08月20日 一年的第233天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:耶50-52章
一.西底家登基的時候年二十一歲,在耶路撒冷作王十一年。他母親名叫哈慕他,是立拿人耶利米的女兒。耶52:1
1.西底家行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,是照約雅敬一切所行的。耶52:2
2.因此耶和華的怒氣在耶路撒冷和猶大發作,以致將人民從自己的面前趕出。耶52:3
3.西底家背叛巴比倫王。他作王第九年十月初十日,巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領全軍來攻擊耶路撒冷,對城安營,四圍築壘攻城。耶52:4
二.於是城被圍困直到西底家王十一年。耶52:5
1.四月初九日,城裏有大饑荒,甚至百姓都沒有糧食。耶52:6
2.城被攻破,一切兵丁就在夜間從靠近王園兩城中間的門,出城逃跑;迦勒底人正在四圍攻城。他們就往亞拉巴逃去。耶52:7
3.迦勒底的軍隊追趕西底家王,在耶利哥的平原追上他。他的全軍都離開他四散了。耶52:8
A.迦勒底人就拿住王,帶他到在哈馬地利比拉的巴比倫王那裏;巴比倫王便審判他。耶52:9
B.巴比倫王在西底家眼前殺了他的眾子,又在利比拉殺了猶大的一切首領,耶52:10
C.並且剜了西底家的眼睛,用銅鍊鎖著他,帶到巴比倫去,將他囚在監裏,直到他死的日子。耶52:11
三.巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒十九年五月初十日,在巴比倫王面前侍立的護衛長尼布撒拉旦進入耶路撒冷,耶52:12
1.用火焚燒耶和華的殿和王宮,又焚燒耶路撒冷的房屋,就是各大戶家的房屋。耶52:13
A.跟從護衛長迦勒底的全軍就拆毀耶路撒冷四圍的城牆。耶52:14
B.那時護衛長尼布撒拉旦將民中最窮的和城裏所剩下的百姓,並已經投降巴比倫王的人,以及大眾所剩下的人,都擄去了。耶52:15
C.但護衛長尼布撒拉旦留下些民中最窮的,使他們修理葡萄園,耕種田地。耶52:16
2.耶和華殿的銅柱並殿內的盆座和銅海,迦勒底人都打碎了,將那銅運到巴比倫去了,耶52:17
A.又帶去鍋、鏟子、蠟剪、盤子、調羹,並所用的一切銅器、耶52:18
B.杯、火鼎、碗、盆、燈臺、調羹、爵,無論金的銀的,護衛長也都帶去了。耶52:19
C.所羅門為耶和華殿所造的兩根銅柱、一個銅海,並座下的十二隻銅牛,這一切的銅多得無法可稱。耶52:20
a.這一根柱子高十八肘,厚四指,是空的,圍十二肘。耶52:21
b.柱上有銅頂,高五肘;銅頂的周圍有網子和石榴,都是銅的。那一根柱子照此一樣,也有石榴。耶52:22
c.柱子四面有九十六個石榴,在網子周圍,共有一百石榴。耶52:23
3.護衛長拿住大祭司西萊雅、副祭司西番亞,和三個把門的,耶52:24
A.又從城中拿住一個管理兵丁的官(或作:太監),並在城裏所遇常見王面的七個人和檢點國民軍長的書記,以及城裏所遇見的國民六十個人。耶52:25
B.護衛長尼布撒拉旦將這些人帶到利比拉的巴比倫王那裏。耶52:26
C.巴比倫王就把他們擊殺在哈馬地的利比拉。這樣,猶大人被擄去離開本地。耶52:27
4.尼布甲尼撒所擄的民數記在下面:在他第七年擄去猶大人三千零二十三名;耶52:28
A.尼布甲尼撒十八年從耶路撒冷擄去八百三十二人;耶52:29
B.尼布甲尼撒二十三年,護衛長尼布撒拉旦擄去猶大人七百四十五名;共有四千六百人。耶52:30
四.猶大王約雅斤被擄後三十七年,巴比倫王以未米羅達元年十二月二十五日,使猶大王約雅斤抬頭,提他出監,耶52:31
1.又對他說恩言,使他的位高過與他一同在巴比倫眾王的位,耶52:32
2.給他脫了囚服。他終身在巴比倫王面前喫飯。耶52:33
3.巴比倫王賜他所需用的食物,日日賜他一分,終身是這樣,直到他死的日子。耶52:34
◎心得分享:在耶利米的預言中,有四個王,其中只要約雅斤,是比較受到好的待遇,因為「順服就蒙福」,這四個王的名字常讓人弄亂。
約西亞王(好王)的後代(按編號次序作王) |
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1.約哈斯王 (行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,被法老帶到埃及死在那裡) |
2.以利亞敬(約雅敬)王 (王位是由埃及法老所立,行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,服事巴比倫三年後背叛,被擄到巴比倫) |
4.瑪探雅(西底家) 王位由巴比倫王所立,猶大最後的王。 (行耶和華眼中看為惡的事)聖殿被火焚燒。 |
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3.約雅斤(約雅敬的兒子) (行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,聖殿王宮寶物,被擄到巴比倫)被擄到巴比倫,受到巴比倫王的善待 |
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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。