QT 14/04/2025 Mon. Isaiah 46. Who is carrying who? 谁背着谁？
QT 14/04/2025 Mon. Isaiah 46. Who is carrying who?
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah46
Bel and Nebo (46:1), depicted here as participating in the New Year festival procession, are the two main gods of Babylon during Isaiah’s time. The inclination of worshiping idols by God’s people then had to be dealt with once and for all. This was because God is superior to all pagan gods however we do the comparisons.
The prophet’s argument starts with the question of how a god that has to be carried around itself (46:1–2) going to ever save Israel, or any other persons or nations for that matter? These Babylonian gods “cannot move”, “does not answer” and cannot save worshipers from trouble (46:7).
On the other hand, The LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob excels in being able to save His believers from every problem in life.
Isaiah 45:17 But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. (ESV)
Isaiah 46:3–4 [3] “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; [4] even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. (ESV)
Whether in a festival or an emergency, the humans and the animals that were deployed (46:7) have to use their own energy to deliver these gods from harm or enable them to participate in the festival by moving them!
But The LORD had been carrying Israel from the beginning, “carried from the womb” (46:3). In fact, The LORD had been carrying you from the beginning of your life,
REFLECTION: Once in a while, believers today might be considering alternatives to The LORD, or at least comparing alternative religious lifestyles. The question is whether we trust sculptures made by the will, raw materials and artisans’ skills more than the LORD? Who is carrying who? Settle it once and for all. The LORD carries you.
QT 14/04/2025 星期一 以赛亚书 46. 谁背着谁？
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/46
彼勒和尼波（46:1）在这里被描绘成参加新年节日游行的偶像，他们是以赛亚所处时代巴比伦的两大主神。上帝的子民崇拜偶像的倾向必须一劳永逸地解决。这是因为，无论我们如何比较，上帝都优于所有异教神灵。
先知的论点始于这样一个问题：一个必须被人随身携带的神（46:1-2）如何拯救以色列人，或任何其他人或国家？这些巴比伦神不能自己移动、“不能回答”，也不能拯救崇拜者脱离困境（46：7）。
另一方面，耶和华--亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的神--却能拯救信徒脱离生活中的一切困境。
以赛亚书 45:17 唯有以色列必靠着耶和华得救，得着永远的拯救；你们必不蒙羞，也不受辱，直到永远。
以赛亚书 46:3-4 [3] “雅各家啊，以色列家所有余剩的人哪！你们都要听我的话，你们自出母腹，就蒙我怀抱；自出母胎，就蒙我提携。4 直到你们年老，我还是一样；直到你们发白，我仍然怀抱你。我以前既然这样作了，以后我仍必提携你；我必怀抱你，也必拯救你。
无论是在祭祀还是紧急情况下，人类和被调配的动物（46:7）都必须用自己的力量使这些神灵免受伤害，或者通过人或动物去移动它们使它们能够参与祭祀！
但是，耶和华从一开始，“自出母腹”，以色列人 就蒙神怀抱及提携。事实上，耶和华从你生命的一开始就在携带你。
反思：今天的信徒可能偶尔会考虑耶和华的替代品，或者至少会比较其他的信仰生活方式。问题是，我们是否更相信由意志、原材料和工匠的技艺制成的雕塑，而不是耶和华？谁在承载谁？一劳永逸地解决这个问题。是耶和华背着你。
