約珥書2:17-20

2:17 事奉耶和華的祭司要在廊子和祭壇中間哭泣，說：耶和華啊，求你顧惜你的百姓，不要使你的產業受羞辱，列邦管轄他們。為何容列國的人說：「他們的上帝在哪裡」呢？

2:18 耶和華就為自己的地發熱心，憐恤他的百姓。

2:19 耶和華應允他的百姓說：我必賜給你們五穀、新酒，和油，使你們飽足；我也不再使你們受列國的羞辱；

2:20 卻要使北方來的軍隊遠離你們，將他們趕到乾旱荒廢之地：前隊趕入東海，後隊趕入西海；因為他們所行的大惡（原文是事），臭氣上升，腥味騰空。

17 Between the vestibule and the altar

 let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, "Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a reproach,

a byword among the nations.

 Why should they say among the peoples,

'Where is their God? '"

18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land

 and had pity on his people.

19 The Lord answered and said to his people,

"Behold, I am sending to you

grain, wine, and oil,

 and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.

20 "I will remove the northerner far from you,

and drive him into a parched and desolate land,

his vanguard into the eastern sea,

and his rear guard into the western sea;

 the stench and foul smell of him will rise,

for he has done great things.

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    先知在這裡說明了上帝的審判之後，仍然有憐憫，因為上帝這次的審判是管教的性質。若是願意悔改，上帝仍然要賜福祂的百姓，仍然要保守他們直到永遠，因為上帝沒有忘記祂與亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的約。

    這也告訴我們，上帝的賜福安定在天，祂的信實是何等廣大，祂不會撇棄祂的子民，必保守到底！

    同樣上帝在基督裡的應許，更是一定會實現的，是絕對不會落空，祂必保守我們直到永遠，基督所成就的，永不變更，永遠有效力的！

約珥書2:12-16

2:12 耶和華說：雖然如此，你們應當禁食、哭泣、悲哀，一心歸向我。

2:13 你們要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服。歸向耶和華─你們的上帝；因為他有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災。

2:14 或者他轉意後悔，留下餘福，就是留下獻給耶和華─你們上帝的素祭和奠祭，也未可知。

2:15 你們要在錫安吹角，分定禁食的日子，宣告嚴肅會。

2:16 聚集眾民，使會眾自潔：招聚老者，聚集孩童和吃奶的；使新郎出離洞房，新婦出離內室。

12 "Yet even now," declares the
Lord,

 "return to me with all your heart,

 with
fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13 and rend your hearts and not your
garments."

Return to the Lord your God,

 for
he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love;

 and
he relents over disaster.

14 Who knows whether he will not turn and
relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

 a
grain offering and a drink offering

for the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;

 consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

16 gather the people.

 Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the elders;

 gather the children,

even nursing infants.

 Let
the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

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     先知約珥在這裡教導百姓面對審判時要：「你們應當禁食、哭泣、悲哀，一心歸向我（上帝）。你們要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服。歸向耶和華─你們的上帝；因為他有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災。」

    先知這樣的呼籲是要人知道，要從內心悔改認罪，回到上帝面前求上帝的憐憫，因為若不是上帝的憐憫的心腸，我們就注定要受到審判後永久的懲罰，誰也不可避免！但是上帝在基督裡將那日變成光明，因為祂透過基督來展現祂的愛！

    所以先知勸告以色列人要：「在錫安吹角，分定禁食的日子，宣告嚴肅會。聚集眾民，使會眾自潔：招聚老者，聚集孩童和吃奶的；使新郎出離洞房，新婦出離內室。」

    而我們屬乎基督的人，在禮拜的開始也是要先有「認罪」，才能清楚基督為甚麼要上十字架，才清楚祂的復活是上帝保證，才知道上帝的恩典與憐憫是何等的大！才會真正感恩與讚美祂，將自己獻給上帝當活祭，為主而活！

約珥書2:3-11

2:3 牠們前面如火燒滅，後面如火焰燒盡。未到以前，地如伊甸園；過去以後，成了荒涼的曠野；沒有一樣能躲避牠們的。

2:4 牠們的形狀如馬，奔跑如馬兵。

2:5 在山頂蹦跳的響聲如車輛的響聲，又如火焰燒碎秸的響聲，好像強盛的民擺陣預備打仗。

2:6 牠們一來，眾民傷慟，臉都變色。

2:7 牠們如勇士奔跑，像戰士爬城；各都步行，不亂隊伍。

2:8 彼此並不擁擠，向前各行其路，直闖兵器，不偏左右。

2:9 牠們蹦上城，躥上牆，爬上房屋，進入窗戶如同盜賊。

2:10 牠們一來，地震天動，日月昏暗，星宿無光。

2:11 耶和華在他軍旅前發聲，他的隊伍甚大；成就他命的是強盛者。因為耶和華的日子大而可畏，誰能當得起呢？

3 Fire devours before them,

and behind them a flame burns.

The land is like the garden of Eden before them,

but behind them a desolate wilderness,

and nothing escapes them.

4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,

and like war horses they run.

5 As with the rumbling of chariots,

they leap on the tops of the mountains,

like the crackling of a flame of fire

devouring the stubble,

 like a powerful army

drawn up for battle.

6 Before them peoples are in anguish;

 all faces grow pale.

7 Like warriors they charge;

like soldiers they scale the wall.

They march each on his way;

they do not swerve from their paths.

8 They do not jostle one another;

 each marches in his path;

they burst through the weapons

and are not halted.

