08月10日 一年的第223天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶17-20章
第17章主要在講:「人心比萬物都詭詐,壞到極處,誰能識透」。
一.猶大的罪是用鐵筆、用金鋼鑽記錄的,銘刻在他們的心版上和壇角上。耶17:1
1.他們的兒女記念他們高岡上、青翠樹旁的壇和木偶。耶17:2
A.我田野的山哪,我必因你在四境之內所犯的罪,把你的貨物、財寶,並邱壇當掠物交給仇敵;耶17:3
B.並且你因自己的罪必失去我所賜給你的產業。我也必使你在你所不認識的地上服事你的仇敵;因為你使我怒中起火,直燒到永遠。耶17:4
2.耶和華如此說:倚靠人血肉的膀臂,心中離棄耶和華的,那人有禍了!耶17:5
因他必像沙漠的杜松,不見福樂來到,卻要住曠野乾旱之處,無人居住的鹼地。耶17:6
3.倚靠耶和華、以耶和華為可靠的,那人有福了!耶17:7
他必像樹栽於水旁,在河邊扎根,炎熱來到,並不懼怕,葉子仍必青翠,在乾旱之年毫無掛慮,而且結果不止。耶17:8
4.人心比萬物都詭詐,壞到極處,誰能識透呢?耶17:9
二.我耶和華是鑒察人心、試驗人肺腑的,要照各人所行的和他作事的結果報應他。耶17:10
1.那不按正道得財的,好像鷓鴣菢不是自己下的蛋;到了中年,那財都必離開他,他終久成為愚頑人。耶17:11
2.我們的聖所是榮耀的寶座,從太初安置在高處。耶17:12
3.耶和華以色列的盼望阿,凡離棄你的必致蒙羞。耶和華說:離開我的,他們的名字必寫在土裏,因為他們離棄我這活水的泉源。耶17:13
三.耶和華阿,求你醫治我,我便痊愈,拯救我,我便得救;因你是我所讚美的。耶17:14
1.他們對我說:耶和華的話在那裏呢?叫這話應驗罷!耶17:15
2.至於我,那跟從你作牧人的職分,我並沒有急忙離棄,也沒有想那災殃的日子;這是你知道的。我口中所出的言語都在你面前。耶17:16
3.不要使我因你驚恐;當災禍的日子,你是我的避難所。耶17:17
4.願那些逼迫我的蒙羞,卻不要使我蒙羞;使他們驚惶,卻不要使我驚惶;使災禍的日子臨到他們,以加倍的毀壞毀壞他們。耶17:18
四.耶和華對我如此說:「你去站在平民的門口,就是猶大君王出入的門,又站在耶路撒冷的各門口,耶17:19
1.對他們說:『你們這猶大君王和猶大眾人,並耶路撒冷的一切居民,凡從這些門進入的都當聽耶和華的話。耶17:20
2.耶和華如此說:你們要謹慎,不要在安息日擔甚麼擔子進入耶路撒冷的各門;耶17:21
A.也不要在安息日從家中擔出擔子去。無論何工都不可作,只要以安息日為聖日,正如我所吩咐你們列祖的。』耶17:22
B.他們卻不聽從,不側耳而聽,竟硬著頸項不聽,不受教訓。耶17:23
3.耶和華說:「你們若留意聽從我,在安息日不擔甚麼擔子進入這城的各門,只以安息日為聖日,在那日無論何工都不作;耶17:24
4.那時就有坐大衛寶座的君王和首領,他們與猶大人,並耶路撒冷的居民,或坐車,或騎馬,進入這城的各門,而且這城必存到永遠。耶17:25
也必有人從猶大城邑和耶路撒冷四圍的各處,從便雅憫地、高原、山地,並南地而來,都帶燔祭、平安祭、素祭,和乳香,並感謝祭,到耶和華的殿去。耶17:26
5.你們若不聽從我,不以安息日為聖日,仍在安息日擔擔子,進入耶路撒冷的各門,我必在各門中點火;這火也必燒燬耶路撒冷的宮殿,不能熄滅。」耶17:27
◎心得分享:本章分成四段:第一段是「講猶大的罪,刻在他們的心版和壇角上」,第二段是講「耶和華是鑒察人心、試驗人肺腑的,要照各人所行的和他作事的結果報應他」,第三段是講「耶利米的禱告:耶和華阿,求你醫治我,我便痊愈,拯救我,我便得救;因你是我所讚美的」,第四段是講「上帝要耶利米去站在平民、君王、耶路撒冷的門口去講道」。人心比萬物都詭詐,壞到極處,誰能識透呢?倚靠人血肉的膀臂,心中離棄耶和華的,那人有禍了!倚靠耶和華、以耶和華為可靠的,那人有福了!求上帝幫助我們全心全意依靠祂。
今天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
昨天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
總計: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"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。