以西結書24:15-27

24:15 耶和華的話又臨到我說：

24:16 「人子啊，我要將你眼目所喜愛的忽然取去，你卻不可悲哀哭泣，也不可流淚，

24:17 只可歎息，不可出聲，不可辦理喪事；頭上仍勒裹頭巾，腳上仍穿鞋，不可蒙著嘴唇，也不可吃弔喪的食物。」

24:18 於是我將這事早晨告訴百姓，晚上我的妻就死了。次日早晨我便遵命而行。

24:19 百姓問我說：「你這樣行與我們有甚麼關係，你不告訴我們麼？」

24:20 我回答他們：「耶和華的話臨到我說：

24:21 『你告訴以色列家，主耶和華如此說：我必使我的聖所，就是你們勢力所誇耀、眼裡所喜愛、心中所愛惜的被褻瀆，並且你們所遺留的兒女必倒在刀下。

24:22 那時，你們必行我僕人所行的，不蒙著嘴唇，也不吃弔喪的食物。

24:23 你們仍要頭上勒裹頭巾，腳上穿鞋；不可悲哀哭泣。你們必因自己的罪孽相對歎息，漸漸消滅。

24:24 以西結必這樣為你們作預兆；凡他所行的，你們也必照樣行。那事來到，你們就知道我是主耶和華。

24:25 「人子啊，我除掉他們所倚靠、所歡喜的榮耀，並眼中所喜愛、心裡所重看的兒女。

24:26 那日逃脫的人豈不來到你這裡，使你耳聞這事嗎？

24:27 你必向逃脫的人開口說話，不再啞口。你必這樣為他們作預兆，他們就知道我是耶和華。」

The word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.  Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.”  So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.

  And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?”  Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me:  ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.  And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.  Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another.  Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’

  “As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters,  on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news.  On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

*************

以西結妻子的死亡作為預兆，預言聖殿將被毀！

此處沒說以西結的妻子怎樣死亡，比較可能是得了急症死亡。「於是我將這事早晨告訴百姓」，原文只是「講說—向百姓—早晨」，應該不是以西結先透露妻子將死的信息，而是說以西結照常早上出去向百姓講說，晚上妻子就過世。因為提早透露妻子死訊，妻子與周遭的人不就會出現奇怪的反應？反倒是後面講到，妻子死亡隔日以西結的反應造成衆人覺得奇怪。事先講就不會太奇怪了。

以西結因所愛的妻子去世所做的表現，就將是以色列人面對耶路撒冷被毀、聖殿被毀的狀況之反應。當耶路撒冷被毀滅之後，總會有人被擄到巴比倫，這樣大家就知道以西結是真先知，其他講不一樣預言的人都是假先知。因此以西結就可以不用顧慮安危，坦然發言。又耶路撒冷被毀之前，以西結主要是受派傳達上帝的憤怒，事情已經實現，他就可以傳達盼望與希望的信息了。

以西結書24章

    以西結書24:1-14   ,  以西結書24章1-14節 ,

   以西結書24:15-27  , 以西結書24章15-27節  ,

以西結書24:1-14

24:1 第九年十月初十日，耶和華的話又臨到我說：

24:2 「人子啊，今日正是巴比倫王就近耶路撒冷的日子，你要將這日記下，

24:3 要向這悖逆之家設比喻說，主耶和華如此說：將鍋放在火上，放好了，就倒水在其中；

24:4 將肉塊，就是一切肥美的肉塊、腿，和肩都聚在其中，拿美好的骨頭把鍋裝滿；

24:5 取羊群中最好的，將柴堆在鍋下，使鍋開滾，好把骨頭煮在其中。

24:6 「主耶和華如此說：禍哉！這流人血的城，就是長鏽的鍋。其中的鏽未曾除掉，須要將肉塊從其中一一取出來，不必為它拈鬮。

24:7 城中所流的血倒在淨光的磐石上，不倒在地上，用土掩蓋。

24:8 這城中所流的血倒在淨光的磐石上，不得掩蓋，乃是出於我，為要發忿怒施行報應。

24:9 所以主耶和華如此說：禍哉！這流人血的城，我也必大堆火柴，

24:10 添上木柴，使火著旺，將肉煮爛，把湯熬濃，使骨頭烤焦；

24:11 把鍋倒空坐在炭火上，使鍋燒熱，使銅燒紅，鎔化其中的污穢，除淨其上的鏽。

24:12 這鍋勞碌疲乏，所長的大鏽仍未除掉；這鏽就是用火也不能除掉。

24:13 在你污穢中有淫行，我潔淨你，你卻不潔淨。你的污穢再不能潔淨，直等我向你發的忿怒止息。

24:14 我─耶和華說過的必定成就，必照話而行，必不返回，必不顧惜，也不後悔。人必照你的舉動行為審判你。這是主耶和華說的。」

​ In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.  And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:      

“Set on the pot, set it on;

pour in water also;

  put in it the pieces of meat,

all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder;

fill it with choice bones.

  Take the choicest one of the flock;

pile the logs under it;

boil it well;

seethe also its bones in it.

