36:33 「主耶和華如此說:我潔淨你們,使你們脫離一切罪孽的日子,必使城邑有人居住,荒場再被建造。
36:34 過路的人雖看為荒廢之地,現今這荒廢之地仍得耕種。
36:35 他們必說:『這先前為荒廢之地,現在成如伊甸園;這荒廢淒涼、毀壞的城邑現在堅固有人居住。』
36:36 那時,在你們四圍其餘的外邦人必知道我─耶和華修造那毀壞之處,培植那荒廢之地。我─耶和華說過,也必成就。
36:37 「主耶和華如此說:我要加增以色列家的人數,多如羊群。他們必為這事向我求問,我要給他們成就。
36:38 耶路撒冷在守節作祭物所獻的羊群怎樣多,照樣,荒涼的城邑必被人群充滿。他們就知道我是耶和華。」
“Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I
cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited,
and the waste places shall be rebuilt.
And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the
desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was
desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and
ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’
Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the
Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I
am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.
“Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let
the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a
flock. Like the flock for sacrifices,
like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste
cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the
Lord.”
***********
上帝為了由以色列預備救恩,在耶穌基督降生以前,讓被擄的猶太人歸回,在今天的巴勒斯坦地區,重新經營與建立自己的家園。雖然在這裡也經過許多強權的統治,仍然耶穌基督可以安然降生在此地,直到耶穌被釘十字架、復活與升天之後,才再度為羅馬大軍所摧殘,然後再遭遇到四散到世界各地之命運。
然而,上帝的福音經由猶太人的傳揚之後,讓外邦人接棒之後,就由一個默默的小群人,變成羅馬帝國的國教。不僅如此,當時歐洲各族的人也為上帝的福音所更新成為基督徒的種族。而福音往南亞和北非傳的,並沒有如此豐碩的成果,但是仍然有教會堅立在惡劣環境中。這一切都是上帝在基督裡的恩惠!
所以,上帝的救恩,一直是上帝親自的作為,更是超越人的想像與作為!也因此在救恩的事上,不是人想怎樣就怎樣,而是人要伏在上帝的計畫與護理之下,讓上帝成就祂的作為!
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