God’s Other Favorites (上帝的其他恩寵)


[WOTS]
1/17/2018


God’s Other Favorites (上帝的其他恩寵)

Isaiah’s Messianic  Hope

Isaiah 19:1-4, 11-25

By Dr. Meiman Lai Saidi

Worldwide Outreach Teaching School

 

Preface: Martha Hsu’s Favorites

             Martha never married, poured her life into others, serving God for life work with a missionary, Mrs. Lillian R. Dickson, Inc., The Mustard Seed in Taiwan. I thought I was Martha’s favorite, she always seemed to find time to talk to me, and I knew she prayed regularly for me. Somehow she made each of our friends feel extra special to her. And, in fact, I believe I am. – by Meiman

            The session from Isaiah’s Messianic Hope, in today reminds us that God has many favorites. Isaiah’s message pointed out 1) the failure of Egypt’s gods and wisdom. Nevertheless, he also proclaimed God’s blessing on them. The message in Isaiah 19 in it, the Lord argued that Egypt’s gods and advisors had failed them. 2) Further, Egypt would eventually come to Judah and seek the Lord’s help. Wonder of wonders, the Egyptians, and even the Assyrians, would become God’s people!- By Jim EDLIN

 

Outlines:

  1. The Failure of Egypt’s Gods (Isaiah 19:1-4) 埃及人的神失敗
  2. The Folly of Egypt’s Advisors (Isaiah 19:11-15) 埃及的智者和官吏的愚蠢

3.   The Favor of Judah’s God (Isaiah 19:16-25) 猶大地的上帝之恩寵 (善意)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

1.  The Failure of Egypt’s Gods (Isaiah 19:1-4) 埃及人的神失敗

 

  1. An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
  2. "I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian-- brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
  3. The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
  4. I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

Egypt, the nation where God’s people were enslaved for 400 years (see Exodus1), was hated by the people of Israel. Yet Judah was considering an alliance with Egypt against Assyria (2 Kings 18:17). But Isaiah warned against this alliance because God would destroy Assyria in His time.

The prosperity from other gods will always fail and bring on confusion and oppression.

 
  1. 論埃及的默示。看哪、耶和華乘駕快雲、臨到埃及．埃及的偶像在他面前戰兢．埃及人的心在裡面消化。
  2. 我必激動埃及人攻擊埃及人、弟兄攻擊弟兄、鄰舍攻擊鄰舍、這城攻擊那城、這國攻擊那國。
  3. 埃及人的心神、必在裡面耗盡．我必敗壞他們的謀略．他們必求問偶像、和念咒的、交鬼的、行巫術的。
  4. 我必將埃及人交在殘忍主的手中．強暴王必轄制他們．這是主萬軍之耶和華說的。

 

 

埃及就是上帝 的百姓在那裏作了四百年的國家(參出一章)，以色列百姓恨意還存。正當猶大考慮同埃及聯盟抗擊亞述時(參王下18:17)，以賽亞警告說不要加入該聯盟，因為上帝會在祂所定的時間裏毀滅亞述。

除了上帝以外埃及人的神都會失敗，並且帶來不安和相反的結果。

 

 

2. The Folly of Egypt’s Advisors (Isaiah 19:11-15) 埃及人對上帝的旨意不懂

  1. The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings"?
  2. Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt.
  3. The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.
  4. The LORD has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.
  5. There is nothing Egypt can do-- head or tail, palm branch or reed.  

Egypt was noted for its wisdom, but here its wise men and officials were deceived and foolish. True wisdom can come only from God. We must ask God for wisdom to guide our decisions, or we will also be uncertain and misdirected. (NIV) –Are you confused about something now? Ask God for wisdom to deal with it.

 
  1. 瑣安的首領、極其愚昧、法老大有智慧的謀士、所籌劃的、成為愚謀．你們怎敢對法老說、我是智慧人的子孫、我是古王的後裔。
  2. 你的智慧人在那裡呢．萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意、他們可以知道、可以告訴你罷。
  3. 瑣安的首領、都變為愚昧、挪弗的首領、都受了迷惑．當埃及支派房角石的使埃及人走錯了路。
  4. 耶和華使乖謬的靈、攙入埃及中間．首領使埃及一切所作的都有差錯、好像醉酒之人嘔吐的時候、東倒西歪一樣。
  5. 埃及中、無論是頭與尾、棕枝與蘆葦、所作之工、都不成就。

埃及人以其智慧著明，但其智者和官吏都是愚蠢的，真正的智慧來自上帝。我們必須向上帝求智慧來引導我們的決定，否則，我們總是不知所措或誤入岐途。現在是否有問題困惑著您呢？如果是這樣，那就要向上帝求智慧來處理。

 

 

 

 

 

 

The prophet knew that one day “the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish” (29:14) Why?  Because Egypt’s wisdom did not come from the One who truly designed the universe, the Lord. The wise ones of Israel asserted, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10; see also Proverbs 1:7) so Isaiah declared that from top to bottom (head or tail) Egypt’s wisdom was bankrupt. (v. 15). -  By Jim Edlin

 

