07月23日 一年的第205天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:賽43-45章
第45章主要在講:「神興起古列,除祂以外,再也沒有別神,要仰望祂」。
一.我─耶和華所膏的古列;我攙扶他的右手,使列國降伏在他面前。我也要放鬆列王的腰帶,使城門在他面前敞開,不得關閉。我對他如此說:45:1
1.我必在你前面行,修平崎嶇之地。我必打破銅門,砍斷鐵閂。45:2
2.我要將暗中的寶物和隱密的財寶賜給你,使你知道提名召你的,就是我─耶和華、以色列的 神。45:3
3.因我僕人雅各,我所揀選以色列的緣故,我就提名召你;你雖不認識我,我也加給你名號。45:4
二.我是耶和華,在我以外並沒有別神;除了我以外再沒有 神。你雖不認識我,我必給你束腰。45:5
1.從日出之地到日落之處使人都知道除了我以外,沒有別神。我是耶和華;在我以外並沒有別神。45:6
2.我造光,又造暗;我施平安,又降災禍;造作這一切的是我─耶和華。45:7
3.諸天哪,自上而滴,穹蒼降下公義;地面開裂,產出救恩,使公義一同發生;這都是我─耶和華所造的。45:8
4.禍哉,那與造他的主爭論的!他不過是地上瓦片中的一塊瓦片。泥土豈可對摶弄他的說:你做甚麼呢?所做的物豈可說:你沒有手呢?45:9
5.禍哉,那對父親說:你生的是甚麼呢?或對母親〔原文是婦人〕說:你產的是甚麼呢?45:10
三.耶和華─以色列的聖者,就是造就以色列的如此說:將來的事,你們可以問我;至於我的眾子,並我手的工作,你們可以求我命定。45:11
1.我造地,又造人在地上。我親手鋪張諸天;天上萬象也是我所命定的。45:12
2.我憑公義興起古列,又要修直他一切道路。他必建造我的城,釋放我被擄的民;不是為工價,也不是為賞賜。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。45:13
3.耶和華如此說:埃及勞碌得來的和古實的貨物必歸你;身量高大的西巴人必投降你,也要屬你。他們必帶著鎖鍊過來隨從你,又向你下拜,祈求你說: 神真在你們中間,此外再沒有別神;再沒有別的 神。45:14
四.救主─以色列的 神啊,你實在是自隱的 神。45:15
1.凡製造偶像的都必抱愧蒙羞,都要一同歸於慚愧。45:16
2.惟有以色列必蒙耶和華的拯救,得永遠的救恩。你們必不蒙羞,也不抱愧,直到永世無盡。45:17
3.創造諸天的耶和華,製造成全大地的 神,他創造堅定大地,並非使地荒涼,是要給人居住。他如此說:我是耶和華,再沒有別神。45:18
4.我沒有在隱密黑暗之地說話;我沒有對雅各的後裔說:你們尋求我是徒然的。我─耶和華所講的是公義,所說的是正直。45:19
5.你們從列國逃脫的人,要一同聚集前來。那些抬著雕刻木偶、禱告不能救人之神的,毫無知識。45:20
五.你們要述說陳明你們的理,讓他們彼此商議。誰從古時指明?誰從上古述說?不是我─耶和華嗎?除了我以外,再沒有 神;我是公義的 神,又是救主;除了我以外,再沒有別神。45:21
1.地極的人都當仰望我,就必得救;因為我是 神,再沒有別神。45:22
2.我指著自己起誓,我口所出的話是憑公義,並不反回:萬膝必向我跪拜;萬口必憑我起誓。45:23
3.人論我說,公義、能力,惟獨在乎耶和華;人都必歸向他。凡向他發怒的必至蒙羞。45:24
4.以色列的後裔都必因耶和華得稱為義,並要誇耀。 45:25
◎心得分享:這一章「古列」是一個人,先知在講「古列」這個人,沒有人知道他是誰?恐怕先知「以賽亞」自己都不是很清楚他是誰?然而幾過若干年之後,大家終於知道「古列」是誰?他是瑪代波斯第一位國王,也是上帝在作祂奇妙大事留下的「伏筆」,古列王把巴比倫國滅了,但以理可能就拿著以賽亞書的這一章給他看,原來他的名字早就記在聖經上,也因為這樣,波斯王就答應了猶太人可以回去「重建聖殿」,這是多麼奇妙的事,上帝實在是「非常幽默」的上帝,祂的作事,遠超過我們所能了解的,所以我們應常仰望祂,因為仰望祂的,就必得救。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。