耶利米書34:8-22

34:8 西底家王與耶路撒冷的眾民立約，要向他們宣告自由，叫各人任他希伯來的僕人和婢女自由出去，誰也不可使他的一個猶大弟兄作奴僕。（此後，有耶和華的話臨到耶利米。） 34:9 【併於上節】 34:10 所有立約的首領和眾民就任他的僕人婢女自由出去，誰也不再叫他們作奴僕。大家都順從，將他們釋放了； 34:11 後來卻又反悔，叫所任去自由的僕人婢女回來，勉強他們仍為僕婢。 34:12 因此耶和華的話臨到耶利米說： 34:13 「耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：我將你們的列祖從埃及地為奴之家領出來的時候，與他們立約說： 34:14 『你的一個希伯來弟兄若賣給你，服事你六年，到第七年你們各人就要任他自由出去。』只是你們列祖不聽從我，也不側耳而聽。 34:15 如今你們回轉，行我眼中看為正的事，各人向鄰舍宣告自由，並且在稱為我名下的殿中、在我面前立約。 34:16 你們卻又反悔，褻瀆我的名，各人叫所任去隨意自由的僕人婢女回來，勉強他們仍為僕婢。 34:17 所以耶和華如此說：你們沒有聽從我，各人向弟兄鄰舍宣告自由。看哪！我向你們宣告一樣自由，就是使你們自由於刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫之下，並且使你們在天下萬國中拋來拋去。這是耶和華說的。 34:18 猶大的首領、耶路撒冷的首領、太監、祭司，和國中的眾民曾將牛犢劈開，分成兩半，從其中經過，在我面前立約。後來又違背我的約，不遵行這約上的話。 34:19 【併於上節】 34:20 我必將他們交在仇敵和尋索其命的人手中；他們的屍首必給空中的飛鳥和地上的野獸作食物。 34:21 並且我必將猶大王西底家和他的首領交在他們仇敵和尋索其命的人，與那暫離你們而去巴比倫王軍隊的手中。 34:22 耶和華說：我必吩咐他們回到這城，攻打這城，將城攻取，用火焚燒。我也要使猶大的城邑變為荒場，無人居住。」

⁸ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them— ⁹that all should set free their Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should hold another Judean in slavery. ¹⁰And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that all would set free their slaves, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again; they obeyed and set them free. ¹¹But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them again into subjection as slaves. ¹²The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ¹³Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, ¹⁴“Every seventh year each of you must set free any Hebrews who have been sold to you and have served you six years; you must set them free from your service.” But your ancestors did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. ¹⁵You yourselves recently repented and did what was right in my sight by proclaiming liberty to one another, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name; ¹⁶but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back your male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them again into subjection to be your slaves. ¹⁷Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by granting a release to your neighbors and friends; I am going to grant a release to you, says the Lord—a release to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. ¹⁸And those who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make like the calf when they cut it in two and passed between its parts: ¹⁹the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf ²⁰shall be handed over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives. Their corpses shall become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals of the earth. ²¹And as for King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials, I will hand them over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. ²²I am going to command, says the Lord, and will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire. The towns of Judah I will make a desolation without inhabitant.

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    猶大之所以亡國，不只是國王的問題，是全國上下的百姓都有問題，就是他們不願意遵守他們與上帝所立的約，以至於這樣就招惹上帝的怒氣，導致上帝將猶大國滅了，使他們的土地變荒涼！

    「土地」在舊約也是一個重要的議題，亞伯拉罕因為沒有土地，所以四處漂流。而以色列人為甚麼要出埃及呢？也是因為他們在埃及沒有土地。然而上帝使他們進入迦南地，使他們得土地，目的是要他們守他們與上帝所立的約。今天他們不守約，也因此失去了土地！

    今天上帝也在基督裡賜給我「土地」，就是上帝的國，只要我們願意透過耶穌基督與上帝有正確且合宜的關係，就要承受「土地」，享受上帝永遠的豐盛與榮耀！這樣的應許，是永遠不會落空的，因為我們領受了聖靈，成了新約永遠的保證，不會像以色列和猶大的百姓被擄而失去「土地」！

耶利米書34章

    耶利米書34:1-7   , 

 

