This week, we shall continue the study of the book of Jeremiah in the
Old Testament.
In His effort to persuade His people to repent from their sins, it is obvious that God is willing to try every means to convince or convict them, and this is an account of His uses of the Recabites who lived among them to shame them into repentance. (See Note below concerning the Recabites.)
(1) When the Lord asked Jeremiah to invite the whole family of Recabites for a drink, do you think that the Lord was confident that they would not break the command of their forefather? Why or why not? (v. 2)
(2) Was there a reason why Jeremiah chose to describe in such a detailed fashion of where the room of reception was located? (v. 4)
(3) The reply of the Recabites (vv. 5-11)
a. Did God give the command to them not to drink wine? (v. 6)
b. Apart from the prohibition of wine drinking, what else did Jonadab command them not to do? (v. 7)
c. What might be the reason for these commands to maintain a nomadic lifestyle?
d. How long had they been keeping these commands, considering Jonadab lived in the time of Jehu, i.e. around say, 886 B.C.? (see 2 Ki. 10:23)
e. What happened that had caused them to move into Jerusalem? (v. 11)
f. Would you say that the invitation by Jeremiah in the name of the Lord for them to drink presented a strong temptation or reason for them to break the command of their forefather? Why or why not?
g. Why would they stick to the command of their forefather?
(4) The Recabites versus God’s people (vv. 12-16)
a. Who was the one who gave the command in each case?
b. How different were the commands? Which one was easier to obey? Why?
c. What was the promise given in each case? (vv. 7 and 15)
d. What was the difference between their receptions of the commands?
e. In what ways does this contrast reveal the particular wickedness of God’s people?
(5) What punishment does the Lord affirm again that would befall Judah? Do they deserve it? (v. 17)
(6) What blessing does the Lord bestow upon the Recabites? Do they deserve it? (vv. 18-19)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“According to this passage, the Recabites were a branch of the Kenites, i.e. descendants of Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses (Jdg. 1:16) who had gone to Canaan with the Israelites, and dwelt among them, partly in the wilderness on the southern frontier of the tribe of Judah (1 Sam. 15:6; 27:10; 30:29), partly in Kadesh in Naphtali (Jdg. 4:11, 17; 5:24). Their ancestor, or father of the tribe, was Rechab, the father of Jonadab, with whom Jehu made a friendly alliance (2 Ki. 10:15, 23).”
(K&D, 313)
本週我們繼續研讀舊約耶利米書。請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
神實在是用千方百計的以責備，也以勸導，希望能使以色列人悔改；現在就用利甲人的榜樣使他們感到慚愧(參下註) 。
(1) 當神吩咐耶利米邀請利甲全族人來喝酒時，你認為祂是否滿有信心知道他們一定不會違抗先祖的吩咐嗎？為什麼？(35:2)
(2) 為何耶利米如此詳細的描述接待他們的房子的所在？(35:4)
(3) 利甲人的回答(35:5-11)
a. 是否神吩咐他們不可喝酒的？(35:6; 參王下 10:23)
b. 除不可喝酒外，約拿達還吩咐他們什麼？(35:7)
c. 這些吩咐的原因何在？
d. 他們一直遵守這些吩咐有多久？(約拿達是活在耶戶的年代，大概是主前886年左右。)
e. 是什麼迫使他們遷入(耶路撒冷) 城內居住？(35:11)
f. 神這樣藉著耶利米邀請他們喝酒，豈不是成為他們極大的引誘？
g. 為何他們竟仍堅守先祖的吩咐？
(4) 以色列人與利甲人的分別(35:12-16)
a. 是誰分別吩咐這兩族人的？
b. 這兩族人所得的吩咐有什麼分別？那一個更容易遵守？為什麼？
c. 二者所得的應許是什麼(35:7, 15)
d. 他們對所得的吩咐的反應有什麼不同？
e. 以上的比較怎樣顯出以色列人的大惡？
(5) 因此，神在此重複了那些審判？他們是否罪有應得？(35:17)神在此應許給予利甲人什麼祝福？是否他們應得的？(35:18-19)
