旧约 - 耶利米书(Jeremiah)第1章

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.
The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."
The word of the LORD came to me again: "What do you see?" "I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered.
The LORD said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.
I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the LORD. "Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah.
I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.
"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.
Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land--against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.
They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
耶利米书第一章   第 1 章 

  耶 1:1-2> 艰辛事奉的漫长岁月,肇始于家国衰败之时…… 

  1:1-2 所罗门王驾崩后,以色列王国分裂为两个敌对的国家,就是北国以色列和南国犹大。耶利米出身于南国耶路撒冷以北大约五公里的亚拿突,以先知身分宣讲预言,经历了犹大国末代五位君王的统治时期。那段时期犹大国在政治、道德和灵性等各方面都非常腐败,而邻近的巴比伦、埃及和亚述等国为争夺盟主地位,战火不断。犹大国被夹在这成鼎足之势的国家中。耶利米虽然四十年来不断说预言,劝国民和领袖悔改离开罪恶,但是没有一个人听他的。 

  耶 1:5> 人生并非由偶然片断组合而成,因为当我尚在母腹之中时,祂已晓得我…… 

  1:5 神认识你,就像祂认识耶利米一样。你还未在母腹成胎、未生到世上时,神就已经认识你、关心你,为你计划一生了。当你感到灰心沮丧、山穷水尽时,想一想神吧!祂时刻顾念你,视你如珠如宝,而且为你订下了一生的计划。 

  耶 1:5> 每个跟随神的人都会有一分使命,既是如此,我此刻为何仍茫然于不知前路如何? 

  1:5 耶利米蒙神委派作“列国的先知”。其实,神在每位基督徒身上都订下祂的旨意,有些人会受托完成某些特定的工作。参孙(参士 13:3-5 )、大卫(参撒上 16:12-13 )、施洗约翰(参路 1:13-17 )和保罗(参加 1:15-16 )都是蒙召替神完成某些特别使命的。你无论做什么都要为荣耀神而做(参腓 1:11 )。如果神已给你特别的任务,你就当欣然接受,努力去完成它!如果还没有,就尽基督徒的本分爱慕、顺服及事奉神,直等到祂的旨意越来越清晰。 

  耶 1:6-8> 我是谁,竟要承担这么重要的挑战? 

  1:6-8 人们面对新挑战的时候,往往因缺乏自信而感到忐忑不安,担心自己的能力、训练及经验不够。耶利米认为自己是“年幼的”,意思是指太年轻和缺乏经验,不足以承担神的代言人这一使命。然而,神应许与他同在。我们不应以自己的不足为理由推却神的呼召。祂会一直与我们同在,你一旦发现自己有明知应该做的事却避开不去做,就要小心检查自己,不要以缺乏自信为藉口。神呼召你做某件工作时,祂必赐你足够的力量去完成任务。 

  耶 1:8> 神的同在是使人从软弱中刚强起来的动力。如此,在软弱中的我该祈求什么? 

  1:8 神没有应许耶利米不会遇到艰难困苦,而是应许将他从困境中“拯救”出来。神没有使他免受坐牢、放逐和遭人凌辱的厄运。同样,神也没有让我们免受人生的风暴,但祂会伴着我们、保护我们、拯救我们,与我们一同走过。 

  耶利米 

  耶 1:10> 先知既宣告拆毁,也宣告建立;当我期待复兴之时,是否先要想想有何需要拆毁之处? 

  1:10 神选召耶利米将祂的话传到列邦列国。耶利米不但向犹大人发出神必审判罪的警告,也向全世界的人发出同样的警告。神不单在犹大国和以色列国的历史中彰显祂的作为,也要让世界上每个国家和每个人都明白祂的心意和计划。因此,耶利米这些审判和盼望的信息也是对我们说的。我们既然是主的信徒,也就应将神要所有人归向祂的心意告诉全人类。 

  耶 1:11-14> 杏树一字在原文与“警醒”或“留意”近音,暗示神的话必实现…… 

  1:11-14 杏树在春天比其他树木更早开花,所以杏树枝的异象表示神已开始审判。神已经看见犹大和列国所犯的罪,祂将很快施行严厉的审判。那烧开的锅从北向南倒向犹大的异象,形像地预言巴比伦将入侵犹大,带来神烈怒的审判。 

  耶 1:14-19> 敌国兵临城下的情景足以叫人心胆俱裂,多少时候我们也曾经历担惊受怕的困境…… 

  1:14-19 很多时候,我们遭遇的患难虽不像耶利米所遭遇的那么恶劣,但已经足以令我们忐忑不安、心惊胆战。神应许耶利米,也应许我们,没有任何事情能够完全征服我们,祂必与我们共同度过最艰难的时刻。相信祂的应许,勇敢地面对每一天的各种挑战吧! 

  耶 1:16> 拜偶像并不只是个人的信仰抉择,与他人无关,而是会引致严重的后果…… 

  1:16 神早已对百姓三令五申,不可膜拜别神(参出 20:3-6 ),因为拜偶像就是信靠受造之物而不是信靠造物主,但犹大人却不断烧香拜祭偶像,一次又一次犯这严重的罪。他们虽然属于神,却选择随从偶像假神。许多假神,如物质财宝、未来梦想、别人的赞赏和事业成功等都会分我们的心,引诱我们离弃真神,或不能全心全意献身于祂。倘若我们情愿追求假神而舍弃献身与神,像犹大人一样犯罪,也会遭到神严惩犹大人那样的惩罚。 

  耶利米──《灵修版圣经注释》