彌迦書5:7-15

5:7 雅各餘剩的人必在多國的民中，如從耶和華那裡降下的露水，又如甘霖降在草上；不仗賴人力，也不等候世人之功。

5:8 雅各餘剩的人必在多國多民中，如林間百獸中的獅子，又如少壯獅子在羊群中。他若經過就必踐踏撕裂，無人搭救。

5:9 願你的手舉起，高過敵人！願你的仇敵都被剪除！

5:10 耶和華說：到那日，我必從你中間剪除馬匹，毀壞車輛，

5:11 也必從你國中除滅城邑，拆毀一切的保障，

5:12 又必除掉你手中的邪術；你那裡也不再有占卜的。

5:13 我必從你中間除滅雕刻的偶像和柱像，你就不再跪拜自己手所造的。

5:14 我必從你中間拔出木偶，又毀滅你的城邑。

5:15 我也必在怒氣和忿怒中向那不聽從的列國施報。

Then the remnant of Jacob shall be

in the midst of many peoples

like dew from the Lord,

like showers on the grass,

which delay not for a man

nor wait for the children of man.

  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples,

like a lion among the beasts of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which, when it goes through, treads down

and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

  Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,

and all your enemies shall be cut off.

  And in that day, declares the Lord,

I will cut off your horses from among you

and will destroy your chariots;

  and I will cut off the cities of your land

and throw down all your strongholds;

  and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,

and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;

  and I will cut off your carved images

and your pillars from among you,

and you shall bow down no more

to the work of your hands;

  and I will root out your Asherah images from among you

and destroy your cities.

  And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance

on the nations that did not obey.

*********

    上帝不僅透過耶穌基督來施行拯救，也透過祂在基督裡揀選的人，來成就祂更偉大的事：就是使祂的榮耀充滿全地！

    而這樣的作為在聖靈降臨，教會成立以後就開始運行了！如使徒行傳1章8節說：「但聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地，和撒馬利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。」

    是的教會要成為基督的見證，不只見證基督復活，更要見證基督再來，讓上帝國完全實現！

彌迦書5章

        彌迦書5章1-15節    ,

        彌迦書5:1-6  ,

        彌迦書5:1-5a,

        彌迦書5:7-15  ,

彌迦書5:1-6

5:1 成群的民（原文是女子）哪，現在你要聚集成隊；因為仇敵圍攻我們，要用杖擊打以色列審判者的臉。

5:2 伯利恆的以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我作掌權的；他的根源從亙古，從太初就有。

5:3 耶和華必將以色列人交付敵人，直等那生產的婦人生下子來。那時掌權者（原文是他）其餘的弟兄必歸到以色列人那裡。

5:4 他必起來，倚靠耶和華的大能，並耶和華─他上帝之名的威嚴，牧養他的羊群。他們要安然居住；因為他必日見尊大，直到地極。

5:5 這位必作我們的平安。當亞述人進入我們的地境，踐踏宮殿的時候，我們就立起七個牧者，八個首領攻擊他。

5:6 他們必用刀劍毀壞亞述地和寧錄地的關口。亞述人進入我們的地境踐踏的時候，他必拯救我們。

Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;

siege is laid against us;

with a rod they strike the judge of Israel

on the cheek.

   But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old,

from ancient days.

  Therefore he shall give them up until the time

when she who is in labor has given birth;

then the rest of his brothers shall return

to the people of Israel.

  And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

  And he shall be their peace.

When the Assyrian comes into our land

and treads in our palaces,

then we will raise against him seven shepherds

and eight princes of men;

  they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,

and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;

and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian

when he comes into our land

and treads within our border.

