以斯拉記9:1-15

 

9:1 這事做完了，眾首領來見我，說：「以色列民和祭司並利未人，沒有離絕迦南人、赫人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、亞捫人、摩押人、埃及人、亞摩利人，仍效法這些國的民，行可憎的事。
9:2 因他們為自己和兒子娶了這些外邦女子為妻，以致聖潔的種類和這些國的民混雜；而且首領和官長在這事上為罪魁。」
9:3 我一聽見這事，就撕裂衣服和外袍，拔了頭髮和鬍鬚，驚懼憂悶而坐。
9:4 凡為以色列上帝言語戰兢的，都因這被擄歸回之人所犯的罪聚集到我這裡來。我就驚懼憂悶而坐，直到獻晚祭的時候。
9:5 獻晚祭的時候我起來，心中愁苦，穿著撕裂的衣袍，雙膝跪下向耶和華─我的上帝舉手，
9:6 說：「我的上帝啊，我抱愧蒙羞，不敢向我上帝仰面；因為我們的罪孽滅頂，我們的罪惡滔天。
9:7 從我們列祖直到今日，我們的罪惡甚重；因我們的罪孽，我們和君王、祭司都交在外邦列王的手中，殺害、擄掠、搶奪、臉上蒙羞正如今日的光景。
9:8 現在耶和華─我們的上帝暫且施恩與我們，給我們留些逃脫的人，使我們安穩如釘子釘在他的聖所，我們的上帝好光照我們的眼目，使我們在受轄制之中稍微復興。
9:9 我們是奴僕，然而在受轄制之中，我們的上帝仍沒有丟棄我們，在波斯王眼前向我們施恩，叫我們復興，能重建我們上帝的殿，修其毀壞之處，使我們在猶大和耶路撒冷有牆垣。
9:10 「我們的上帝啊，既是如此，我們還有甚麼話可說呢？因為我們已經離棄你的命令，
9:11 就是你藉你僕人眾先知所吩咐的說：『你們要去得為業之地是污穢之地；因列國之民的污穢和可憎的事，叫全地從這邊直到那邊滿了污穢。
9:12 所以不可將你們的女兒嫁他們的兒子，也不可為你們的兒子娶他們的女兒，永不可求他們的平安和他們的利益，這樣你們就可以強盛，吃這地的美物，並遺留這地給你們的子孫永遠為業。』
9:13 上帝啊，我們因自己的惡行和大罪，遭遇了這一切的事，並且你刑罰我們輕於我們罪所當得的，又給我們留下這些人。
9:14 我們豈可再違背你的命令，與這行可憎之事的民結親呢？若這樣行，你豈不向我們發怒，將我們滅絕，以致沒有一個剩下逃脫的人嗎？
9:15 耶和華─以色列的上帝啊，因你是公義的，我們這剩下的人才得逃脫，正如今日的光景。看哪，我們在你面前有罪惡，因此無人在你面前站立得住。」

 

 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. ² They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

³ When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. ⁴ Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

⁵ Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God ⁶ and prayed:

“I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. ⁷ From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

⁸ “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place^[a] in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. ⁹ Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹⁰ “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands ¹¹ you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. ¹² Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’

¹³ “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. ¹⁴ Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? ¹⁵ Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

 

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    聖經不是反對異族通婚，因為天下萬族本由一對夫妻開始。洪水過後，也只有挪亞一家存留。所以，最原始人都是一家人，沒有「異族」的問題好擔心和憂慮的！

 

    然而以色列族是上帝揀選出來敬拜祂的民族；其他的民族沒有被上帝挑選出來，是敬拜偶像的！而已斯拉憂慮的就是，以色列人與外族通婚之後，就不再敬拜上帝，敬拜上帝的以色列民就愈來愈少了！

 

    同樣，今日很多基督徒在婚姻上沒有考慮到，要與同樣敬拜主的人結婚建立基督化家庭，產生了許多婚上的問題與摩擦，甚至失去信仰，這是我們不能不考慮的人生問題。

 

    保羅也說過：「不要跟不信的人同負一軛。正和邪怎能合作呢？光明和黑暗怎能共存呢？基督和魔鬼怎能協調呢？信和不信的人有甚麼共同的地方呢？上帝的聖殿和偶像怎能並立呢？我們是永生上帝的聖殿。正如上帝說：我要與我的子民同住，在他們當中往來。我要作他們的上帝；他們要作我的子民。因此主說：你們要離開他們，從他們當中分離出來。不要沾染不潔之物，我就接納你們。我要作你們的父親；你們要作我的兒女。這話是我─全能的主說的。」(哥林多後書6:14-18)

 

    今日我們不要忘記「分別為聖」的教訓，我們是屬乎上帝的兒女，是光明之子！