以西結書20:45-49

20:45 耶和華的話臨到我說：

20:46 「人子啊，你要面向南方，向南滴下預言攻擊南方田野的樹林。

20:47 對南方的樹林說，要聽耶和華的話。主耶和華如此說：我必使火在你中間著起，燒滅你中間的一切青樹和枯樹，猛烈的火焰必不熄滅。從南到北，人的臉面都被燒焦。

20:48 凡有血氣的都必知道是我─耶和華使火著起，這火必不熄滅。」

20:49 於是我說：「哎！主耶和華啊，人都指著我說：他豈不是說比喻的嗎？」

45 And the word of the Lord came to me:46 "Son of man, set your face toward the southland; preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb. 47 Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the Lord:Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched." 49 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables? '"

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    以色列在巴比倫南方，所以先知是向以色列或耶路撒冷發預言。此處的意思就是耶路撒冷將會被毀滅，讓所有人都知道這是上帝的懲罰。可是，以西結向上帝抱怨沒人把他的警告當一回事。只覺得他是「危言聳聽」的人。

    其實這不只是以西結的反應，也是許多傳講上帝話語者的反應，尤其是面對悖逆的百姓，更是有如此的感覺。因為人都喜歡聽好話，不喜歡聽責備的話。而先知的話通常是責備的話，說到上帝對人的要求，人都採取反對或不理的態度。

    所以，傳講上帝話語的人，的確要費心來準備講章，要將責備的話轉化成鼓勵的話；不僅如此也要說安慰的話，使聽者願意領情而順從。尤其是這個時代的人，受了教育比較高，自以為是的心比較強，又不能傷他們的自尊心，更是需要婉轉的說。

    總之，今天傳講上帝話語的人，要知道如何開啟人心，讓上帝的話能進入聽眾的心。感謝上帝，今日的講道者，有一個重要的秘密武器，就是禱告！上帝會在禱告中賜下合適的話語、有力的話語、更新的話語！這就是聖靈的工作！是基督憐恤祂的僕人所做的！

以西結書20:39-44

20:39 「以色列家啊，至於你們，主耶和華如此說：從此以後若不聽從我，就任憑你們去事奉偶像，只是不可再因你們的供物和偶像褻瀆我的聖名。

20:40 「主耶和華說：在我的聖山，就是以色列高處的山，所有以色列的全家都要事奉我。我要在那裡悅納你們，向你們要供物和初熟的土產，並一切的聖物。

20:41 我從萬民中領你們出來，從分散的列國內聚集你們，那時我必悅納你們好像馨香之祭，要在外邦人眼前在你們身上顯為聖。

20:42 我領你們進入以色列地，就是我起誓應許賜給你們列祖之地，那時你們就知道我是耶和華。

20:43 你們在那裡要追念玷污自己的行動作為，又要因所做的一切惡事厭惡自己。

20:44 主耶和華說：以色列家啊，我為我名的緣故，不照著你們的惡行和你們的壞事待你們；你們就知道我是耶和華。」

39 "As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

40 "For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. 41 As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give to your fathers. 43 And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. 44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God."

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    以西結挑戰以色列人，反正他們現在要怎樣拜偶像就拜吧，跟以前在埃及一樣。但是他們終究要回到以色列，全心敬拜上帝。意思是到時候「新出埃及」開始時，這些敬拜偶像的人一定要革除惡習而進入以色列。他們不是最想回以色列？那這時候就應該想一想該怎樣預備自己。

    上帝要建立一個新的以色列，與祂有新的良好關係。由這些記載中，我們隱約看到了悔改的基督徒身影。這是非常奇妙的反差：認為自己有罪不配的人，反被上帝接納！認為自己很好沒有罪並且配得的人，反被上帝棄絕！

    為甚麼呢？上帝不是要召自以為義的人，是要召罪人悔改！自以為義的人認為自己配得，就不需要主耶穌的恩典，反而是失落；而自以為有罪的人，懇切需要主耶穌的恩典，就被上帝拯救了！

以西結書20:33-38

20:33 主耶和華說：「我指著我的永生起誓，我總要作王，用大能的手和伸出來的膀臂，並傾出來的忿怒，治理你們。

20:34 我必用大能的手和伸出來的膀臂，並傾出來的忿怒，將你們從萬民中領出來，從分散的列國內聚集你們。

20:35 我必帶你們到外邦人的曠野，在那裡當面刑罰你們。

20:36 我怎樣在埃及地的曠野刑罰你們的列祖，也必照樣刑罰你們。這是主耶和華說的。

20:37 我必使你們從杖下經過，使你們被約拘束。

20:38 我必從你們中間除淨叛逆和得罪我的人，將他們從所寄居的地方領出來，他們卻不得入以色列地。你們就知道我是耶和華。

33 "As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. 37 I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

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這如同是一個「新出埃及」，以色列民由萬國中出來，經過萬國的曠野回到應許之地，重複出埃及的經驗：與上帝面對來立約、受審判。上帝在這過程中會進行審判，如同在西奈曠野進行審判一樣。不忠實的百姓無法回到應許之地。