    耶利米書34:8-22   ,

    耶利米書34:18-19  ,

耶利米書34:1-7

34:1 巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒率領他的全軍和地上屬他的各國各邦，攻打耶路撒冷和屬耶路撒冷所有的城邑。那時，耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
34:2 「耶和華─以色列的上帝說，你去告訴猶大王西底家，耶和華如此說：我要將這城交付巴比倫王的手，他必用火焚燒。
34:3 你必不能逃脫他的手，定被拿住，交在他的手中。你的眼要見巴比倫王的眼，他要口對口和你說話，你也必到巴比倫去。
34:4 猶大王西底家啊，你還要聽耶和華的話。耶和華論到你如此說：你必不被刀劍殺死，
34:5 你必平安而死，人必為你焚燒物件，好像為你列祖，就是在你以前的先王焚燒一般。人必為你舉哀說：『哀哉！我主啊。』耶和華說：這話是我說的。」
34:6 於是，先知耶利米在耶路撒冷將這一切話告訴猶大王西底家。
34:7 那時，巴比倫王的軍隊正攻打耶路撒冷，又攻打猶大所剩下的城邑，就是拉吉和亞西加。原來猶大的堅固城只剩下這兩座。

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth and all the peoples under his dominion were fighting against Jerusalem and all its cities: ²Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to King Zedekiah of Judah and say to him: Thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. ³And you yourself shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be captured and handed over to him; you shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you shall go to Babylon. ⁴Yet hear the word of the Lord, O King Zedekiah of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: You shall not die by the sword; ⁵you shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your ancestors, the earlier kings who preceded you, so they shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!” For I have spoken the word, says the Lord.

⁶ Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, ⁷when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, Lachish and Azekah; for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.

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    猶大王西底家雖然是大衛的子孫，卻不是上帝應許給大衛的那位永遠做王的子孫，反而是猶大亡國的君王。通常這樣的君王的命運是悲慘的，是不得善終的，但是西底家王不是如此，他竟然可以善終。為甚麼呢？

    因為上帝的應許要成就在西底家王的後代，基督要從他的後代而出，要來復興以色列國，使上帝的國實現！這是上帝的應許，所以祂藉由先知耶利米向西底家王宣告，讓他不至於失望！

    而今日這位永遠的君王已顯明了，更讓我們感受到上帝的保守與預備，祂應許的永不失落，更是讓我們確定，在基督裡的應許，是永遠的「是」，是必定實現的，上帝的國必完全實現，我們要在基督裡一同享受基督的榮耀！

耶利米書33:14-26

33:14 耶和華說：「日子將到，我應許以色列家和猶大家的恩言必然成就。
33:15 當那日子，那時候，我必使大衛公義的苗裔長起來；他必在地上施行公平和公義。
33:16 在那日子猶大必得救，耶路撒冷必安然居住，他的名必稱為『耶和華─我們的義』。
33:17 「因為耶和華如此說：大衛必永不斷人坐在以色列家的寶座上；
33:18 祭司、利未人在我面前也不斷人獻燔祭、燒素祭，時常辦理獻祭的事。」
33:19 耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
33:20 「耶和華如此說：你們若能廢棄我所立白日黑夜的約，使白日黑夜不按時輪轉，
33:21 就能廢棄我與我僕人大衛所立的約，使他沒有兒子在他的寶座上為王，並能廢棄我與事奉我的祭司、利未人所立的約。
33:22 天上的萬象不能數算，海邊的塵沙也不能斗量；我必照樣使我僕人大衛的後裔和事奉我的利未人多起來。」
33:23 耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
33:24 「你沒有揣摩這百姓的話嗎？他們說：『耶和華所揀選的二族，他已經棄絕了。』他們這樣藐視我的百姓，以為不再成國。
33:25 耶和華如此說：若是我立白日黑夜的約不能存住，若是我未曾安排天地的定例，
33:26 我就棄絕雅各的後裔和我僕人大衛的後裔，不使大衛的後裔治理亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的後裔；因為我必使他們被擄的人歸回，也必憐憫他們。」

¹⁴ The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

¹⁷ For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, ¹⁸and the levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to make grain offerings, and to make sacrifices for all time.

¹⁹ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁰Thus says the Lord: If any of you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their appointed time, ²¹only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken, so that he would not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with my ministers the Levites. ²²Just as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will increase the offspring of my servant David, and the Levites who minister to me.

²³ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁴Have you not observed how these people say, “The two families that the Lord chose have been rejected by him,” and how they hold my people in such contempt that they no longer regard them as a nation? ²⁵Thus says the Lord: Only if I had not established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven and earth, ²⁶would I reject the offspring of Jacob and of my servant David and not choose any of his descendants as rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes, and will have mercy upon them.

