以赛亚书生命读经 · 第24篇

基督为耶和华的仆人（三）

Christ As The Servant Of Jehovah (3)

如古列所豫表者，释放耶和华所爱、被掳的以色列脱离巴比伦

As Typified by Cyrus to Release Jehovah’s Captives of the Beloved Israel from Babylon

1读经：以赛亚书46-48章，约翰福音6:38，马太福音3:17，以赛亚书45:3-4。在本篇信息中，我们要来看以赛亚四十六至四十八章，说到基督为耶和华的仆人，如古列所豫表者，释放耶和华所爱、被掳的以色列脱离巴比伦。

1Scripture Reading: Isa. 46—48; John 6:38; Matt. 3:17; Isa. 45:3-4 In this message we will consider chapters forty- six through forty-eight. In these chapters Christ as the Servant of Jehovah is typified by Cyrus to release Jehovah’s captives of the beloved Israel from Babylon

壹、巴比伦的偶像是无能无用的

I. The Idols Of Babylon Being Powerless And Useless

2按照四十六章一至二节，五至七节，巴比伦的偶像是无能无用的，不能与耶和华相比。不仅如此，这些偶像要成为以色列将来被掳时所带的重驮。四十六章一至二节论到这点说，『彼勒屈身，尼波弯腰。他们的偶像驮在兽和牲畜上；你们所抬的如今成了重驮，使牲畜疲乏。都一同弯腰屈身，不能逃避重驮，自己倒被掳去。』彼勒是巴比伦的众神之一，有些人认为这是巴力的巴比伦名。

2According to 46:1-2 and 5-7, the idols of Babylon are powerless and useless and cannot be compared to Jehovah. Furthermore, the idols are a burden for Israel to carry in their coming captivity. Concerning this, 46:1 and 2 say, “Bel has bowed down; Nebo stoops;/Their idols are on beasts and cattle;/The things which you carry are a burden,/A load for a weary beast./They stoop and have bowed down together; / They are not able to escape the burden; / But they themselves have gone into captivity.” Bel was one of the gods of the Babylonians, supposed by some to be the Babylonian name of Baal

3偶像无法帮助以色列人，反成为他们的负担，因为百姓必须驮带著牠们。当以色列被巴比伦人掳去时，神的百姓仍然没有放弃他们的偶像，还要把牠们从美地驮到巴比伦。在这节里，以赛亚多少是带著讽刺的说法；他似乎说，『你们这些以色列百姓为自己造偶像，但这些偶像不能为你们作甚么。有一天你们要被掳，你们必要带著你们的偶像为重驮，带进被掳之中。』

3Instead of helping the people of Israel, the idols were a burden to them, for the people had to carry them. When Israel was captured by the Babylonians, God’sp eople still would not give up their idols and had to carry them from the good land to Babylon. In these verses, Isaiah, speaking somewhat in a mocking way, seemed to be saying, “You people of Israel have made idols for yourselves, but they will not do anything for you. One day you will be captured, and you will have to carry your idols with you as a burden into captivity

4一切顶替神，或占有神地位的，都是偶像，都要成为敬拜者的重驮。今天人类的社会鼓励人拜偶像。人、教育、或公司里的高位，都能成为偶像。至终，所有的偶像都不会帮助我们，反而成为我们必须背负的重驮。

4Anything that replaces God or occupies the position of God is an idol as a burden to the worshipper. Today’s human society encourages people to make idols. A person, education, or a high position with a company can all become idols to us. Eventually, every idol will not help us but instead will become a burden that we must carry.

贰、惟有耶和华是神，能施拯救

II. Only Jehovah Being God And Being Able To Save

5惟有耶和华是神，也惟有祂能施拯救。四十六章九节论到这点说，『你们要追念上古的事，因为我是神，并无别神；我是神，再没有能比我的。』只有在以色列人被掳到巴比伦之后，他们才看见惟有耶和华是神。这被掳向他们证明，一切的偶像都无能无用，也无法作甚么，惟有耶和华，就是他们先祖所敬拜的神，乃是真正的神；惟有祂能施拯救。

5Only Jehovah is God, and only He is able to save. Regarding this, 46:9 says, “Remember the former things of old,/That I am God and there is no one else;/I am God and there is no one like Me.” Only after they were captives in Babylon did the people of Israel realize that only Jehovah is God. This captivity proved to them that all the idols are powerless, useless, and unable to do anything, and that only Jehovah, the God whom their forefathers worshipped, is the genuine God. He alone is able to save

