旧约 - 阿摩司书(Amos)第5章

Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lament I take up concerning you:
"Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again, deserted in her own land, with no one to lift her up."
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "The city that marches out a thousand strong for Israel will have only a hundred left; the town that marches out a hundred strong will have only ten left."
This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live;
do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing."
Seek the LORD and live, or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire; it will devour, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground
(he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the LORD is his name--
he flashes destruction on the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin),
you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth.
You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
Therefore this is what the Lord, the LORD God Almighty, says: "There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail.
There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst," says the LORD.
Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light.
It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.
Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light--pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
"Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god--which you made for yourselves.
Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the LORD, whose name is God Almighty.
阿摩司书第五章   第 5 章 

  摩 5:1> 哀歌,为民而写;人心可有同哀?可明了为何要哀? 

  5:1 阿摩司为他的听众作了一首哀歌,仿佛他们已被毁灭一样。这必使百姓震惊不已,因为他们深信自己的财富和所持守的宗教礼仪可作自己的保障;但是,阿摩司却为他们终必遭遇的毁灭而哀号。 

  摩 5:6> 在现今的世界里,真的只有寻求耶和华的才能存活? 

  5:6 对于这个沉溺于罪恶,已近垂死边缘的世界,只有一个正确的补救方法──“要寻求耶和华,就必存活”。罪恶的结局是毁灭,但寻求神却必有盼望。遇到难处,要寻求神;遇有心灵上的不安或挣扎,也要寻求神。若有他人正在挣扎当中,就当劝勉他们寻求神。 

  摩 5:7> 公平成了茵蔯,公义被丢于地,这地本应是…… 

  5:7 城门口本是公平审断之地,也是贫寒者、受压迫之人得释放的地方;可是如今已变成贪婪和不义之处了。 

  摩 5:8> 今人如同古人一样,追寻星座奥秘,其实在其奥秘背后人要知道的是…… 

  5:8 昴星和参星是空中的星座。数千年来,航行者都确信恒星稳定不变,以致他们把生命和运数都寄托于此。然而,星宿稳定不变,井然有序,乃是要引导我们探索这一切背后的那位创造主。 

  摩 5:11-12> 责备人的被人怨恨,说正直话的被人憎恶,真是如此混乱不堪?我们的世界呢? 

  5:11-12 “在城门口责备人的”指忠诚的审判官,是为正义而战的斗士。如果人因为秉行公义而遭他人嫉恨,这个社会必定混乱不堪;社会上如果到处在剥削贫寒无助者,又嫉恨真理,这社会必定会灭亡。 

  摩 5:11-12> 苦待义人,屈枉正直?我们或不会;但不看重贫寒人呢?…… 

  5:11-12 为何神一再强调,并提醒我们对贫寒及有需要之人所持的态度?因为我们对富裕的人,或是对待地位平等的人所持的态度,往往只显示我们想从他们身上得着某种利益。惟有贫寒人一无所有,不能带给我们什么利益,我们所持的态度就直接反映出我们的真性情。我们应当扪心自问,自己是否像基督一样,只愿付出,不望收取?我们对待贫寒人的态度,应当像我们希望神对待我们的一样。 

  摩 5:11-12> 这里所说的也许有点严重,但却正好用以反省自己对贫穷人的态度;我的态度嘛…… 

  5:11-12 以下是一般人对贫寒及有需要之人袖手旁观的八个藉口:( 1 )他们根本不值得帮忙,他们自己闯出来的祸,自然要自己负责。( 2 )神要我帮助贫穷人,但不是现在。( 3 )我们不认识他们。( 4 )我也有自己的需要。( 5 )我所捐的金钱不是被浪费糟蹋,就是被窃取盗用,根本落不到他们手上。( 6 )我会因此而变得拮据。( 7 )我不知从何处着手,也没有时间去做。( 8 )我微薄的捐献成不了大事。 

  与其满口搪塞之词,不如反问有什么实际可行之法。你的教会有帮助他人的计划吗?你可否参加志愿工作,与志同道合的人一起为贫困人谋福利呢?孤身一人,你能做的不多,但如果能结合众人的力量,必成就大事。 

  摩 5:15> 先知的警告切中今日时弊,只是,知道如此我们可以做什么? 

  5:15 如果以色列能铲除假见证,清除贿赂及贪污等等腐败的行径和制度,坚持秉公行义,那就表明是由衷的改变。但念这经文时,切勿掉以轻心,或以为只是劝勉之词,当知这是一项命令,要我们改革身处的法律及社会制度。 

  摩 5:16> 他们因何事而哭号哀号?竟要雇人去哭呢? 

  5:16 在以色列地,不为死人举哀是极为糟榚的,因此,丧礼当中,号啕大哭是寻常的事。专职受雇的哀哭者(一般为妇人)会大声哀号,并唱诵哀歌和吊唁文。阿摩司说,那时丧礼多不胜数,以致这些专职的哀哭者也供不应求,连农夫也要从田里被叫上来帮忙哭号。(参耶 9:17-20 )。 

  摩 5:18> 耶和华的日子嘛,就是……是……原来我不太明白,你呢? 

  5:18 在此,“耶和华的日子”指亚述军队即将带来的毁坏,亦指神将来的审判。对忠心的人来说,“耶和华的日子”将会充满荣耀;但对悖逆的人来说,这日子就是黑暗和毁灭。(关于耶和华的日子,参珥 1:15 注释。) 

  摩 5:18-24> 想望耶和华的日子,我会这样想吗? 

  5:18-24 百姓渴想耶和华的日子,以为到了那日一切困难都会解决。但神说:“你们不知道所求的是什么。”耶和华的日子将要带来公平正义,并按此带来百姓因犯罪而应得的惩罚。 

  摩 5:21-23> 什么,人所行的仪式、献祭,神都不喜欢,祂真正要的是什么?我又是以什么敬拜祂? 

  5:21-23 神憎厌百姓伪装出来的种种虚仪和虚假的敬拜(“节期”和“严肃会”)。如果我们生活败坏,只靠宗教礼仪及传统去伪装,神必鄙视我们的敬拜,也不悦纳我们所奉献的。祂要的是真诚的心灵,而非伪善者的赞歌。当你在教会敬拜时,你关心的是自己的形像,还是自己对神的态度? 

  摩 5:26> 怎么他们仍在拜偶像呢? 

  5:26 在过去的日子,以色列已转去敬拜各种星宿──宁取悦于自然界而不去取悦掌管大自然的神(参王下 23:4-5 );外邦的宗教容许人放纵情欲,或以各种手段致富。既然他们拒绝顺服敬拜独一的真神,其结果必是自招毁灭。 

  5:27 以色列真的被掳到大马士革以外的地方──亚述。神的惩罚不仅是击败他们,更要把他们完全赶离家乡。──《灵修版圣经注释》