08月11日 一年的第224天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶21-23章
第22章主要在講:「預言西底家兒子哥尼雅被擄」。
耶和華如此說:「你下到猶大王的宮中,在那裏說這話,耶22:1
一.說:『坐大衛寶座的猶大王阿,你和你的臣僕,並進入城門的百姓,都當聽耶和華的話。耶22:2
1.耶和華如此說:你們要施行公平和公義,拯救被搶奪的脫離欺壓人的手,不可虧負寄居的和孤兒寡婦,不可以強暴待他們,在這地方也不可流無辜人的血。耶22:3
2.你們若認真行這事,就必有坐大衛寶座的君王和他的臣僕百姓,或坐車或騎馬,從這城的各門進入。耶22:4
3.你們若不聽這些話,耶和華說:我指著自己起誓,這城必變為荒場。耶22:5
二.耶和華論到猶大王的家如此說:我看你如基列,如利巴嫩頂;然而,我必使你變為曠野,為無人居住的城邑。耶22:6
1.我要豫備行毀滅的人,各拿器械攻擊你;他們要砍下你佳美的香柏樹,扔在火中。耶22:7
2.「許多國的民要經過這城,各人對鄰舍說:『耶和華為何向這大城如此行呢?』耶22:8
A.他們必回答說:『是因離棄了耶和華他們神的約,事奉敬拜別神。』」耶22:9
B.不要為死人哭號;不要為他悲傷,卻要為離家出外的人大大哭號;因為他不得再回來,也不得再見他的本國。耶22:10
C.因為耶和華論到從這地方出去的猶大王約西亞的兒子沙龍(在列王下二十三章三十節名約哈斯),就是接續他父親約西亞作王的,這樣說:「他必不得再回到這裏來,耶22:11
D.卻要死在被擄去的地方,必不得再見這地。」耶22:12
3.那行不義蓋房、行不公造樓、白白使用人的手工不給工價的有禍了!耶22:13
A.他說:我要為自己蓋廣大的房、寬敞的樓,為自己開窗戶。這樓房的護牆板是香柏木的,樓房是丹色油漆的。耶22:14
B.難道你作王是在乎造香柏木樓房爭勝麼?你的父親豈不是也喫也喝、也施行公平和公義麼?那時他得了福樂。耶22:15
C.他為困苦和窮乏人伸,那時就得了福樂。認識我不在乎此麼?這是耶和華說的。耶22:16
D.惟有你的眼和你的心專顧貪婪,流無辜人的血,行欺壓和強暴。耶22:17
三.所以,耶和華論到猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬如此說:人必不為他舉哀說:哀哉!我的哥哥;或說:哀哉!我的姊姊;也不為他舉哀說:哀哉!我的主;或說:哀哉!我主的榮華。耶22:18
1.他被埋葬,好像埋驢一樣,要拉出去扔在耶路撒冷的城門之外。耶22:19
2.你要上利巴嫩哀號,在巴珊揚聲,從亞巴琳哀號,因為你所親愛的都毀滅了。耶22:20
3.你興盛的時候,我對你說話;你卻說:我不聽。你自幼年以來總是這樣,不聽從我的話。耶22:21
4.你的牧人要被風吞喫,你所親愛的必被擄去;那時你必因你一切的惡,抱愧蒙羞。耶22:22
5.你這住利巴嫩、在香柏樹上搭窩的,有痛苦臨到你,好像疼痛臨到產難的婦人,那時你何等可憐!耶22:23
四.耶和華說:「猶大王約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅又名耶哥尼雅;下同?,雖是我右手上帶印的戒指,我憑我的永生起誓,也必將你從其上摘下來,耶22:24
1.並且我必將你交給尋索你命的人和你所懼怕的人手中,就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒和迦勒底人的手中。耶22:25
2.我也必將你和生你的母親趕到別國,並不是你們生的地方;你們必死在那裏,耶22:26
3.但心中甚想歸回之地,必不得歸回。」耶22:27
4.哥尼雅這人是被輕看、破壞的器皿麼?是無人喜愛的器皿麼?他和他的後裔為何被趕到不認識之地呢?耶22:28
5.地阿,地阿,地阿,當聽耶和華的話!耶22:29
耶和華如此說:要寫明這人算為無子,是平生不得亨通的;因為他後裔中再無一人得亨通,能坐在大衛的寶座上治理猶大。耶22:30
◎心得分享:上一章是西底家派人去耶利米問耶路撒冷會怎樣?這一章上帝要耶利米去皇宮向西底家講結局會怎樣,預言耶哥尼雅將會被擄到巴比倫,耶哥尼雅就是約雅斤(代下三六9~10),預言約雅斤雖然不是「末代國王」,但是約雅斤向巴比倫投降,是「約西亞王」的孫子,也是他的後代中,比較不悲殘的,被擄到巴比倫,受到巴比倫的善待,終身常在巴比倫王面前吃飯(王下25:29),再一次說明「順服就會蒙福」。
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。