6十一节告诉我们，耶和华乃是那位『召鸷鸟从东方来，召那成就我筹算的从远方来。我已说出，也必成就；我已谋定，也必作成。』这从远方来作鸷鸟的人，乃是古列（豫表基督）作那成就耶和华筹算的（完成耶和华所筹算的－约六38。）古列就是神所呼召来征服列国的『鸷鸟。』

6In verse 11 we are told that Jehovah is the One “who calls for a bird of prey from the east,/And from a distant land a man to be His counselor./Indeed, I have spoken; surely I will bring it to pass./I have purposed; surely I will do it.” This man as a bird of prey from a distant land was Cyrus (typifying Christ) to be Jehovah’s counselor (to carry out Jehovah’s counsel—John 6:38). Cyrus was the “bird of prey” called by God to subdue the nations

参、耶和华向心中顽梗之以色列的爱

III. Jehovah’s Love Toward Hardhearted Israel

7四十六章也启示耶和华向心中顽梗之以色列的爱。（赛四六3～。）不管以色列人怎么坏，神仍然爱他们。十二至十三节说，『你们这些心中顽梗，远离公义的，当听我言。我使我的公义临近，必不远离；我的救恩必不迟延；我要在锡安施行救恩，将我的荣耀赐给以色列。』

7Chapter forty- six also reveals Jehovah’s love toward hardhearted Israel (vv. 3-4). No matter how bad the people of Israel were, God still4 loved them. Verses 12 and 13 say, “Listen to Me, O hardhearted ones, / Who are far from righteousness./I will bring My righteousness near—it is not far off;/And My salvation will not delay; / And I will give salvation in Zion, / And to Israel My glory.”

肆、耶和华因以色列的缘故，惩罚巴比伦

IV . Jehovah’s Punishment On Babylon For The Sake Of Israel

8四十七章一至六节是耶和华为以色列的缘故，对巴比伦的审判。四节是申言者的宣告：『我们救赎主的名是万军之耶和华以色列的圣者。』按照八节，专好宴乐的巴比伦心中说，『惟有我，除我以外再没有别的，我必不至寡居，也不遭丧子之事。』但九节说，丧子、寡居这两件事，在一日转眼之间必临到巴比伦。虽然她多行邪术，大力施咒，这两件事必全然临到她身上。十四至十五节接著说，『看哪，他们要像碎楷被火焚烧，不能救自己脱离火焰之力；他们没有可烤的炭火，也没有可坐在其前的火焰。你所劳碌的事，都要这样与你无益。从幼年与你贸易的，也都飘流各方，无人救你。』这一切是要使巴比伦归于无有，并使凡物与她无益。

8In 47:1-6 we have Jehovah’s judgment on Babylon for the sake of Israel. Verse 4 is the prophet’s declaration: “Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is His name,/The Holy One of Israel.” According to verse 8, Babylon, a lover of pleasure, says in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me;/I will not dwell as a widow, / And I will not know loss of children.” But verse 9 says that two things will come upon Babylon suddenly, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. This will come upon her in spite of the multitude of her sorceries and the great power of her spells. Verse 14 and 15 go on to say, “Behold, they are like stubble; / Fire consumes them; / They cannot deliver themselves / From the power of the flame; / There is no coal for warming themselves, / Nor the light of a fire to sit before./So will those with whom you have labored be to you,/Those who have traded with you from your youth; / Each one will wander off in his own direction; / There will be no one to save you.” All this is to make Babylon nothing and to cause nothing to be profitable to her.

9伍、以色列的不忠信、不义、顽梗、和诡诈

9V. Israel’sUn truthfulness, Unrighteousness

Obstinacy, And Treachery

10在四十八章，申言者以赛亚用了一些特别的话来描述以色列。以色列题说以色列的神，却不凭诚实，不凭公义。（赛四八1。）四节说以色列是顽梗的，八节指明耶和华晓得以色列行事极其诡诈。在五节，耶和华说，『所以我从古时就向你说明，在未成以先让你听见，免得你说，这些事是我的偶像所行的，是我雕刻的偶像，和我铸造的偶像所命定的。』

10In chapter forty-eight the prophet Isaiah uses certain extraordinary words to describe Israel. Israel makes mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness (v. 1). Verse 4 says that Israel is obstinate, and verse 8 indicates that Jehovah knew that Israel would deal treacherously. In verse 5 Jehovah says, “Therefore I declared them to you long ago; / Before things came to pass I let you hear; / Lest you should say, My idol has done them, / And my graven image and my molten image commanded them

