認識神早先所做的、古時所立的作為（賽37章）

耶和華說：你豈沒有聽見我早先所作的、古時所立的麼？現在藉你使堅固城荒廢、變為亂堆？（賽 37：26）

人受限於現實的時空，常常會被眼前的現實所蒙蔽，看不到遙遠的過去，也就是神那原本的計畫，也見不到自己未來的結局。這樣的蒙蔽，常會以為眼前的成功，是自己努力的結果。如同本章所記，在主前七百年左右，當時亞述國勢如破竹滅了周邊許多小國，也消滅了北朝以色列國。此刻，因眼前的成就就忘我的亞述帝國，在兵臨耶路撒冷的城下時，以極度囂張、驕傲的態度，輕視神的選民、褻瀆天上的真神，因不知這是神的計畫，他的自高自大，惹動神的怒氣。

亞述國只是神的工具之一，他成就的這些帝國大業，是神在創世以前就已經計劃好的歷史片段，是神「早先所做的、古時所立的」，沒什麼值得驕傲的。神在創世之先，就為了祂預定要揀選的人想好一切計畫，並以救贖為中心，再計畫其他相關配套措施之後，才動手創造宇宙萬物。如經上所說：

就如神從創立世界以前、在基督裏揀選了我們、使我們在他面前成為聖潔、無有瑕疵．........都是照他自己所預定的美意、....要照所安排的、在日期滿足的時候、使天上地上一切所有的、都在基督裏面同歸於一。我們也在他裏面得了基業、〔得或作成〕這原是那位隨己意行作萬事的、照着他旨意所預定的。（弗 1：4、8-11）

人一但無法認清神「早先所做的、古時所立的」這個事實，就會自高自大，或是自怨自艾。

耶穌對他們說：「無知的人哪．先知所說的一切話、你們的心、信得太遲鈍了。基督這樣受害、又進入他的榮耀、豈不是應當的麼？」(路 24：25-26)

是啊！包含耶穌為我們受害，也是「早先所做的，古時所立的」，有甚麼好不平的？又有甚麼好自怨自艾的？

今天早禱會(2026.5.29)由臺灣總會總幹事黃志傑傳道主持，進度是約伯記第一章。他說：「約伯是完全人，卻莫名其妙進入操練，是偶然的嗎？神會一時興起叫撒但來捉弄他嗎？當然不是，神承認約伯在『地上』的道德標準是完全人，但是在『生命上』神眼中的約伯是還需要寫博士論文的，所以要撒但來當『博士班的專題題目』。在論文反覆被退件之後，神的審查只因約伯的一句話通過：『從前風聞有祢，今日親眼看見祢，我只能在爐灰中深深懊悔！』。神要約伯親眼看見神的甚麼？就是看見神在創世以先早已安排好的作為，而你-約伯，只要盡本分做該做的事就好，其他都不必猜測。」

亞述帝國將成功歸於自己的能力與努力是錯誤的，其實努力是人的本分，成功是神的旨意，與個人的努力無關，然而這卻是世人所不能理解的真理。結果神的工具「亞述」，在完成神的任務之後，卻被神棄絕，何等可悲！歷史上也有不少神的工人，完成神的工作，卻因為自高自大、奪取神的榮耀，被神棄絕。原因就是不認識一切的成就，都在乎神，與你的聰明、才智、努力都無關，成功了又有甚麼好高傲的？

僕人照所吩咐的去作、主人還謝謝他麼？這樣、你們作完了一切所吩咐的、只當說：「我們是無用的僕人．所作的本是我們應分作的。」(路 17：9-10)

By Isaiah Kao

Knowing What God Did And Planned Long Ago (Isaiah 37)

May 29, 2026

“Have you not heard? Long ago I did it,

From ancient times I planned it.

Now I have brought it to pass,

That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.” (Isaiah 37:26, NASB 2020)

Man is limited by the reality of time and space, and is often blinded by what is before his eyes. He cannot see the distant past — namely, God’s original plan — nor can he see the outcome of his own future. Because of this blindness, people often think that present success is the result of their own effort.

As recorded in this chapter, around 700 B.C., the Assyrian Empire swept through many surrounding nations and also destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. At this moment, Assyria, intoxicated by its visible achievements, came to the gates of Jerusalem with extreme arrogance and pride. They despised God’s chosen people and blasphemed the true God in heaven, not realizing that all this was within God’s plan. Their pride provoked the wrath of God.

Assyria was merely one of God’s instruments. The imperial achievements it accomplished were only historical events that God had already planned before the foundation of the world. They were things God had “done long ago” and “planned from ancient times.” There was nothing worthy of boasting in. Before creation, God had already prepared every plan for those whom He predestined to choose. With redemption as the center, He arranged all related purposes first, and only then created the universe and all things. As Scripture says:

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him... according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him... with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him we also have obtained an inheritance... having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will.” (Ephesians 1:4, 9-11, NASB 2020)

Once a person fails to recognize this truth, that these are things God “did long ago” and “planned from ancient times”, he will either become proud or fall into self-pity.

And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” (Luke 24:25-26, NASB 2020)

Indeed! even Jesus suffering for us was something “done long ago” and “planned from ancient times.” What is there to feel unfair about? And what isl there to complain 

about?

At this morning’s prayer session (2026.5.29), the service was led by Preacher Huang Chih-Chieh, General Affairs Director of the Taiwan General Assembly. The progress was Job chapter 1. He said:

“Job was a blameless man, yet he entered into trials for no apparent reason. Was it accidental? Did God suddenly decide to let Satan toy with him on a whim? Certainly not. God acknowledged that Job was blameless according to the moral standard ‘on earth,’ but in terms of ‘life,’ Job still needed to write a doctoral dissertation in God’s eyes. Therefore, Satan became the ‘doctoral research topic.’ After repeated revisions and rejections, God finally approved Job’s thesis because of one sentence: ‘I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent, sitting on dust and ashes.’ What did God want Job to see? He wanted Job to see God’s works that had already been arranged before the foundation of the world. And you, Job, only needed to fulfill your duty and do what you ought to do. There was no need to speculate about the rest.”

It was wrong for the Assyrian Empire to attribute success to its own ability and effort. Effort is merely our duty; success belongs to God’s will and is unrelated to personal striving. Yet this is a truth the world cannot understand.

As a result, Assyria — God’s instrument — was discarded by God after completing its mission. How tragic! Throughout history, there have also been many workers of God who completed God’s work, yet were abandoned because of pride and because they stole God’s glory for themselves. The reason is simple: they failed to recognize that every achievement depends entirely on God, not on human intelligence, talent, or effort. If success comes from God, then what is there to be proud of?

“The master does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” (Luke 17:9-10, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao