Scripture Reading : Isaiah 57
Theme : Grace to the Contrite
Description of the Wicked (1-13).
The ungodly are like children who are foolish and stubborn. They foolishly misjudge God’s deeds. God takes the righteous away from the world so that they can rest and not experience the ugliness of war and exile, but the foolish does not understand this even in light of God’s revelation. The wicked love their idols and sins, even to the point of sacrificing their children and participating in ritual sex as part of their idol worship. God patiently waits for them to repent but they misjudged God’s patience and thought God will never judge them. The wicked are weary from their sins but they are able to find new strength to continue to sin. At the end, God will reveal their shame and guilt. He will punish them.
Comfort for the Contrite (14-21).
In contrast to God’s judgment on the wicked sinners, God comforts the contrite sinners. Even though God is in the highest, He gives grace to the lowly, the humble, those who are broken by their sins and begs God to forgive them as hopeless sinners who are always in need of God’s grace and forgiveness (Matt. 5:2-3).
Praying the Scripture
It is important to understand that not everyone sins as badly as these Jews. However, apart from a life under the Lordship of God, everyone’s trajectory in life is toward the lifestyle of these Jews. Their trajectory in life is hell. It is not those who sin badly that go to hell, everyone who breaks any of God’s laws deserve to be punish by a righteous God. The severity of one’s punishment in hell will be determined by how bad they have sinned (Matt. 11:24). It is indeed good news, that God comforts the contrite sinners by revealing to us the only way of salvation is through Jesus. God abolishes our fears through Jesus (Luke 2:10) since we are hopeless sinners. How wonderful that God in the highest would love lowly people who humble themselves to beg for salvation from God. God will heal whoever humbles himself before Him. Pray that you will cultivate humility daily because God is humble and we should be like God.
经文：以赛亚书57
主题：向痛悔之人施恩
恶人的描述（1-13）。
不敬虔的人就像又傻又固执的孩子。他们愚昧地误解了神的作为。神从世界收去义人的原因是叫他们能安歇，无需经历战争和流放的痛苦，但愚昧人就是得到了神的启示仍不明白这一点。恶人喜爱他们的偶像和罪行，以致甘愿为拜偶像牺牲自己的孩子，还参加仪式上的性行为。神耐心地等着他们悔改，但他们曲解神的耐心，以为神永远不会审判他们。他们会因自己的罪感到疲乏，但仍能找到复兴之力继续犯罪。最后，神会揭示他们的羞耻与愧疚。神要惩罚他们。
痛悔之人的安慰（14-21）。
神要审判邪恶的罪人，但要安慰痛悔的罪人。虽然神是至高的神，但祂向卑微、虚心的人施恩，即因自己的罪哀恸，并求神原谅他们这等无助并常常需要神施恩与赦免的罪人（太5:2-3）。
用经文祷告
我们必须明白不是每一个人都像犹太人那样严重犯罪。可是，若不认神是主，不按神的旨意行事，每个人的生命趋向就是犹太人的生活方式——他们今生都是向地狱走去。不是犯下重罪的人才会下地狱；凡犯了神任何一条诫命都应当受到公义之神的审判。一人在地狱里要受到多重的惩罚将取决于他犯下多重的罪（太11:24）。因此，神安慰痛悔的罪人，向我们启示得救的唯一道路是藉着耶稣——这确实是好消息。神藉着耶稣除去我们是无助罪人的恐惧（路2:10）。神是至高者，但愿意爱虚己并向神求拯救的谦卑人，这何等美妙啊。神会医治凡在祂面前谦卑自己的人。祷告你会每日培养谦卑的心，因为神是谦卑的，而我们当效法神。
