旧约 - 以赛亚书(Isaiah)第1章

The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.
From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness--only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil.
Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege.
Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
"The multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;
wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong,
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;
but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her--but now murderers!
Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.
Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.
Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.
I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.
I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."
Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.
But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish.
"You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.
You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water.
The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire."
以赛亚书第一章   赛 1:1> 以赛亚作先知时的历史背景是怎样的? 

  1:1 以赛亚出来作犹大先知的时候,原来的以色列国早已分裂为北部的以色列国和南部的犹大国。北国对抗神,犯下了大罪,南国也在步北国的后尘。他们歪曲正义,压迫穷人,离弃神而去拜偶像;宁可向异教国家寻求军事援助,也不求助于神。以赛亚来自犹大,但他的信息也是对着北国说的。“以色列”有时候是指两个王国。公元前 722 年以赛亚亲眼看见了北国被毁和被掳。他一开始事奉就对北国发出了警告。 

  赛 1:2-4> 开宗明义,以赛亚书以审判的信息开始── 

  1:2-4 这里的“以色列”是指南部的犹大王国。犹大的百姓犯了大罪,拒绝了解和明白神。因为百姓对神的反抗和离弃,神便通过以赛亚给他们定了罪。是他们自己用行为撕毁了曾与神订立的道德和属灵之约(参申 28 章)。他们这样做,是自招神的惩罚。神曾赐给他们繁荣,但是他们服事的却不是神。神警告他们,他们不听。最后神将带给他们“惩罚之火”( 1:7 )。 

  赛 1:4-9> 为什么有时我会感到被隔离?是什么东西在包围着我? 

  1:4-9 只要犹大百姓继续犯罪,他们便得不到神的帮助且作茧自缚。在你感到自己与神分开而感到孤独的时候,请记住神是不会放弃你的。是我们的罪恶把我们跟神分开了,医治这孤独的惟一办法,就是认罪,服从神的命令,跟神不断地交通来恢复与神的关系(参诗 140:13 ;赛 1:16-19 ;约壹 1:9 )。 

  赛 1:7> 这里所说的毁灭当时发生了吗? 

  1:7 在以赛亚一生中犹大屡遭攻击,“被外邦人所侵吞”乃是最严厉的审判。这节经文所描绘的,可能是犹大遭入侵之后的情景,也可能是预言以色列将来要被亚述所占领。但最有可能是指将来巴比伦对犹大的入侵,和公元前 586 年耶路撒冷的被毁。 

  赛 1:9> 神留下的“余种”,是指哪些人? 

  1:9 所多玛和蛾摩拉是因当地的罪恶,被神完全毁灭了的两座城巿(参创 19:1-25 )。它们在圣经的书卷中数次被提到,作为神审判罪的例子(参耶 50:40 ;结 16:46-63 ;太 11:23-24 ;犹 7 )。犹大的“余种”应是那些对神忠心,而被神存留了下来的人。 

  赛 1:10> 我想听神对我说话,但我就是听不到,怎么回事? 

  1:10 以赛亚把犹大的统治者和百姓比作所多玛和蛾摩拉。为了听见神说的话,百姓必须倾听且愿意遵从。当我们听不到神的信息的时候,也许我们并没有仔细地倾听,或者我们没有真正愿意照祂说的去做。 

  赛 1:10-14> 我参加主日敬拜的目的是什么?是不是觉得只要去了就好? 

  1:10-14 神没有悦纳他们的献祭,并非神废了与摩西建立的献祭制度。相反,神乃是要求他们有真诚的信心和奉献。一到节日,领袖们就按传统献祭和奉献,做得丝毫不差,但他们对神并不忠心。献祭本身是人内心信神的一种外在表现,他们内心根本不信,只是虚有其表。那他们为什么还要献祭呢?就像今天许多人一样,他们相信宗教仪式过于相信所敬拜的神。检视一下你自己的敬拜形式,看看是否出于对那位活神的信心?如果我们没有内在的信心,任何外在的形式神都不会喜悦(参申 10:12-16 ;撒上 15:22-23 ;诗 51:16-19 ;何 6:6 )。 

  赛 1:13> 神会悦纳我献的“祭”吗?省察我自己…… 

  1:13 “月朔”和“安息日”是指每月的奉献(参民 28:11-14 ),每星期、每年在赎罪日和五旬节举行的特别安息日(参利 16:31 , 23:23-34,39 )。所有这些节日,详见利未记 23 章。人们常未察觉自己有罪,仍然继续为赦罪献祭。送礼物和献祭的人如果内心犯罪,这些祭物对神而言就毫无意义。神要我们爱祂、信祂并且离开罪恶。这样祂才喜悦我们在时间、金钱、或服事上的“献祭”。 

  以赛亚 

  赛 1:18> 朱红──雪白,丹颜──羊毛;对比的寓意是什么? 

  1:18 “朱红”或“丹颜”是一种深红色的持久性颜料。它在衣服上的印迹不会褪掉。在这儿可能也代表了沾满血迹的谋杀之手( 1:15 , 21 )。罪恶的痕迹也同样不会自己褪掉,但神可以像祂应许以色列人的那样,将它们从我们的生活中除去,使我们不至于永久生活在污秽之中。神的话使我们深信:如果我们愿意并且顺从,基督就赦免和除去我们那擦也擦不掉的罪污(参诗 51:1-7 )。 

  赛 1:21-22> 神为什么将犹大比作妓女?当中的关联是…… 

  1:21-22 “忠信之城”是指耶路撒冷,并代表整个犹大。神把百姓的行为比作卖淫,是因为他们离开真神去拜偶像。他们的信心不纯、三心二意。“拜偶像”从里到外都是属灵意义上的“奸淫”,它撕毁了人对神委身的许诺,把心抛向其他的东西。耶稣时代的人虽然严守教规,但耶稣称他们为淫乱之人。我们跟教会一样,是基督的“新娘”(参启 19:7 ),靠信心我们才能披上祂公义的军装。你的信心是否变得不纯了呢?求神把你带回来,使你对神的信心坚强而纯洁。 

  赛 1:25> 你知道金属提纯的过程吗? 

  1:25 神应许说,祂要像把金属放在坩埚中用碱液提纯一样提炼自己的百姓。提炼金属的过程包括熔化金属,除去不纯的渣滓,直到提炼人在金属熔液中能看到自己的影像。神提炼我们的过程也如此。我们必须甘愿顺从神,让祂除去我们的罪,这样我们才能反映出祂的形像。 

  赛 1:29-30> 橡树象征了什么?喜爱某样东西有什么不对吗? 

  1:29-30 在历史上,橡树一直是力量的象征,但这里人们在敬拜“神圣的橡树”。以西结书提到橡树林曾经成为拜偶像的地方(参结 6:13 )。我们有没有向力量或权力的标志这些取代神的东西倾心呢?当我们对这些东西的爱离崇拜相去不远的时候,我们是否对神还有兴趣或委身呢?我们的心要对神最忠诚,其他的东西都会随着时间消失,在神的眼前也都会被烧毁。 

  赛 1:31> 麻瓤遇火星,这比喻很形象──