3. The Favor of Judah’s God (Isaiah 19:16-25) 猶大地的上帝之恩寵 (善意)

  1. In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD Almighty raises against them.
  2. And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD Almighty is planning against them.
  3. In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction.
  4. In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border.
  5. It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.
  1. 到那日、埃及人必像婦人一樣．他們必因萬軍之耶和華在埃及以上所掄的手、戰兢懼怕。
  2. 猶大地必使埃及驚恐．向誰提起猶大地、誰就懼怕．這是因萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意。
  3. 當那日埃及地必有五城的人說迦南的方言、又指著萬軍之耶和華起誓．有一城、必稱為滅亡城。
  4. 當那日、在埃及地中必有為耶和華築的一座壇．在埃及的邊界上、必有為耶和華立的一根柱。
  5. 這都要在埃及地為萬軍之耶和華作記號和證據．埃及人因為受人的欺壓哀求耶和華、他就差遣一位救主、作護衛者、拯救他們。

 

 

 

21.  So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them.

22.  The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

23.  In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

24.  In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.

25.  The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."

a)      Verses 19:19, 23 After the chastening of Egypt, it would turn from idols and worship the one true God. Even more amazing is Isaiah’s prophecy that the two chief oppressors of Israel, Egypt and Assyria, would unite in worship. This prophecy will come true “in that day, the future day of Christ’s reign.

b)      Verse 19:20, when Egypt calls to God for help, he will send a savior to deliver them. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is available to all who call upon him. We too can pray and receive His saving power (Jn 1:12)

c)      Verse 19:22, Egypt is but one Gentile nation who will bow before the Lord. Philippians 2:10 & 11 says every knee will bow, every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. So we shouldn’t be surprised that Egyptians and Assyrians are part of the “every”.  Each of us is part of that “every’ too. We may bow now in devotion, or later in submission.

d)      Verse 19:23-25, In Jesus Christ, former enemies may unite in love. In Christ, people and nations that are poles apart politically will bow at his feet as brothers and sisters. Christ breaks down every barrier that threatens relationships (see Ephesians 2:13-19)
  1. 耶和華必被埃及人所認識．在那日埃及人必認識耶和華、也要獻祭物和供物敬拜他、並向耶和華許願還願。
  2. 耶和華必擊打埃及、又擊打、又醫治、埃及人就歸向耶和華．他必應允他們的禱告、醫治他們。
  3. 當那日必有從埃及通亞述去的大道．亞述人要進入埃及、埃及人也進入亞述．埃及人要與亞述人一同敬拜耶和華。
  4. 當那日、以色列必與埃及、亞述三國一律、使地上的人得福．
  5. 因為萬軍之耶和華賜福給他們、說、埃及我的百姓、亞述我手的工作、以色列我的產業、都有福了。

 

 

a)      19:19, 23 埃及在遭受chastening懲罰 之後，會離開偶像去敬拜唯一的真神。以賽亞的預言中更驚奇的說以色列的兩個主要之壓迫者(埃及和亞述，將會聯合敬拜上帝)。這個預言將在未來基督掌權的那一天實現。

b)      19:20, 當埃及問上帝求助的時候，上帝將派唯一救主來救他們。我們的救主耶穌基督是為所有求告祂的人預備的。我們也可用禱告來接受祂的拯救- 約1:12

c)      19:22, 埃及將是向主跪拜的外邦國之一。腓立比書二章十至11節說，萬膝當跪拜，萬口當頌揚，耶穌基督是主。所以我們不該對亞述和埃及成為 “萬口” 中的一分子而感到驚訝。我們每一個人都是 “萬膝萬口” 的一分子，我們現在就可以向主跪拜。

d)      19:23-25, 在耶穌基督裏面，我們可以在愛中與以前的敵人聯合在基督裏，因政治而分開的百姓和民族，將跪倒在祂的腳前成為弟兄姊妹。基督已經清除了所有威脅人繼關係的障礙(參弗二:13-19)

4. CONCLUTION:

            1. Wisdom that does not begin and end with God is foolish. That was pointed by Isaiah and Apostle Paul. Those who trust the wisdom of this world, even that which comes from the most gifted minds of our time, will ultimately fail in life. We might admire the knowledge of exceptional economists, historians, scientists, and technologists who articulate their insights well. Yet if their vast knowledge is not tempered with the wisdom of God it is useless. Even “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” Apostle Paul pointed out in the 1st Corinthians 1:25. God’s smallest thought confounds humankind’s biggest ideas.

            Isaiah declared that the Egyptians will one day receive the same answer to that prayer for Israel. In fact, “the Lord Almighty will bless” even the Assyrians, another enemy of God’s people, in that day (v.25). So the climax of human history will bring about the salvation of Israel’s enemies as well as its people.

            This picture of God’s ultimate hope for Israel’s enemies would have been shocking to ancient Israelites. God obviously had other favorites beside Israel. They were the chosen people. However, the Egyptians and Assyrians were chosen for salvation as well.

 

Point: The magnitude of God’s love cannot be measured. That love envelopes every person in this world. That includes each of us as well as “those other People “we may not like very much. We are all God’s favorites.

要點: 上帝的大愛是無法測量的。上帝的愛包含世界上的每一個人，包括我們以及那些我們不很喜歡的人，因為我們都是上帝的恩寵。