“你忘记了造你的耶和华，就是那展开诸天，奠定大地的根基的；又因那欺压者准备行毁灭的时候所发的烈怒，你就终日不住惧怕呢？其实那欺压者的烈怒在哪里呢？
我是耶和华你们的神，就是那搅动大海，使海中的波浪澎湃的；万军之耶和华是他的名。”
以赛亚书 51:13, 15
“that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretches out the heavens and who lays the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is His name.”
Isaiah 51:13, 15
Isaiah is fond of using imagery to display distinct ideas that are sometimes complementary and sometimes contrasting.
Today’s passage presents contrasting ideas. In offering comfort to the people of Israel, Isaiah paints a portrait that gives the reader a beautiful vision of who God is in comparison to those who were trying to harm them. Notice the contrasts in verses 12–15: Mortals are like grass, while God stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth; the oppressor who stirs up wrath is nothing compared to the God who stirs the sea.
While these words are comforting—after all, God is the one who covers us with the shadow of His hand—it’s important to understand that they don’t simply bypass the struggles we face. Isaiah acknowledges there is in fact an oppressor, and that oppressor is full of wrath. But he encourages us to see our difficulties in light of who God is and what He can do.
What difficult situation do you need to view in comparison with God’s power?
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