旧约 - 耶利米书(Jeremiah)第3章

"If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers--would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.
"Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame.
Have you not just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth,
will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."
During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there.
I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.
The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever.
Only acknowledge your guilt--you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD.
"Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you--one from a town and two from a clan--and bring you to Zion.
Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.
At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.
"I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me.
But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD.
A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.
"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers' labor--their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the LORD our God."
耶利米书第三章   第 3 章 

  耶 3:1> 纵然我忘了神,祂仍愿我有一天会回到祂的身旁…… 

  3:1 在申命记 24 章 1 至 4 节提到;离婚再嫁之妇人永远不能重投前夫的怀抱。犹大与神“离婚”,并且与偶像“结婚”,神本来有权永远抛弃这些不忠的子民,但祂心存怜悯慈爱,仍然愿意让他们回到自己身边。 

  耶 3:2> 为什么将犹大人比喻作伺机埋伏的阿拉伯人? 

  3:2 “好像阿拉伯人在旷野埋伏一样”是形容犹大人追求偶像的情形。阿拉伯土匪常隐藏在商旅所经之地,伺机劫掠。犹大全国上下正是这样热切追求偶像的。 

  耶 3:4-5> 虚假的悔改只是对自己的欺骗,然则真诚的悔改又是怎样的呢? 

  3:4-5 以色列人虽然罪恶滔天,但仍然轻视自己的罪,还以神的儿女自居。我们自知做错了事时,总爱文过饰非,以减轻内疚,却不知道这样做不但是不敢正视罪的严重性,以致不会悔改,而且会继续沉溺犯罪。如果我们视每种错误的态度和行动都是得罪神的严重罪行,就会慢慢明白“为主而活”是怎么一回事了。你生命中有没有自认为“微不足道”的罪?神要我们承认及离开每一种罪。 

  耶 3:6-6:30> 犹大人罔顾神的提醒,以致带来恶劣的后果;我也是这样的吗? 

  3:6-6:30 北国以色列亡于亚述,人民被掳。本来南国犹大应该从这惨痛的历史中汲取教训,引以为鉴,重新归向耶和华,但他们却视若无睹,依然故我。耶利米再三恳求犹大国民归向耶和华,免受亡国之灾。这篇信息大约是在公元前 627-621 年间约西亚王执政时宣告的,约西亚王遵行神命令的榜样似乎未能打动民心,令他们悔改。耶和华宣告,如果人民再不悔改,祂便因约西亚祖父玛拿西王所犯的罪(参王下 23:25-27 )而惩罚犹大,使犹大遭到亡国之痛。 

  耶 3:11-13> 当我看到别人陷于罪中时,有否想想自己的光景是否如出一辙? 

  3:11-13 北国以色列人对神毫无敬畏之心,即便在表面上也不遵守神的旨意。南国犹大人的情况更甚,虽有敬虔的外貌,却没有真诚的心。只相信正确的教义而没有发自内心的遵行,就如献祭而不悔改一样。耶利米看见犹大人虚伪的悔改行为,就义正辞严地给予谴责。没有信心的生活是没有盼望的,单单为罪哀伤而没有改变也是虚伪的。只为罪难过懊悔是不够的,真正的悔改是要心意更新并以行动表现出来。 

  耶 3:12-18> 神呼唤祂子民回转的声音穿越时空地域,问题是我的耳朵在张开聆听吗? 

  3:12-18 北国以色列民因犯罪受到神的惩罚,终于国破家亡,成为别国的俘虏。犹大国的百姓看见北国异教之风猖獗,道德沦丧而遭到此报,无疑认为他们罪有应得,对他们嗤之以鼻。耶利米却告诉以色列的遗民,耶和华仍然祝福肯归向祂而认罪悔改的人,并警告那些自以为没罪而沾沾自喜的犹大人,要从以色列亡国的历史中汲取教训,悔改归向耶和华。由于犹大人不肯悔改,故耶利米以神对以色列遗民的应许教训他们。 

  耶 3:15> 神称治理百姓的领袖为牧者,显明在神心中领袖的真正素质该有哪些? 

  3:15 神应许将合祂心意的牧者赐给祂的百姓,作他们的领袖。这牧者会跟从祂、具有各样的知识、智慧和聪明。这是因为神看见以色列民缺乏方向,所以应许赐给他们合适的领袖。我们指望领袖,倚赖他们的引导,所以他们一旦不跟随神,就会领我们误入歧途。让我们为自己国家、社会和教会中敬畏神的领袖祈祷,祈求神让他们成为好榜样,并将神的智慧传授给我们。 

  耶 3:16-17> 旧约时代的约柜象征着什么?新约时代为何没有约柜了? 

  3:16-17 所罗门王统治整个以色列国的时候,百姓在富丽堂皇的圣殿中敬拜神,殿中放着神的约柜,里面藏有刻着“十诫”的法版,那就是神与百姓同在的象征(参出 25:10-22 )。在未来新的国度中,神的约柜永远不会消失,因为圣灵将亲自与祂的子民同在。 

  耶 3:22-25> 若非将指望放在神的身上,一切都必枉然。我的指望是放在什么之上? 

  3:22-25 耶利米在此预言终有一天以色列国将会归于统一,再次以真诚敬拜神并认清罪的本相。我们的世界高举财富、竞争和放纵情欲带来的罪中之乐,但我们忽视了这些罪中之乐背后所隐藏的罪恶。更可悲的是,能够真正看清罪之本相的人太少,大多数人都是被罪蒙骗,到了不能自拔的地步才开始省悟。相信神的道的最大益处,就是无需从身陷罪恶的惨痛经历中获得教训。 

  耶利米时代的王──《灵修版圣经注释》