第二十四章
4地上悲哀衰殘,世界敗落衰殘,地上居高位的人也敗落了。
5地被其上的居民污穢,因為他們犯了律法,廢了律例,背了永
約。6所以地被咒詛吞滅,住在其上的顯為有罪。地上的居民被火
焚燒,剩下的人稀少。7新酒悲哀,葡萄樹衰殘;心中歡樂的俱都
歎息。8擊鼓之樂止息,宴樂人的聲音完畢,彈琴之樂也止息了。
9人必不得飲酒唱歌;喝濃酒的,必以為苦。10荒涼的城拆毀了,
各家關門閉戶,使人都不得進去。11在街上因酒有悲歎的聲音,一
切喜樂變為昏暗,地上的歡樂歸於無有。12城中只有荒涼,城門拆
毀淨盡。13在地上的萬民中,必像打過的橄欖樹,又像已摘的葡萄
所剩無幾。
默想:
1.以賽亞宣佈整個世界都要受審判,沒有任何人能逃避,因為地
上的居民“犯了律法,廢了律例,背了永約”。這幾節經文顯
示出地球、土地及其上的居民之間緊密的關係。
2.檢視一下現今的世界上,我們所面對的問題、危機有哪些?
3.身為基督徒,神的兒女,你認為你對地球的生存有什麼責任?
祈求神教導你如何來照管神所創造的世界。在小組中討論,有
什麼實際的方法,大家可以彼此鼓勵來作。
禱告與筆錄:
繼續安靜在神面前,與神對話,並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中
的思想(心得),或是與神的禱告,記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。
Chapter 24
4 The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers,
the heavens languish with the earth. 5 The earth is defiled by its people;
they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting
covenant. 6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must
bear their guilt.Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few
are left.7 The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers
groan. 8 The joyful timbrels are stilled, the noise of the revelers has
stopped, the joyful harp is silent. 9 No longer do they drink wine with a
song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers.10 The ruined city lies desolate; the
entrance to every house is barred.11 In the streets they cry out for wine; all
joy turns to gloom, all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.12 The
city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces.13 So will it be on the earth
and among the nations,as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings
are left after the grape harvest.
Meditation
1.Isaiah announced that the whole world will be punished. No class
of people will escape, for earth’s inhabitants have “broken the everlasting
covenant”. These verses presuppose a close connection
between the earth itself, the land and its inhabitants.
2.What problems or crises are we facing on the physical world today?
3.As a Christian, a child of God, what do you believe is your responsibility
to the earth? Ask God to teach you about your responsibility
in caring for his creation. In your cell group, bring this up and
see if you can decide on one specific way to encourage one another
to do in caring for the earth.
Prayer & Journaling: Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse
with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down
any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.