QT 08/04/2025 Tue. Isaiah 42. The blessing of choosing and not rejecting His Servant. 拣选而不拒绝祂仆人的祝福。
QT 08/04/2025 Tue. Isaiah 42. The blessing of choosing and not rejecting His Servant.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah42
The LORD would choose someone who is meek to do His will (Isaiah 42:1–4). The ability of The LORD to use someone who is meek to do His will spoke of His greatness. The LORD achieved this even though this Servant did not sound like the thundering giants of Isaiah's era:-
Isaiah 42:2–4 [2] He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; [3] a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. [4] He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. (ESV)
The results of choosing this Servant would enable His followers to sing a new song (Isaiah 42:10–17). Many believers living in the church-age conclude that this Servant is Jesus Christ. The LORD would be unrestrained in showing His power and might in that day. The blind and the lost would find direction.
Isaiah 42:10–12 Sing to the LORD a New Song
[10] Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. [11] Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. [12] Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands. (ESV)
Therefore, readers are urged to be sensitive to God's prompting and not be blind to His deeds (Isaiah 42:18–25). Seeing yet not observing, receiving the sound waves yet not heeding the message (Isaiah 42:20) are simply ways of describing the unrepentant hardened hearts.
Isaiah 42:23–25 [23] Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? [24] Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? [25] So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart. (ESV)
APPLICATION: As the LORD had proven His credentials and sovereignty over nature, history and all of creation, readers are left with the straight forward conclusion of embracing Him. Nevertheless, readers must also be aware of the sinister old self that still lurks within believers today, the old self that (due to old mentality and values) still somehow obstruct these same readers from choosing the obvious and following the path of the LORD. We pray to God to give us victory daily.
QT 08/04/2025 星期二 以赛亚书 42 拣选而不拒绝祂仆人的祝福。
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/42
耶和华会拣选一个温顺的人遵行祂的旨意（以赛亚书42：1-4）。耶和华能够使用一个温顺的人来执行祂的旨意，这说明了祂的伟大。耶和华做到了这一点，尽管这位仆人的声量不像以赛亚时代雷鸣般的巨人：-
以赛亚书 42:2-4 [2] 他不呼喊，也不扬声，也不叫人在街上听见他的声音。[3] 压伤的芦苇，他不折断；将熄灭的灯火，他不吹灭；他忠实地传出公理。[4] 他不灰心，也不沮丧，直到他在地上设立公理，众海岛的人都等候他的教训。
选择这位仆人的结果将使祂的跟随者唱出新歌（以赛亚书 42：10-17）。生活在教会时代的许多信徒都认为这位仆人就是耶稣基督。在那一天，耶和华将肆无忌惮地彰显祂的大能和威力。瞎子和迷失的人会找到方向。
以赛亚书 42:10-12 所有航海的和海中所充满的，众海岛和其上的居民哪！你们都要向耶和华唱新歌，从地极向他发出赞美。11 愿旷野和其中的城镇都扬声；愿基达人居住的村庄都高呼；愿西拉的居民都欢呼，在山顶上吶喊。12 愿他们把荣耀归给耶和华，在众海岛中宣扬对他的颂赞。
因此，我们敦促读者对神的提示保持敏感，不要对神的作为视而不见（以赛亚书 42：18-25）。看见却不观察，接受声波却不听从信息（以赛亚书 42：20），这些都是对不悔改的刚硬之心的简单描述。
以赛亚书 42:23-25 [23] 你们中间谁肯听这话呢？谁肯从今以后留心听呢？ 24 谁把雅各交出来给掠夺者？谁把以色列交给抢劫的呢？岂不是耶和华，就是我们得罪的那位吗？因为他们不肯遵行他的道，也不肯听从他的律法。25 因此，他把他猛烈的怒气和惨酷的战争，倾倒在他身上；这在他四周如火烧起来，他还不知道；把他烧着了，他也不放在心上。
应用：由于耶和华已经证明了祂在自然、历史和所有被造物中的资格和主权，读者可以直接得出拥抱祂的结论。然而，读者也必须意识到今天仍然潜伏在信徒内心的阴险的老我，这个老我（由于旧的心态和价值观）仍然在某种程度上阻碍着这些读者选择显而易见的、跟随耶和华的道路。我们每天都祈求上帝赐予我们胜利。
