QT 01/04/2025 Tue. Isaiah 37. Feelings of Helplessness & Search. 无助感和寻求感 ？
QT 01/04/2025 Tue. Isaiah 37. Feelings of Helplessness & Search.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah37
Nothing to hide or mask. Feelings of helplessness are common, not only now, but also during Hezekiah and Isaiah's time. Lessons on what to do are also not new.
The taunt of the Assyrian commander the Rabshakeh was fierce and powerful rhetoric. The recipients of the taunt—officials, secretary and recorder (36:3) were silent because of the king's command of "Do not answer him" (36:21). King Hezekiah's feelings of helplessness due to the presence of the enemy's military outside the city walls nearby caused him to mourn—
Isaiah 37:1–4 Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s Help
[1] As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. [2] And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. [3] They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. [4] It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’” (ESV)
REFLECTION: Is being in the presence of the church community, even being in the church building of any significance? Can God speak to you in your situation of helplessness through other brothers and sisters that He had placed around you, even using architectural designs and any other things that He had created to prompt you to self-search?
We cannot always answer "no point" to everything, especially to God's wonderful creation and the people He had saved out of darkness and now placed near you for your benefit. For King Hezekiah of Judah, he did two things right:
(1) He rightly acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and his own helplessness (37:1).
Some of us are living well, some are not. Not all of us would be on the top of the mountain all the time. There is no need to resign ourselves to the valley permanently. Many of us have the advantages of freedom of religion and freedom from heavy financial burden. We pray to God that the other components of living well would fall into place;
(2) He rightly went into the house of the LORD (37:1).
We do not deny that there are some benefits in consulting lawyers, doctors, certified counselors or psychiatrists, TCM practitioners etc—these have PARTIAL INSIGHTS into how the body, mind or society function and how to live well. Even Hezekiah prepared himself militarily by digging the Hezekiah's Tunnel, a 533-meter-long water tunnel in Jerusalem (refer 2 Kings 20:20, 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, and Isaiah 8:6 for its construction and water source). He secured the city's water supply during the Assyrian siege in 701 BC. You can still wade through it today with waters reaching waist height in the rainy season.
The text just wishes to remind readers that these professionals should NOT replace consulting the one who has TOTAL INSIGHTS, not only of our own bodies and minds but also the future of humanity and the world—The LORD. His method has always been to gather "the remnant that is left" (37:4, 32) for fellowship with Him in eternity. For now, His people can pray—
Isaiah 37:16–20 [16] “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made the heavens and the earth. [17] Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. [18] Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, [19] and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. [20] So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD.” (ESV)
In the end, Sennacherib king of Assyria's army was struck down by the LORD's angel and the king himself was killed by two of his own sons—not in the house of The LORD, but in the house of the king's own god Nisroch! (How ironic is this?) Would you trust The LORD today in our helplessness of whatever kind?
QT 01/04/2025 星期二 以赛亚书 37 无助感和寻求感 ？
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/37
没有什么需要掩饰的—无助的感觉很常见，不仅是现在，在希西家和以赛亚的时代也是如此。关于该怎么做的教训也并不新鲜。
亚述指挥官拉伯沙基的嘲讽是激烈而有力的言辞。接受嘲讽的官员、秘书和记录员（36:3）都保持沉默，因为国王命令他们 “不要回答他”（36:21）。希西家王因城墙外敌人军队的存在而感到无助，这使他悲痛不已。
以赛亚书 37：1-4 希西家寻求以赛亚的帮助
1 希西家王听见了，就撕裂衣服，披上麻布，进了耶和华的殿。2 他差派管家以利亚敬、书记舍伯那和祭司中的长老，都披上麻布，去见亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚先知。3 他们对他说：“希西家这样说：‘今日是急难、责罚和凌辱的日子，就像婴孩快要出生的时候，却没有气力生出来一样。4 也许耶和华你的 神听见拉伯沙基的话，就是他的主人亚述王派他来辱骂永活的 神的话；耶和华你的 神会因他所听见的话斥责他；因此，求你为余剩下来的人献上祷告。’”
反思：在教会群体面前，甚至在教会建筑中思考，有什么意义吗？在你无助的情况下，神能否通过祂安置在周围的其他弟兄姊妹向你说话，甚至利用建筑设计和祂所创造的任何其他事物来促使你进行自我探索？
我们不能总是对所有事情都回答 “没有意义”，尤其是对上帝奇妙的创造和他从黑暗中拯救出来、现在为了你的利益而安置在你身边的人。就犹大王希西家而言，他做对了两件事：
(1) 他正确地认识到了局势的严重性和自己的无助（37:1）。
我们中有些人生活得很好，有些人则不好。不是所有人都能一直站在山顶。我们没有必要永远甘居人下。我们中的许多人都有宗教自由和摆脱沉重经济负担的优势。我们祈求上帝，让我们过上好日子的其他条件都能得到满足；
(2）他义无反顾地进了耶和华的殿（37:1）.
我们不否认咨询律师、医生、认证的心理咨询师或精神科医生、中医师等会有一些益处--他们对身体、心理或社会如何运作以及如何过好日子有 "部分见解"。即使希西家也在军事上做好了准备，他在耶路撒冷挖掘了希西家隧道，这是一条长达 533 米的水隧道（关于隧道的建造和水源，请参阅《列王记下》20:20、《历代志下》32:2-4 和《以赛亚书》8:6）。在公元前 701 年亚述人围攻耶路撒冷期间，他确保了城市的供水。如今，你仍然可以涉水而过，雨季时水位可达到腰部高度。
这篇经文只是想提醒读者，这些人所提供的智慧都不应该取代向那位不仅对我们自己的身心，而且对人类和世界的未来都有 "完全洞察力" 的哪一位--耶和华的咨询。祂的方法一直是聚集 “余剩下来的人”（37:4, 32），以便在永恒中与祂共处。现在，祂的子民可以祷告
以赛亚书 37:16-20 [16] “万军之耶和华，以色列的 神，坐在二基路伯中间的啊！唯独你是地上万国的 神；你创造了天地。17 耶和华啊，求你侧耳而听！耶和华啊，求你开眼察看！要听西拿基立的一切话，就是那差派使者来辱骂永活的 神的。18 耶和华啊！亚述列王果然使列国和他们的土地变成荒凉，19 又把列国的神都扔进火中；因为他们不是神，只是人手所做的，不过是木头和石头，所以他们就灭绝了他们。20 耶和华我们的 神啊！现在求你拯救我们脱离亚述王的手，使地上万国都知道唯有你耶和华是 神。”
最后，亚述王西拿基立的军队被耶和华的使者击溃，国王本人也被自己的两个儿子杀死--不是在耶和华的殿里，而是在国王自己的神尼罗河的殿里被杀！（这有多讽刺？）今天，在我们无助的时候，你会相信耶和华吗？