(6) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
註：“按這裡的記述，利甲人是基尼人的一族，也即是摩西的岳父的後裔(士1:16) 。他們跟隨以色列人進入迦南；部份住在猶大支派南端的曠野（撒上15:6; 27:10; 30:29）；部份住在拿弗他利支派的基低斯（士4:11, 17; 5:24）。利甲是他們的祖先，是約拿達的父親；耶戶曾與約拿達結盟（王下10:15, 23）。” （K&D, 313）
“But they replied, 'We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: "Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine"'.” (Jer. 35:6)
We know that God has been extremely patient with both Israel and Judah, and in spite of their disobedience, He has sent prophets “again and again” (35:14) to urge them to repent, and He has obviously kept on delaying the punishments that should have fallen upon them. Here (in chapter 35), the Lord even uses the Recabites who dwell among them as an example of obedience that they should learn from:
- The Recabites are willing to obey the command of their forefather, Jonadab, a mere man, while the people of God refuse to obey the command of God Himself;
- The Recabites have remained faithful to the command which was given by Jonadab who was a contemporary of Jehu, i.e. around 886 B.C. That is to say, by the time of Jehoiakim, they have been faithful to this command for some 300 years;
- The commands to the Recabites extend from the prohibition of wine drinking to the prohibition of building houses and farming — while the former might have spiritual implications, the latter is simply a matter of culture, meaning there really lacks a strong enough reason for them to continue to keep these commands, and yet they do. On the other hand, God’s commands are all essential for His people to stay pure, to remain His people and their keeping these commands is a matter of life and death, yet they have shunned His commands consistently for almost a thousand years by then.
As a result, while the curse that God affirms once again for His people is fully justified, the blessing He bestows upon the Recabites is what they fully deserve as well. By the same token, while the sins of Israel and Judah serve as a warning to us, the obedience of the Recabites is something that we should take to heart as well, and we should be reminded that the one who asks of us is God Himself and our obedience always carries with it His tremendous blessings.
「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。」(耶35:6)
我們知道神確是對以色列和猶大有極大的容忍；雖然他們一直的違反祂的誡命，祂“從早起來” （意即不斷的）就差僕人眾先知呼召他們回頭(35:15) ，更不斷的遲遲不施行審判，他們始終沒有聽從(35:15) 。在這一章(第35章) ，我們更讀到神用利甲人的順從為榜樣，希望以色列感到羞愧、加以學習。利甲人確勝於以色列人，因為：
- 利甲人只因是先祖的吩咐，就刻意的遵從；反觀以色列人得神親自的吩咐，他們竟然不聽；
- 吩咐利甲人的是耶戶時代的約拿達，即是大約主前880年左右；他們一直遵守到約雅敬的時候—歷時差不多三百年，絕無更改，實在難得；
- 約拿達的吩咐，除不喝酒外，也引伸到不可蓋房子、撒種、栽種葡萄園等。前者或許帶有屬靈的意味(像拿細耳人的願) ；後者則是文化上的選擇，要作遊牧民族而已，他們完全的聽從。反觀神對以色列人的吩咐是生與死的關鍵、與能否作祂聖潔的民有關；但是他們一直的不聽從達一千年之久！
故此，神重申對他們要施行的種種審判，是他們當得的；同時，祂對利甲人所應許的祝福，也是他們當得的。照樣，以色列和猶大的叛逆是今天我們的警惕；而利甲人的聽從也是今天我們的鼓勵—讓我們被提醒，今天吩咐我們的是神自己，不是傳道人或牧師；而我們的順從同樣是會帶來神的賜福的。
This chapter sheds light on the beginning of the process by which Jeremiah’s sayings were collected and given a fixed literary form (see today’s Meditative Article). The fourth year of Jehoiakim saw Nebuchadnezzar defeat the Egyptian army at the Euphrates and his advance against Jerusalem. Daniel 1:1 indicates that Jerusalem was taken for the first time and a day of fast was likely instituted to commemorate this day to “evoke in the people a religious enthusiasm in favor of resistance” (K&D, 317).
