Day 13 March 11
Day 13 March 11
Passage: Isaiah 43:1-7
Israel is most precious to God. Verse 3: I have handed over
Egypt as a ransom price, Ethiopia and Seba in place of you. Israel’s precious
value caused God to trade these territories for them, handing them to Pharaoh.
This ransom was like the liberation price of a slave. God bought them with a
heavy price. God said: Since you are precious and special in my sight, and I
love you, I will hand over people in place of you, nations in place of your
life. (v.4) Now, God was making the same sacrifice to deliver them from Exile.
But it also meant that they belonged to God.
But let us not see this “belonging” in commercial terms. The
“servant-master” relationship between God and Israel was one with mutual
commitment and mutual honouring. God as the master had his responsibilities –
he was the servant’s backing. The servant should respect the master, but the
master should respect the servant as well. Since the master once saved the
servant from deep trouble, it was a commitment to the level of “When you pass
through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will
not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the
flames will not harm you.” (verse 2) God will preserve the servant through
thick and thin.
As Israel’s deliverer, God will also gather back the
dispersed. One can only imagine how many races vanished without a trace as
history raged on. It was God’s determination that preserved Israel. Whether at
the extremes of the North and South, God will draw them back. We must especially
note the mention of “daughters” (verse
6). They shall return, just like the sons. We are comforted knowing that
everyone is valued. Though the restoration of the community as a whole is
important, but is it not true that the community is the sum of individuals?
Verse 7 states “everyone who belongs to me”. Indeed, every single one must
return to God’s will in His creation and complete His calling in glory.
Prayer: God, thank you for speaking
these precious words to Israel. Thank you for valuing your people.
第十三天
Mar 11
以色列是耶和华的宝贝。3节说：“我已经使埃及作你的赎价，使衣索匹亚和西巴代替你。” 以色列的可贵使耶和华为了他们把埃及等地交给法老。这赎价就好比为奴隶赎身一样。耶和华以重价把他带回来。耶和华还说：“
我既看你为宝为尊，又因我爱你，我必使人代替你，使列邦替换你的生命”（4节）。所以，如今耶和华也以同样的牺牲使子民能够脱离被放逐的日子。但这也意味着以色列子民是属于耶和华的。
不过，让我们千万不要以商业交易来看待这种的“属于”。神跟以色列的“主仆”关系，其实是一种彼此委身、惺惺相惜的关系。耶和华作为主人，祂有主人的义务--祂是仆人的靠山。仆人需尊重主人，但主人也需尊重仆人。主人既是从水深火热中把他救出来，那就承诺“你从水中经过，我必与你同在；你蹚过江河，水必不漫过你。你从火中行过，必不被烧；火焰必不伤你”，这就是说神必须出手排忧解难。
耶和华作为以色列的救赎者也意味着祂将把失散的子民召集回来。毕竟，有多少的民族就这样被历史冲散得无影无踪
？ 是耶和华的决心保守了他们，不论天南地北，耶和华踏破铁鞋也要把他们招回来。可贵的是，经文特别提到了“众女”（6节）。她们如同“众子”一样要也要归回。我们很欣慰，因为人人都得到重视。虽然群体的复兴是很重要的，但难道群体不就是许多个体组成的吗
？ 7节说：“就是每一个属于我的”。‘每一个’都要回到神创造的心意，完成神荣耀的呼召。
祷告：主耶和华啊，感谢祢对以色列人说的这些很宝贵的话!感谢祢如此的宝贝祢的子民。
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