以西結書29:17-21

29:17 二十七年正月初一日，耶和華的話臨到我說：

29:18 「人子啊，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒使他的軍兵大大效勞，攻打泰爾，以致頭都光禿，肩都磨破；然而他和他的軍兵攻打泰爾，並沒有從那裡得甚麼酬勞。

29:19 所以主耶和華如此說：我必將埃及地賜給巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒；他必擄掠埃及群眾，搶其中的財為擄物，奪其中的貨為掠物，這就可以作他軍兵的酬勞。

29:20 我將埃及地賜給他，酬他所效的勞，因王與軍兵是為我勤勞。這是主耶和華說的。

29:21 「當那日，我必使以色列家的角發生，又必使你─以西結在他們中間得以開口；他們就知道我是耶和華。」

In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her.  Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army.  I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God.

  “On that day I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

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    先知在這裡說埃及成了巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒的獎賞，表示埃及終會被尼布甲尼撒打敗，使以色列人知道：以西結真的是上帝所差派之先知，進而願意聆聽他所傳講的信息。

    其實我們蒙召傳講上帝的話，上帝一定與我們同在，讓人知道我們所傳講的不是出於自己，而是出於上帝。不在乎我們的口才，而在乎我們是否忠心傳講上帝的話，使人產生對上帝的信心，然後專一倚靠上帝。

    今天教會的講道者，一定要以先知的心志來宣講信息，使人在基督裡得真正的信心，而成為一個對上帝國的時限有盼望的人，因為現在是末世了，耶穌基督快再來，上帝國要實現了！

以西結書29:13-16

29:13 主耶和華如此說：「滿了四十年，我必招聚分散在各國民中的埃及人。

29:14 我必叫埃及被擄的人回來，使他們歸回本地巴忒羅。在那裡必成為低微的國，

29:15 必為列國中最低微的，也不再自高於列國之上。我必減少他們，以致不再轄制列國。

29:16 埃及必不再作以色列家所倚靠的；以色列家仰望埃及人的時候，便思念罪孽。他們就知道我是主耶和華。」

“For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered,  and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.  It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations.  And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”

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    先知在此宣告：「埃及必不再作以色列家所倚靠的；以色列家仰望埃及人的時候，便思念罪孽。他們就知道我是主耶和華。」

    這是先知對以色列人的提醒，要以色列人不要再倚靠埃及。因為，倚靠埃及不倚靠上帝，這就是與拜偶像沒有兩樣，所以這是一種罪惡！

    同樣教會不透過禱告倚靠上帝，要倚靠上帝以外的勢力，就是拜偶像，這是得罪上帝的作為，我們不能不謹慎與小心！

以西結書29:6-12

29:6 「埃及一切的居民，因向以色列家成了蘆葦的杖，就知道我是耶和華。

29:7 他們用手持住你，你就斷折，傷了他們的肩；他們倚靠你，你就斷折，閃了他們的腰。

29:8 所以主耶和華如此說：我必使刀劍臨到你，從你中間將人與牲畜剪除。

29:9 埃及地必荒廢淒涼，他們就知道我是耶和華。「因為法老說：『這河是我的，是我所造的』，

29:10 所以我必與你並你的江河為敵，使埃及地，從色弗尼塔直到古實境界，全然荒廢淒涼。

29:11 人的腳、獸的蹄都不經過，四十年之久並無人居住。

29:12 我必使埃及地在荒涼的國中成為荒涼，使埃及城在荒廢的城中變為荒廢，共有四十年。我必將埃及人分散在列國，四散在列邦。」

Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord.      

“Because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel,       when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.  Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast,  and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord.      

“Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’  therefore, behold, I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.  No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.  And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.

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    埃及本為大國，但是上帝不喜悅以色列人倚靠這個國家，所以使埃及成為弱小國家，使這個國家荒涼了四十年，人民被分散在列國，四散在列邦，好使以色列人不在盼望埃及，專心倚靠上帝。

    上帝這樣的作為是要讓以色列知道，唯有上帝才值得倚靠的！倚靠別的勢力、別的國家都是沒有益處的！而且這些勢力和國家，都是一時的興旺，無法到永永遠遠的！

    同樣，今日教會不要想靠上帝以外的勢力或國家來生存，這一切都不會使教會增長或長久，教會只有倚靠上帝在基督裡的作為，才會興旺，才會長久，才會成為上帝拯救與盼望的記號。

以西結書29章

      以西結書29:1-5  ,   以西結書29:6-12 ,  以西結書29:13-16 ,  以西結書29:17-21   ,

以西結書29:1-5

29:1 第十年十月十二日，耶和華的話臨到我說：

29:2 「人子啊，你要向埃及王法老預言攻擊他和埃及全地，

29:3 說主耶和華如此說：埃及王法老啊，我與你這臥在自己河中的大魚為敵。你曾說：這河是我的，是我為自己造的。

29:4 我─耶和華必用鉤子鉤住你的腮頰，又使江河中的魚貼住你的鱗甲；我必將你和所有貼住你鱗甲的魚，從江河中拉上來，

29:5 把你並江河中的魚都拋在曠野；你必倒在田間，不被收殮，不被掩埋。我已將你給地上野獸、空中飛鳥作食物。

1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:2 "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

 "Behold, I am against you,

Pharaoh king of Egypt,

 the great dragon that lies

in the midst of his streams,

 that says, 'My Nile is my own;

I made it for myself. '

4 I will put hooks in your jaws,

and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales;

and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams,

with all the fish of your streams

that stick to your scales.

5 And I will cast you out into the wilderness,

you and all the fish of your streams;

you shall fall on the open field,

and not be brought together or gathered.

To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens

 I give you as food.

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    上帝要先知攻擊埃及法老，他自傲的認為尼羅河是他的，上帝要將法老與埃及百姓都毀滅。事實上，猶大國會落入被巴比倫毀滅的命運，是因為相信埃及可以成為他們的幫助。而現在耶路撒冷被圍，先知預言埃及也要被毀滅，那可以想見猶大國的命運將如何了。

    這樣的預言一方面攻擊埃及，另一方面警告猶大國的君臣百姓，不要妄想埃及可以幫忙，可以勝過巴比倫的勢力，要勇敢地仰望上帝才是實在的，雖然巴比倫會將猶大國滅了，但是上帝會讓猶大的百姓再次歸回！

    同樣今日的教會也要以上帝為倚靠，不以別的代替上帝，若以別的代替上帝，一切都是枉然的！唯有在基督裡，我們才能享受上帝豐盛的恩典！