36:1-7—Instruction to Put All Oracles into Writing
(1) When was Jeremiah asked to put “all the words” that God has spoken to him into writing? And how many years of prophecies did it cover? (see Jer. 25:1-3)
(2) What was the purpose of putting all the inspired words into writing? (v. 3)
(3) We have no idea why Jeremiah was “restricted” perhaps because he “had been forbidden to enter the temple precincts after the event of 19:1–20:6 or after the temple sermon (7:1-15)…” (NICOT, 623). His secretary, Baruch was asked to read all these words instead:
a. Where was he going to read the words? (v. 5)
b. When? (v. 6)
c. To whom? (v. 7)
d. Why? (v. 7)
36:8-19—The Reading of the Scroll in Public
(4) When was the scroll finished and read? (v. 9)
(5) Why was the day of fast being picked for the reading? (v. 9)
(6) The day of fasting was obviously a day of mourning, and likely for the first defeat of Jerusalem in the hands of the Babylonians.
a. What impact might these messages have on the people who came to the temple for the day of fast?
b. Why did the officials, who subsequently also heard the messages, look at each other in fear? (v.16)
c. Why did they think the king should hear the messages also? (v. 16)
d. Why did they ask Baruch and Jeremiah to hide first? (v. 19)
36:20-26—The Reading of the Scroll to the King
(7) Did the king bother to hear the entire message in the scroll? Why? (v. 23)
(8) What did he do to the scroll? What did his action represent? (v. 23)
(9) How different was the reaction of the king (and his attendants) from that of the officials? (v. 24) Why?
(10) Were you surprised that the king wanted to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah? Why?
36:27-32—The Re-Writing of the Scroll
(11) How does the fact that the scroll was re-written with many additions (v. 32), even though the original one was burned, speak to the indestructibility of the words of God?
(12) What specific judgment was pronounced on the king? (vv. 30-31)
(13) What message does this carry for those who are bent on destroying the Bible?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
這一章讓我們曉得耶利米書是怎樣寫下來和組成的(可參今天的靈修小篇) 。尼布甲尼撒在約雅敬第四年，在幼發拉底河打敗埃及軍後，就向耶路撒冷進兵。但以理書1:1記載耶路撒冷第一次的失陷；以色列人為記念這事而定立禁食日，“為要引發抵抗的宗教熱衷”(K&D, 317)
36:1-7—吩咐寫下一切話
(1) 神是在那時吩咐耶利米把所聽的默示都寫下？這包括了多少年的默示？(參25:1-3)
(2) 吩咐寫下來的目的是什麼？(36:3)
(3) 耶利米論到他被拘管，可能是與19:1–20:6或7: 1-5的事件和信息有關(NICOT, 623)。於是他的文書巴錄要代他讀出書中的話：
a. 要在那裡宣讀？(36:5)
b. 要在何時宣讀？(36:6)
c. 要向誰宣讀？(36:7)
d. 目的是什麼？(36:7)
36:8-19—公開宣讀神的話
(4) 這書卷是在何時完成並被宣讀出來的？(36:9)
(5) 為何特別揀選「禁食」的那日宣讀？(36:9)
(6) 像前言所提到，這禁食日是哀傷的日子，為要記念耶路撒冷在巴比倫人手中的第一次失陷：
a. 這宣讀的信息該對前來聖殿參加禁食日的人有什麼影響？
b. 為何那些及後也聽到信息的眾首領面面相觀而害怕？(36:16)
c. 為何他們認為王也應聽到這些話？
d. 為何卻要巴錄和耶利米去藏起來？(36:19)
36:20-26—向王宣讀
(7) 王有否聽完整個信息？為什麼？(36:23)
(8) 王如何處置書卷？這行動表明什麼？(36:23)
(9) 王與臣僕對信息的反應與眾領袖有什麼不同？為什麼？(36:24)
(10) 王欲捉拿巴錄與先知，你感到意外嗎？為什麼？
36:27-32—再寫另一書卷
(11) 雖然原稿被燒掉，神卻叫先知再重寫，並添了許多話(36:32)：這怎樣給我們看到神的話是人不能毀滅的？
(12) 因此，神向王宣告什麼審判？(36:30-31)
(13) 這樣給予那些欲除滅神話的人什麼信息？
(14) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.” (Jer. 36:32)
Many scholars shed doubt on the credibility of the Book of Jeremiah mainly because of the lack of chronological clarity and consistency of the final edited version of the book as it appears in our Canon. Some doubt if many of the oracles recorded are actually from Jeremiah. Many even attribute a much later date to the final form of the book. However, chapter 36 gives us insight into part of the process by which this book has come to us in its present form and Scofield has these words in answer to the skeptics in this respect:
“This verse (36:32) explains the arrangement of Jeremiah's prophecy. As the exile came nearer, God commanded Jeremiah to write down the messages that He had already given orally (30:2) and to add to them new divine promises of return from exile and of other blessings in the more distant future (30:3,10-11). Jehoiakim destroyed Jeremiah’s scroll (36:23). God commanded Jeremiah to dictate a new scroll. Jeremiah did so, reproducing the contents of the previous scroll, which probably had been arranged in the order in which God had originally given them. But he added at the proper places certain other inspired discussions of the same subjects (36:32). Later on Jeremiah inserted messages received at later times but logically related to messages previously given, putting them at the appropriate places within the scroll already written, as for instance, chs. 21; 24; 27-29; 32-34. Other messages given after the new scroll was written were added in the order in which they were received, and these were followed by certain special sections (chs. 45-52). Thus the arrangement of the book is partly according to the time the messages were given, and partly according to the nature of the subject matter.”
