約拿書1:11-17

1:11 他們問他說：「我們當向你怎樣行，使海浪平靜呢？」這話是因海浪越發翻騰。

1:12 他對他們說：「你們將我抬起來，拋在海中，海就平靜了；我知道你們遭這大風是因我的緣故。」

1:13 然而那些人竭力盪槳，要把船攏岸，卻是不能，因為海浪越發向他們翻騰。

1:14 他們便求告耶和華說：「耶和華啊，我們懇求你，不要因這人的性命使我們死亡，不要使流無辜血的罪歸與我們；因為你─耶和華是隨自己的意旨行事。」

1:15 他們遂將約拿抬起，拋在海中，海的狂浪就平息了。

1:16 那些人便大大敬畏耶和華，向耶和華獻祭，並且許願。

1:17 耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿，他在魚腹中三日三夜。

Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you." Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, "O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you." So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

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    約拿的遭遇雖然被丟到海裡，但是上帝並沒有讓他喪命，讓他進入魚肚中三天三夜！因為他的任務尚未完成，上帝仍然存留他的命。

    這是很有意思的事，也讓我們認識到上帝要約拿先有悔改的經歷，才能引導尼尼微大城的人悔改。

    今日基督徒要傳福音、作見證，也必須要自己先悔改，歸向上帝，才能有能力引導人信主！

約拿書1:7-10

1:7 船上的人彼此說：「來吧，我們掣籤，看看這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故。」於是他們掣籤，掣出約拿來。

1:8 眾人對他說：「請你告訴我們，這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故？你以何事為業？你從哪裡來？你是哪一國？屬哪一族的人？」

1:9 他說：「我是希伯來人。我敬畏耶和華─那創造滄海旱地之天上的上帝。」

1:10 他們就大大懼怕，對他說：「你做的是甚麼事呢？」他們已經知道他躲避耶和華，因為他告訴了他們。

And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

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    約拿想逃避耶和華的事情是隱藏不住的，連魔鬼都知道，所以全船的人都來找他明白個究竟。

    這也讓我們看見屬上帝的人之作為，是會影響到整個大環境的，我們不要以為自己的作為神不知、鬼不覺，一切暗地做的事，在明處都要顯明出來！豈可輕忽呢？

    因此，基督徒要清楚自己是光明之子，無法作暗昧的事，反倒行事為人要謹慎，型在上帝的光明中，更要求主寶血洗淨，使我們隨時保持聖潔。

約拿書1章

        約拿書1:1-4   , 約拿書1:3  ,

       約拿書1:5-6   ,

       約拿書1:7-10  ,

      約拿書1:11-17   , 約拿書1:17  ,

約拿書1:1-4

1:1 耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿，說：

1:2 「你起來往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因為他們的惡達到我面前。」

1:3 約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華；下到約帕，遇見一隻船，要往他施去。他就給了船價，上了船，要與船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和華。

1:4 然而耶和華使海中起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎破壞。

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."  But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

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    這是一個有趣的記載：因為上帝要約拿去尼尼微大城去，是往東邊走。約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華，是往西邊走。實在是超故意的！

    為甚麼是這樣呢？約拿因為討厭尼尼微大城的亞述人，不希望上帝拯救他們。所以他單純的認為，不去尼尼微大城，上帝就拿他沒法子了！但是事實是如此嗎？上帝在此就興起大風，海就狂風大作，甚至船幾乎要壞掉了！

    我們平常也是如此的，常常以為我們有能力阻止上帝的作為，其實這種想法和約拿的作為差不多，相信這卷書要引導我們知道上帝的主權是人無法抗拒的，人必定會伏在祂的主權之下！

彌迦書7:18-20

7:18 上帝啊，有何神像你，赦免罪孽，饒恕你產業之餘民的罪過，不永遠懷怒，喜愛施恩？

7:19 必再憐憫我們，將我們的罪孽踏在腳下，又將我們的一切罪投於深海。

7:20 你必按古時起誓應許我們列祖的話，向雅各發誠實，向亞伯拉罕施慈愛。

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity

and passing over transgression

for the remnant of his inheritance?

He does not retain his anger forever,

because he delights in steadfast love.

  He will again have compassion on us;

he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

You will cast all our sins

into the depths of the sea.

  You will show faithfulness to Jacob

and steadfast love to Abraham,

as you have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.

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    先知最後用頌讚上帝的慈愛作結束！

彌迦書7:14-17

7:14 求耶和華在迦密山的樹林中，用你的杖牧放你獨居的民，就是你產業的羊群。求你容他們在巴珊和基列得食物，像古時一樣。

7:15 耶和華說：我要把奇事顯給他們看，好像出埃及地的時候一樣。

7:16 列國看見這事就必為自己的勢力慚愧；他們必用手摀口，掩耳不聽。

7:17 他們必舔土如蛇，又如土中腹行的物，戰戰兢兢地出他們的營寨。他們必戰懼投降耶和華，也必因我們的上帝而懼怕。

Shepherd your people with your staff,

the flock of your inheritance,

who dwell alone in a forest

in the midst of a garden land;

let them graze in Bashan and Gilead

as in the days of old.

  As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,

I will show them marvelous things.

  The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;

they shall lay their hands on their mouths;

their ears shall be deaf;

  they shall lick the dust like a serpent,

like the crawling things of the earth;

they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;

they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,

and they shall be in fear of you.

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    上帝必為以色列伸冤，使仇敵感到羞辱！