耶利米書2:1-3

2:1 耶和華的話臨到我說：

2:2你去向耶路撒冷人的耳中喊叫說，耶和華如此說：你幼年的恩愛，婚姻的愛情，你怎樣在曠野，在未曾耕種之地跟隨我，我都記得。

2:3 那時以色列歸耶和華為聖，作為土產初熟的果子；凡吞吃它的必算為有罪，災禍必臨到他們。這是耶和華說的。

The Lord gave me another message. He said, “Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says:

“I remember how eager you were to please me

    as a young bride long ago,

how you loved me and followed me

    even through the barren wilderness.

In those days Israel was holy to the Lord,

    the first of his children.

All who harmed his people were declared guilty,

    and disaster fell on them.

    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

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    這裡是耶和華向以色列人宣告彼此是怎樣的恩愛，如同一對新人一般，彼此相愛十分的深厚。當然這樣的話也暗示，現在以色列人與上帝是多麼疏遠！然而這疏遠是因為以色列人變心，不是上帝變心。

    我們與上帝之間是否也如此呢？若是如此，求主幫助我們恢復起初的愛心，好好愛主，求聖靈再一次挑旺我們的心，重新回到主懷抱中。上帝是不棄我們的，雖然我們曾經軟弱。

希伯來書10:21

又有一位大祭司治理上帝的家，

and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

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    這位「大祭司」就是指主耶穌，祂是我們這些祭司們的頭，祂要治理上帝的家—教會。因為祂是真正教會的頭，教會是屬於祂的，是要遵行祂的教訓，這才是真教會的標誌和實際。

    讓我們放下自己想左右教會的心，讓聖經與聖靈來領導教會，這樣的教會才是健全與健康的！

路加福音1:46-49

1:46 馬利亞說：我心尊主為大；

1:47 我靈以上帝我的救主為樂；

1:48 因為他顧念他使女的卑微；從今以後，萬代要稱我有福。

1:49 那有權能的，為我成就了大事；他的名為聖。

 

And Mary said:

 "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

 

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    這一段話是馬利亞聽見天使的話之後，去見以利沙伯，知道她確實懷孕之後，心中發所發出的讚嘆。

 

    從這樣的讚美詞知道，當人順服上帝的旨意是喜樂的，是沒有勉強的。因此，我們要尋求人生的喜樂與平安，最重要之途徑是要順服上帝的旨意。

   

加拉太書4:8-11

4:8 但從前你們不認識上帝的時候，是給那些本來不是神的作奴僕；

4:9 現在你們既然認識上帝，更可說是被上帝所認識的，怎麼還要歸回那懦弱無用的小學，情願再給他作奴僕呢？

4:10 你們謹守日子、月份、節期、年份，

4:11 我為你們害怕，惟恐我在你們身上是枉費了工夫。

Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.

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   這段話告訴我們，不要再受過去的律法規條所影響，因為只有基督是主！

加拉太書4:4-7

4:4 及至時候滿足，上帝就差遣他的兒子，為女子所生，且生在律法以下，

4:5 要把律法以下的人贖出來，叫我們得著兒子的名分。

4:6 你們既為兒子，上帝就差他兒子的靈進入你們（原文是我們）的心，呼叫：「阿爸！父！」

4:7 可見，從此以後，你不是奴僕，乃是兒子了；既是兒子，就靠著上帝為後嗣。

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

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    這裡告訴我們，我們蒙耶穌基督拯救之後，就有一個新的身分，就是上帝的兒女，不僅如此還是上帝國的繼承人，是真正為上帝所愛的兒女。

加拉太書4:1-3

4:1我說那承受產業的，雖然是全業的主人，但為孩童的時候卻與奴僕毫無分別，

4:2乃在師傅和管家的手下，直等他父親預定的時候來到。

4:3我們為孩童的時候，受管於世俗小學之下，也是如此。

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

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    這段話是延伸說明：人在基督未來以前，需要律法如同啟蒙師傅一樣照管。而在那樣的照管之下人如同奴隸一般。也因此，人要受世界的一般法則來約束，因為這樣並不違背基督信仰要求。只是基督來了，要以基督的法則生活。