耶利米書35:1-11

35:1 當猶大王約西亞之子約雅敬的時候，耶和華的話臨到耶利米說： 35:2 「你去見利甲族的人，和他們說話，領他們進入耶和華殿的一間屋子，給他們酒喝。」 35:3 我就將哈巴洗尼雅的孫子雅利米雅的兒子雅撒尼亞和他弟兄，並他眾子，以及利甲全族的人， 35:4 領到耶和華的殿，進入神人伊基大利的兒子哈難眾子的屋子。那屋子在首領的屋子旁邊，在沙龍之子把門的瑪西雅屋子以上。 35:5 於是我在利甲族人面前設擺盛滿酒的碗和杯，對他們說：「請你們喝酒。」 35:6 他們卻說：「我們不喝酒；因為我們先祖利甲的兒子約拿達曾吩咐我們說：『你們與你們的子孫永不可喝酒， 35:7 也不可蓋房、撒種、栽種葡萄園，但一生的年日要住帳棚，使你們的日子在寄居之地得以延長。』 35:8 凡我們先祖利甲的兒子約拿達所吩咐我們的話，我們都聽從了。我們和我們的妻子兒女一生的年日都不喝酒， 35:9 也不蓋房居住，也沒有葡萄園、田地，和種子， 35:10 但住帳棚，聽從我們先祖約拿達的話，照他所吩咐我們的去行。 35:11 巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒上此地來，我們因怕迦勒底的軍隊和亞蘭的軍隊，就說：『來吧，我們到耶路撒冷去。』這樣，我們才住在耶路撒冷。」

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah: ²Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink. ³So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah, and his brothers, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites. ⁴I brought them to the house of the Lord into the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. ⁵Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Have some wine.” ⁶But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘You shall never drink wine, neither you nor your children; ⁷nor shall you ever build a house, or sow seed; nor shall you plant a vineyard, or even own one; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you reside.’ ⁸We have obeyed the charge of our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, ⁹and not to build houses to live in. We have no vineyard or field or seed; ¹⁰but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed and done all that our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. ¹¹But when King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Arameans.’ That is why we are living in Jerusalem.”

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    利甲族這個種族是一個遊牧團體或是居無定所的工匠行會，是基尼人的後裔 (代上 2:55)，與以色列的先祖有深厚的情誼( 創 15:19 ;士 1:16 ;  士 5:24 ;  撒上 15:6  30:29 )。



     他們禁戒喝酒、蓋房、務農而只住帳棚，代表的可能是要保存游牧民族的精神。務農與定居是迦南民族的生活型態，種葡萄也代表了可以釀酒，而大量的酒也是迦南的淫亂宗教中不可或缺的產品。因此，維持游牧民族的傳統使利甲人避免了與迦南人的宗教混合與物質貪婪帶來的生活腐化。

    這也讓我們想到基督徒也應該有這樣的精神，寧可貧窮而不要貪愛世界，因為我們要追求的是永遠的土地，不是短暫的土地。我們若是渴慕永遠的地土，就會像亞伯拉罕一樣或是利甲族一般，只有帳篷和祭壇，因為我們盼望永遠的家鄉！

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！