旧约 - 耶利米书(Jeremiah)第17章

"Judah's sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills.
My mountain in the land and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of sin throughout your country.
Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever."
This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.
A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.
Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
They keep saying to me, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it now be fulfilled!"
I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you.
Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction.
This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem.
Say to them, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates.
This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers.
Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline.
But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it,
then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.
People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings, incense and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.
But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.'"
耶利米书第十七章   第 17 章 

  耶 17:1> 犹大的罪如铸烙的镌刻,难以清洗,怎样才可以将朱红的罪身变为洁白? 

  17:1 神的子民虽有律法的指引、先知的警戒和充满神迹的历史作为鉴戒,但仍然不断犯罪。为什么会这样呢?为什么我们明知犯罪必招来永久的苦果,却仍然沉溺罪中呢?耶利米说人心是诡诈的( 17:9 ),而犹大人的罪更是“刻在他们的心版上”的。希伯来人以人体不同的器官代表人的不同层面,“心”代表的是理智、悟性和意志。犯罪倾向已根植于我们的生命深处,只有神的拯救才能使我们脱离罪的辖制。 

  耶 17:5-8> 对比倚靠神的人与倚靠血肉之躯的人,我会选择作哪一种人? 

  17:5-8 这部分将倚靠人类和倚靠神的两类人作比较。犹大人不信靠耶和华,反而倚赖偶像和军事联盟,因此变得如沙漠和旷野一样荒凉。相反,倚靠耶和华的人却像树栽于水旁(参诗 1 篇)。遇到危难关头,那些依赖人力量的就会软弱无力、心惊胆怯,以致裹足不前。但是,信靠神的人却充满信心和力量,不但自己站立得住,而且还能激励别人。你是想作不结果子的树,还是希望像栽于水旁的树,不断结果子,并能在危难时昂首屹立,甚至支持和激励别人呢? 

  耶 17:9-10> 罪的根源是在哪里?是社会的错吗?是家庭的责任吗?还是有更基本的原因? 

  17:9-10 神很清楚地指出,我们犯罪是发自内心的。自出母胎以来我们就有犯罪的倾向,容易忘记神和离弃神,但我们可以选择是否继续犯罪。受到罪的诱惑时,我们可以轻易就犯,也可以求神拯救和帮助。 

  耶 17:11> 古人认为人应有所为,有所不为;然而在为与不为之间,应按什么原则抉择? 

  17:11 做任何事都可依循正当的途径,或用旁门左道来达到目的。耶利米指出,凡用不正当手段发财致富的人,他们最终必招致愚蠢和贫困的恶果。不论是工作、读书或游戏,我们都该诚实无伪。凡利用不光彩的手段升职、通过考试或搏取名誉地位,都不会蒙主祝福,也不会带来恒久的快乐。 

  耶 17:19-27> 先知为什么如此重视遵守安息日?我的安息日是以什么方式体现? 

  17:19-27 以色列人应该在安息日休息记念神(参出 20:8-11 ),但他们仍然拼命工作,因他们认为赚钱比守神的诫命更重要。他们若肯悔改,将祂放在生命的首位,神就应许赐他们在列国中得到尊崇。一个多世纪后,尼希米带领被掳者归回耶路撒冷时,所做的重要改革之一就是重申守安息日的重要性(参尼 13:15-22 )。 

  耶 17:26> 17:26 南地是指犹大的南部。──《灵修版圣经注释》