Day 30 March 31


Day 30 March 31

Passage：Isaiah 49：24-26
Today's text begins with a question, and the warrior in the question presumably was Babylon. "Can spoils be taken from a warrior, captives be rescued from a conqueror?" Babylon was such a powerful warrior, who could be his competitor? God thinks he can do it. In order to accomplish His will, Babylon had to be dealt with. And the sequence of events that led to the eventual demise of Babylon the powerful warrior can be traced all the way to a tiny nation called Judah. Is this a realistic hope?

Could Persia become a superpower that could potentially save Judah? When God wanted to salvage Judah from Babylon, it was like someone who intended to snatch a prey from the mouth of a lion, was it possible? But God said, “captives will be taken from a warrior; spoils will be rescued from a conqueror. I will oppose your adversary and I will rescue your children."(49:25)

Babylon was once the agent of the Lord and reigned over Judah, whether from a political or theological perspective, it was because the Lord had placed Judah under the power of Babylon. This time round, who shall be the even more powerful warrior to release Judah from warrior Babylon?
The answer is still God. "I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. Then all humankind will recognize that I am the Lord, your deliverer, your protector, the powerful Ruler of Jacob.” Despite the power and realm of the Babylon Empire, because the Lord has established His covenant with Israel, the Lord will come and be their redeemer. Try reading book of Leviticus 25:47-48 to have a better idea of redeemer. Judah, while in the hands of Babylon, had no brother or uncle to come forth as its redeemer, and it is at this point in time that the Lord came forth and declared that he would be the redeemer. He is their Creator, and so He will also be their Redeemer.

Prayer: Our Lord, you could release those who are imprisoned, you say you are the redeemer, the powerful ruler of Jacob; this amazes us and makes us so astonished!

第三十天 Mar 31


经文：以赛亚书 49:24-26
这段以问句开始，把巴比伦比作勇士，作者发问：“勇士抢去的岂能夺回，被掳掠的岂能得解救吗？”(49:24）巴比伦这个大有能力的勇士，有谁能与他匹敌呢？  耶和华认为自己可以。而为了完成祂的旨意，巴比伦这大能的勇士必须被搞定。到头来，巴比伦的沦落竟是因为一个小小的犹大国。

这是合乎现实的期盼吗？波斯真的能成为犹大得拯救的强国吗？  耶和华把犹大从巴比伦解救出来，就像有人要从一个狮子的口中把猎物重新夺回一样，这可能吗？  可耶和华说，看我的! “耶和华如此说：就是勇士所掳掠的，也可以夺回；强暴人所抢的，也可以解救。与你相争的，我必与他相争；我要拯救你的儿女。”（49:25）巴比伦曾作为耶和华的代理人对犹大国施行权柄，无论从军事还是神学来讲，都是耶和华把耶路撒冷人置于巴比伦的管制之下。这次谁能够从巴比伦这勇士的大能威力下将犹大民救出呢？   

答案是耶和华能做到!“我必使那欺压你的吃自己的肉，也要以自己的血喝醉，好像喝甜酒一样。凡有血气的必都知道我——耶和华是你的救主，是你的救赎主，是雅各的大能者。”

巴比伦虽然强大，可是因着耶和华与以色列所立的约，耶和华愿意出手，做他们的救赎者，这救赎者的概念可以从利未记25：47-48来理解。落在巴比伦手中的犹大，无人来赎他，但是耶和华慷然说“我做你的救赎者”，纵然他们没有亲兄弟或者叔伯出面来赎身，但是耶和华是他们的创造者，祂必然要把他们解救出来!

祷告：耶和华祢能从勇士手中把受囚禁的人解救出来，祢说祢是救赎主，是雅各的大能者，这一切让我们感到愕然与兴奋! 

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