以賽亞書 54:2 要擴張你帳幕之地，伸展你居所的幔子，不要縮回；要放長你的繩子，堅固你的橛子。3 因為你要向左向右開展，你的後裔必得列國為業，又使荒廢的城鎮有人居住。
Isaiah 54:2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities [NIV:and settle in their desolate cities.].
許多家庭蓋了一棟大房子，但裡面幾乎沒有孩子。 許多教堂建立了更大的會堂，以吸引更多的人來敬拜。 但是，“擴張你帳幕之地”不僅是要把人們帶進來，而且還要把人們差派出去。 大使命是要去使萬民作我的門徒。 上帝應許我們的“後裔必得列國為業，又使荒廢的城鎮有人居住”。 為了擴張帳幕之地，教會和我們作為父母的應該產生許多敬虔的後裔，以便派遣他們去得列國為業。 不要只讓我們的孩子繼承我們的家庭產業，而要“向左向右開展” 且“不要縮回；要放長[我們]的繩子，堅固[我們]的橛子”，門訓並裝備我們的後裔，以便他們“得列國為業，又使荒廢的城鎮有人居住”。
Many families build a big house but have few children living inside. Many churches build bigger sanctuaries to have more people come to worship. But to “enlarge the place of your tent” is not just about moving people in but it is about sending people out. The great commission is about going out to make disciples of all nations. God wants “[our] offspring [to] possess the nations and settle in their desolate cities.” In order to enlarge our tent, the church and we as parents should produce many godly offspring so they can be sent out to possess the nations. Don’t just let our children to inherit our family heritage but “spread abroad to the right and to the left”, and “not hold back; [but] lengthen [our] cords and strengthen [our] stakes” by making and equipping our offspring so they can “possess the nations and and settle in their desolate cities.”
