耶利米書36:1-8

36:1 猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬第四年，耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
36:2 「你取一書卷，將我對你說攻擊以色列和猶大，並各國的一切話，從我對你說話的那日，就是從約西亞的日子起直到今日，都寫在其上。
36:3 或者猶大家聽見我想要降與他們的一切災禍，各人就回頭，離開惡道，我好赦免他們的罪孽和罪惡。」
36:4 所以，耶利米召了尼利亞的兒子巴錄來；巴錄就從耶利米口中，將耶和華對耶利米所說的一切話寫在書卷上。
36:5 耶利米吩咐巴錄說：「我被拘管，不能進耶和華的殿。
36:6 所以你要去趁禁食的日子，在耶和華殿中將耶和華的話，就是你從我口中所寫在書卷上的話，念給百姓和一切從猶大城邑出來的人聽。
36:7 或者他們在耶和華面前懇求各人回頭，離開惡道，因為耶和華向這百姓所說要發的怒氣和忿怒是大的。」
36:8 尼利亞的兒子巴錄就照先知耶利米一切所吩咐的去行，在耶和華的殿中從書上念耶和華的話。

In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ²Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. ³It may be that when the house of Judah hears of all the disasters that I intend to do to them, all of them may turn from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

⁴ Then Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him. ⁵And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am prevented from entering the house of the Lord; ⁶so you go yourself, and on a fast day in the hearing of the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the people of Judah who come up from their towns. ⁷It may be that their plea will come before the Lord, and that all of them will turn from their evil ways, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” ⁸And Baruch son of Neriah did all that the prophet Jeremiah ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house.

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

    上帝的話語是要被宣讀出來，這是很重要的，人聽了上帝的話是會有反應的，

絕對不會聽完之後，就不當一回事的！正如上帝在這裡說：「或者猶大家聽見我想

要降與他們的一切災禍，各人就回頭，離開惡道，我好赦免他們的罪孽和罪惡。」

       而上帝的話這裡說明了悔改的定義：各人就回頭，離開惡道！

                的確，人要聽上帝的話，才會有真正的悔改，才能回頭歸向上帝，離開罪惡！

也惟有這樣，上帝才能赦免我們的罪孽和罪惡。

                 你有沒有悔改？

耶利米書35:12-19

35:12 耶和華的話臨到耶利米說：
35:13 「萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：你去對猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民說，耶和華說：你們不受教訓，不聽從我的話嗎？
35:14 利甲的兒子約拿達所吩咐他子孫不可喝酒的話，他們已經遵守，直到今日也不喝酒，因為他們聽從先祖的吩咐。我從早起來警戒你們，你們卻不聽從我。
35:15 我從早起來，差遣我的僕人眾先知去，說：『你們各人當回頭，離開惡道，改正行為，不隨從事奉別神，就必住在我所賜給你們和你們列祖的地上。』只是你們沒有聽從我，也沒有側耳而聽。
35:16 利甲的兒子約拿達的子孫能遵守先人所吩咐他們的命，這百姓卻沒有聽從我！
35:17 因此，耶和華─萬軍之上帝、以色列的上帝如此說：我要使我所說的一切災禍臨到猶大人和耶路撒冷的一切居民。因為我對他們說話，他們沒有聽從；我呼喚他們，他們沒有答應。」
35:18 耶利米對利甲族的人說：「萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：因你們聽從你們先祖約拿達的吩咐，謹守他的一切誡命，照他所吩咐你們的去行，
35:19 所以萬軍之耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：利甲的兒子約拿達必永不缺人侍立在我面前。」

¹² Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Can you not learn a lesson and obey my words? says the Lord. ¹⁴The command has been carried out that Jonadab son of Rechab gave to his descendants to drink no wine; and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But I myself have spoken to you persistently, and you have not obeyed me. ¹⁵I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, “Turn now every one of you from your evil way, and amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall live in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not incline your ear or obey me. ¹⁶The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the command that their ancestor gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. ¹⁷Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem every disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.

¹⁸ But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of your ancestor Jonadab, and kept all his precepts, and done all that he commanded you, ¹⁹therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab son of Rechab shall not lack a descendant to stand before me for all time.

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

    上帝拿利甲族人遵守祖先的命令而不違反，對比於猶大人不聽上帝時常差遣眾先知

去傳達的命令。因此上帝要刑罰猶大人，使他們失去土地；讓利甲族的人永遠有人在上

帝面前服事祂，得永遠的土地。

        同樣今日，我們要抓住上帝在基督裡的應許，享受上帝永遠的福樂，成為上帝家中

的人，如同利甲族的人永遠有人在上帝面前服事祂，得永遠的土地。正如猶太人的口傳

經卷「米示拿」，提及利甲族人在被擄歸回的聖殿中承擔一些特殊職務。

        基督徒今日也要像利甲族人一般，是不同化於世界的一群上帝的子民，讓我們為永

遠的地土來持守上帝在基督的應許！

耶利米書35章

     耶利米書35:1-11  ,  耶利米書35:12-19 ,

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.”

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

    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！