耶利米書23: 16-22

23:16 萬軍之耶和華如此說：「這些先知向你們說預言，你們不要聽他們的話。他們以虛空教訓你們，所說的異象是出於自己的心，不是出於耶和華的口。

23:17 他們常對藐視我的人說：『耶和華說：你們必享平安』；又對一切按自己頑梗之心而行的人說：『必沒有災禍臨到你們。』」

23:18 有誰站在耶和華的會中得以聽見並會悟他的話呢？有誰留心聽他的話呢？

23:19 看哪！耶和華的忿怒好像暴風，已經發出；是暴烈的旋風，必轉到惡人的頭上。

23:20 耶和華的怒氣必不轉消，直到他心中所擬定的成就了。末後的日子你們要全然明白。

23:21 我沒有打發那些先知，他們竟自奔跑；我沒有對他們說話，他們竟自預言。

23:22 他們若是站在我的會中，就必使我的百姓聽我的話，又使他們回頭離開惡道和他們所行的惡。

​Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.  They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, No disaster shall come upon you.’”

  For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord

to see and to hear his word,

or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

  Behold, the storm of the Lord!

Wrath has gone forth,

a whirling tempest;

it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

  The anger of the Lord will not turn back

until he has executed and accomplished

the intents of his heart.

In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

“I did not send the prophets,

yet they ran;

I did not speak to them,

yet they prophesied.

  But if they had stood in my council,

then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,

and they would have turned them from their evil way,

and from the evil of their deeds.

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

    這是上帝對先知的要求：「他們若是站在我的會中，就必使我的百姓聽我的話，又使他們回頭離開惡道和他們所行的惡。」

    然而耶利米在此描述的先知卻是害怕傳上帝責備的話，專門說好話，正如上帝在此所說的：「他們常對藐視我的人說：『耶和華說：你們必享平安』；又對一切按自己頑梗之心而行的人說：『必沒有災禍臨到你們。』」

    因為如此，所以上帝說：「這些先知向你們說預言，你們不要聽他們的話。他們以虛空教訓你們，所說的異象是出於自己的心，不是出於耶和華的口。」「有誰站在耶和華的會中得以聽見並會悟他的話呢？有誰留心聽他的話呢？」

    先知耶利米更進一步宣告，上帝是公義的上帝，對罪惡是充滿怒氣！這是上帝的先知必須有的基本認識，若沒有這樣的認識是不配做上帝的先知與代言人！因此上帝的傳道者，該責備的時候，還是要勇敢說出責備的話，不要害怕人的反應！更何況上帝期盼人的悔改，不知罪及不知罪的嚴重性，人豈能悔改接受耶穌基督的救恩呢？

    所以，上帝話語的宣講者，就是要勇敢傳講，人才會悔改接受福音！

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！