Session 14: CHRISTMAS

24 November 2020

Isaiah 40:1-11 (ESV) – Comfort for God’s People

Artist: **Yuri**
Isaiah 40:1-11　イザヤ書 40:1-11
These Bible verses include one of the most famous Bible verse, Isaiah 40:3, that the four gospels cites as the word of the prophet Isaiah.
この聖書の箇所には、4つの福音書が預言者イザヤの言葉として引用している最も有名な聖書の一節イザヤ40：3が含まれています。

However, it was v.5 that struck my mind today.
けれども、今日私の心を打ったのはv.5でした
נִגְלָ֖ה כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָ֑ה (Is 40:5)
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.
主の栄光が明らかにされる

What is the glory of God?
He is comfort, the Spirit, forever, mighty.
Therefore, He shall carry (his children) in his bosom, and nurse and lead.
It is the nature of God and His glory.
神の栄光とは何か？
彼は慰めであり、霊であり、永遠であり、揺るぎなく圧倒的な強さです。
神の子供たちを胸に抱き、育み、導きます。
これらは正に神の性質であり神の栄光です。

My drawing places the lambs resting in His bosom in the centre and the words are scattered around it.
Overall it shows the nature and glory of God.
By the way, I noticed that the original language Hebrew shows it is plural טְלָאִ֔ים the lambs/them.
It is plural in the English translation, but it is singular in the Japanese translation.
In many paintings, the Lord is holding one lamb.
However, I am deeply moved for the fact I found tonight.
The mighty arms of the almighty God can not only hold an immeasurable number, but also each one can still keep in a state of comfort.
今晩の絵は彼の胸の中に置かれた子羊たちを中心に、聖書箇所内の言葉を散らしてあり、全体としては神の性質と栄光を描いています
ちなみに、ヘブライ語で示されている元の言語は、複数形の子羊/子羊であることに気づきました。
英語訳では複数形ですが、日本語訳では単数形です。
多くの絵では、主は子羊を一頭持っています。
全能の神の力強い腕は、計り知れない数を保持できるだけでなく、それぞれが快適な状態で保持することもできる。
今夜見つけた事実に心から感動しました。

נַחֲמ֥וּ נַחֲמ֖וּ עַמִּ֑י (Is 40:1)
Comfort, comfort my people
わたしの民を慰めよ

ר֥וּחַ יְהוָ֖ה　 (Is 40:7)
The Spirit (breath) of the Lord.
主の霊（息）

וּדְבַר־אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יָק֥וּם לְעוֹלָֽם　(Is 40:8)
And the word of our God shall stand forever
そして、私たちの神の言葉は永遠に続くでしょう

אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ בְּחָזָ֣ק (Is 40:10)
The Lord God is strong.
主なる神は強い

וּבְחֵיק֖וֹ יִשָּׂ֑א עָל֖וֹת יְנַהֵֽל (Is 40:11)
And he shall carry in his bosom, and nurse and lead.
そして彼は抱いて運び、優しく導きます

Artist: **Jillian**
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:3‭-‬8 NASB

He raises the valleys and levels the mountains and hills to make a way accessible for us to meet him, for His glory to be revealed to us. And we are like the flowers of this field, seeing His glory revealed.

Artist: **Geraldine**
(以赛亚书 Isaiah 40:11)
他必像牧人牧养自己的羊群，用膀臂聚集羊羔抱在怀中，慢慢引导那乳养小羊的。
Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Isaiah 40:1-11 (ESV) – Comfort for God’s People
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
²Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.
³A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
⁵And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Word of God Stands Forever
⁶A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
⁷The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
⁸The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

The Greatness of God
⁹Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.