14 Jan 2016, Isaiah 52:1-12 以赛亚书 52:1-12, End Times Salvation of Israel 以色列末日的拯救

Posted on Jan 11, 2016 in Devotions, Isaiah |

Scripture Reading  : Isaiah 52:1-12

Theme                  : End Times Salvation of Israel

 

God issues another wake up call to spiritually dead Israel in the end times. This call is applicable to all non-believers in every generation. When His salvation comes to Israel in the end, the exiled/captured Jews will believe in God through Jesus and cast off the bondage of their slavery from their captors. The end times Jews will have been sold as slaves to their captors for no money, just as their Assyrians captors had sold them into slavery for nothing. This is another foreshadow in the OT about the end times. But in their greatest moment of despair the Messiah will come to rescue them. This news of salvation will be spread to all Jews (v. 7) by messengers in the end times. Paul applies this verse to those who spread the good news of the gospel because those who believe in the gospel will also enjoy God’s salvation and the Messianic kingdom (Rom. 10:15). The Jews will experience another exodus in the end times that is similar to the first exodus in Egypt, except it will be much better (cf. Hosea 2:14-15). This time, the Jews will not return in haste because their captors will treat them well and aid them (v. 12, cf 49:22-23). God will comfort Israel completely and eternally in the end times.

 

Praying the Scripture

This passage speaks of eternal comfort to the Jews, but it also applies to all Christians. Our ultimate comfort will be realized when Jesus returns the second time to remove unrighteousness and to restore this broken world that is full of death, violence, jealousy, hatred, irreverence, sexual perversion and evil that torment our soul. We are pilgrims, sojourners in this broken world. Our ultimate destination is not this world, but in the future world when Jesus reigns and we get to help him to reign the world in righteousness. Although we are sojourners, we not isolationists who hide our light under a basket by disengaging ourselves from the world and just wait for God to destroy this world. We are called to be salt and light to this broken world in order to save non-believers. Jesus came to seek the lost and has called us to be like Him by seeking the lost also. Pray that God’s eternal comfort will not cause you to be complacent or be an isolationist, but imitate the glorious character of Christ by being salt and light confidently and graciously.

经文：以赛亚书52:1-12

主题：以色列末日的拯救

 

神在末日又向灵里已死的以色列鼓响警钟。这个警钟亦是向每一代的非信徒发起的。当神的拯救最后临到以色列，被掳的犹太人会藉着耶稣相信神，并解开敌人在他们颈项上所加的锁链。末日的犹太人会以无价被卖作他们征服者的奴仆，如同征服以色列的亚述人将他们无价售卖为奴一样。这又是旧约对末日的另一个预示。然而，正当他们面临极度的绝望时，弥赛亚将拯救他们。救恩的佳音将由末日的使者传到所有犹太人耳中（7节）。保罗亦将这节经文运用在凡传福音之佳信的人，因为信靠福音的也会得享神的救恩及弥赛亚国度（罗10:15）。犹太人在末日将经历同首次出埃及时的大迁移，而且经历会更好（参何2:14-15）。这一次，犹太人不再急忙奔逃，因为他们的征服者会善待并帮助他们（12节；参49:22-23）。末日时，神会完全并永久地安慰以色列。


用经文祷告

这段经文虽然是对着犹太人讲述永恒安慰，但其信息也是予所有基督徒的。我们最大的安慰将在耶稣二次归来时实现；那时，祂将除去一切不义，复兴这个充满死亡、暴力、妒忌、愤恨、不敬虔、性变态、恶毒，叫我们心灵受煎熬的世界。我们是这个破碎世界里的客旅、过客。我们最终的目的地不是这个世界，而是耶稣未来统治的世界；那时候，我们将助祂凭公义管理世界。我们虽然是客旅，但也不是将灯放在斗底下的孤立者，不与世界交流，只等待神毁灭这世界。我们被召要在这破碎的世界里做盐做光，救非信徒。耶稣已来寻找失丧者，并呼召我们要像祂一样如此行。祷告神的永恒安慰不会叫你自满或与世孤立，乃促使你效法基督荣耀的品性，满怀信心地恩待他人，作世上的盐和光。