Day 11 March 09
Day 11 March 09
Passage: Isaiah 42:10-17
When Christians are in a dilemma, they often pray to God for
wisdom and a way out. But have you wondered if God ever had times of dilemma?
The one who “have been inactive for a long time; kept quiet
and held back” is referring to God. God also restrained himself at times, into
inactivity and quietness. Because when God acts, “I will make the trees on the
mountains and hills wither up; I will dry up all their vegetation.” (verse 15),
there will be killing that leads to death. “I will lead the blind along
an unfamiliar way;…I will turn the darkness in front of them into light, and
level out the rough ground.” (verse 16) This is how saving the oppressed and
the helpless will lead to life. To do the latter, there must first be
actions of the former, and God was in a dilemma. Though God was willing to save
the oppressed and the helpless, even to sacrifice Himself as a ransom, he was
unwilling to end the lives of those who were evil. This shows God’s merciful
heart, like a parent to a child.
But even when torn, holding back, waiting, up to a certain
point, He must redress the wronged. When God’s fervor is displayed, two
imageries appear, like a warrior (verse 13) and like a woman in labour (verse
14). Through shouts, yells and groans, he upholds justice for the persecuted.
Though there are many instances of God in battle in the Old
Testament, like the times of Exodus or the entrance into Canaan, but because
the biblical records span many generations, many in history have yet to see God
in battle. Thus it seems God is often in a state of inactivity. But today’s
passage indicates that God is not slow or unapproachable, or not listening to
the pleas of those waiting for salvation.
Our times are filled with chaos and injustice, do we pray for
the wronged? God hears the prayers of his children.
第十一天
Mar 09
经文：以赛亚书
42:10-17
基督徒在左右为难、彷徨无助的时候往往向上帝祷告祈求智慧和出路。但可曾想过，连上帝也有“左右为难”的时候？ 14节“许久没有行动，静默不语”中的“我”是指上帝。原来上帝也有自我克制的时候，“许久”、“没有行动”、“ 静默”。因为他一行动，“大山小冈的树木枯萎，使花草枯萎”（42:15）就有杀戮，带来“死”；“引瞎子行不认识的道……我必在他们面前使黑暗变为光明，使崎岖变为平坦”（42:16）是拯救受屈者、无助者，带来“生”。如果做到后者，就必须有前者的行动，而上帝为难了，因为上帝虽极为愿意拯救受屈者、无助者，甚至愿为救赎而舍身，但他祂不愿下手结束作恶者的生命，这展现了上帝的怜悯之心，有如父母对自己的孩子一样。
但是即使是为难着、拖延着、等待着，到了一定的程度，也非要为那些受屈者申冤不可了。这个时候上帝的火热迸发出来，出现了两个形象，一个犹如勇士一般（42:13），一个如同临盆的妇人（42:14），在喊叫和急促喘息中，为受屈者伸张正义。
旧约虽多处提及上帝征战的事迹，如在出埃及、进入迦南的时代，但由于《圣经》所记载的乃是跨越多代的长篇叙述，古往今来很多人在一生当中都未曾看到上帝出面来征战，因此看起来上帝似乎经常在“不动”的状态，但今天看到的经文表明：上帝绝非动作缓慢、遥不可及、或听不见等待施救之人的求告。
我们的时代充满着动乱和不公，我们是否常为受屈者代求，因上帝是愿意听见祂子女祷告的？
祷告：上帝祢是愿意听祷告的，我要为……（受屈者）来祷告，祈求祢时候到了，为他们申冤!
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