2024-04-08 周一 耶和华对以色列安慰的话

经文:你们的神说,你们要安慰、安慰我的百姓。要对耶路撒冷的心说话……(赛四十1-2,另译)

以赛亚书的两段

以赛亚书可分为两段。头一段由前三十九章组成,第二段由末了二十七章组成。四十章是第二段的头一章,给我们看见基督是耶和华救主。在四十章里,这位包罗万有之基督的启示,在此基督被启示为耶和华救主,作为好信息。

耶和华向以色列说安慰的话,开头乃是福音

以赛亚书并不容易明白,四十章可视为这卷书最难的一章。以赛亚写这章的方式很美妙,说到关于施浸者约翰确定的豫言。四十至六十六章,总共二十七章,可视为耶和华对祂受惩治、蒙拣选的子民以色列所说的一句话,这话乃是安慰的话。以赛亚在头三十五章里,对于以色列没有好的感觉。他责备、定罪并暴露以色列到极点。耶利米在这一面比以赛亚更强烈,他一再指出以色列是多么邪恶。以赛亚书头三十五章充满了他对以色列的责备。三十六至三十九章是插进来的一段,说到一个人-希西家。在这短短的四章历史后,以赛亚的语调完全改变了。不再有责备或定罪; 反而有耶和华向以色列所说安慰的话,而耶和华这话的开头乃是福音。以赛亚在四十章九节说,“看哪,你们的神!”只要神在这里,福音就在这里。

神亲自成了肉体,那就是祂的临到人

新约给我们看见,神成了耶稣这位成为肉体者临到人。神亲自成了肉体(约一1,14),那就是祂的临到人。创世记十八章记载神如何临到亚伯拉罕。祂与两位天使来访问亚伯拉罕。祂与这两位天使都是以人的形状临到亚伯拉罕,但耶稣是以不同的方式来到。祂是以成为肉体的方式来到,就是进到人的里面,成了一个人,直接有分于人的人性,有分于人的血肉。为着祂的来,需要有一个先锋,将这位成为肉体的神引荐给祂的子民。这位先锋就是施浸者约翰。新约开始于约翰给这位成为肉体之神的引进、引荐和介绍。

请享受生命诗歌21首 (点击诗歌名)


Jehovah’s Word of Comfort to Israel — Isa. 40:1-2

The Book of Isaiah Has Two Sections

The book of Isaiah may be divided into two sections. The first section is composed of the first thirty-nine chapters, and the second section is composed of the final twenty-seven chapters. Chapter forty, the first chapter in the second section, shows us Christ as Jehovah the Savior. The revelation of the all-inclusive Christ in Isaiah 40, where Christ is revealed as Jehovah the Savior, as the glad tidings.

Jehovah’s Word of Comfort to Israel — Its Beginning Word is Glad Tidings

The book of Isaiah is not easy to understand. Chapter forty may be considered as the most difficult chapter in this book. Isaiah wrote this chapter in a marvelous way with a definite prophecy concerning John the Baptist. Chapters forty through sixty-six, altogether twenty-seven chapters, may be considered as one word from Jehovah to His chastised, chosen people, Israel. This word is a word of comfort. In the first thirty-five chapters, Isaiah did not have a good feeling about Israel. He rebuked, condemned and exposed Israel to the uttermost. Jeremiah is even stronger than Isaiah in this respect. He points out repeatedly how evil Israel is. The first thirty-five chapters of Isaiah are full of his rebuking of Israel. Chapters thirty-six through thirty-nine are an interval concerning one person — Hezekiah. After this short history of four chapters, Isaiah’s tone altogether changes. There is no more rebuking or condemnation. Instead there is Jehovah’s word of comfort to Israel, and the beginning of the word of Jehovah is the glad tidings. Isaiah says in 40:9, “Here is your God!” As long as God is here, the glad tidings are here.

God Was Incarnated – That Was His Coming to Man

The New Testament shows that God came to man as Jesus, the incarnated One. God Himself was incarnated (John 1:1, 14). That was His coming to man. Genesis 18 records how God came to Abraham. He came with two angels to visit Abraham. He and these angels all were in the form of men when they came to Abraham, but Jesus came in a different way. He came in the way of incarnation, the way of entering into man and becoming a man to directly participate in man’s humanity, partaking of man’s blood and flesh. For His coming there was the need of a forerunner to usher in the incarnated God to His people. This forerunner was John the Baptist. The New Testament opens with John’s ushering, recommendation and introduction of the incarnated God.