3:1 有話說:人若休妻,妻離他而去,作了別人的妻,前夫豈能再收回她來?若收回她來,那地豈不是大大玷污了嗎?但你和許多親愛的行邪淫,還可以歸向我。這是耶和華說的。
3:2 你向淨光的高處舉目觀看,你在何處沒有淫行呢?你坐在道旁等候,好像阿拉伯人在曠野埋伏一樣,並且你的淫行邪惡玷污了全地。
3:3 因此甘霖停止,春(原文是晚)雨不降。你還是有娼妓之臉,不顧羞恥。
3:4 從今以後,你豈不向我呼叫說:我父啊,你是我幼年的恩主。
3:5 耶和華豈永遠懷怒,存留到底嗎?看哪,你又發惡言又行壞事,隨自己的私意而行(或譯:你雖這樣說,還是行惡放縱慾心)。
“If a man divorces his wife
and she goes from him
and becomes another man's wife,
will he return to her?
Would not that land be greatly polluted?
You have played the whore with many lovers;
and would you return to me?
declares the Lord.
Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see!
Where have you not been ravished?
By the waysides you have sat awaiting
lovers
like an Arab in the wilderness.
You have polluted the land
with your vile whoredom.
Therefore
the showers have been withheld,
and the spring rain has not come;
yet you have the forehead of a whore;
you refuse to be ashamed.
Have you not just now called to me,
‘My father, you are the friend of my
youth—
will he be angry forever,
will he be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken,
but you have done all the evil that you
could.”
********
耶利米先知這段話是針對以色列和猶大的罪行—拜偶像—所發表的,表達出上帝期盼他們悔改的心。因為上帝並不因為他們犯拜偶像的罪,而放棄他們,反倒向他們說:「你和許多親愛的行邪淫,還可以歸向我。」「耶和華豈永遠懷怒,存留到底嗎?」
其實上帝對基督徒也是如此,雖然我們會不小心犯罪,但是祂不離棄我們,仍然盼望我們透過耶穌基督與祂和好,要我們快快悔改來歸向祂。因為,祂的慈愛永遠長存,祂無時無刻都是希望我們與祂有正確合宜的關係,使祂的心得著滿足!
既然如此,我們就不要再犯罪或遠離上帝,要好好倚靠耶穌基督所完成的救恩,成為上帝蒙愛的兒女!因為,上帝使我們在基督裡永遠是一百分的好基督徒,不因為我們做了什麼,而是因為主耶穌已經完成了上帝的要求了!祂是透過主耶穌來看我們的!