不要害怕，也不要心裡膽怯(賽7章)

耶和華對以賽亞說：「你和你的兒子施亞雅述出去、到上池的水溝頭、在漂布地的大路上、去迎接亞哈斯．對他說：『你要謹慎安靜．不要因亞蘭王利汛、和利瑪利的兒子、這兩個冒煙的火把頭所發的烈怒害怕、也不要心裏膽怯。』」(賽 7：3-4)

以賽亞承接先知職分後，隨即開始忠心地傳達神的命令。神的命令，卻往往與時勢和情勢無關，也常常非常理所能判斷。這時，有誰要聽？昨天的以賽亞書第六章，當先知以賽亞憑信心承接職分時，對於未來局勢的變化，與最後的結局的詢問，神的回應讓我讀了之後頗為動容：

他說：「你去告訴這百姓說、你們聽是要聽見、卻不明白．看是要看見、卻不曉得。要使這百姓心蒙脂油、耳朵發沉、眼睛昏迷．恐怕眼睛看見、耳朵聽見、心裏明白、回轉過來、便得醫治。」我就說：「主阿、這到幾時為止呢？」他說：「直到城邑荒涼、無人居住、房屋空閒無人、地土極其荒涼．並且耶和華將人遷到遠方、在這境內撇下的地土很多。境內剩下的人、若還有十分之一、也必被吞滅．像栗樹、橡樹、雖被砍伐、樹墩子、卻仍存留．這聖潔的種類、在國中也是如此。」(賽 6：9-13)

神對以賽亞的回答，在我看來如同晴天霹靂！原來神同在，不見得就是一帆風順、康莊大道。在此，神的回應都是負面的：「我藉你講的話，將沒人要聽、國家將越來越差、最後的結局是亡國，人民通通被擄走，此地將完全荒涼。」這樣，你若是以賽亞，這先知的工作，還要繼續嗎？神都講得這麼明白了，你不想辭職嗎？

但是以賽亞明知山有虎，偏往虎山行！他的毅力，讓我感動莫名！誰說做工一定要能看見成效？因為謀事在人，成事在天啊！今天我們忠心做主工，實在不該對「成果」過分期待，也不該因為「KPI」不佳就灰心喪志。使徒保羅說：

我栽種了、亞波羅澆灌了．惟有神叫他生長。可見栽種的算不得甚麼、澆灌的也算不得甚麼．只在那叫他生長的神。栽種的和澆灌的都是一樣．但將來各人要照自己的工夫、得自己的賞賜。(林前 3：6-8)

所以，既然一切都在神手中，神又是「本為善，慈愛永遠長存的神」，我們該有的態度，就是「不要害怕，也不要心裡膽怯」，神必有祂的計畫，我們只要耐心等待，存著對神的信心繼續努力，接受神的一切作為。像這裡，神就給了兆頭，那就是童女懷孕生子的兆頭，真的應驗在以賽亞的妻，也是女先知的「童女」懷孕生子，神也賜下孩子的姓名，依照神的預言，孩子還沒十二歲(孩子約主前七三二年出生)，這兩個威脅就真的滅亡了(北朝以色列於主前七二二年滅國)，成就了神的旨意。

而這童女懷孕，實則為雙重預言，所以更指著馬利亞藉著聖靈懷孕，生下了道成肉身的耶穌，成為我們的救主，為全人類屬祂的人於十字架上犧牲生命、成全救恩。神的作為非常奇妙，而且總是那麼恰到好處。既然神的應許必然成就，這樣我們還擔心甚麼？

他將要生一個兒子．你要給他起名叫耶穌．因他要將自己的百姓從罪惡裏救出來。這一切的事成就、是要應驗主藉先知所說的話、說：『必有童女、懷孕生子、人要稱他的名為以馬內利。』（以馬內利翻出來、就是神與我們同在。）(太 1：21-23)

By Isaiah Kao

Have No Fear and Do Not Be Fainthearted (Isaiah 7)

不要害怕，也不要心裡膽怯

“Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the fuller’s field, and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.” （Isaiah 7:3-4 NASB2020）

After succeeding the ministry as a prophet, Isaiah began to faithfully deliver God's commands. God's commands are often unrelated to the times and circumstances, and are often beyond the comprehension of common judgment. At such times, who would listen? Yesterday's chapter six, when the prophet Isaiah accepted his ministry in faith, and God's response to the changing circumstances of the future and the final outcome deeply moved me:

And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not understand; And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’ “Make the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes blind, So that they will not see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate, The Lord has completely removed people, And there are many forsaken places in the midst of the land. “Yet there will still be a tenth portion in it, And it will again be subject to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump remains when it is cut down. The holy seed is its stump.”” (Isaiah 6:9-13 NASB2020)

God’s answers to Isaiah is very shocking in my opinion. So God's presence doesn't necessarily mean smooth sailing or a smooth road. God's responses were all negative: "No one will listen to what I speak through you; the nation will grow worse and worse; the final outcome will be that the kingdoms will all be taken captive, and this place will be utterly desolate." If you were Isaiah, would you continue this prophetic work? God has made it so clear, wouldn't you resign?

Isaiah knew it was difficult but he did it anyways. His perseverance deeply moved me! Who says that work must always show results? Because man plants, but God makes the increase! Today, as we faithfully do the Lord's work, we shouldn't have excessive expectations for "results," nor should we be discouraged by poor "KPIs." The Apostle Paul said:

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8 NASB2020)

Therefore, since everything is in God's hands, and God is "good, loving and everlasting," our attitude should be "not afraid, nor timid in spirit." God has His plan; we only need to wait patiently, maintaining our faith in God and continuing to observe His work. Here, God gave a sign: the virgin conceived and gave birth to a son. Indeed, Isaiah's wife, the prophetess, conceived and gave birth to a son. God gave the child a name, and according to God's prophecy, before the child was twelve years old (child was born 732BC), both threats perished (Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed 722BC), fulfilling God's will.

This virgin pregnancy is a double prophecy, further indicating that Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus, the Word became flesh, who became our Savior. God's actions are wondrous and so perfectly timed; God's promises will surely be fulfilled. What do we have to worry about?

“She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”” (Matthew 1:21-23 NASB2020)

By Isaiah Kao