耶利米書23: 9-15

23:9 論到那些先知，我心在我裡面憂傷，我骨頭都發顫；因耶和華和他的聖言，我像醉酒的人，像被酒所勝的人。

23:10 地滿了行淫的人！因妄自賭咒，地就悲哀；曠野的草場都枯乾了。他們所行的道乃是惡的；他們的勇力使得不正。

23:11 連先知帶祭司都是褻瀆的，就是在我殿中我也看見他們的惡。這是耶和華說的。

23:12 因此，他們的道路必像黑暗中的滑地，他們必被追趕，在這路中仆倒；因為當追討之年，我必使災禍臨到他們。這是耶和華說的。

23:13 我在撒馬利亞的先知中曾見愚妄；他們藉巴力說預言，使我的百姓以色列走錯了路。

23:14 我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾見可憎惡的事；他們行姦淫，做事虛妄，又堅固惡人的手，甚至無人回頭離開他的惡。他們在我面前都像所多瑪；耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

23:15 所以萬軍之耶和華論到先知如此說：我必將茵蔯給他們吃，又將苦膽水給他們喝；因為褻瀆的事出於耶路撒冷的先知，流行遍地。

​Concerning the prophets:      

My heart is broken within me;

all my bones shake;

I am like a drunken man,

like a man overcome by wine,

because of the Lord

and because of his holy words.

  For the land is full of adulterers;

because of the curse the land mourns,

and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.

Their course is evil,

and their might is not right.

  “Both prophet and priest are ungodly;

even in my house I have found their evil,

declares the Lord.

  Therefore their way shall be to them

like slippery paths in the darkness,

into which they shall be driven and fall,

for I will bring disaster upon them

in the year of their punishment,

declares the Lord.

In the prophets of Samaria

I saw an unsavory thing:

they prophesied by Baal

and led my people Israel astray.

  But in the prophets of Jerusalem

I have seen a horrible thing:

they commit adultery and walk in lies;

they strengthen the hands of evildoers,

so that no one turns from his evil;

all of them have become like Sodom to me,

and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

  Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets:

“Behold, I will feed them with bitter food

and give them poisoned water to drink,

for from the prophets of Jerusalem

ungodliness has gone out into all the land.”

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

    先知是耶和華呼召來代表祂的發言人，理當要照上帝的啟示來發言，將上帝的心意向上帝的百姓陳明，不管是安慰、鼓勵，甚至是責備與攻擊的話，都要說明清楚，不可隨著己意，任意加減。

    然而上帝要先知耶利米像一群先知說話，這對耶利米來說，或許感覺好像在一群專家面前，發表他們所熟知的事情，好像不太得體一樣！但是問題出在這一群專家，竟然沒有按其專業精神來行事為人，做了得罪上帝的事情，這是多麼不好開口的事啊！

    這也警告我們，在教會久的人，不一定比新進的弟兄姊妹更討上帝的喜悅，不一定行在上帝的真理當中，更需要常常在上帝面前自省，是不是隨己意而不隨上帝的旨意而活呢？是不是自以為是呢？求聖靈來光照我們，免得我們迷失在無知之中！

耶利米書23章

     耶利米書23: 1-8  ,

    耶利米書23章1-6節     , 耶利米書23:5-6 ,

    耶利米書23: 9-15    ,

    耶利米書23: 16-22  ,

    耶利米書23:23-32  ,

     耶利米書23:24 , 耶利米書23:29  ,

    耶利米書23:33-40  ,

耶利米書23: 1-8

23:1 耶和華說：「那些殘害、趕散我草場之羊的牧人有禍了！」

23:2 耶和華─以色列的上帝斥責那些牧養他百姓的牧人，如此說：「你們趕散我的羊群，並沒有看顧他們；我必討你們這行惡的罪。這是耶和華說的。

23:3 我要將我羊群中所餘剩的，從我趕他們到的各國內招聚出來，領他們歸回本圈；他們也必生養眾多。

23:4 我必設立照管他們的牧人，牧養他們。他們不再懼怕，不再驚惶，也不缺少一個；這是耶和華說的。」

23:5 耶和華說：「日子將到，我要給大衛興起一個公義的苗裔；他必掌王權，行事有智慧，在地上施行公平和公義。

23:6 在他的日子，猶大必得救，以色列也安然居住。他的名必稱為『耶和華─我們的義』。」

23:7 耶和華說：「日子將到，人必不再指著那領以色列人從埃及地上來永生的耶和華起誓，

23:8 卻要指著那領以色列家的後裔從北方和趕他們到的各國中上來、永生的耶和華起誓。他們必住在本地。」

​ “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.  Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.  Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.  I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

  “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness.’

