QT 10/04/2025 Thu. Isaiah 44. The left over wood? 剩下的木头？

QT 10/04/2025 Thu. Isaiah 44. The left over wood?
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah44

Isaiah 44:14–17 [14] He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. [15] Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. [16] Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” [17] And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” (ESV)

The above was Isaiah's portrayal of the idol makers of his days and the folly of idolatry (Isaiah 44:6–20). The raw material of wood (be it cypress or oak) was used for fuel for warmth, cooking and making it into an idol to fall down before it. The fact that the sources of the idol were on the same level as heating and cooking fuel displayed to the discerning that these cannot be worthy of worship.

REFLECTION: Are we placing our trust or hope in someone that is worthy of our trust, or in something that cannot even act by itself? Have we misdirected our trust onto any part of creation rather than the Creator?

Note that the passages before and after Isaiah 44:14–17 depicted The LORD who FORMED Israel, Jacob and His servant.

Isaiah 44:1–3 Israel the LORD’s Chosen [1] “But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! [2] Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. [3] For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. (ESV)

The following verses bracketed the passage which referred to idols:-

Isaiah 44:21–22 The LORD Redeems Israel [21] Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. [22] I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. (ESV)

Clearly, it was not humans who can make gods using tools. Rather, it was The LORD who "formed" His people.

APPLICATION: Choose the Creator rather than any substance made with any matter from the chemistry periodic table—iron, copper, carbon or oxygen etc etc, even though these items, or their combinations, have been used to fashion idols frequently in history, even today.

Isaiah 44:28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” (ESV)

Isaiah 44:28 had been a "problematic" verse for some interpreters who assumed that The LORD cannot foretell the future (some of these interpreters do not believe in miracles in the first place). However, The LORD named Cyrus many years before Cyrus came onto the world scene. Others sneered at the pagan emperor Cyrus as being called "my shepherd". They asked how someone unclean or un-purified by Jewish laws could fulfill God's purpose?

REFLECTION: If David's household disregarded God and His laws, God could and would find another avenue to keep His ancient promises to David and those faithfuls who come after David. It was possible for the foreigner Ruth. We do well to check our actions/lifestyles periodically, on whether we follow the footsteps of the faithful, regardless of how near or far we are associated with The LORD in name.

QT 10/04/2025 星期四 以赛亚书 44 剩下的木头？
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/44

以赛亚书 44:14-17  他为自己砍伐香柏树，或选取榆树和橡树，让它在树林中长起来；他栽种松树，让雨水使它长大。15 人可以用这树作燃料，可以拿来生火取暖，又可以烧着烤饼；人竟然用它做神像敬拜，他做了雕刻的偶像，又向它叩拜。16 他把木头的一半放在火里燃烧；在上面烤肉；吃了烤肉，并且吃饱了，就自己烤火取暖，说：“哈哈！我暖和了，我看见火了。” 17 他用剩下来的一半做了一个神像，就是他雕刻的偶像，他向它俯伏，向它敬拜，又向它祷告，说：“求你救我，因为你是我的神。”

以上是以赛亚对他那个时代的偶像制造者和偶像崇拜的愚蠢的描绘（以赛亚书 44：6-20）。木材（无论是柏木还是橡木）的原材料被用作取暖、烹饪的燃料，并被制成偶像，让人拜倒在它面前。偶像的来源与取暖和做饭的燃料处于同一水平，这向明眼人表明，这些都不值得敬拜。

反思：我们是把信任或希望寄托在值得我们信任的人身上，还是寄托在自己都无法行动的事物上？我们是否把我们的信任错误地投向了造物的任何部分，而不是造物主？

请注意，以赛亚书 44:14-17 前后的经文描绘的是塑造以色列、雅各和他的仆人的耶和华。

以赛亚书 44:1-3 “但现在，我的仆人雅各，我所拣选的以色列啊！你要听。2 那创造你，从母胎里就塑造了你，又要帮助你的耶和华这样说：我的仆人雅各啊！我所拣选的耶书仑啊！你不要惧怕。3 因为我要把水浇灌干渴之处，把河水浇灌干旱之地；我必把我的灵浇灌你的后裔，把我的福降给你的子孙。

以下经文括弧中提到了偶像：

以赛亚书 44:21-22  雅各和以色列啊！要记念这些话，因为你是我的仆人。我造了你，是要你作我的仆人；以色列啊！你必不会被我忘记。22 我涂抹了你的过犯，像密云消散；我涂抹了你的罪恶，如薄云灭没，你当归向我，因为我救赎了你。

显然，不是人类可以用工具造神。相反，是耶和华 “塑造” 了祂的子民。

应用：选择造物主，而不是用化学元素周期表中的任何物质--铁、铜、碳或氧等等--制造的任何物质，尽管这些物质或它们的组合在历史上甚至今天都经常被用来制造偶像。

以赛亚书 44:28 我对古列说：‘我的牧人；他必成就我所喜悦的一切。’他要对耶路撒冷说：‘你必被重建起来！’他必对圣殿说：‘你的根基要奠定！’”

以赛亚书 44:28 对于一些解释者来说是一节 “有问题” 的经文，他们认为耶和华不能预言未来（其中一些解释者本来就不相信神迹）。然而，耶和华在居鲁士出现在世界舞台之前的许多年就已经点了居鲁士的名。还有人嘲笑异教徒皇帝居鲁士被称为 “我的牧人”。他们问，一个不洁净或未按犹太律法洁净的人怎么能实现上帝的旨意呢？

反思：如果大卫的家族无视上帝和祂的律法，上帝可以也会找到另一种途径来履行祂对大卫和大卫之后的忠信者的古老应许。外族人《路得》就是这样做的。我们应该定期检查自己的行为/生活方式，看看自己是否追随忠心者的脚步，无论我们与耶和华的名分有多近或多远。