Scripture Reading : Isaiah 10:5-34
Theme : Assyrians as Pattern of End Time Antichrist
The Rod of God’s Anger (5-19). Because of Israel’s sins, God will use Assyria as the rod of His anger to punish Israel. Assyria is already evil, God directs their evil toward Israel (Prov. 21:1). But God will also punish Assyria for their pride and evil. Assyria was eventually destroyed by the Babylonians.
End Times Anger and Restoration (20-34). The phrase “in that day” in OT prophetic literature almost always refers to the end times. Assyrians serve as a pattern/type of the end time antichrist and his army. In the end times, Israel will again be attacked and be desolated by surrounding nations because of their rejection of Jesus (a repeated theme in OT prophets), just as Assyrians had attacked and desolated Israel. The antichrist and his armies will march through Israel: Aiath, Migron, Michmash and etc (vv. 28-32). But God will deliver them through the promised Messiah in 9:6, who will destroy the end times Assyrians like in the day of Midian (cf. 9:4) and break the yoke of the end times Assyrians from Israel. In the end times, Lebanon is one of the surrounding nations that will attack Israel but will be destroyed by God (v. 34).
Praying the Scripture
- Reading OT prophets can be depressing because there are so much talk about sin, wars, death and destruction. But we must realize that this is not the end. The end is a restored world where Jesus will reconcile the world to God through Him (Col. 1:20). Death and destruction must come because of human sins, but there is hope in the end. Hope gets us through. Just as we can be depressed by so much death and terrorism in the world, we keep depression at bay because of our real hope and prayer is that Jesus will return soon and put an end to this. God also gives us the grace to live for Him every day and to share the gospel with unbelievers. Maranatha (Our Lord, Come! 1 Cor. 16:22).
经文：以赛亚书10:5-34
主题：亚述为末日敌基督者的类型
神怒气的棍（5-19）。因着以色列的罪，神会使用亚述为祂怒气的棍惩罚以色列。亚述已经行恶多端，而神将他们的邪恶指向以色列（箴21:1）。可是，神也会惩罚亚述的高傲和恶行。亚述最终会被巴比伦灭绝。
末日的怒气和复兴（20-34）。“到那日”这句话在旧约预言书里几乎都是指末日的时候。亚述就是末日敌基督者及其军队的一个类型。末日之时，以色列会再次受到周遭列国的攻击，成为荒地，因为他们执意拒绝耶稣（旧约先知书一个重复性的主题），犹如亚述曾攻击以色列一样，使她成为一片荒地。敌基督的与他的军队将横扫以色列：亚叶、米矶仑、密抹等（28-32节），但神将借着在9:6被应许的弥赛亚搭救他们，消灭末日时的亚述，犹如杀戮米甸人一样（参：9:4），撑断末日亚述加在以色列颈项的轭。末日时，黎巴嫩将会是其中攻击以色列但又被神消灭的邻国之一。
用经文祷告
- 读旧约先知书可能会让人感到沮丧，因为它持续提到罪、战争、死亡和毁灭。然而，我们必须知道那不是结局；结局乃是一个复兴的世界，是神借着耶稣使万有与自己和好的时候（西1:20）。人因着自己的罪必须面对死亡和毁灭，但我们不是没有盼望的。盼望能支撑我们经受煎熬。我们也必须信靠神，相信这是祂与世界和好的最佳方式。虽然我们可能因世界的诸多死亡和恐怖主义分子的存在感到沮丧，但我们不至于绝望，因为我们真正的盼望和祷告是耶稣尽早归来，将这一切终止。神每日也赐予我们恩典，叫我们能为祂而活，向非信徒传讲福音。主必要来！