9 They leap upon the city,

they run upon the walls,

 they climb up into the houses,

 they enter through the windows like a thief.

10 The earth quakes before them;

the heavens tremble.

 The sun and the moon are darkened,

and the stars withdraw their shining.

11 The Lord utters his voice

before his army,

for his camp is exceedingly great;

 he who executes his word is powerful.

 For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome;

 who can endure it?

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    上帝不僅是賜恩典，祂也是降災禍的上帝！祂不是為人設立之「有求必應者」；反倒是人要順服上帝的規則與旨意來生活，因為祂是創造主！正如先知宣告：「耶和華在他軍旅前發聲，他的隊伍甚大；成就他命的是強盛者。因為耶和華的日子大而可畏，誰能當得起呢？」

    今日上帝已經設立拯救的恩典，我們豈能捨棄祂的預備，用自以為是的方法呢？我們豈不應該將自己交託給拯救的主呢？因為上帝是憐憫人的上帝，祂不忍心人受審判，裕如猶大書21節說：「保守自己常在上帝的愛中，仰望我們主耶穌基督的憐憫，直到永生。」

    讓我們靠上帝的憐憫，藉由耶穌基督的救恩勝過審判的懲罰，也讓我們感念耶穌基督的恩典，求聖靈賜下能力，使我們活出聖潔的生命！

約珥書2章

         約珥書2:1-2    ,

          約珥書2:3-11    , 

         約珥書2:12-16  , 約珥書2:12 ,  約珥書2:13   , 

         約珥書2:17-20  , 

          約珥書2:21-27  ,  約珥書2:23 , 約珥書2:25 ,

         約珥書2:28-32  ,  約珥書2:30-32 ,     

約珥書2:1-2

2:1 你們要在錫安吹角，在我聖山吹出大聲。國中的居民都要發顫；因為耶和華的日子將到，已經臨近。

2:2 那日是黑暗、幽冥、密雲、烏黑的日子，好像晨光鋪滿山嶺。有一隊蝗蟲（原文是民）又大又強；從來沒有這樣的，以後直到萬代也必沒有。

Blow a trumpet in Zion;

sound an alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near,

a day of darkness and gloom,

 a day of clouds and thick darkness!

Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains

 a great and powerful people;

 their like has never been before,

nor will be again after them

through the years of all generations.

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    先知約珥用蝗蟲的出現，來形容末日的景象，正如他所描述：「那日是黑暗、幽冥、密雲、烏黑的日子，好像晨光鋪滿山嶺。有一隊蝗蟲（原文是民）又大又強；從來沒有這樣的，以後直到萬代也必沒有。」

    也因此，在面對上帝末日的審判，人要預備好。如何預備呢？就是要藉著耶穌基督的救恩勝過審判。因為誰都無法靠自己的能力來面對審判，沒有一個人在上帝面前站立的著，必須有耶穌才可以通過審判，正如約翰一書4章15-18節說：「凡認耶穌為上帝兒子的，上帝就住在他裡面，他也住在上帝裡面。上帝愛我們的心，我們也知道也信。上帝就是愛；住在愛裡面的，就是住在上帝裡面，上帝也住在他裡面。這樣，愛在我們裡面得以完全，我們就可以在審判的日子坦然無懼。因為他如何，我們在這世上也如何。愛裡沒有懼怕；愛既完全，就把懼怕除去。因為懼怕裡含著刑罰，懼怕的人在愛裡未得完全。」

    審判不是在遙遠的未來，因為耶穌基督說，那日子近了！你準備好了嗎？

約珥書1:13-20

1:13 祭司啊，你們當腰束麻布痛哭；伺候祭壇的啊，你們要哀號；事奉我上帝的啊，你們要來披上麻布過夜，因為素祭和奠祭從你們上帝的殿中斷絕了。

1:14 你們要分定禁食的日子，宣告嚴肅會，招聚長老和國中的一切居民到耶和華─你們上帝的殿，向耶和華哀求。

1:15 哀哉！耶和華的日子臨近了。這日來到，好像毀滅從全能者來到。

1:16 糧食不是在我們眼前斷絕了嗎？歡喜快樂不是從我們上帝的殿中止息了嗎？

1:17 穀種在土塊下朽爛；倉也荒涼，廩也破壞；因為五穀枯乾了。

1:18 牲畜哀鳴；牛群混亂，因為無草；羊群也受了困苦。

1:19 耶和華啊，我向你求告，因為火燒滅曠野的草場；火焰燒盡田野的樹木。

1:20 田野的走獸向你發喘；因為溪水乾涸，火也燒滅曠野的草場。

13 Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests;

 wail, O ministers of the altar.

Go in, pass the night in sackcloth,

 O ministers of my God!

 Because grain offering and drink offering

are withheld from the house of your God.

14 Consecrate a fast;

 call a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders

and all the inhabitants of the land

to the house of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord.

15 Alas for the day!

 For the day of the Lord is near,

and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

16 Is not the food cut off

before our eyes,

 joy and gladness

from the house of our God?

17 The seed shrivels under the clods;

the storehouses are desolate;

the granaries are torn down

because the grain has dried up.

18 How the beasts groan!

The herds of cattle are perplexed

because there is no pasture for them;

even the flocks of sheep suffer.

19 To you, O Lord, I call.

 For fire has devoured

the pastures of the wilderness,

 and flame has burned

all the trees of the field.

20 Even the beasts of the field pant for you

because the water brooks are dried up,

 and fire has devoured

the pastures of the wilderness.

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    先知為著糧食缺乏，要求百姓要認罪悔改！