以西結書17:11-21

17:11 耶和華的話臨到我說：

17:12 「你對那悖逆之家說：你們不知道這些事是甚麼意思麼？你要告訴他們說，巴比倫王曾到耶路撒冷，將其中的君王和首領帶到巴比倫自己那裡去。

17:13 從以色列的宗室中取一人與他立約，使他發誓，並將國中有勢力的人擄去，

17:14 使國低微不能自強，惟因守盟約得以存立。

17:15 他卻背叛巴比倫王，打發使者往埃及去，要他們給他馬匹和多民。他豈能亨通呢？行這樣事的人豈能逃脫呢？他背約豈能逃脫呢？

17:16 他輕看向王所起的誓，背棄王與他所立的約。主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，他定要死在立他作王、巴比倫王的京都。

17:17 敵人築壘造臺，與他打仗的時候，為要剪除多人，法老雖領大軍隊和大群眾，還是不能幫助他。

17:18 他輕看誓言，背棄盟約，已經投降，卻又做這一切的事，他必不能逃脫。」

17:19 所以主耶和華如此說：「我指著我的永生起誓，他既輕看指我所起的誓，背棄指我所立的約，我必要使這罪歸在他頭上。

17:20 我必將我的網撒在他身上，他必在我的網羅中纏住。我必帶他到巴比倫，並要在那裡因他干犯我的罪刑罰他。

17:21 他的一切軍隊，凡逃跑的，都必倒在刀下；所剩下的，也必分散四方（方：原文是風）。你們就知道說這話的是我─耶和華。」

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me:12 "Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. 13 And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath ( the chief men of the land he had taken away), 14 that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

16 "As I live, declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. 18 He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God:As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me. 21 And all the pick of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken."

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    上帝說明謎語的解釋，此處是說明西底家投靠埃及人背叛尼布甲尼撒，結局將遭巴比倫王報復滅亡。巴比倫王要西底家在上帝面前發誓效忠巴比倫，結果西底家背約，等於是背叛巴比倫也背叛上帝。

     這裡所記載的「他卻背叛巴比倫王，打發使者往埃及去，要他們給他馬匹和多民」，是指以東、摩押、亞捫、推羅、西頓的使臣應該是來和西底家王商量如何推翻巴比倫的統治。依據「巴比倫年鑑」記載，西元前595-594年，巴比倫發生反叛尼布甲尼撒的內亂，此時可能就是這些國家想要趁亂聯絡埃及以擺脫巴比倫統治。後來謀反失敗，導致西底家在位第四年（西元前594/593年），西底家親自去巴比倫進行進貢、輸誠一類的彌補行動。

    從這裡看見猶大之所以會遭難是因為他們還回頭找埃及不忠於巴比倫，但是上帝的旨意是要猶大國投向巴比倫，等候將來的歸回與重建的復興。然而猶太人不從，使得他們造成更大的浩劫，雖然如此，上帝仍然保守他們，為他們留餘種。

    而上帝也是如此，在教會留餘種，使惡者無法完全消滅，正如世界各國的教會，在風雨飄搖中，都是主讓她復興起來！主不會讓仇敵勝過的！

以西結書17章

  以西結書17:1-10  ,  以西結書17:11-21   ,   以西結書17:22-24  ,

以西結書17:1-10

17:1 耶和華的話臨到我說：

17:2 「人子啊，你要向以色列家出謎語，設比喻，

17:3 說主耶和華如此說：有一大鷹，翅膀大，翎毛長，羽毛豐滿，彩色俱備，來到黎巴嫩，將香柏樹梢擰去，

17:4 就是折去香柏樹儘尖的嫩枝，叼到貿易之地，放在買賣城中；

17:5 又將以色列地的枝子栽於肥田裡，插在大水旁，如插柳樹，

17:6 就漸漸生長，成為蔓延矮小的葡萄樹。其枝轉向那鷹，其根在鷹以下，於是成了葡萄樹，生出枝子，發出小枝。

17:7 又有一大鷹，翅膀大，羽毛多。這葡萄樹從栽種的畦中向這鷹彎過根來，發出枝子，好得它的澆灌。

17:8 這樹栽於肥田多水的旁邊，好生枝子，結果子，成為佳美的葡萄樹。

17:9 你要說，主耶和華如此說：這葡萄樹豈能發旺呢？鷹豈不拔出它的根來，芟除它的果子，使它枯乾，使它發的嫩葉都枯乾了嗎？也不用大力和多民，就拔出它的根來。

17:10 葡萄樹雖然栽種，豈能發旺呢？一經東風，豈不全然枯乾嗎？必在生長的畦中枯乾了。」

1 The word of the Lord came to me:2 "Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; 3 say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4 He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, 6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.