這些被擄的人就是期望回到應許之地，但是上帝說祂要用「新出埃及」來領這些被擄的人回到應許之地。而且會經過篩選，因此現在的被擄之人，應該要注意自己的信仰與純正，才能通過篩選被領回到應許之地。其他的政治方法，都不可能將這些人帶回以色列地。

意思是說上帝的重建，要發生在這一群被擄歸回的猶太人中間。事實上，上帝真的如先知預言的方式，使以色列的信仰或重建，不僅是聖殿的建立，更是聖經的編纂，使祭祀性的宗教轉化為具經典性的宗教，讓上帝的道實行出來，正如今日的教會是建立在上帝的道，不只是文字的道，更是成了肉身的道，就是耶穌基督！

以西結書20:27-32

20:27 「人子啊，你要告訴以色列家說，主耶和華如此說：你們的列祖在得罪我的事上褻瀆我；

20:28 因為我領他們到了我起誓應許賜給他們的地，他們看見各高山、各茂密樹，就在那裡獻祭，奉上惹我發怒的供物，也在那裡焚燒馨香的祭牲，並澆上奠祭。

20:29 我就對他們說：你們所上的那高處叫甚麼呢？（那高處的名字叫巴麻直到今日。）

20:30 所以你要對以色列家說，主耶和華如此說：你們仍照你們列祖所行的玷污自己嗎？仍照他們可憎的事行邪淫嗎？

20:31 你們奉上供物使你們兒子經火的時候，仍將一切偶像玷污自己，直到今日嗎？以色列家啊，我豈被你們求問嗎？主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，我必不被你們求問。

20:32 「你們說：我們要像外邦人和列國的宗族一樣，去事奉木頭與石頭。你們所起的這心意萬不能成就。」

27 "Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name is called Bamah to this day.)

30 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? 31 When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 "What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, 'Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone. '

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    以色列人在迦南地常常從事的「邱壇崇拜」。他們在山丘上、大樹下敬拜巴力、亞舍拉，進行迦南人淫亂的巴力崇拜。現在以色列人即使被擄到巴比倫，還是跟祖先一樣，敬拜偶像、玷污自己，所以上帝不可能被這樣的以色列人求問。

    同樣基督徒若捨棄耶穌基督在十字架上的救恩，認為「因信稱義」好像太容易了，非得加上什麼修練的功夫，或是遵行每天讀經、每天禱告、每週做禮拜、常常聚會、十一奉獻、參加教會服事、不抽菸、不喝酒、不吃檳榔，這樣才算是基督徒，那就曲解了聖經的意義了！

   真正得救自然就會有這些表現，重要的是要信靠耶穌！不再靠自己爭取什麼，而是感謝領受上帝在基督裡的一切屬靈福氣，真正成為上帝的兒女！

以西結書20:18-26

20:18 「我在曠野對他們的兒女說：不要遵行你們父親的律例，不要謹守他們的惡規，也不要因他們的偶像玷污自己。

20:19 我是耶和華─你們的上帝，你們要順從我的律例，謹守遵行我的典章，

20:20 且以我的安息日為聖。這日在我與你們中間為證據，使你們知道我是耶和華─你們的上帝。

20:21 只是他們的兒女悖逆我，不順從我的律例，也不謹守遵行我的典章（人若遵行就必因此活著），干犯我的安息日。「我就說，要將我的忿怒傾在他們身上，在曠野向他們成就我怒中所定的。

20:22 雖然如此，我卻為我名的緣故縮手沒有這樣行，免得我的名在我領他們出埃及的列國人眼前被褻瀆。

20:23 並且我在曠野向他們起誓，必將他們分散在列國，四散在列邦；

20:24 因為他們不遵行我的典章，竟厭棄我的律例，干犯我的安息日，眼目仰望他們父親的偶像。

20:25 我也任他們遵行不美的律例，謹守不能使人活著的惡規。

20:26 因他們將一切頭生的經火，我就任憑他們在這供獻的事上玷污自己，好叫他們淒涼，使他們知道我是耶和華。

18 "And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, 20 and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 21 But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

 "Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers 'idols. 25 Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, 26 and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.

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    此處描述出埃及第二代以色列人也與他們父親輩一樣背逆上帝，上帝就讓他們活在其他的律例之下，讓他們無法「驕傲有尊嚴的存在於天地之間」。

    這不僅是以色列人的警告，也是基督徒的警告。若是我們認為「因信稱義」的恩典是不夠的，想要遵行其他法則或自我努力實行什麼規條，才算是義人，那就與聖經教導相違背了！聖經說的人的稱義，是從基督在十字架上所完成的功勞，因著信而領受到的，成為上帝的兒女。而我們要有這樣的地位與身分，才可以遵行上帝的律法，活出上帝子民的樣式！

    若是我們捨棄基督為我們立的基礎，那我們就是拒絕救恩，及使我們努力到達到自覺很聖潔的狀態，仍然是不聖潔的，因為我們若沒有靠耶穌基督在十字架上的救恩，就與聖潔無分了，因為聖潔是上帝透過耶穌基督賜給我們的，不是修行來的！