【双语灵修】有意义的敬拜 Worship That Counts

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“‘学习行善，寻求公平，解救受欺压的，给孤儿伸冤，为寡妇辨屈。’” - 赛 1:17

贫穷往往是由不公引起的。“正常”的关系带来公平，破碎的关系则引致不公。不公平包括滥用权力、剥削弱势人士、剥夺基本权益、看重钱财过于人的价值、以及看到别人受苦但仍然逍遥恣肆，自我放纵。不公平有很多种形式，它可以体现为个人的或社会上的现象。

我们肯定知道一件事，就是神憎恶不公平，因为不公平伤害祂所爱的儿女。神藉着先知以赛亚晓谕，假如我们行事不公平，即使我们献上最诚心的敬拜，祂也会厌恶。行事不公平导致我们的宗教活动不蒙神悦纳。祈祷、歌颂、铺张的敬拜-假如我们行事不公平，这些活动都没有任何意义。

先知的职责是呼召百姓恢复信心的生活、为他们不公平的行为悔过、并采取公平的生活方式。以赛亚提到了寻求公平、解救受欺压的、为孤儿寡妇伸冤辨屈；他又在58章中补充说，我们要把食物分给饥饿的人、将飘流的穷人接到家中、等等。先知弥迦说，我们要“行公义”，“好怜悯”，“存谦卑的心与神同行”（弥迦书 6:8）。

我们的好消息是，神会接纳我们的悔改并改变我们，叫我们喜乐地行公义事奉祂。

祷告

神啊，我们知道你呼召我们行公义。求你以你的恩典恢复和更新我们，叫我们为耶稣的缘故去寻求公平和维护正义。阿们。

以赛亚书 1:12-20

12你们来朝见我，谁向你们讨这些，使你们践踏我的院宇呢？
13你们不要再献虚浮的供物！香品是我所憎恶的，月朔和安息日并宣召的大会也是我所憎恶的，做罪孽又守严肃会我也不能容忍。
14你们的月朔和节期，我心里恨恶，我都以为麻烦，我担当便不耐烦。
15你们举手祷告，我必遮眼不看，就是你们多多地祈祷我也不听，你们的手都满了杀人的血。
16“你们要洗濯，自洁，从我眼前除掉你们的恶行。要止住作恶，
17学习行善，寻求公平，解救受欺压的，给孤儿申冤，为寡妇辨屈。”
18耶和华说：“你们来，我们彼此辩论。你们的罪虽像朱红，必变成雪白；虽红如丹颜，必白如羊毛。
19你们若甘心听从，必吃地上的美物；
20若不听从，反倒悖逆，必被刀剑吞灭。”这是耶和华亲口说的。

Worship That Counts

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

Poverty is often caused by injustice. While justice occurs where relationships are “just right,” injustice happens when relationships are broken. Injustice includes the misuse of power, exploitation of the weak, denial of basic rights, valuing money more than people, and self-indulgence in the face of human suffering. It can take many forms. It can be personal or societal.

One thing we know for sure is that God hates injustice because it harms his children, whom he loves. Through the prophet Isaiah, God shows that even our best worship can be distasteful to him if we do not practice justice. Injustice makes our religious practices unacceptable to God. Prayers, songs, lavish worship services—they are all meaningless if we do not do justice.

The role of prophets was to call people back to faithful living, to repent of their unjust practices, to embrace justice as a lifestyle. Isaiah talks about seeking justice, defending the oppressed, and speaking up for the fatherless and the widow, and in chapter 58 he adds that we should share our food with the hungry, provide shelter to the poor wanderer, and more. The prophet Micah says we should “act justly,” “love mercy,” and “walk humbly” with God (Micah 6:8).

The good news is that God accepts our repentance and transforms us to do justice out of joyful service to him.

Prayer

God, we know that you want us to be just. By your grace, restore and renew us to seek justice for Jesus’ sake. Amen.