08月18日 一年的第231天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶43-46章
第46章主要在講:「預言埃及被巴比倫擄走」。
耶和華論列國的話臨到先知耶利米。耶46:1
一.論到關乎埃及王法老尼哥的軍隊:這軍隊安營在伯拉河邊的迦基米施,是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒在猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬第四年所打敗的。耶46:2
1.你們要豫備大小盾牌,往前上陣。耶46:3
A.你們套上車,騎上馬!頂盔站立,磨槍貫甲!耶46:4
B.我為何看見他們驚惶轉身退後呢?他們的勇士打敗了,急忙逃跑,並不回頭;驚嚇四圍都有!這是耶和華說的。耶46:5
C.不要容快跑的逃避;不要容勇士逃脫(或作:快跑的不能逃避;勇士不能逃脫);他們在北方伯拉河邊絆跌仆倒。耶46:6
D.像尼羅河漲發,像江河之水翻騰的是誰呢?耶46:7
2.埃及像尼羅河漲發,像江河的水翻騰。他說:我要漲發遮蓋遍地;我要毀滅城邑和其中的居民。耶46:8
3.馬匹上去罷!車輛急行罷!勇士,就是手拿盾牌的古實人和弗人(又作呂彼亞人),並拉弓的路德族,都出去罷!耶46:9
二.那日是主萬軍之耶和華報仇的日子,要向敵人報仇。刀劍必吞喫得飽,飲血飲足;因為主萬軍之耶和華在北方伯拉河邊有獻祭的事。耶46:10
1.埃及的民(原文是處女)哪,可以上基列取乳香去;你雖多服良藥,總是徒然,不得治好。耶46:11
2.列國聽見你的羞辱,遍地滿了你的哀聲;勇士與勇士彼此相碰,一齊跌倒。耶46:12
3.耶和華對先知耶利米所說的話,論到巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒要來攻擊埃及地:耶46:13
A.你們要傳揚在埃及,宣告在密奪,報告在挪弗、答比匿說:要站起出隊,自作準備,因為刀劍在你四圍施行吞滅的事。耶46:14
B.你的壯士為何被沖去呢?他們站立不住;因為耶和華驅逐他們,耶46:15
C.使多人絆跌;他們也彼此撞倒,說:起來罷!我們再往本民本地去,好躲避欺壓的刀劍。耶46:16
4.他們在那裏喊叫說:埃及王法老不過是個聲音(或作:已經敗亡);他已錯過所定的時候了。耶46:17
三.君王名為萬軍之耶和華的說:我指著我的永生起誓:尼布甲尼撒(原文是他)來的勢派必像他泊在眾山之中,像迦密在海邊一樣。耶46:18
1.住在埃及的民哪(原文是女子),要豫備擄去時所用的物件;因為挪弗必成為荒場,且被燒燬,無人居住。耶46:19
2.埃及是肥美的母牛犢;但出於北方的毀滅(或作:牛虻)來到了!來到了!耶46:20
3.耶46:21 其中的雇勇好像圈裏的肥牛犢,他們轉身退後,一齊逃跑,站立不住;因為他們遭難的日子、追討的時候已經臨到。
4.其中的聲音好像蛇行一樣。敵人要成隊而來,如砍伐樹木的手拿斧子攻擊他。耶46:22
四.耶和華說:埃及的樹林雖然不能尋察(或作:穿不過),敵人卻要砍伐,因他們多於蝗蟲,不可勝數。耶46:23
1.埃及的民(原文是女子)必然蒙羞,必交在北方人的手中。耶46:24
2.萬軍之耶和華以色列的神說:「我必刑罰挪的亞捫(埃及尊大之神)和法老,並埃及與埃及的神,以及君王,也必刑罰法老和倚靠他的人。耶46:25
3.我要將他們交付尋索其命之人的手和巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒與他臣僕的手;以後埃及必再有人居住,與從前一樣。這是耶和華說的。」耶46:26
五.我的僕人雅各阿,不要懼怕!以色列阿,不要驚惶!因我要從遠方拯救你,從被擄到之地拯救你的後裔。雅各必回來,得享平靖安逸,無人使他害怕。耶46:27
我的僕人雅各阿,不要懼怕!因我與你同在。我要將我所趕你到的那些國滅絕淨盡,卻不將你滅絕淨盡,倒要從寬懲治你,萬不能不罰你(不罰你:或作以你為無罪)。這是耶和華說的。耶46:28
◎心得分享:這一章是論到「巴比倫要來攻擊埃及,並把他們擄走」,也安慰那些真正依靠祂的百姓,他們不會遭到「池魚之殃」,耶和華說:「我的僕人雅各阿,不要懼怕!以色列阿,不要驚惶!因我要從遠方拯救你,從被擄到之地拯救你的後裔。雅各必回來,得享平靖安逸,無人使他害怕。不要懼怕!因我與你同在。我要將我所趕你到的那些國滅絕淨盡,卻不將你滅絕淨盡,倒要從寬懲治你,萬不能不罰你」,上帝真是有恩典,有罪的人,上帝一定會罰,但是上帝對祂的選民說,祂不會「趕盡殺絕、滅絕淨盡」,反而是「從寬懲治」。
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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。