陆、耶和华在对付以色列时智慧的考虑

VI. Jehovah’s Wise Consideration In Dealing With Israel

11四十八章也启示耶和华在对付以色列时智慧的考虑。当祂对付以9色列时，祂运用祂的智慧。在九至十一节，耶和华说，『我为我名的缘故，暂且忍怒，为我的颂赞，向你容忍，不将你剪除。看哪，我熬炼你，却不像熬炼银子；你在苦难的炉中，我试炼你。我为自己的缘故必行这事，我焉能使我的名被亵渎？我必不将我的荣耀归给另一位。』

11Chapter forty - eight also reveals Jehovah’s wise consideration in dealing with Israel. When He dealt with Israel, He exercised His wisdom. In verses through 1 1 Jehovah says, “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger,/And for the sake of My praise restrain it from you, / In order not to cut you off. / Behold, I have refined you but not like silver;/I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. / For My own sake, yes, for My own sake, I will do it,/For how can My name be profaned?/And I will not give My glory to another.”

柒、耶和华对古列的爱，以及用古列行祂所喜悦的

VII. Jehovah’s Love For Cyrus And His Using Him To Do His Pleasure

12本章所启示的另一件事，就是耶和华对古列的爱，以及祂用古列行祂所喜悦的，就是征服巴比伦，释放以色列被掳的人。

12Another matter revealed in this chapter is Jehovah’s love for Cyrus and His using him to do His pleasure, that is, to subdue Babylon and release the captives of Israel.

一、耶和华是首先的，也是末后的

A. Jehovah Being the First and the Last

13在十二至十三节，耶和华论到祂自己宣告说，『我是耶和华，我是首先的，也是末后的。我手立了地的根基，我右手铺张诸天，我一招呼便都立住。』

13In verses 12 and 13 Jehovah makes a declaration concerning Himself. He says, “I am He; I am the First,/I am also the Last./Indeed, My hand laid the foundation of the earth,/And My right hand spread out the heavens;/When I call to them,/They stand together

14二、耶和华爱古列，他必向巴比伦行

14B. Jehovah Loving Cyrus, and Cyrus Doing

耶和华所喜悦的事

Jehovah’s Pleasure on Babylon

15十四至十五节继续说，『你们都当聚集而听！牠们内中谁说过这些事？耶和华爱他；他必向巴比伦行耶和华所喜悦的事，耶和华的膀臂也要加在迦勒底人身上。惟有我曾说过，我选召了他；我领他来，他的道路必定亨通。』这些经节里的『他，』是指四十四章二十八节和四十五章一节的古列，豫表基督作耶和华的仆人。（太三17。）古列要在巴比伦（象征罗马天主教）身上行耶和华所喜悦的。神用一个外邦王来征服巴比伦，释放以色列被掳的人，这乃是出于祂的爱。

15Verses 14 and 15 continue, “Assemble all of yourselves together and hear!/Who among them has declared these things?/ Jehovah loves him; he will do His pleasure/ On Babylon, and His arm will be upon the Chaldeans./I, even I, have spoken; indeed, I have called him;/I have brought him, and his way will prosper.” The him in these verses refers to Cyrus in 44:28 and 45:1, typifying Christ as the Servant of Jehovah (Matt. 3:17). Cyrus will do Jehovah’s pleasure on Babylon, which symbolizes the Roman Catholic Church. It was a matter of love for God to use a Gentile king to subdue Babylon and to release the captives of Israel

三、主耶和华差遣申言者以赛亚和耶和华的灵来

C. The Lord Jehovah Sending the Prophet Isaiah and Jehovah’s Spirit

16以赛亚四十八章十六节下半说，『现在主耶和华差遣我和祂的灵来。』这里的『我』是指豫表基

16Isaiah 48:16b says, “Now the Lord Jehovah/Has sent me and His Spirit.” Here me refers to the prophet Isaiah, typifying Christ

