以賽亞對猶大嚴厲的指責一結束，立刻又鼓勵安慰他們一番，上帝對祂親手栽種的葡萄園（以色列）未能結公義的果子極為不悅，於是委派祂的先知（以賽亞）宣講毀滅的信息，然而在先知令人心痛的信息之後，上帝又賜下盼望的膏油，那就是必有童女生彌賽亞，雖然各方的敵意仍然不減，但猶大的敵人終會遭到滅亡。面對這樣罕有的宣告，以賽亞如何自處呢？他回答：「我要等候那掩面不顧雅各家的耶和華，我也要仰望祂。」（8：17）

        你不能把你沒有的分給別人。拿以賽亞為例，在上帝重用他，呼喚百姓回頭過聖潔生活之前，他必須先潔淨自己，預備自己接受這種神聖的使命。
        對以賽亞來說，具有上帝全然聖潔的形象是極其重要的，因為以賽亞的任務是對嘴唇不潔、心硬如石的百姓傳講信息，所以在他面對各國君王公卿以前，必須對坐在天上寶座的宇宙君王有最直接的接觸。「高高的寶座上」（6：1,5），只有在以賽亞準備改變他有罪的生命時（禍哉，我滅亡了），才能符合上帝聖潔的要求（去，傳！）。
        潔淨、呼召、委身，這個屬靈的模式至今仍有效力，今天上帝還在尋找人，以自願投入服事作為對祂全然聖潔的回應。
        「禍哉、看哪、去！」把這幾個字放在口袋裡，也放在你的心上──因為這是完成上帝呼召的關鍵，不僅是今天，每一天都如此！

        文字隱藏的深意
        以賽亞書五章七節最後兩句，對我們來說似乎沒有特別突出，但在希伯來原文中，這兩組對句讀來相似的話，卻有著迥然不同的意思──「公平（judgment）」與「暴虐（oppression）」(原文mishpat and mispah),以及「公義（righteousness）」與「冤聲（a cry）」(原文sedaqah and se'aqaK)。以賽亞巧妙的運用文字的技巧來突顯對照兩者之間的差異。

了解上帝是一位怎樣的上帝，就能使你眼目大開，知道自己是誰。

English

        No sooner does Isaiah complete his scathing indictment upon Judah than he turns to share a comforting word of encouragement. God's displeasure with the unrighteous harvest of the vineyard He has planted (Israel) causes Him to commission His prophet (Isaiah) to deliver a declaration of doom. But after the prophet's message of heartache comes a balm of hope. The Messiah wilt be born of a virgin, hostilities will cease, and Judah's enemies will be brought low. Isaiah's response in the face of such unusual announcements? "I will wait upon the LORD . . . and I will look for him" (8:17).

        You cannot impart what you do not possess. In Isaiah's case, before he could be used by God to call the people back to holy living, he himself had to be cleansed and prepared for holy service.
It was important for Isaiah to have an indelible vision of the Lord in all His holiness, for Isaiah's mission would be to preach to a people of unclean lips and hardened hearts. Before he could confront kings and princes, he needed a glimpse of the King of the universe sitting upon His heavenly throne, "high and lifted up" (6:1, 5). Only then was Isaiah ready to exchange his sinful inade¬quacy ("Woe is me!") for God's holy adequacy ("Go, and tell!").
        Cleansing . . . calling . . . commitment. That pattern is still valid today. God is looking for men and women who will respond to His holiness by volunteering for holy service.
        "Woe ... Lo ... Go . . ." Put those three words in your pocket — and on your heart — for they are the key to fulfilling your God-given calling today and every day.

        A Hidden Play on Words
        The last two phrases of 5:7 may not seem uncommon to the English reader, but to the Hebrew they contain two pairs of similar sounding words with very different meanings — judgment and oppression (mishpat and mispah), and "righteousness" and "a cry" (sedaqah and se'aqaK). Isaiah uses a clever literary device to paradoxically heighten the contrast between these sad disparities.

Seeing God for who He is will open your eyes to who you are.