神的異象
執行失敗任務的呼召！
經文
耶利米書五18-31
18耶和華說：就是到那時，我也不將你們毀滅淨盡。
19百姓若說：耶和華我們的神為甚麼向我們行這一切事呢？你就對他們說：你們怎樣離棄耶和華（原文是我），在你們的地上事奉外邦神，也必照樣在不屬你們的地上事奉外邦人。
20當傳揚在雅各家，報告在猶大說：
21愚昧無知的百姓啊，你們有眼不看，有耳不聽，現在當聽這話。
22耶和華說：你們怎麼不懼怕我呢？我以永遠的定例，用沙為海的界限，水不得越過。因此，你們在我面前還不戰兢嗎？波浪雖然翻騰，卻不能逾越；雖然匉訇，卻不能過去。
23但這百姓有背叛忤逆的心；他們叛我而去，
24心內也不說：我們應當敬畏耶和華我們的神；他按時賜雨，就是秋雨春雨，又為我們定收割的節令，永存不廢。
25你們的罪孽使這些事轉離你們；你們的罪惡使你們不能得福。
26因為在我民中有惡人。他們埋伏窺探，好像捕鳥的人；他們設立圈套陷害人。
27籠內怎樣滿了雀鳥，他們的房中也照樣充滿詭詐；所以他們得成為大，而且富足。
28他們肥胖光潤，作惡過甚，不為人伸冤！就是不為孤兒伸冤，不使他亨通，也不為窮人辨屈。
29耶和華說：我豈不因這些事討罪呢？豈不報復這樣的國民呢？
30國中有可驚駭、可憎惡的事：
31就是先知說假預言，祭司藉他們把持權柄；我的百姓也喜愛這些事，到了結局你們怎樣行呢？
信息分享
當以賽亞以「我在這裡，請差遣我」回應了神的呼召後，以下的話便描述了神給他的任務：「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，心裡明白，回轉過來，便得醫治。」（賽六9-10）。這是多麼令人沮喪的任務──它是一個去面對失敗的任務！神清楚告訴以賽亞，他的資訊是帶著諷刺但恰當的效果，讓猶大那些叛逆的百姓硬著他們麻木的心，而顯示出審判的警告更為確實。
以賽亞願意成為神的使者後，神告訴他，他的資訊會使人心變硬而不是軟化。你認為以賽亞聽了有甚麼感受？他所得到的不是拯救的話，而是冷酷的話。無論他有甚麼感受，我們清楚地看到一件事──他開始忠心地傳講神所要他說的話。
我在想，要是神委派我們去執行失敗的任務，那麼有多少人還會以「我在這裡，請差遣我」來回應神？就我個人來說，我會有很大的掙扎。當使命臨到的時候，如果我們不知道結果會是成功還是失敗的話，很少人會願意去執行神所吩咐的事。也許那是因為我們對神的認識不夠。我們只是看到神的一部分。
「不是要他明白，而是要他堅立」
進深研究
太二十六36-45，六10；羅六13
1. 耶穌怎樣回應一條似乎是引向失敗的路？
2. 在主禱文中，有甚麼是我們需要繼續呼應的？
祈禱
神啊！我是您的門徒，但有時我會害怕跟隨您的帶領。求您幫助我按您的吩咐去做而不問結果。也求您幫助我不是按我的感受，而是按您的話去衡量成功。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Vision of God
A call to failure!
Bible reading:
Jeremiah 5:18-31
18 "Yet even in those days," declares the Lord, "I will not destroy you completely.
19 And when the people ask, 'Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.'
20 "Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
22 Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.'
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.
26 "Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful
28 and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
29 Should I not punish them for this?" declares the Lord. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
30 "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
Message
Once Isaiah has responded to the call of God with the words "Here am I. Send me!" the task he has been set is given in these words: "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed!" (Isa. 6:9-10). What a depressing commission. This is none other than a call to failure! God clearly tells Isaiah that his message will have the ironic but justly deserved effect of hardening the callous hearts of the rebellious people of Judah, thus rendering the warnings of judgment sure.
How do you think Isaiah felt about the fact that after offering himself as a messenger of God he is told that his message will have a hardening rather than a softening effect? He is given not so much a saving word as a searing word. Whatever he felt, we know one thing for certain - he set out to faithfully preach the word he had been given.
How many of us, I wonder, would respond to God with the words "Here I am. Send me!" if we thought God would commission us to failure? Speaking personally, I think I would have a big struggle with that. When the chips are down, few of us are willing to do what God says when we don't know whether the outcome will be successful or not. Perhaps it is because we don't know God well enough. We have seen Him only in part.
"It was not up to him to understand, but to stand"
Prayer
O God, I am Your disciple, but sometimes I am afraid to follow where You lead me. Help me do Your bidding whatever the outcome. And help me evaluate success not by what my senses say, but by what You say. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 26:36-45; 6:10
Romans 6:13
1. How did Jesus respond to what seemed a path to failure?
2. What do we need to continually echo in the Lord's prayer?
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