***********

    這段經文使我們看見耶穌基督的降生是合乎彌迦先知的預言，真的降生在伯利恆！祂更是為萬民的罪死在十字架上，使我們靠祂得成為上帝的兒女！祂願意以「道成肉身」的方式降臨，使我們得真正的拯救！

    這也讓我們想到保羅所引用的頌歌：『他本有上帝的形像，不以自己與上帝同等為強奪的；反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形像，成為人的樣式；既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服，以至於死，且死在十字架上。所以，上帝將他升為至高，又賜給他那超乎萬名之上的名，叫一切在天上的、地上的，和地底下的，因耶穌的名無不屈膝，無不口稱「耶穌基督為主」，使榮耀歸與父上帝。』（腓立比書2:6-11）

    而「道成肉身」更是上帝完成拯救之重要途徑，所以耶穌基督不僅是人，更是完全的上帝！

彌迦書4:9-13

4:9 現在你為何大聲哭號呢？疼痛抓住你彷彿產難的婦人，是因你中間沒有君王嗎？你的謀士滅亡了嗎？

4:10 錫安的民（原文是女子）哪，你要疼痛劬勞，彷彿產難的婦人；因為你必從城裡出來，住在田野，到巴比倫去。在那裡要蒙解救；在那裡耶和華必救贖你脫離仇敵的手。

4:11 現在有許多國的民聚集攻擊你，說：願錫安被玷污！願我們親眼見她遭報！

4:12 他們卻不知道耶和華的意念，也不明白他的籌劃。他聚集他們，好像把禾捆聚到禾場一樣。

4:13 錫安的民（原文是女子）哪，起來踹穀吧！我必使你的角成為鐵，使你的蹄成為銅。你必打碎多國的民，將他們的財獻與耶和華，將他們的貨獻與普天下的主。

Now why do you cry aloud?

Is there no king in you?

Has your counselor perished,

that pain seized you like a woman in labor?

  Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion,

like a woman in labor,

for now you shall go out from the city

and dwell in the open country;

you shall go to Babylon.

There you shall be rescued;

there the Lord will redeem you

from the hand of your enemies.

Now many nations

are assembled against you,

saying, “Let her be defiled,

and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”

  But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord;

they do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.

  Arise and thresh,

O daughter of Zion,

for I will make your horn iron,

and I will make your hoofs bronze;

you shall beat in pieces many peoples;

and shall devote their gain to the Lord,

their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

********

    在耶路撒冷的人被擄到巴比倫，好像是上帝的懲罰，反倒是上帝的救贖！因為上帝要將更大的事顯明在他們身上，使他們因此歸回上帝的面前，並且重新建造聖殿、耶路撒冷城牆，還有聖經的編纂，使他們真正成為敬拜耶和華的族群。

    也因為如此，完成上帝所預定的，就是基督要透過大衛的後代，降生在伯利恆，最後為萬民的罪，死在十字架上，使萬民通過信靠祂，得與上帝建立合宜的關係，成為上帝的兒女。

    感謝上帝，若不是上帝如此的帶領，聖經就無法被建立起來，成為我們信仰的基石。

彌迦書4:6-8

4:6 耶和華說：到那日，我必聚集瘸腿的，招聚被趕出的和我所懲治的。

4:7 我必使瘸腿的為餘剩之民，使趕到遠方的為強盛之民。耶和華要在錫安山作王治理他們，從今直到永遠。

4:8 你這羊群的高臺、錫安城（原文是女子）的山哪，從前的權柄─就是耶路撒冷民（原文是女子）的國權─必歸與你。

In that day, declares the Lord,

I will assemble the lame

and gather those who have been driven away

and those whom I have afflicted;

  and the lame I will make the remnant,

and those who were cast off, a strong nation;

and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion

from this time forth and forevermore.

  And you, O tower of the flock,

hill of the daughter of Zion,

to you shall it come,

the former dominion shall come,

kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.

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

    彌迦在一次宣告上帝的主權，上帝的心意就是要讓那些被擄的又要歸回錫安。不僅是使被擄的歸回，更為著基督的降生而預備。因為，基督是大衛的後裔，也是亞伯拉罕的子孫。祂不只是猶太人的救主，更是萬國萬民的拯救者。也因為如此，基督的預備，是上帝在舊約時代重要的作為。

    今天我們很少從舊約的立場去思考基督的意義，常常只關心自己的得救，沒有去體會上帝的心腸。上帝為了拯救我們，在創世以先就預訂基督要「道成肉身」成為猶太人。

    也因此，上帝用以色列人的被擄與歸回，再次重演「出埃及」的作為，再次肯定上帝公義的作為。上帝使以色列有如此的經歷，也提醒基督徒要靠耶穌基督重新歸回上帝懷中，尤其是要常常認罪與悔改。