What is the purpose of family ?
家庭 的目的
Is it raise a son , so
he will care for me in old age?
To leave a legacy
Achieve what I could not?Isaiah lived in unstable timesbut God had purpose for his family
be a witness to God’s power
18
Behold, I and the children signs and portents in Israel from theLord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
看哪， 我與耶和華所給我的**兒女**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:18 (ESV/CUV) (p.3/9)
should not a people inquire of their God ? dead living ?
你們便回答說：
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:19b (ESV/CUV) (p.5/9)
20
To the teaching and to the testimony ! word , dawn .
人當以**訓誨**和**法度**為標準；
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:20 (ESV/CUV) (p.6/9)
And when they are hungry, enraged contemptuously king and their God ,
飢餓的時候， 心中**焦躁**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:21b (ESV/CUV) (p.8/9)
and turn their faces upward . 22
And they will look to the earth , distress and darkness, darkness .
仰觀**上天**， 俯察**下地**， 不料，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:22 (ESV/CUV) (p.9/9)
For Signs and Wonders (Is8)
The Remnant Waiting Upon the Lord 餘民等候 耶和華 (v16-17)
The Wonders of God’s Judgment 神審判的奇蹟 (v18)
The Word Dwelling Among Us 神的話 住在我們中間 (v19-22)
Dominik QN, Thailand
Our purpose as a family is to:
Wait for God to fulfill promisesTestify : God’s power + judgmentTurn to God’s Word :
and word made flesh , Jesus Christ
Along the way, look at 3 children
whose names each have important meaning.
I will wait for the Lord, hiding his face
from the house of Jacob,hope in him.
我要**等候**
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:17 (ESV/CUV)
Milada Vigerova
At this time, Judah was threatened
by 2 nations: Aram + Israel
Judah’s King Ahaz was wicked :
trusted in own army + allies
felt like God hid His face
hope in God’s promisesIn ch7 just prior, God tells Isaiah
Go out to meet Ahaz, Shear-Jashub your son …quiet , do not fear”
你和你的兒子**施亞雅述**出去，...
Isaiah 以賽亞書 7:3-4 (ESV/CUV)
qinghill, Parit, Malaysia
“careful”: watch (yourself),
“quiet “: undisturbed, not shaken
⇒ trust in God
God told Isaiah to bring son :
sign of God’s redemption :
She-ar ya-shub: a **remnant will returnCore message of book of Isaiah
e.g., Isaiah’s calling in ch6:
But as the terebinth and oak stumps when they are cut down, holy seed will be the stump in the land.
像**栗樹**、 **橡樹**雖被砍伐，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 6:13 (ESV/CUV)
qinghill, Parit, Malaysia
warning of disaster , judgment
stump : stone, obelisk, (fort)
“holy Seed” is singular :
Jesus is our strong fortress(Gen3:15: Seed will crush serpent)
e.g. when kid was small:
I need to use washroom
promise will returnkid is scared
but learns I always come back
I’m unable to fulfill every promise
but God does:
For as many as are the promises of God, yes ; Amen
神的**應許**， 不論有多少，
2 Corinthians 歌林多後書 1:20 (NASB/CUV)
Aaron Burden
God doesn’t change mind : “yes/no”
Promises of God are always YESpraying “Amen “ means:
trust God’s faithfulnessobey His commands
Is our family waiting for God to save His remnant ?
我的家庭在等候 神餘民 嗎?
when feels like God hides His face
trust His promisesjust obey what He says
For Signs and Wonders (Is8)
The Remnant Waiting Upon the Lord 餘民等候耶和華 (v16-17)
The Wonders of God’s Judgment 神審判的奇蹟 (v18) The Word Dwelling Among Us 神的話住在我們中間 (v19-22)
Dominik QN, Thailand
as a family together, we:
(1) wait on God’s promises
(2) testify to God’s power + mercy
Behold, I and the children signs and portents in Israel from the
看哪， 我與耶和華所給我的**兒女**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:18 (ESV/CUV)
Steven Van Loy, Biarritz, France
sign : points to God
We don’t marvel at a freeway sign
We focus on the destination
wonder : miracle, amazement:
draws attention
but not to our success
to God’s power
2nd child of Isaiah named
Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz ; 4
for before the boy knows how to cry father ’ or ‘My mother ,’
給他起名叫**瑪黑珥沙拉勒哈施罷斯**；
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:3-4 (ESV/CUV) (p.1/2)
the wealth of Damascus Samaria carried away before the king of Assyria.
