我們再來多花一點時間研究以賽亞書六章最後兩句話：「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。」

神告訴先知以賽亞，以色列會變成一個病態的社會，最終還會變成荒地，但是仍然還會有緊抓著神並且忠心的餘民。神也告訴他會有一棵樹剩下──實際上是一個樹墩，而從那樹墩會長出一棵新樹！甚至被砍下來的樹，也會留下樹墩，可以長出新的樹。「聖潔的種類」這個詞組無疑是指彌賽亞的來臨。祂是會救贖以色列，超越邊界，將救恩伸展到全世界的那一位。

我們不必在意那些持守神的事工的人總是佔少數。在舊約和新約的時代，那些真正屬靈的人也是少數。不是危言聳聽，但我需要指出，以賽亞的時代與我們的時代頗有相似之處。我們現在所處的境況肯定會變得越來越糟。不過正如過去的時代一樣，神在這個時代也有祂的餘民。如果你是委身追隨耶穌基督的人，你就是餘民的一份子。神總是使用蒙救贖的餘民來改變世界。就世界來說，你和我可能是少數，但正如有人指出：「只要是與神在一起，哪怕只是一個人也是多數。」我們是有多數派地位的少數派！哈利路亞！

We linger a little longer on the last two sentences of Isaiah 6: "And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

The prophet is being told that Israel will become a sick society and will finish up like a wasteland, but there will be a remnant who will hold on to God and be faithful. He is told also that there will be one tree left, indeed, one stump, and out of that stump will come a new tree! Even a felled tree leaves a stump behind which may produce fresh growth. The phrase "the holy seed" refers, without doubt, to the coming of the Messiah, the One who would redeem Israel and extend the offer of salvation beyond its borders to the whole world.

We should never be concerned that those who uphold God's cause always seem to be in the minority. Those who were truly spiritual were in the minority in Old Testament times and in New Testament times too. I am not an alarmist, but I have to say that I see a parallel between Isaiah's day and the day in which we live. What a state we are in at the present moment - and things are destined to get worse. But God has His remnant in this age as He has had in every age. If you are a committed follower of Jesus Christ then you are part of that remnant. And God has always used a redeemed remnant to change the world. You and I may be in the minority as far as the world is concerned, but as someone once pointed out: "One person with God is in the majority." We are minorities with a majority status! Hallelujah!