It is interesting to note this chapter marks the first ever burning of the Holy Scriptures in history which was followed by many burnings of the Bible down the centuries until today. The command by the Lord to re-write “all the words” is a powerful symbol of the indestructibility of the Word of God. However, while the enemies of God of old sought to exterminate His Word by burning, modern enemies of God seek to exterminate the Word of God by intellectual means.
「於是，耶利米又取一書卷交給尼利亞的兒子文士巴錄，他就從耶利米的口中寫了猶大王約雅敬所燒前卷上的一切話，另外又添了許多相彷的話。」(耶35:6)
不少學者對耶利米書的可信性發出質疑，主要是因著這書的內容不是順歷史的年代來整理的，就說書中大部份並非是耶利米的話，乃是後人所編寫而加上的。不過，耶利米書第36章告訴我們篇寫這書的過程是怎樣的，讓我們明白，不是所有事件都是順序記錄的原因是什麼。上一代的學者Scofield就此對懷疑者作出回答：
“這一節(36:32) 給我們解釋耶利米的預言是怎樣編寫的。當以色列人快要被擄時，神吩咐耶利米把早已得到的信息寫成書(30:2) ，並加上有關將來被擄歸回一些新的默示和應許(30:3, 10-11) 。約雅敬把這書卷燒掉(6:23) 。神就吩咐耶利米再重新寫過一卷。耶利米照樣的遵從，把舊卷的話再寫上，相信是按神原本吩咐他的安排而寫的。但也在合適的地方，加上與該處內容有關的其他默示(36:32) 。及後，耶利米也加上了稍後再得的默示，按信息的內容，放在書卷中合適的地方，如 21; 24; 27-29; 32-34章等。至於在抄寫了這新書卷後所得的信息，就按次序的加上。這樣，最後也加上後面特別的信息（第45-52章）。故此，這書部份是按年份而編、部份是按內容而整理的。”
其實這一章也有其他一個特點，就是記載了歷史上第一次聖經的書卷被焚燒。當然，這幾千年來，那惡者繼續想藉著焚燒聖經而毀滅神的話。但神的話焉能被毀滅的呢！不過，在過往的世代那惡者試圖以火來燒掉神的話；在我們的世代，牠卻利用人理性的驕傲企圖摧毀神的話！
37:1-10—False Hope Raised by the Retreat of the Babylonians
(1) Quickly scan through 2 Kings 24 to get a sense of the events that eventually led to the installation of Zedekiah as king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar:
a. Since the prophecies of Jeremiah had come true, why did Zedekiah and his attendants still pay no attention to the words of God?
b. What possibly could their reasons be?
(2) Based on the information in vv.5-9, what do you think was the reason for Zedekiah’s request to Jeremiah to “pray to the Lord our God for us”? (v. 3)
(3) What was God’s reply to the king? (vv. 8-10)
(4) What should the king’s reaction be?
