08月09日 一年的第222天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶13-16章
第16章主要在講:「耶和華眼目察看百姓一切行為,要加倍報應他們的罪孽和罪惡」。
一.耶和華的話又臨到我說:耶16:1
1.你在這地方不可娶妻,生兒養女。耶16:2
A.因為論到在這地方所生的兒女,又論到在這國中生養他們的父母,耶和華如此說:耶16:3
B.他們必死得甚苦,無人哀哭,必不得葬埋,必在地上像糞土,必被刀劍和饑荒滅絕;他們的屍首必給空中的飛鳥和地上的野獸作食物。耶16:4
2.耶和華如此說:「不要進入喪家,不要去哀哭,也不要為他們悲傷,因我已將我的平安、慈愛、憐憫從這百姓奪去了。這是耶和華說的。耶16:5
A.連大帶小,都必在這地死亡,不得葬埋。人必不為他們哀哭,不用刀劃身,也不使頭光禿。耶16:6
B.他們有喪事,人必不為他們擘餅,因死人安慰他們;他們喪父喪母,人也不給他們一杯酒安慰他們。耶16:7
3.你不可進入宴樂的家,與他們同坐喫喝。耶16:8
因為萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說:你們還活著的日子在你們眼前,我必使歡喜和快樂的聲音,新郎和新婦的聲音,從這地方止息了。耶16:9
4.你將這一切的話指示這百姓。他們問你說:『耶和華為甚麼說,要降這大災禍攻擊我們呢?我們有甚麼罪孽呢?我們向耶和華我們的神犯了甚麼罪呢?』耶16:10
A.你就對他們說:『耶和華說:因為你們列祖離棄我,隨從別神,事奉敬拜,不遵守我的律法,耶16:11
B.而且你們行惡比你們列祖更甚;因為各人隨從自己頑梗的惡心行事,甚至不聽從我,耶16:12
C.所以我必將你們從這地趕出,直趕到你們和你們列祖素不認識的地。你們在那裏必晝夜事奉別神,因為我必不向你們施恩。』」耶16:13
5.耶和華說:「日子將到,人必不再指著那領以色列人從埃及地上來之永生的耶和華起誓,耶16:14
A.卻要指著那領以色列人從北方之地,並趕他們到的各國上來之永生的耶和華起誓,並且我要領他們再入我從前賜給他們列祖之地。」耶16:15
B.耶和華說:「我要召許多打魚的把以色列人打上來,然後我要召許多打獵的,從各山上、各岡上、各石穴中獵取他們。耶16:16
C.因我的眼目察看他們的一切行為;他們不能在我面前遮掩,他們的罪孽也不能在我眼前隱藏。耶16:17
D.我先要加倍報應他們的罪孽和罪惡;因為他們用可憎之屍玷污我的地土,又用可厭之物充滿我的產業。」耶16:18
二.耶和華阿,你是我的力量,是我的保障;在苦難之日是我的避難所。列國人必從地極來到你這裏,說:我們列祖所承受的,不過是虛假,是虛空無益之物。耶16:19
1.人豈可為自己製造神呢?其實這不是神。耶16:20
2.耶和華說:「我要使他們知道,就是這一次使他們知道我的手和我的能力。他們就知道我的名是耶和華了。」耶16:21
◎心得分享:本章分為二段:第一段是上帝對耶利米的吩付1.你在這地方不可娶妻,生兒養女,2.不要進入喪家,不要去哀哭,也不要為他們悲傷,3.不可進入宴樂的家,與他們同坐喫喝,4.將這一切的話指示這百姓。第二段是耶利米的禱告與上帝的回應,耶利米說:「耶和華阿,你是我的力量,是我的保障;在苦難之日是我的避難所。」,上帝說:「我要使他們知道,就是這一次使他們知道我的手和我的能力。他們就知道我的名是耶和華了。」,雖然上帝給耶利米是一個很困難的任務,但是上帝要耶利米的是「忠心傳講上帝的話」,求神幫助我們,也能忠心傳講上帝的話。
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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。