17督的申言者以赛亚。

捌、耶和华带领以色列从巴比伦出来

VIII. Jehovah’s Leading Of Israel To Come Out Of Babylon

18四十八章也论到耶和华带领以色列从巴比伦出来。我们已经指出，巴比伦象征罗马天主教。二十至二十一节说，『你们要从巴比伦出来，从迦勒底人中逃脱，以欢呼的声音传扬，叫他们听见这话，将这话传到地极，说，耶和华救赎了祂的仆人雅各。耶和华引导他们经过沙漠，他们并不干渴；祂为他们使水从磐石而流，分裂磐石水就涌出。』二十二节为四十八章下结语说，恶人必不得平安。这里的恶人，可能是指巴比伦人。

18In chapter forty- eight we also have a word about Jehovah’s leading of Israel to come out of Babylon. As we have pointed out, Babylon symbolizes the Roman Catholic Church. Verses 20 and 21 say, “Come out from Babylon;/Flee from the Chaldeans;/With a voice of singing declare; / Let them heart his, / Send it out unto the end of the earth;/Say, Jehovah has redeemed/His servant Jacob./And they did not thirst/When He led them through the dry places;/ He caused water to flow/From the rock for them;/ And He split the rock,/And the waters gushed out.” Verse 22 concludes the chapter by saying that there is no peace for the wicked. Here the word wicked probably refers to the Babylonians.

19在圣经里，巴比伦不仅指国家，也指宗教。因此，启示录十七、十八章记载了巴比伦的两面：宗教的一面，表征罗马天主教；物质的一面，表征罗马城，就是将来敌基督之国的首都。

19In the Bible, Babylon denotes not only a nation but also a religion. Thus, in Revelation 17 and 18 we have Babylon in two aspects: the religious aspect, signifying the Roman Catholic Church, and the material, physical aspect, signifying the city of Rome, the capital of Antichrist’skin gdom

20按照历史，约在主前四十年，罗马就在政治和军事上统治了以色列。在神眼中，罗马乃是真正的巴比伦，阻挠神完成神的经纶。乃是罗马将基督钉十字架。然而基督在祂的复活里，胜过了这阻挠，产生了召会。到了第三世纪，召会在复活的大能里非常得胜。然后在第四世纪，康士坦丁大帝趁著当时召会领头人中间所存在的不合，就于主后三二五年召开了奈西亚大会。那次大会制定了奈西亚信经，为以后天主教和许多领头的公会所采用。康士坦丁大帝所作的，为罗马天主教的形成铺了路；罗马天主教乃是政治和宗教的调和。所以，罗马天主教乃是政治侵入宗教，并政治与宗教邪恶的联婚所产生的。至终，罗马天主教成了妓女。（启十七。）到了主后五九○年左右，教皇制度完全成立，巴比伦完全形成，并终极完成于政治和宗教这两面。

20According to history, Rome took over Israel politically and militarily in approximately 40 B. C. In the eyes of God, Rome was the real Babylon, frustrating God from accomplishing His economy. It was Rome that put Christ on the cross. However, in His resurrection Christ overcame that frustration, and the church was produced. By the third century the church had become quite prevailing in the resurrection power. Then in the fourth century Constantine the Great took advantage of the dissension that existed among the church leaders at that time, and in A.D. 325 he presided over the Council of Nicaea. That council issued the Nicene Creed, which is used by Catholicism and many of the leading denominations. What was done by Constantine the Great opened the way for the formation of Romanism, which is a mingling of politics and religion. Romanism is therefore the product of the invasion of religion by politics and of the “marriage” of religion to politics in a sinful way. Eventually, the Roman Church became a harlot (Rev. 17:5), the Roman Catholic Church. By A. D. 590 the5 papal system was fully established, and Babylon was completely formed and consummated in both the political and religious aspects.

21在以斯拉的时候，以色列从巴比伦出来，但他们只是从政治的巴比伦出来，而不是从宗教的巴比伦出来，因为那时还没有宗教的巴比伦。以色列被掳到巴比伦，表征今天的基督徒被掳到巴比伦的宗教里。就著宗教说，大多的基督徒都被掳到巴比伦。在巴比伦的宗教里，最显著的事就是拜偶像。在天主教里特别是这样。今天我们这些神的子民，要从这两面的巴比伦出来。

21When Israel came out of Babylon at the time of Ezra, they came out of political Babylon but not out of religious Babylon, for at that time there was no religious Babylon. Israel’s captivity in Babylon typifies the captivity of today’s Christians in the Babylonian religion. Religiously speaking, most Christians are captives in Babylon. In the Babylonian religion, the most striking thing is the worship of idols. This is especially true in Catholicism. Today, for us to be God’sp eople, we need to come out of Babylon in its two aspects