法官, 同時也是療傷的醫生。神「不願有一人沉淪, 乃願人人都悔改。」(彼後三9), 所以「主雖使人憂愁，還要照他諸般的慈愛發憐憫；因他並不甘心使人受苦，使人憂愁。」(哀三 32-33)

Some think that “My heart cries out for Moab” (5) shows the prophet’s sympathetic nature, but verse 9 says “I will bring upon Dibon even more”, indicating the ‘My’ in this chapter is not referring to the prophet Isaiah who relays the message but the Lord who reveals the message.  God is just, yet merciful; he is the judge who dispenses judgement, and at the same time, a doctor who heals.  God “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), therefore “though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” (Lamentations 3:32-33)

憐憫屬於悲哀一類, 與對某些人的愛或善意糾纏在一起, 這些人, 我們認為受到了他們本不應受到的某種苦難的折磨。  笛卡兒, 《靈魂的情感》

Compassion is a pain at an impression of destructive or painful evil as befalling one who doesn’t deserve it, and which one might expect oneself or someone close to oneself to suffer, when it seems nearby. - Aristotle

耶和華有憐憫，有恩典，不輕易發怒，且有豐盛的慈愛。  他不長久責 備，也不永遠懷怒。  他沒有按我們的罪過待我們，也沒有照我們的罪孽報應我們。  (詩一○三8-10)

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:8-10)

既然如此, 就讓我們因罪悲哀的心轉向耶和華, 仰望祂的憐憫: 祂「必再憐憫我們、將我們的罪孽踏在腳下、又將我們的一切罪投於深海。」(彌七19)

Therefore, let our heart that is saddened by sin turn to the Lord, look to God for his mercy:   “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot.  He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19)

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

三種罪人 THREE CATEGORIES OF SINNERS (以賽亞書 Isaiah 14:1-32)

讀經:  賽十四1~32

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 14:1-32

釋義:  聖經舊新約異口同聲地聲明, 世人都犯了罪: 「就如經上所記： 沒有義人，連一個也沒有。沒有明白的；沒有尋求神的；都是偏離正路，一同變為無用。沒有行善的，連一個也沒有。」(羅三10-12;詩十四3五三3)但是本章聖經告訴我們, 罪人可以有三種不同的結局:

INSIGHT:  The Old and New Testament unequivocally declare that all have sinned:  “As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’”  (Romans 3:10-12, Psalms 14:3, 53:3) But this chapter tells us that sinners can come to one of the following three endings:

蒙憐恤(1-3) --  第一種是以色列人, 她得到神再揀選;這純粹是出於神的恩典。 以色列人屢屢犯罪悖逆才被擄到異邦, 理當痛改前非才會得到翻身的機會。 但是這裡並沒有提到任何悔改的動作或意圖, 神就宣告必定使以色列人歸回, 說明了「你們得救是本乎恩，也因ㄛ信； 這並不是出於自己，乃是神所賜的」(弗二8)的道理。

BE SHOWN COMPASSION:  (1-3) – The first is the Israelites. They get to be chosen by God again out of God’s grace alone. The Israelites sinned and rebelled, and it led them to be taken captive to foreign lands. They should repent in order to earn the opportunity to have their fate reverted. However, while there is no mention of repentance or the intention to, yet God proclaims the return of the Israelites; illustrating the doctrine – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”  (Ephesians 2:8)

永沉淪(4-23) -- 第二種是巴比倫王, 墮落陰間被剪除。不少學者認為巴比倫王是指墮落的天使, 原因: 

1.陰間是靈界(特別是魔鬼)的居所; 

2.稱呼他「首領」(8), 原文是「公山羊」, 在舊約常常是指外邦宗教敬拜的鬼魔(利十七7代下十一15); 

3.「明亮的晨星」(12)英文譯本多參照早期教會武加大拉丁文譯本, 稱為「路斯弗(Lucifer)」, 即鬼王。  不過經文描述巴比倫攻擊聚民、管轄列國、壓迫世上君王, 這些是地上的事, 非靈界戰爭。而且神施行的報應, 是敗壞他的國度、殺戮他的國民、剪除他的子孫, 這些也是世界政治情況。

