08月14日 一年的第227天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶30-32章
第31章主要在講:「預言以色列各家,未後必有指望」。
一.耶和華說:「那時,我必作以色列各家的神;他們必作我的子民。」耶31:1
1.耶和華如此說:脫離刀劍的就是以色列人。我使他享安息的時候,他曾在曠野蒙恩。耶31:2
2.古時耶和華向以色列顯現,說:我以永遠的愛愛你,因此我以慈愛吸引你。耶31:3
3.以色列的民哪,我要再建立你,你就被建立;你必再以擊鼓為美,與歡樂的人一同跳舞而出;耶31:4
4.又必在撒瑪利亞的山上栽種葡萄園,栽種的人要享用所結的果子。耶31:5
5.日子必到,以法蓮山上守望的人必呼叫說:起來罷!我們可以上錫安,到耶和華我們的神那裏去。耶31:6
二.耶和華如此說:你們當為雅各歡樂歌唱,因萬國中為首的歡呼。當傳揚頌讚說:耶和華阿,求你拯救你的百姓以色列所剩下的人。耶31:7
1.我必將他們從北方領來,從地極招聚;同著他們來的有瞎子、瘸子、孕婦、產婦;他們必成為大幫回到這裏來。耶31:8
2.他們要哭泣而來。我要照他們懇求的引導他們,使他們在河水旁走正直的路,在其上不致絆跌;因為我是以色列的父,以法蓮是我的長子。耶31:9
3.列國阿,要聽耶和華的話,傳揚在遠處的海島說:趕散以色列的必招聚他,又看守他,好像牧人看守羊群。耶31:10
A.因耶和華救贖了雅各,救贖他脫離比他更強之人的手。耶31:11
B.他們要來到錫安的高處歌唱,又流歸耶和華施恩之地,就是有五穀、新酒,和油,並羊羔、牛犢之地。他們的心必像澆灌的園子;他們也不再有一點愁煩。耶31:12
C.那時,處女必歡樂跳舞;年少的、年老的,也必一同歡樂;因為我要使他們的悲哀變為歡喜,並要安慰他們,使他們的愁煩轉為快樂。耶31:13
4.我必以肥油使祭司的心滿足;我的百姓也要因我的恩惠知足。這是耶和華說的。耶31:14
5.耶和華如此說:在拉瑪聽見號咷痛哭的聲音,是拉結哭他兒女,不肯受安慰,因為他們都不在了。耶31:15
三.耶和華如此說:你禁止聲音不要哀哭,禁止眼目不要流淚,因你所作之工必有賞賜;他們必從敵國歸回。這是耶和華說的。耶31:16
1.耶和華說:你末後必有指望;你的兒女必回到自己的境界。耶31:17
2.我聽見以法蓮為自己悲歎說:你責罰我,我便受責罰,像不慣負軛的牛犢一樣。求你使我回轉,我便回轉,因為你是耶和華我的神。耶31:18
我回轉以後就真正懊悔;受教以後就拍腿歎息;我因擔當幼年的凌辱就抱愧蒙羞。耶31:19
3.耶和華說:以法蓮是我的愛子麼?是可喜悅的孩子麼?我每逢責備他,仍深顧念他;所以我的心腸戀慕他;我必要憐憫他。耶31:20
4.以色列民(原文是處女)哪,你當為自己設立指路碑,豎起引路柱。你要留心向大路,就是你所去的原路;你當回轉,回轉到你這些城邑。耶31:21
5.背道的民(原文是女子)哪,你反來覆去要到幾時呢?耶和華在地上造了一件新事,就是女子護衛男子。耶31:22
四.萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說:「我使被擄之人歸回的時候,他們在猶大地和其中的城邑必再這樣說:公義的居所阿,聖山哪,願耶和華賜福給你。耶31:23
1.猶大和屬猶大城邑的人,農夫和放羊的人,要一同住在其中。耶31:24
2.疲乏的人,我使他飽飫;愁煩的人,我使他知足。耶31:25
3.先知說:「我醒了,覺著睡得香甜!」耶31:26
4.耶和華說:「日子將到,我要把人的種和牲畜的種播種在以色列家和猶大家。耶31:27
5.我先前怎樣留意將他們拔出、拆毀、毀壞、傾覆、苦害,也必照樣留意將他們建立、栽植。這是耶和華說的。耶31:28
五.當那些日子,人不再說:父親喫了酸葡萄,兒子的牙酸倒了。耶31:29
1.但各人必因自己的罪死亡;凡喫酸葡萄的,自己的牙必酸倒。」耶31:30
2.耶和華說:「日子將到,我要與以色列家和猶大家另立新約,耶31:31
A.不像我拉著他們祖宗的手,領他們出埃及地的時候,與他們所立的約。我雖作他們的丈夫,他們卻背了我的約。這是耶和華說的。」耶31:32
B.耶和華說:「那些日子以後,我與以色列家所立的約乃是這樣:我要將我的律法放在他們裏面,寫在他們心上。我要作他們的神,他們要作我的子民。耶31:33
C.他們各人不再教導自己的鄰舍和自己的弟兄說:『你該認識耶和華』,因為他們從最小的到至大的都必認識我。我要赦免他們的罪孽,不再記念他們的罪惡。這是耶和華說的。」耶31:34
3.那使太陽白日發光,使星月有定例,黑夜發亮,又攪動大海,使海中波浪匉訇的,萬軍之耶和華是他的名。他如此說:耶31:35
A.這些定例若能在我面前廢掉,以色列的後裔也就在我面前斷絕,永遠不再成國。這是耶和華說的。耶31:36
B.耶和華如此說:若能量度上天,尋察下地的根基,我就因以色列後裔一切所行的棄絕他們。這是耶和華說的。耶31:37
4.耶和華說:「日子將到,這城必為耶和華建造,從哈楠業樓直到角門。耶31:38
A.準繩要往外量出,直到迦立山,又轉到歌亞。耶31:39
B.拋屍的全谷和倒灰之處,並一切田地,直到汲淪溪,又直到東方馬門的拐角,都要歸耶和華為聖,不再拔出,不再傾覆,直到永遠。」耶31:40
◎心得分享:這一章上帝再一次鼓勵將要被擄的神的百姓,耶和華如此說:「脫離刀劍的就是以色列人。我使他享安息的時候,我以永遠的愛愛你,因此我以慈愛吸引你,以色列的民哪,我要再建立你,你就被建立;你必再以擊鼓為美,與歡樂的人一同跳舞而出;你們當為雅各歡樂歌唱,因萬國中為首的歡呼。當傳揚頌讚說:耶和華阿,求你拯救你的百姓以色列所剩下的人」。耶和華如此說:「你禁止聲音不要哀哭,禁止眼目不要流淚,因你所作之工必有賞賜;他們必從敵國歸回。」,神的意念高過我們的意念,每一件事都有上帝最好的,我們要學習順服,在苦難中要帶著信心,知道苦難會過去,上帝在盡頭為我們預備豐盛宴筵。
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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。