**大馬色**的財寶和**撒瑪利亞**的擄物
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:3-4 (ESV/CUV) (p.2/2)
son was sign of coming judgment :
Maher-shalal-hash-baz “swift-plunder-haste-prey”
pretty awful name, eh?
testify to God’s coming judgment
hero of story is God , not me
God used Assyria to defeat all 3:
Aram, Israel, Judah
all this while kid is still a baby
e.g., summer missions w/parents
I’m just a kid , what can I do?
⇒ Lazarus , after raised:
ref: Aram defeats Ahaz (2Ch 28:5)
Ahaz worships Aramean gods (2Ch 28:22-23) (Is 8:6)
Assyria conquers Aram (2Ki 16)then Israel (17), and Judah (18)
not only on account of him , Lazarus , raised from the dead.
**不但**是為耶穌的緣故，
John 約翰福音 12:9b (ESV/CUV) (p.4/4)
Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet, “The Raising of Lazarus”, 1706
v10-11 Jews planned to kill Lazarus
(they should know Jesus can just raise him again!)
How did Laz testify to Jesus’ power?
perform a mighty miracle ?
no, just eating dinner !
We do need to use words to communicate the gospel
But our testimony is also :
I was dead in sin,
now am alive in Christ!
Behold, I and the children signs and portents in Israel from the
看哪， 我與耶和華所給我的**兒女**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:18 (ESV/CUV)
Steven Van Loy, Biarritz, France
point to God’s power + judgment
kids love our stories :
of stupid things we did when we were young
of our struggles / emotions
of God’s faithfulness
e.g. dad’s lifelong struggle w/anger
remorse, saying “sorry”
prayer asking God to change him
not how holy our family is
What is my family a testimony of?
我的家庭是見証 ?
boast of our accomplishments?
scholarships, work promotions, sports trophies?
or our weakness
that God’s power may be known?
For Signs and Wonders (Is8)
The Remnant Waiting Upon the Lord 餘民等候耶和華 (v16-17)
The Wonders of God’s Judgment 神審判的奇蹟 (v18)
The Word Dwelling Among Us 神的話住在我們中間 (v19-22)
Dominik QN, Thailand
(1) wait for God’s promises
(2) testify to God’s power
(3) show the world who our help is:
our source of security
in unstable times
To the teaching and to the testimony ! word , dawn .
人當以**訓誨**和**法度**為標準；
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:20 (ESV/CUV)
Aaron Burden
instr : Torah, God’s design for us
testimy : witness, God’s work in us
fathers : take lead in reading Bible
teach kids acc. to God’s Wordnot own authority
light of dawn : Word as lamp
And when they are hungry, enraged contemptuously king and their God ,
飢餓的時候， 心中**焦躁**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:21b (ESV/CUV)
Dylan Roberts, Strumble Head Lighthouse, UK
first up : curse king/God
e.g., little kid runs into a table:
“bad table”, let’s hit the table
⇒ teaches him to blame others:
“bad teacher”, boss, spouse, etc.!
ultimately, we blame God
for our frustrations + anger
And they will look to the earth , distress and darkness,
仰觀**上天**， 俯察**下地**， 不料，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:22 (ESV/CUV)
Dylan Roberts, Strumble Head Lighthouse, UK
but fighting against God is futile
down : darkness, distress, frustration this is the world we live in!
fear of uncertain futureanger at authority + Godfrustration at own futility
⇒ but there is hope :
now we come to 3rd child :
Therefore the Lord himself sign . Behold, virgin shall conceive and bear a son, Immanuel .
**主自己**要給你們一個**兆頭**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 7:14 (ESV/CUV)
Rembrandt, “Simeon’s Song of Praise”, 1631
Even when we lack faith,
Immanuel : God with us
not unreachable in heaven
but God in human form
ch9: light dawns in the darkness
Jesus: came to redeem us
pay for our sins on cross
⇒ this is the light
Does my family light dark world?
在這黑暗 世界中, 我的亮光 嗎?
darkness in world todaybut point to light in Immanuel
Let’s read together v18,
may our families
Behold, I and the children signs and portents in Israel from the
看哪， 我與耶和華所給我的**兒女**，
Isaiah 以賽亞書 8:18 (ESV/CUV)
Dominik QN, Thailand