  “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’  but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

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

    這段預言讓我們想到主耶穌，因為「日子將到，我要給大衛興起一個公義的苗裔；他必掌王權，行事有智慧，在地上施行公平和公義」。

    主耶穌就是那位被稱為大衛子孫的那位救主，這也是我們從馬太福音和路嘉福音，兩處的家譜繼載中，再一次得到確認的到：耶穌基督真的是大衛的子孫，不管是從父系或母系來推，都是同樣的結果。

    我們既然確定耶穌基督的肉身是從大衛來的，確認祂的人性；又加上祂從死人中復活，使我們確認祂的神性！也因此，我們可以勇敢的接受，耶穌基督的救贖是真實、可靠的！因為，只有這位「完全的上帝、完全的人」的聖子，才能最為上帝和人之間的中保，使上帝與人合好！

    感謝主，透過聖靈在我們心中呼召，使我們進入上帝在基督裡所預備的救贖大恩之中！一切都靠耶穌基督並祂釘十字架，別無他路了！

耶利米書22: 20-30

22:20 你要上黎巴嫩哀號，在巴珊揚聲，從亞巴琳哀號，因為你所親愛的都毀滅了。

22:21 你興盛的時候，我對你說話；你卻說：我不聽。你自幼年以來總是這樣，不聽從我的話。

22:22 你的牧人要被風吞吃，你所親愛的必被擄去；那時你必因你一切的惡抱愧蒙羞。

22:23 你這住黎巴嫩、在香柏樹上搭窩的，有痛苦臨到你，好像疼痛臨到產難的婦人，那時你何等可憐！

22:24 耶和華說：「猶大王約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅（又名耶哥尼雅；下同），雖是我右手上帶印的戒指，我憑我的永生起誓，也必將你從其上摘下來，

22:25 並且我必將你交給尋索你命的人和你所懼怕的人手中，就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒和迦勒底人的手中。

22:26 我也必將你和生你的母親趕到別國，並不是你們生的地方；你們必死在那裡，

22:27 但心中甚想歸回之地，必不得歸回。」

22:28 哥尼雅這人是被輕看、破壞的器皿嗎？是無人喜愛的器皿嗎？他和他的後裔為何被趕到不認識之地呢？

22:29 地啊，地啊，地啊，當聽耶和華的話！

22:30 耶和華如此說：要寫明這人算為無子，是平生不得亨通的；因為他後裔中再無一人得亨通，能坐在大衛的寶座上治理猶大。

“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,

and lift up your voice in Bashan;

cry out from Abarim,

for all your lovers are destroyed.

  I spoke to you in your prosperity,

but you said, ‘I will not listen.’

This has been your way from your youth,

that you have not obeyed my voice.

  The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,

and your lovers shall go into captivity;

then you will be ashamed and confounded

because of all your evil.

  O inhabitant of Lebanon,

nested among the cedars,

how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you,

pain as of a woman in labor!”

“As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off  and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.  I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die.  But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”

  Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot,

a vessel no one cares for?

Why are he and his children hurled and cast

into a land that they do not know?

  O land, land, land,

hear the word of the Lord!

  Thus says the Lord:

“Write this man down as childless,

a man who shall not succeed in his days,

for none of his offspring shall succeed

in sitting on the throne of David

and ruling again in Judah.”

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

    先知耶利米更是預言到猶大的王室，就是大衛的子孫，將因為被擄到巴比倫，而不再繼續做猶大的掌權者。也預言到：「猶大王約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅（又名耶哥尼雅；下同），雖是我右手上帶印的戒指，我憑我的永生起誓，也必將你從其上摘下來，並且我必將你交給尋索你命的人和你所懼怕的人手中，就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒和迦勒底人的手中。我也必將你和生你的母親趕到別國，並不是你們生的地方；你們必死在那裡，但心中甚想歸回之地，必不得歸回。」

    這樣說也就是宣告上帝的主權，上帝可以興起一個王，也可以廢去一個王，一切都在祂的掌管之中。人是無法左右上帝的作為，即使是權位再大的人，也是在上帝的掌管之中！也因此，我們不要懼怕有權有勢的人，當怕掌管有權有勢之人的上帝，唯有上帝統管一切！

    這也告訴我們，我們不要自以為有權柄，一切的權柄都是出於上帝，越有權柄的人，越是要敬畏上帝，不可以隨己意任意而為！今日雖然風光，哪日上帝追究時，可以在上帝的面前站立得住嗎？