Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. Return to me, for I have redeemed you

Isaiah 44:9-28

All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.

Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and shame.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?  Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

“Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

“This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord,  the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself,

who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’  and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’

Why?

People worship idols for their eyes are blind and their hearts fill with fear and their deeds are worthless.

No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding of what they have done.

But our God is our redeemer, my savior, we are servants of the Lord.

Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. 

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9-20製造偶像者心中的無知

9-11: 製造或是拜偶像，就是白忙一場。羞愧： 空虛

12-17:製造的過程，材料，有能力的是鐵匠，人卻去拜鐵匠做出來的東西。木匠也一樣拿剩下的木頭做偶像，使用木頭取暖、煮飯...比例都是人決定的，反而求這個偶像來幫助他。神賜我們資源，財物讓我們支配使用。我們是這些物的管理者，很當中得到享受，怎麼我們反而被這些控制。

剩下的：拿來造偶像，用不到的東西所造出來的

我們的神不是呼之即來，揮之即去。當我們要求神來符合我們需要時，就和這些人一樣。

21-28 對比只有神話語。神的話語。真神創造人，救贖人，創造諸天，真神顯出一切的虛假。

這些人的智慧不是真智慧。按神話語來傳誦，神一定成就。以賽亞所說的必定成就。古列、波斯王會讓以色列人歸回。

我們想要支配一切，最後反而被這些東西支配。

How?

Praise to the Lord, Almighty! May my heart and my mind turn to the Lord and have the understanding and acknowledge of the way of the Lord.