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    上帝與大衛的約之所以十分堅定是因為耶穌基督，正如保羅的描述：「論到他兒子─我主耶穌基督。按肉體說，是從大衛後裔生的；按聖善的靈說，因從死裡復活，以大能顯明是上帝的兒子。」（羅馬書1:3-4）

    所以，「大衛之約」不是單指大衛或他的子孫，不只是「大衛必永不斷人坐在以色列家的寶座上；祭司、利未人在我面前也不斷人獻燔祭、燒素祭，時常辦理獻祭的事」。更重要的是：基督永遠做王，我們也要與祂一同做王到永遠！

    而整本聖經就是這樣不斷的向我們宣告：基督永遠做王，我們也要與祂一同做王到永遠！上帝這樣的應許，必定成就，永遠不落空！因為，上帝是信實的上帝，祂不會欺騙我們的！

耶利米書33章

       耶利米書33:1-13  ,

       耶利米書33:2-3 , 耶利米書33:3  ,

        耶利米書33:6 ,

       耶利米書33:8 ,耶利米書33:11  ,

       耶利米書33:14-26  ,

      耶利米書33:14-15 ,

      耶利米書33:19-22  ,

耶利米書33:1-13

33:1 耶利米還囚在護衛兵的院內，耶和華的話第二次臨到他說：
33:2 「成就的是耶和華，造作、為要建立的也是耶和華；耶和華是他的名。他如此說：
33:3 你求告我，我就應允你，並將你所不知道、又大又難的事指示你。
33:4 論到這城中的房屋和猶大王的宮室，就是拆毀為擋敵人高壘和刀劍的，耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：
33:5 人要與迦勒底人爭戰，正是拿死屍充滿這房屋，就是我在怒氣和忿怒中所殺的人，因他們的一切惡，我就掩面不顧這城。
33:6 看哪，我要使這城得以痊癒安舒，使城中的人得醫治，又將豐盛的平安和誠實顯明與他們。
33:7 我也要使猶大被擄的和以色列被擄的歸回，並建立他們和起初一樣。
33:8 我要除淨他們的一切罪，就是向我所犯的罪；又要赦免他們的一切罪，就是干犯我、違背我的罪。
33:9 這城要在地上萬國人面前使我得頌讚，得榮耀，名為可喜可樂之城。萬國人因聽見我向這城所賜的福樂、所施的恩惠平安，就懼怕戰兢。」
33:10 耶和華如此說：「你們論這地方，說是荒廢無人民無牲畜之地，但在這荒涼無人民無牲畜的猶大城邑和耶路撒冷的街上，
33:11 必再聽見有歡喜和快樂的聲音、新郎和新婦的聲音，並聽見有人說：要稱謝萬軍之耶和華，因耶和華本為善；他的慈愛永遠長存！又有奉感謝祭到耶和華殿中之人的聲音；因為我必使這地被擄的人歸回，和起初一樣。這是耶和華說的。」
33:12 萬軍之耶和華如此說：「在這荒廢無人民無牲畜之地，並其中所有的城邑，必再有牧人的住處；他們要使羊群躺臥在那裡。
33:13 在山地的城邑、高原的城邑、南地的城邑、便雅憫地、耶路撒冷四圍的各處，和猶大的城邑必再有羊群從數點的人手下經過。這是耶和華說的。」

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard: ²Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: ³Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. ⁴For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and before the sword: ⁵The Chaldeans are coming in to fight and to fill them with the dead bodies of those whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness. ⁶I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. ⁷I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. ⁸I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. ⁹And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

¹⁰ Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, “It is a waste without human beings or animals,” in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard ¹¹the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,

for the Lord is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.

¹² Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without human beings or animals, and in all its towns there shall again be pasture for shepherds resting their flocks. ¹³In the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.

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    上帝一再的將被擄歸回的信息臨到耶利米，表是上帝不放棄這件事，上帝一定讓這是成就！而我們從舊約的記載中，我們確確實實看見上帝成就這讓人認為不可能的事情！

    而這樣的事情成就，更是為著將來耶穌基督的降生、被釘十字架、復活、升天與再來做了保證。因為，上帝所應許的事情，沒有一件會落空的，必定會成就的！這就是上帝要賜給我們的信心，憑著這樣的信心，我們要經歷上帝奇妙的作為！

    親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們看見耶利米在當時的處境是被囚的，肉身雖然不自由，但是心中有上帝的應許，卻是全然自由的！同樣，我們相信上帝在基督裡的應許，永遠是「是」，我們必定也是自由的！