08月07日 一年的第220天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶06-08章
第06章主要在講:「警告耶路撒冷當受教,免得被擄地荒涼」。
一.便雅憫人哪,你們要逃出耶路撒冷,在提哥亞吹角,在伯哈基琳立號旗;因為有災禍與大毀滅從北方張望。耶6:1
1.那秀美嬌嫩的錫安女子,我必剪除。耶6:2
A.牧人必引他們的羊群到他那裏,在他周圍支搭帳棚,各在自己所佔之地使羊喫草。耶6:3
B.你們要準備攻擊他。起來罷,我們可以趁午時上去。哀哉!日已漸斜,晚影拖長了。耶6:4
C.起來罷,我們夜間上去,毀壞他的宮殿。耶6:5
2.因為萬軍之耶和華如此說:你們要砍伐樹木,築壘攻打耶路撒冷。這就是那該罰的城,其中盡是欺壓。耶6:6
3.井怎樣湧出水來,這城也照樣湧出惡來;在其間常聽見有強暴毀滅的事,病患損傷也常在我面前。耶6:7
二.耶路撒冷阿,你當受教,免得我心與你生疏,免得我使你荒涼,成為無人居住之地。耶6:8
1.萬軍之耶和華曾如此說:敵人必擄盡以色列剩下的民,如同摘淨葡萄一樣。你要像摘葡萄的人摘了又摘,回手放在筐子裏。耶6:9
A.現在我可以向誰說話作見證,使他們聽呢?他們的耳朵未受割禮,不能聽見。看哪,耶和華的話他們以為羞辱,不以為喜悅。耶6:10
B.因此我被耶和華的忿怒充滿,難以含忍。我要傾在街中的孩童和聚會的少年人身上,連夫帶妻,並年老的與日子滿足的都必被擒拿。耶6:11
C.他們的房屋、田地,和妻子都必轉歸別人;我要伸手攻擊這地的居民。這是耶和華說的。耶6:12
2.因為他們從最小的到至大的都一味地貪婪,從先知到祭司都行事虛謊。耶6:13
A.他們輕輕忽忽地醫治我百姓的損傷,說:平安了!平安了!其實沒有平安。耶6:14
B.他們行可憎的事知道慚愧麼?不然,他們毫不慚愧,也不知羞恥。因此,他們必在仆倒的人中仆倒;我向他們討罪的時候,他們必致跌倒。這是耶和華說的。耶6:15
3.耶和華如此說:你們當站在路上察看,訪問古道,哪是善道,便行在其間;這樣,你們心裏必得安息。他們卻說:我們不行在其間。耶6:16
4.我設立守望的人照管你們,說:要聽角聲。他們卻說:我們不聽。耶6:17
三.列國阿,因此你們當聽!會眾阿,要知道他們必遭遇的事。耶6:18
1.地阿,當聽!我必使災禍臨到這百姓,就是他們意念所結的果子;因為他們不聽從我的言語,至於我的訓誨(或作:律法),他們也厭棄了。耶6:19
從示巴出的乳香,從遠方出的菖蒲(或作:甘蔗)奉來給我有何益呢?你們的燔祭不蒙悅納;你們的平安祭,我也不喜悅。耶6:20
2.所以耶和華如此說:我要將絆腳石放在這百姓前面。父親和兒子要一同跌在其上;鄰舍與朋友也都滅亡。耶6:21
3.耶和華如此說:看哪,有一種民從北方而來,並有一大國被激動,從地極來到。耶6:22
A.他們拿弓和槍,性情殘忍,不施憐憫;他們的聲音像海浪匉訇。錫安城阿,他們騎馬都擺隊伍,如上戰場的人要攻擊你。耶6:23
B.我們聽見他們的風聲,手就發軟;痛苦將我們抓住,疼痛彷彿產難的婦人。耶6:24
C.你們不要往田野去,也不要行在路上,因四圍有仇敵的刀劍和驚嚇。耶6:25
四.我民哪,應當腰束麻布,滾在灰中。你要悲傷,如喪獨生子痛痛哭號,因為滅命的要忽然臨到我們。耶6:26
1.我使你在我民中為高臺(或作:試驗人的),為保障,使你知道試驗他們的行動。耶6:27
2.他們都是極悖逆的,往來讒謗人。他們是銅是鐵,都行壞事。耶6:28
3.風箱吹火,鉛被燒燬;他們煉而又煉,終是徒然;因為惡劣的還未除掉。耶6:29
4.人必稱他們為被棄的銀渣,因為耶和華已經棄掉他們。耶6:30
5.這世代的人哪,你們要看明耶和華的話。我豈向以色列作曠野呢?或作幽暗之地呢?我的百姓為何說:我們脫離約束,再不歸向你了?耶2:31
◎心得分享:上帝將會刑罰耶路撒冷,敵人必擄盡以色列剩下的民,如同摘淨葡萄一樣。摘葡萄的人摘了又摘,回手放在筐子裏,因為耶路撒冷盡是欺壓,從最小的到至大的都一味地貪婪,從先知到祭司都行事虛謊,行可憎的事,毫不慚愧,也不知羞恥,不聽上帝所設立照管他們守望的人,所以先知提醒神的百姓,應當腰束麻布,滾在灰中悲傷,也就是真正的悔改,人喜歡聽好聽的,不喜歡聽我們真正要聽的,所以「忠言逆耳」,求神給我們一個可聽的耳朵。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。