我们再来多花一点时间研究以赛亚书六章最后两句话：「境内剩下的人若还有十分之一，也必被吞灭；像栗树、橡树虽被砍伐，树墩子却仍存留，这圣洁的种类在国中也是如此。」

神告诉先知以赛亚，以色列会变成一个病态的社会，最终还会变成荒地，但是仍然还会有紧抓着神并且忠心的余民。神也告诉他会有一棵树剩下──实际上是一个树墩，而从那树墩会长出一棵新树！甚至被砍下来的树，也会留下树墩，可以长出新的树。「圣洁的种类」这个词组无疑是指弥赛亚的来临。祂是会救赎以色列，超越边界，将救恩伸展到全世界的那一位。

我们不必在意那些持守神的事工的人总是占少数。在旧约和新约的时代，那些真正属灵的人也是少数。不是危言耸听，但我需要指出，以赛亚的时代与我们的时代颇有相似之处。我们现在所处的境况肯定会变得越来越糟。不过正如过去的时代一样，神在这个时代也有祂的余民。如果你是委身追随耶稣基督的人，你就是余民的一份子。神总是使用蒙救赎的余民来改变世界。就世界来说，你和我可能是少数，但正如有人指出：「只要是与神在一起，哪怕只是一个人也是多数。」我们是有多数派地位的少数派！哈利路亚！

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!