  “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.  For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered.  Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.  Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.  Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed.  She has wearied herself with toil; its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion!  On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you.  I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares

***********

    「第九年十月初十日」，正是巴比倫軍隊開始圍困耶路撒冷的日子。換算為陽曆是西元前588年1月15日。後來以色列人也在十月禁食哀悼耶路撒冷被毀。由於耶路撒冷用「鍋子」來比喻，鍋中如果裝血，不管裡面的食物再高貴，都是不潔淨不可吃的。所以不必抽籤，全部的食物都必須倒出來。

7節的「城中所流的血」動詞是完成式，指的是過去耶路撒冷殺人流的血。8節的「城中所流的血」指的似乎是因為巴比倫攻打而流出的血。如果此處還是指耶路撒冷殺害的人之血，那就是上帝要顯露這些血，以便要公開報應耶路撒冷的不義。先知指出那個鍋繡就是「淫亂」，指着宗教上與宗教帶來的實際淫亂。上帝要潔淨猶大國，猶大卻還是不願意悔改，以致必須滅國。在14節重申上帝的公義，上帝雖然憤怒、傷心，但還是會照猶大應得的審判懲罰之。

也因此，上帝要以色列人再次確認上帝必定審判他們的惡行；以色列如此，也更凸顯我們需要上帝的拯救，故此我們特別需要上帝在基督的救恩，使我們透過耶穌基督，蒙上帝的悅納！

以西結書23:43-49

23:43 「我論這行淫衰老的婦人說：現在人還要與她行淫，她也要與人行淫。

23:44 人與阿荷拉，並阿荷利巴二淫婦茍合，好像與妓女苟合。

23:45 必有義人，照審判淫婦和流人血的婦人之例，審判她們；因為她們是淫婦，手中有殺人的血。」

23:46 主耶和華如此說：「我必使多人來攻擊她們，使她們拋來拋去，被人搶奪。

23:47 這些人必用石頭打死她們，用刀劍殺害她們，又殺戮她們的兒女，用火焚燒她們的房屋。

23:48 這樣，我必使淫行從境內止息，好叫一切婦人都受警戒，不效法你們的淫行。

23:49 人必照著你們的淫行報應你們；你們要擔當拜偶像的罪，就知道我是主耶和華。」

“Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!’  For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women!  But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”

  For thus says the Lord God: “Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder.  And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses.  Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done.  And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

************

    上帝要讓外國來懲罰毀滅猶大與以色列國，作為其他國家的警戒。這個懲罰雖然嚴厲，不過也只是照着這兩個國家的行為報應罷了。

    這也告訴我們信靠耶穌基督的人，要全心全意來愛上帝，不可以愛上帝又愛世界，若我們愛世界，就會失去愛上帝的心，最後必在上帝的審判台前站立不住，受到上帝永遠的審判！

    為何會如此呢？因為我們蒙受了上帝莫大的恩典，我們豈可辜負他對我們的愛呢？豈可繼續貪戀眼前的而放棄永恆的恩典呢！

以西結書23:36-42

23:36 耶和華又對我說：「人子啊，你要審問阿荷拉與阿荷利巴嗎？當指出她們所行可憎的事。

23:37 她們行淫，手中有殺人的血，又與偶像行淫，並使她們為我所生的兒女經火燒給偶像。

23:38 此外，她們還有向我所行的，就是同日玷污我的聖所，干犯我的安息日。

23:39 她們殺了兒女獻與偶像，當天又入我的聖所，將聖所褻瀆了。她們在我殿中所行的乃是如此。

23:40 「況且你們二婦打發使者去請遠方人。使者到他們那裡，他們就來了。你們為他們沐浴己身，粉飾眼目，佩戴妝飾，

23:41 坐在華美的床上，前面擺設桌案，將我的香料膏油擺在其上。

23:42 在那裡有群眾安逸歡樂的聲音，並有粗俗的人和酒徒從曠野同來，把鐲子戴在二婦的手上，把華冠戴在她們的頭上。

36 The Lord said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. 38 Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house. 40 They even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads.

**********

    以色列與猶大兩國明確的罪惡：殺人、拜偶像、燒兒女給偶像。可以注意的是上帝審判以色列、猶大的內容不完全是信仰性的，通常都伴隨司法性的公平正義。

    不僅如此，猶大人犯大罪時，裝作沒有感覺，又大搖大擺地進去聖所敬拜上帝。完全是一個形式、表象的信仰。他們一定不信上帝是一個真實活著，憑公義審判的神，只想著拜越多神越好，有拜有保佑。

    這兩國最後乾脆使用上帝給的資源公開宣揚信仰上的淫亂：那個國、那個神都好。實際上應該是指着國家末期，為了挽救滅亡的命運，到處去找國家結盟，拜其他國家的神，忘記自己的上帝。 

    教會是不是為了虛假的增長，而曾經借用世界的方法，以為這樣教會的名聲就宣揚出去，但是卻未讓人認識上帝，明白福音，忙了一大堆活動，最後仍然沒有果效，這是不是很可惜呢？讓我們以此為借鏡來思考，使我們真正走在主的道路中不偏離。