QT 20/03/2025 Thu. Isaiah 29. Standing in Awe of God the Father. 敬畏天父上帝。

QT 20/03/2025 Thu. Isaiah 29. Standing in Awe of God the Father.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/isaiah29

Isaiah 29:22–24
[22] Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:
“Jacob shall no more be ashamed,
no more shall his face grow pale.
[23] For when he sees his children,
the work of my hands, in his midst,
they will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
[24] And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding,
and those who murmur will accept instruction.” (ESV)

The "therefore" is there for something: To those who sneered at Isaiah's message, he gave the assurance that God will deliver His children and all the world would see that. The human wisdom that sought to manage or control world politics for human glory would all be recognised as flawed and ineffective eventually ("ashamed"). Isaiah looked to that day when God's children would sanctify and bless the name of the LORD and rejoice in His holiness.

REFLECTION: Have you put your trust in someone before, only to be disappointed and disgraced by that decision? God did not disappoint Abraham or Jacob, nor would let others down. Would you put your trust in God and not in other places, and thereby find fruitfulness in life?

The politics of 2024 and 2025 challenged humanity very much—in whom can humanity trust, and NOT be disappointed. In institutions, trade and economics, unions or political blocs? The climate challenges of the present decade seems to visibly suggest that humanity cannot save itself, let alone coming to an agreed plan on how to save the planet.

Isaiah 29 pointed to the solution: only someone outside humanity can save humanity. When the moral integrity of prominent figures come into question (be it the priests, prophets and kings of Isaiah's time or leaders of today) we are reminded that only the Holy God can have sufficient moral calibre to effect a consistent, just and fair solution to solve humanity's pressing problems.

Verse 29:24 spoke of those going astray. Understanding would only come to those who "accept instruction" (29:24) from the Father. Only when worshipers who have come into a relationship with the LORD can pray "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9b, ESV)

QT 20/03/2025 星期四. 以赛亚书 29 敬畏天父上帝
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/isa/29

以赛亚书 29:22-24 因此，曾经救赎亚伯拉罕的耶和华，论到雅各家时，这样说：“雅各今后必不再羞愧，他的脸容也不再变为苍白，23 因为他看见了他的子孙在他中间，就是我手所作的。他们必尊我的名为圣，必尊雅各的圣者为圣，也必敬畏以色列的　神。24 那些心中迷惑的，必明白真理，那些发怨言的，必接受教训。”

“因此" 是有意义的：对于那些对以赛亚的信息嗤之以鼻的人，他向他们保证，上帝会拯救祂的儿女，全世界都会看到这一点。为了人类的荣耀而试图管理或控制世界政治的人类智慧最终都会被认为是有缺陷和无效的（“羞愧”）。以赛亚期待着那一天，上帝的儿女将尊耶和华的名为圣，并为之祝福，在祂的圣洁中喜乐。

反思：你是否曾经信任过某个人，却因这个决定而失望和蒙羞？上帝没有让亚伯拉罕或雅各失望，也不会让其他人失望。你是否愿意把你的信任托付给上帝，而不是其他地方，从而在生活中找到丰硕的果实？

2024 年和 2025 年的政治对人类提出了巨大挑战--人类可以相信谁，而不会失望？是机构、贸易和经济、工会还是政治集团？本十年的气候挑战似乎明显表明，人类无法拯救自己，更不用说就如何拯救地球达成一致计划了。

《以赛亚书》第 29 章指出了解决办法：只有人类之外的那一位神才能拯救人类。当知名人士的道德操守受到质疑时（无论是以赛亚时代的祭司、先知和国王，还是当今的领导人），我们就会想到，只有圣洁的上帝才有足够的道德水准，能够采取一致、公正和公平的办法来解决人类面临的紧迫问题。

第 29:24 节谈到了那些误入歧途，心中迷惑人。只有从天父那里 “接受教训”（29:24）的人才会明白。只有与耶和华建立了关系的敬拜者才能祷告："我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣。(马太福音 6：9下）。