Day 24 March 24


Day 24 March 24

Passage: Isaiah 46: 3-10
Israel had gone through the humiliation of captivity, yet God who loves his people has never forgotten them. Instead, God’s tone was unwavering as he spoke, “With whom do you compare me? Tell me, who is like me that he can be compared with me?” This is not the first time these words were uttered. In fact, since the time of Moses, God has said likewise (Deuteronomy 4: 32-36), and now, once again, He was saying this to His people.

Humans are forgetful, but God is constantly present. He has witnessed the passing of generation after generation of Israelites, from when they were like a child cared for by Him, till the present, having developed into a nation, and even when they lost their nationhood, God said he has been with them all the way (verses 3 - 4), and He will deliver them.

When Babylon and Persia were caught in the ultimate decisive battle, God announced through the prophet, "As I have said, so it needs to be completed. What I have purposed has to be done." (verse 11) Perhaps, in the eyes of Cyrus, his plan was to defeat the lofty Babylonian empire. But in God's eyes, Cyrus was his right-hand general and through Cyrus, He would judge Babylon. Furthermore, He would perform things that were marvelous and wonderful for his descendants. The acts of God are mysterious and wonderful. Before these acts were revealed, God spoke about them and after they were completed, His people recognized them as done and attributed them to God (verse 10). Man’s experiences of God in history, like the layers of bricks in buildings, slowly and gradually, form our understanding of the Sovereign and Omnipotent God.

God is the Lord of history—not a single country can say that they are indomitable as no matter how successful or powerful they are, they are beneath the eyes of God, and they merely operate within the space of time allotted to them. This too is the Creator we know.

Prayer: God, your acts are mysterious: when you speak them, they will be done.

第二十四天 Mar 24

经文：以赛亚书 46:3-10
以色列虽然经过被掳的羞辱，可是爱他们的耶和华上帝，却从来没有忘记他们。而且上帝甚至用很豪气的语气对他们说：“你们将谁与我相比？告诉我，谁像我，可以与我相比？”这样的话并非第一次道出，事实上自摩西的时期，上帝曾经如此说过（参申命记4:32-36），如今再次说与他们听。人是善忘的，但是上帝是永在的。祂看着以色列一代一代的过去，从他们小的时候开始照顾他们，到如今，他们成立国家，并且也丢了国家，上帝说祂一直都在（参46:3-4），而且祂必拯救。

在巴比伦与波斯做垂死的挣扎的时候，上帝通过先知宣告“我已说出，也必成就。我已谋定，也必作成。”（46:11）也许在古列的眼中，他谋大事，要打败不可一世的巴比伦帝国。但是在上帝眼中，古列是祂的手下大将，透过古列，祂要审判巴比伦，并且要为祂子民行奇妙又奇妙的事。上帝行事之奇妙，在于事情还没有发生之前，祂就先说了，然后等事情完成，人就知道事情之成就，乃是出于耶和华上帝（参46:10）。我们所认识的“上帝有主权”“上帝有大能”，便是逐块砖头的砌上。上帝是历史的主，没有哪一个大国能够说自己是所向无敌的。因为他们再成功与强大，他们仍旧是在上帝的眼目之下，在划给他们的时空里面去运作。这也是我们认识的创造的主。

祷告：上帝祢行事奇妙，祢说出的，就必成就。 

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