7 "And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. 8 It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine.

9 "Say, Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. 10 Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?"

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    上帝以兩隻鷹與兩棵樹的謎語告訴以色列人。第一隻鷹，是指「巴比倫王」。黎巴嫩指「猶大國」。香柏樹梢指「約雅斤」王，於西元前597年被擄至巴比倫。以香柏樹暗指「約雅斤」，一方面因為猶大王宮是「黎巴嫩林宮」，中間使用大量的香柏木木料。另一方面一般人認為香柏樹才是真正的「樹中之王」。從這隻鷹的描述，顯出這是一隻巨大又生氣蓬勃的鷲鷹。牠搬移香柏樹嫩枝的動機並沒有被闡述，只是說明這個舉動，也沒有任何負面的形容。鷹對葡萄樹有任何惡意，甚至還表達出這鷹給予葡萄樹相當優渥的環境。

    另一隻鷹，是指「埃及王」，不過顯然此處的鷹比不上頭先的鷹（巴比倫王），因為形容其厲害的篇幅短很多。也表示以色列不應該靠這隻鷹，以免得罪先前的鷹。

    西底家的國力薄弱，根本經不起巴比倫的攻擊。巴比倫只要出一點力氣，就可以報復西底家的不忠心，於是西底家與埃及的曖昧關係，就為自己的國家帶來滅亡。

    這也告訴我們面對敵人要弄清楚真正的問題，就像教會面對同志的問題，不要忘記背後的更大問題是人不信主耶穌和悖逆上帝，此問題沒有面對，光面對同志問題有何意義？淫亂的罪沒有處理，就無法處理同性戀的問題了！

以西結書16:59-63

16:59 「主耶和華如此說：你這輕看誓言、背棄盟約的，我必照你所行的待你。

16:60 然而我要追念在你幼年時與你所立的約，也要與你立定永約。

16:61 你接待你姊姊和你妹妹的時候，你要追念你所行的，自覺慚愧；並且我要將她們賜你為女兒，卻不是按著前約。

16:62 我要堅定與你所立的約（你就知道我是耶和華），

16:63 好使你在我赦免你一切所行的時候，心裡追念，自覺抱愧，又因你的羞辱就不再開口。這是主耶和華說的。」

59 "For thus says the Lord God:I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God."

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    在這裡我們看見上帝使耶路撒冷被滅是暫時的，上帝沒有忘記祂的永約，祂仍然眷顧以色列民，仍然要透過他們施恩餘萬民！這也讓我們看見，耶路撒冷重建的希望，上帝必復興以色列人！

    教會更是上帝所鍾愛的，上帝透過耶穌基督所拯救的是超越以色列人的範圍，祂與被撿選的人所立的永約，是永不廢除的，正如祂與以色列人的約！

    上帝在基督裡的約，是包括猶太人和外邦人，將在基督裡都成為新以色列民，都成為亞伯拉罕的子孫，在上帝的眷顧下直到永遠！

以西結書16:53-58

16:53 「我必叫她們被擄的歸回，就是叫所多瑪和她的眾女，撒馬利亞和她的眾女，並你們中間被擄的，都要歸回，

16:54 好使你擔當自己的羞辱，並因你一切所行的使她們得安慰，你就抱愧。

16:55 你的妹妹所多瑪和她的眾女必歸回原位；撒馬利亞和她的眾女，你和你的眾女，也必歸回原位。

16:56 在你驕傲的日子，你的惡行沒有顯露以先，你的口就不提你的妹妹所多瑪。那受了凌辱的亞蘭眾女和亞蘭四圍非利士的眾女都恨惡你，藐視你。

16:57 【併於上節】

16:58 耶和華說：你貪淫和可憎的事，你已經擔當了。」

53 "I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, 54 that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. 56 Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria and all those around her, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. 58 You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the Lord.

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    耶路撒冷曾經是上帝保守的城邑，讓附近的城市感到傷心，因為它們被亞述帝國的軍隊所踐踏。如今這城被巴比倫所滅，它們就覺得安慰。而耶路撒冷遭滅就是不專一敬拜上帝，敬拜別神，導致今天的下場。

    耶路撒冷的下場更是教會的借鏡，基督徒不單單敬拜上帝，還敬拜許多有形與無形的偶像，也會被上帝厭棄！

    但是教會不要忘記，我們是耶穌基督撒了寶血所拯救的！我們更是要透過耶穌基督專一來敬拜天父，才不致讓基督在十字架上白白的釘死！耶穌無法再為我們釘一次十字架，若是讓基督重釘十架，我們就有禍了！