QT 16/02/2025 Sun. Isaiah 5. Unexpected Disappointments of A Love Song. 一首意想不到的失望情歌.
QT 14/02/2025 Fri. Isaiah 5. Unexpected Disappointments of A Love Song
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah5
The Valentine turned up for the date, yet somehow is not present at all. The prophet portrayed The LORD as singing a love song for His beloved people, having expended much attention and effort in nurturing the relationship.
Isaiah 5:1–2
[1] Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
[2] He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes. (ESV)
Yet like a song that goes out of tune suddenly, the results of the LORD's planting ended in disappointment, because the expected product of good grapes did not materialise.
The LORD lamented in Isaiah 5:4, "What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?" The rhetorical question begged the answer, "nothing more". The focus of the critique was actually not farming technique, but the text explained this was instead the bloodshed and outcry against unrighteousness committed by "the house of Israel, and the men of Judah" (5:7). Land grabbing (5:8–9) and drunkenness (5:11–12) too plagued His people. More unexpected reversals of values and outcomes followed—
Isaiah 5:20–23
[20] Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
[21] Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!
[22] Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
[23] who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
and deprive the innocent of his right! (ESV)
REFLECTION: Some of us have experienced the pain of having the person sitting in front of you yet you know deep down that the mind and attention are elsewhere. Would a similar analysis describe your relationship when you are with The LORD in worship, with His Word in nurturing class or with His church in your CG?
Isaiah displayed vividly the consequences of rejecting the LORD or despising His Word: stubble, flame, rottenness and dust (5:24). Being struck, rubbished and anger (5:25). Ultimately, exile (5:26). The LORD is powerful enough (like lions and warriors, 5:27-30) to effect these consequences on the disobedient, haughty and the corrupt, with none to rescue.
REFLECTION: As New Testament era believers who have knowledge of all the goodness and grace bestowed by God through Jesus Christ, rejection of Him carries with it dire consequences, if not more. What events of my life this particular week might risk or jeopardize my love song with the LORD?
QT 16/02/2025 星期五. 以赛亚书 5. 一首意想不到的失望情歌.
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/5
情人来赴约了，却不知为何根本"魂不在场"。先知把耶和华描绘成为祂所爱的子民唱情歌的人，祂花了许多心思和精力来培养这种关系。
以赛亚书 5：1-2 我要为我所爱的唱歌，这歌是关于他的葡萄园：我所爱的人有一个葡萄园，在肥美的山冈上。2 他把园子周围的泥土挖松了，捡去石头，栽种了上好的葡萄树；在园中建造了一座守望楼，又凿了一个榨酒池。他期望结出好葡萄，却结出野葡萄。
然而，就像一首突然走调的歌一样，耶和华种植的结果以失望告终，因为预期的好葡萄产品并没有实现。
耶和华在以赛亚书 5：4 中感叹道："我为我的葡萄园所作的以外，还有什么要作的呢？” 这个反问的答案是 “没有什么了”。实际上，批评的重点并不是耕作技术，但经文解释说，这反而是对 “以色列家...犹大人”（5：7）不义行为的血腥屠杀和强烈抗议。抢夺土地（5：8-9）和酗酒（5：11-12）也困扰着祂的子民。随之而来的是更多意想不到的价值观和结果的逆转--
以赛亚书 5:20-23 那些称恶为善，称善为恶，以暗为光，以光为暗，以苦为甜，以甜为苦的人，有祸了！ 21 那些自以为有智慧，自视为聪明的人，有祸了！ 22 那些勇于喝酒，又精于调和浓酒的人，有祸了！23 他们因受了贿赂，就称恶人为义；却把义人的权益夺去。
反思：我们中的一些人经历过这样的痛苦：你的面前坐着一个人，但你深知他的心思和注意力都在别处。当你在敬拜中与耶和华在一起，在培育班上学习祂的话语，或在小组、团契中与神其他的肢体在一起时，类似的分析会描述你的关系吗？
以赛亚生动地展示了拒绝耶和华或轻视祂的话语的后果：秸秆、火焰、腐烂和尘土（5:24）。被击打、辱骂和愤怒（5:25）。最终，被虏到他乡（5:26）。耶和华有足够的能力（如狮子和勇士，5:27-30）对悖逆者、傲慢者和堕落者造成这些后果，没有人可以拯救。
反思：作为新约时代的信徒，我们了解神通过耶稣基督赐予我们的一切良善和恩典，拒绝祂会带来可怕的后果，甚至更多。本周我生命中的哪些事件可能会危及我与耶和华之间的爱之情歌呢？
