旧约 - 以赛亚书(Isaiah)第28章

Woe to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, to the fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley--to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!
See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's drunkards, will be trampled underfoot.
That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest--as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it.
In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.
He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.
All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth.
"Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast?
For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there."
Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,
to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"--but they would not listen.
So then, the word of the LORD to them will become: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there--so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.
Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it.
As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through." The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.
The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.
The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon--to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.
Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.
Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.
When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil?
When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field?
His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.
Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick.
Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it.
All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.
以赛亚书第廿八章   赛 28:1> 以法莲是北国十个支派中为首的,因此── 

  28:1 以法莲代表的是北国以色列。它的许多国王都昏庸邪恶。所罗门之后以色列王国分裂,耶路撒冷在南国。北国的领袖希望同南国的同胞完全分离,所以竖起偶像来阻止人们去耶路撒冷的圣殿敬拜神(参王上第 12 章),北国的百姓于是去拜偶像。以赛亚对以色列讲这样的信息是为了警告以色列和犹大,并鼓励犹大在受到北国式的惩罚之前就要悔改。几年后,北国以色列就受到惩罚。 

  赛 28:9-14> 听到刺耳的批评,我自发的反应是不是认为别人在管教我? 

  28:9-14 这些章节刻画了人们对以赛亚的信息的反应。他们实际上在说:“他对我们说话就像学校老师对小孩子讲话似的,我们不需要‘听课’,我们自己会作决定。”以赛亚对这种态度发出预言说,亚述将要以他们更不喜欢的方式来“教育”他们。 

  赛 28:15> “原指望他能提供保护,岂知……”──埋怨他人不如埋怨自己…… 

  28:15 犹大虽害怕“如水涨漫”的亚述人。但犹大人不去信靠神,反而向其他势力求助,神警告他们,这是在与死亡立约,意指坟墓或死人。这一段可能是指希西家与埃及法老特哈加(同时亦是古实王)联合对抗亚述的联盟(参王下 19:9 ;赛 37:9 )。神将取消这一协定,其结果是犹大在遭到亚述攻击时,埃及没有向犹大提供任何帮助。我们值得不值得为了得到暂时的保护而出卖信仰呢?我们如果想得到持久的保护,就要转向那惟一能够救我们脱离死亡的神,向祂求助。 

  赛 28:16> 我生命的基础,是建立在什么之上? 

  28:16 如果你要建造房屋,一定需要一个牢固的基础。以赛亚说基石或房角石将被放置在锡安城,这块房角石就是指弥赛亚,它是我们建立生命的基础。你的生命是建立在自己的成功或梦想的脆弱基础上呢,还是建立在一个稳固的基础上呢(参诗篇 118:22 ;彼前 2:8 )? 

  赛 28:21> 在基遍神不是使日月停止,以助约书亚吗?如今却──何故? 

  28:21 神在基遍谷战役中站在约书亚的一边(参书 10:1-14 ),在毗拉心山战争中站在大卫的一边(参撒下 5:20 )。但在同一地点,神要跟自己的子民以色列争战。 

  赛 28:23-29> 农夫栽种的比喻,对你有些什么启迪?