QT 05/03/2025 Wed. Isaiah 18. Insurance with God? 上帝的保险？
QT 05/03/2025 Wed. Isaiah 18. Insurance with God?
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah18
With the "Ah" of 18:1, the prophet calls for readers' attention to what God would do again as readers attempt to get the insurance and assurances of the good life without God's participation.
The text now turns southward to Cush, a likely area south of Egypt in Africa. "Messengers" of Isaiah's time, like ambassadors of today, scuttle between political powers of all types and sizes in an attempt to secure national interests and other interests.
REFLECTION: Do you feel that God sits idly by when bad things happen to His people and ministry? What do we do when we reach some of these doldrums in life?
Isaiah 18:4–6
[4] For thus the LORD said to me:
“I will quietly look from my dwelling
like clear heat in sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
[5] For before the harvest, when the blossom is over,
and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks,
and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.
[6] They shall all of them be left
to the birds of prey of the mountains
and to the beasts of the earth.
And the birds of prey will summer on them,
and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them. (ESV)
The text assures readers that God is not silent, but is looking quietly from His dwelling (18:4). God's superintendence might at times be quiet and unassuming, like dew in the clouds and the heat that ripens (18:4). Slowly but surely, God is moving things forward according to His will.
REFLECTION: Can you recall the last time when you look back at your own history or world history, you see the unmistakable hand of God in that? Can your assurance of all things good include that invisible and visible hand of God?
Isaiah 18:7
[7] 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. (ESV)
"At that time" comforts readers of the inevitability of the nations coming to the LORD of hosts for worship. The fact that these worshippers would be formidable in many areas would not prevent them from worshipping God. With these assurances in view, would we give God our thanks and sincere worship this week?
QT 05/03/2025 星期三. 以赛亚书 18. 上帝的保险？
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/18
当读者试图在没有上帝参与的情况下获得美好生活的保险和保证时，先知用18:1的 “唉” 字 (和合本)呼吁读者注意上帝会再次做什么。
现在，文本转向南方的库施，这可能是非洲埃及以南的一个地区。以赛亚时代的 “使者”，就像今天的大使一样，穿梭于各种类型和规模的政治势力之间，试图确保国家利益和其他利益。
反思：当神的子民和事工遭遇不幸时，你是否觉得神会袖手旁观？当我们在生活中遇到这些低谷时，我们该怎么办？
以赛亚书 18：4-6 耶和华对我这样说，我要安静，在我的居所观看，如同日光中的清热，又如露水的云雾在收割的热天。5 收割之先，花开已谢，花也成了将熟的葡萄，他必用镰刀削去嫩枝，又砍掉蔓延的枝条。 6 都要撇给山间的鸷鸟，和地上的野兽。夏天鸷鸟要宿在其上，冬天野兽都卧在其中。
这段经文向读者保证，上帝并不沉默，而是在祂的居所静静地看着（18：4）。上帝的监督有时可能是安静而不张扬的，就像云中的露水和成熟的热气（18：4）。神正按照祂的旨意缓慢而坚定地推动着事情的发展。
反思：当你回顾自己的过去或世界历史时，能回想起看到的那双无可否认的上帝之手吗？在你对一切美好事物的确信中，是否包括上帝那双看不见摸不着的手？
以赛亚书 18：7 到那时这高大光滑的民，就是从开国以来极其可畏，分地界践踏人的，他们的地有江河分开，他们必将礼物奉给万军之耶和华，就是奉到锡安山，耶和华安置他名的地方。
“那时” 让读者感到欣慰的是，万国来到万军之耶和华面前敬拜是不可避免的。尽管这些敬拜者在许多方面都很强大，但这并不妨碍他们敬拜上帝。有了这些保证，我们是否愿意在本周向上帝献上我们的感谢和真诚的敬拜呢？