FALLEN FOREVER (4-23) – The second is the king of Babylon, fallen into Sheol and be cut off.  Many scholars think the king of Babylon refers to the fallen angel, because:

1. Sheol is the dwelling place of spirits especially the Devil;

2. He is called ‘leader’ (9), or ‘goat’ in the original that is often referred to the demon worshipped by religions of the gentiles in Old Testament (Leviticus 17:7, 2 Chronicles 11:15);

3. “O Day Star” (12) – Most English versions reference the Latin Vulgate version used by the early church, and call it ‘Lucifer’, meaning Satan. But the scripture describes Babylon striking people, ruling nations, oppressing kings of the earth, all matters on earth, not spiritual warfare.  In addition, God dispenses retribution by destroying his land, slaying his people, and cutting off his offspring; these are

also political situations in the world.

所以, 巴比倫王是指聽從魔鬼驅使和受它管制的邪惡敵對神的權勢。他們墮落到萬劫不復的境況, 並非因為外邦的國籍, 而是驕傲地對抗神。(13-14節五次提到「我要」)。

Therefore, the king of Babylon refers to evil powers that are controlled by the Devil and follow him to go against God. They fall into a bottomless pit where return is not possible; this is not because of them being gentiles, but their prideful resistance to God. (13-14 mentions ‘I will’ 5 times).

投靠神(29-32) --   第三種是非利士人, 他們代表非以色列人的外邦人(32)。  這些人因罪受責罰, 他們可以投奔在錫安的耶和華而得解救。

SEEKING MERCIES FROM GOD (29-32) – The third is the Philistia. They represent the non-Israelite gentiles (32). These people sin and get punished; they can seek deliverance from the Lord in Zion.

一部法國電影其中一場, 講老差骨教新丁貪污。  新丁認為貪污是罪行, 老差骨說隨便在街拉一個人, 都能告之入罪。

In a scene out of a French movie, a veteran detective teaches a rookie to take bribes.  The rookie thinks taking bribes is a crime. The veteran claims he can find anyone taken from the street guilty of a crime.

新丁果然隨手拉了一週人回警署逼供。那人堅稱自己沒犯過任何罪。  新丁正要推翻老差骨說法之時, 那人竟伏在上開始飲泣, 自暴罪行。

Sure enough, the rookie takes a random person into custody and interrogates him. That person insists that he never committed any crime. The moment the rookie is about to refute the veteran’s theory, that person hides his face on the desk and starts to sob and discloses his criminal activities.

每人都是罪犯這觀念在某程度上是成立的。  試想某一天, 你突然被警察逮回去, 嚴刑拷問, 你可能也會供出一些罪來。

To a certain extent, the concept that everyone is a criminal is valid. Imagine that one day you are detained and tortured during the interrogation, you may also confess some wrong doings.

問題並非你是不是罪人, 而是你是那一種罪人。

The issue is not whether you are a sinner, but which category you are in.

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

耶和華發怒的日子 THE DAY OF THE LORD’S WRATH (以賽亞書 Isaiah 13:1-22)

讀經:  以賽亞書 十三1~22

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 13:1-22

釋義: 以賽亞書十三章至廿三章是一個明顯的段落, 提名講論耶和華對以色列人四周鄰國的審判和盼望。  這段聖經和耶利米書四六章至五一章、以西結書廿五章至卅二章、但以理書、那鴻書、俄巴底亞書等聖經都是向外邦宣講神的啟示, 說明即使在舊約主要透過所揀選的以色列民族彰顯祂的心意時, 神也沒有忽略地上其他民族。  及至耶穌來臨後的新約時代, 教會的任務是要將福音傳遍地極。  今天你閱讀這段經文, 可與先知同感, 一方面為彰顯神的公義高聲疾呼, 同時又為不信神的外邦人將會遭遇的審判焦急而禱告?

