先知以賽亞的痛哭（賽22章）

所以我說：「你們轉眼不看我、我要痛哭．不要因我眾民〔原文作民女〕的毀滅、就竭力安慰我。」（賽 22：4）

本章預言來到猶大國，超越現實看見未來真實的先知以賽亞痛哭了。做先知，就要同神的心，與主同樂，也與主同哭。到底是什麼讓先知痛哭？為何當時候的人毫無知覺？

神讓先知看到「異象谷」，也就是耶路撒冷城，南朝猶大國的京城出現戰亂，敵人已經攻入原本堅若磐石的京城，沒有一個人能逃脫敵人的綑綁、殺害。原本歡樂的城，現在血流成河、橫屍遍野、慘不忍睹。「這是神同在的耶路撒冷城（教會）嗎？」讀此章時心中似乎聽見以賽亞先知的哭喊聲。

更甚的是，先知看見在耶路撒冷被攻打時，城牆出現破口了，在位的卻不知靠神，竟用盡「人的智慧」挖東牆補西牆，盡做一些沒有意義的事，不知拿出真正解決問題的有效對策。

「生活中遇到的問題，問題總是不在問題的本身，而是在『信仰』上。信仰的問題解決了，生活的問題就一併解決了。」因為主說：「所以不要憂慮、說：『喫甚麼、喝甚麼、穿甚麼。』這都是外邦人所求的。你們需用的這一切東西、你們的天父是知道的。你們要先求他的國、和他的義．這些東西都要加給你們了。」（太 6：31-33)

是的！在「先求祂的國、祂的義」之後，神所要加給人的福氣，就是「你們需用的這一切東西」，也就是生活中遇到的問題核心。但是當時的官長只有看見「喔！城牆破了」，解決的方法就是「補城牆」，這是人的邏輯，也就是「頭痛醫頭、腳痛醫腳」，這並不是神的旨意。結果當然無用，接著就是國破家亡。

今天也有類似的情況，教會中開會總是在討論問題本身，一群人絞盡腦汁研討人的對策，就好像當時昏庸的官長在做的事：

你們看見大衛城的破口很多、便聚積下池的水。又數點耶路撒冷的房屋、將房屋拆毀、修補城牆．又在兩道城牆中間挖一個聚水池、可盛舊池的水．卻不仰望作這事的主、也不顧念從古定這事的。（賽 22：9-11）

於是信徒會議、信徒代表會總是開得像在開立法院、市議會一樣，總是用人的智慧在研討神國的問題，「卻不仰望作這事的主、也不顧念從古定這事的。」

更嚴重的，乾脆躺平，等死：「當那日主萬軍之耶和華叫人哭泣哀號、頭上光禿、身披麻布。誰知、人倒歡喜快樂、宰牛殺羊、喫肉喝酒、說：『我們喫喝罷。因為明天要死了。』」（賽 22：12-13）

本章最後甚至提到神將昏官「舍伯那」拔官。後雖立了另一位合神心意的「以利亞敬」，神也預言他因家族相繼的高攀而拖累，最後如「釘在堅固處的釘子必壓斜、被砍斷落地，掛在其上的重擔必被剪斷。」被神棄絕。

當時先知以賽亞看見這些景象，於是痛痛地哭泣、不肯接受安慰。

當求神賜給我們屬靈的眼光，跟主一起「光速飛行」、「在光明中行」，因為「神在光明中」，這樣我們才能與神彼此相交，遇見真神、看見未來。各人也要放下自我的成見，讓「祂兒子耶穌的血也洗淨我們一切的罪」。認罪悔改後，一起回歸真理、回到神前，以基督的心為心，與主同哭、也與主同樂。

我們若在光明中行、如同神在光明中、就彼此相交、他兒子耶穌的血也洗淨我們一切的罪。我們若說自己無罪、便是自欺、真理不在我們心裏了。我們若認自己的罪、神是信實的、是公義的、必要赦免我們的罪、洗淨我們一切的不義。（約壹 1：7-9）

By Isaiah Kao

The Bitterly Weeping of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 22)

May 14, 2026 

Therefore I say, “Turn your eyes away from me,

Let me weep bitterly,

Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Isaiah 22:4, NASB2020)

In this chapter, the prophecy comes upon the kingdom of Judah. Isaiah, the prophet who could see beyond present reality into the true future, wept bitterly. To be a prophet is to share God’s heart, to rejoice with the Lord and also to weep with Him. What caused the prophet to cry? Why were the people at that time completely unaware?

God allowed the prophet to see the “Valley of Vision,” that is, Jerusalem, the capital city of the southern kingdom of Judah, falling into war. The enemy had already broken into the city that once seemed as solid as a rock. No one could escape captivity or slaughter by the enemy. The once joyful city had become filled with bloodshed, corpses everywhere, a scene too terrible to bear. “Is this really Jerusalem, the city where God dwells (the church)?” While reading this chapter, it almost feels as if one can hear the cries of the prophet Isaiah.

Even more serious, the prophet saw that when Jerusalem was under attack and breaches appeared in the wall, those in power did not rely on God. Instead, they exhausted themselves using “human wisdom,” patching one place while another broke down, doing many meaningless things without seeking the truly effective solution.

“The problem in life is often not the problem itself, but a problem of faith. When the problem of faith is solved, the problems of life are also resolved.”

For the Lord said:

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” (Matthew 6:31–33, NASB2020)

Yes! After we first seek His kingdom and His righteousness, the blessings God adds are “all these things” that we need in daily life. This is the true root of life’s problems. But the officials at that time only saw, “Oh, the wall is broken,” so their solution was simply, “Repair the wall.” This is human logic,  treating symptoms only, like curing the head when the head hurts and the foot when the foot hurts. This was not God’s will. The result, of course, was useless. Soon afterward came the destruction of the nation and the collapse of families.

The same situation can also be seen today. In churches, meetings often focus only on the problems themselves. People rack their brains trying to devise human solutions, just like the foolish officials in Isaiah’s time:

“And you saw that the breaches

In the wall of the city of David were many;

And you collected the waters of the lower pool.

Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem

And tore down houses to fortify the wall.

And you made a reservoir between the two walls

For the waters of the old pool.

But you did not depend on Him who made it,

Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.” (Isaiah 22:9–11, NASB2020)

As a result, church member meetings and church representative meetings can end up looking like parliament assemblies or city councils, constantly discussing God’s kingdom with human wisdom, “but you did not depend on Him who made it, nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.”

Even worse, some simply give up and wait for destruction:

“Therefore on that day the Lord GOD of armies called you to weeping, to wailing, to shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is joy and jubilation, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.’” (Isaiah 22:12–13, NASB2020)

At the end of this chapter, God even speaks of removing the corrupt official Shebna from office. Although Eliakim, a man more pleasing to God, was later established, God also foretold that he would eventually be dragged down by the burdens of his family’s ambitions. In the end, like “a peg driven in a firm place” that becomes overloaded, he too would be cut down and rejected.

When the prophet Isaiah saw these visions, he wept bitterly and refused to be comforted.

May God grant us spiritual eyes, so that we may “travel at the speed of light” together with the Lord and “walk in the Light,” because “God is in the Light.” Only then can we have fellowship with God, encounter the true God, and see the future clearly.

Each person must also lay aside personal pride and opinions, so that “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” After confessing and repenting, may we together return to the truth and come back before God, taking the mind of Christ as our own — weeping with the Lord and also rejoicing with Him.

“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:7–9, NASB2020)

By Isaiah Kao