INSIGHT:  Chapter 13 – 23 in the Book of Isaiah is a distinct section that talks about the Lord’s judgments and hopes for Israel’s neighboring countries by name. Passages in the bible such as these ones here, Jeremiah chapter 46 – 51, Ezekiel Chapter 25 – 32, the Book of Daniel, Nahum, and Obadiah all pronounce God’s revelations to the gentiles. It indicates that although God revealed his will in the Old Testament era mainly through Israel, his chosen nation, God did not neglect other nations.  In  the New Testament era after Jesus’s arrival, the mission of the church was to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  Today when you read this passage, do you share the prophet’s feeling - On one hand you scream for God’s justice, and at the same time you pray for the unbelieving gentiles because you feel anxious about the judgment that they are going to face?

耶和華的日子是這幾章聖經常見的詞語, 本章就提及四次 (6, 9, 13, 22) 這個日子是耶和華發怒的時候。  雖然基督徒心目中的神是聖誕老人般的慈祥寬容, (聖經確實告訴我們神是愛)但是先知提醒我們:  神乃是烈火(來十二29),但是這位愛的神不輕易發怒。  本章聖經提出幾個要點:

‘The day of the Lord’ appears often in these chapters, and is mentioned 4 times in this chapter (6, 9, 13, 22).  This is the time of the Lord’s wrath. In Christians’ view, God is gentle and kind like Santa Claus (the Bible does tell us that God is love); yet the prophet reminds us: God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). But this loving God is slow to anger. This passage brings out several main points:

神發的是義怒, 我必因邪惡刑罰世界，因罪孽刑罰惡人(11); 祂是天天向惡人發怒的神 (詩七11)。

GOD’S ANGER IS RIGHTEOUS:  “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity” (11);  “a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psalms 7:11)

耶和華的日子臨近了(6), 神的公義還未完全彰顯。 在這個等候過渡期間, 也會用邪惡的人 (就如巴比倫)執行祂的意旨, 但邪惡的人終也必受神公義審判(19)。

“THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR.” (6)  God’s justice has not been fully revealed.  During this transitional period, God would use evil people (such as Babylon) to execute his will.  But evil people will ultimately be judged righteously (19).

據John Roger 和Peter McWilliam 分析, 憤怒是:

According to the analysis of John Roger and Peter McWilliams, anger is:

1. 心中存在某種想法, 事情應該是怎樣。

1. Having certain expectations of how things should be;

2. 對於這些想法, 灌注了情感。如果事情不如想像, 就會憤怒。

2. Emotionally attached to the expectation.  If things don’t go as expected, anger occurs.

例如:  我們心中認為駕駛應該小心; 如果有人不小心, 就會令我們生氣。 如果損害到自己的利益或尊嚴, 就會更加生氣。 有人可能為幾角錢的紛爭而動怒; 並非錢多少的問題, 而是涉及所灌注情感的數量。 如果事情跟尊嚴有關, 那就更不得了。

EXAMPLE:  We think one should drive carefully.  If someone is not careful, we get angry.  If our personal interest or honor is hurt, we would get even angrier.  People can be enraged by disputes over a few dimes. It is not about the amount of money, but the amount of emotions involved.  If it is something related to honor, it would be even more uncontrollable.

如果神所看為萬物至寶的人, 損害祂的尊嚴, 抗拒遵行神在聖經發表的「想法」, 神發怒是否應該?

If the people that God considers most precious damage his honor and refuse to follow God’s ‘expectations’ stated in the bible, should God be angry?

今日我可有惹神發怒?

Today did we provoke God to anger?

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung

讚美 PRAISES 《以賽亞書 Isaiah 12:1-6》

讀經: 《以賽亞書》十二章1-6節

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 12:1-6

釋義: 以賽亞書第一個大段落以本章作為結束。 本章是兩篇美麗的詩歌(1-3,4-6), 每篇都以稱謝耶和華開始。  雖然以賽亞主要用詩歌方式傳達神的啟示, (新標點和合本、新譯本等近代中文譯本都將詩歌分句排列) 但是以讚美的頌歌來結束更是適合不過。 信徒研經豈也不是應該以頌讚作研讀神話語的回應嗎？

INSIGHT:  The first major section in the Book of Isaiah ends with this chapter, two beautiful songs, each begins with thanksgiving to the Lord.  Isaiah conveys the revelations from God mainly in songs (recent Chinese bible versions such as CUNVP and NCV have songs displayed line by line), but it is most appropriate to end with songs of praises.  Shouldn’t believers respond with praises when studying God’s words?

●個人稱頌耶和華(1-3) --  第1節以單數你開始, 顯示這是個人對神的讚美。 本篇頌歌提出兩個讚美神的原因: 

INDIVIDUAL PRAISE OF THE LORD (1-3) -- Verse 1 begins with a singular ‘you’, indicating that it is an individual praise to the Lord.  This song gives two reasons for praising God:

1. 奇妙的寬恕──因為你雖然向我發怒，你的怒氣卻已轉消；你又安慰了我。 以賽亞在上文已經好幾次說及神發怒, 以色列人受責打罪有應得, 但奇妙的是不單神的惱怒非常短暫, 因為，他的怒氣不過是轉眼之間；他的恩典乃是一生之久。  一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼(詩卅5), 並且神發怒時其實也非常痛心, 正所謂打在兒身, 痛在母心, 神怒氣甫轉消, 就急不及待的安慰了我, 說明神是樂意饒恕人，有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛慈愛的神(尼九17)。

1. AMAZING FORGIVENESS -- “For though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.” (1)  Previously, Isaiah spoke of God getting angry several times; the Israelites deserved to be punished.  Yet it is amazing that not only is God’s anger temporary - “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5), but God also grieves when he’s angry.  As the Chinese saying goes, ‘Strikes on son’s body, pain in mother’s heart’.  As soon as God’s anger has turned away, he can’t wait to comfort me.  That tells us,  “God is ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”. (Nehemiah 9:17)

2. 奇妙的救恩──2-3節多次提到救恩, 這是以賽亞書的主題, 但這救恩的特別, 因為不是神用奇蹟異能使人脫險, 或者透過人為我們解決困難, 而是神自己成為我的拯救, 這正是以賽亞名字的意思:  耶和華的救恩。既然我們有的不是救恩經歷, 而是救恩的泉源, 難怪先知說不懼怕, 可以歡然取水了。

2. AMAZING SALVATION – Verse 2-3 mentions salvation repeatedly; this is Isaiah’s theme.  What is special about this salvation… is not that God delivers us from danger through miracles or solves our problems through the help from others, but that God himself becomes our salvation; this is the meaning of Isaiah’s name – God is salvation.  Since what we have is not the experience of the salvation, but the source of the salvation, no wonder the prophet says he will not be afraid and he can draw water from the wells of salvation with joy.

●團體讚美耶和華(4-6) -- 4節你們要說說明這是團體性的讚美。 上段講論神對人的作為, 祂寬恕和拯救, 人因此感恩而頌讚。 本段則強調神的名(4,5), 而聖經以名指人或神整個性格和本質, 所以這是對神本身的奇妙發出讚美, 就如人對名晝、自然奇觀、漂亮衣飾、令人心儀的人物、醉人的音樂或者精彩的表演由衷發出的欣賞和讚嘆。  神固然希望蒙恩的人表示謝意感恩, 但神更希望人能夠純粹欣賞神的偉大而發出讚嘆, 並且主動自發地傳揚在萬民中, 普傳天下, 使人知道以色列聖者乃為至大。

Community Praise of the Lord (4-6) – “And you (plural) will say” , verse 4 indicates that this is a community praise. The previous section talks about God’s deeds among people, his forgiveness and salvation, and men singing praises out of thankfulness. Yet in this section the emphasis is on God’s name (4, 5). Names in the bible reveal God’s or the persons’ nature or character as a whole; so, the praise in this section is for the wonderfulness of God himself; just like our admiration for famous paintings, natural wonders, beautiful clothing, charming characters, mesmerizing music, or brilliant performances. God would love for those who are blessed to show their thankfulness.  But God would much prefer that we admire and praise him simply for his greatness, and that we readily let this be known in all the earth, so that people know that the Holy one of Israel is the greatest.

讚美:  讓我們選擇一首讚美詩向神揚聲歡呼.

PRAISE:   Let us choose a song to shout praises to God.

每日讀經  by 洪同勉牧師 Rev. Tommy Hung