37:11-21—Jeremiah’s Imprisonment —We have no idea what is meant by “to get his share of the property” nor whether it was connected to the subsequent purchase of his uncle’s land after he was imprisoned (in chapter 32):
(5) What was the reason for his arrest? (v. 13)
(6) Do you think the captain was simply using it as an opportunity to arrest him? (v. 15)
(7) What was the condition of that jail? (see v. 20)
(8) Why did the king send for him again? (v.17) Did he know he was falsely imprisoned?
(9) What was the answer from the Lord? (v. 17)
(10) How did Jeremiah remind him of the certainty of God’s word? (v. 19)
(11) Whom did Jeremiah say was the one who put him in prison? (v. 18)
(12) Why did Zedekiah agree to transfer him to the palace’s prison? (v. 21)
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
37:1-10—巴比倫撤兵帶來的幻望
(1) 請畧讀列王紀下第廿四章，重溫引至西底家被尼布甲尼撒立為猶大王的歷史背景：
a. 既然耶利米所說的預言大多已應驗在眼前，為何西底家和他的臣僕仍不聽神的話？
b. 原因可能包括什麼？
(2) 按37: 5-9所言，你認為西底家要求耶利米為他們禱告的原因是什麼？(37:4)
(3) 神給他的回答是什麼？(37:8-10)
(4) 王該怎樣回應神的話？
37:11-21—耶利米被囚—我們不曉得耶利米“得自己的地業” 的意思是什麼，也不曉得這與他在被囚後購買叔叔的產業是否有關(見第32章) 。
(5) 耶利米為何被囚？(37:13)
(6) 你認為守門官拿住他的原因是藉口而已嗎？(37:15)
(7) 這監牢的情況是怎樣的？(見37:20)
(8) 為何王要找耶利米？(37:17) 他是否曉得他是被枉冤的？
(9) 神給王的回答是什麼？(37:17)
(10) 耶利米怎樣提醒王神的話是確實的？(37:19)
(11) 耶利米向王指出，其實是誰把他下獄的？(37:18)
(12) 為何王答應把耶利米轉囚宮中？(37:21)
(13) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, ‘Is there any word from the LORD?’.” (Jer. 37:17)
As much as Zedekiah was a king who did evil in the eyes of the Lord (2 Ki. 24:19), he did show an inclination to repent.
We read earlier in chapter 34 that he did initiate a covenant to be made by the people to proclaim freedom for all their Hebrew slaves according to the stipulation in the Law of Moses (Deut. 15:12) when it appeared that their forefathers had not done so (34:14). Although they subsequently reneged on their promise and enraged the Lord in the process, this was a reflection of his intent to repent; only he did not have the determination to follow through.
Even in this chapter, we read that twice he approached Jeremiah, again on his own initiative. The first time was when the Babylonians temporarily retreated from Jerusalem in order to deal with approaching Egyptian army. Certainly, it was brought by false hope, no doubt, created by false prophets among them. But his inquiry to the Lord shows that he did not really trust these false prophets.
Later on (that was after Jeremiah was in the dungeon for “a long time” (v. 16), and thus it is not illogical to assume that Nebuchadnezzar had resumed his siege of Jerusalem), Zedekiah once again asked for the word of the Lord, except “privately” (v. 17). However, the re-affirmation of God’s punishment had not caused Zedekiah to repent which was reflected in his not freeing Jeremiah, but only transferring him to his palace to preserve his life.
Whether it was the reneging of his covenant before the Lord in the freeing of Hebrew slaves, or the keeping of Jeremiah in prison, the reason was rather obvious. He did not wish to enrage the nobles and the leaders on whom he thought the stability of his reign still depended. In other words, he was not willing to put his trust totally in God, though he somehow knew in his heart that his fate was ultimately in God’s hand. What a pitiful king!
The truth of the matter is, there are still many “Zedekiahs” around these days, even in the church of Jesus Christ.
「西底家王打發人提出他來，在自己的宮內私下問他說：從耶和華有甚麼話臨到沒有？耶利米說：有！又說：你必交在巴比倫王手中。」(耶37:17)
雖然西底家確是行耶和華眼中看為惡的事的王（王下24:19），他在一些事上卻顯出他欲悔改的心。
在第34章我們讀到他主動的與民和領袖在神面前立約，要按律法的要求(申15:12) 把所有希伯來的奴僕釋放。難得之處是這連列祖也沒有這樣遵從到(34:14)。雖然，他們始終沒有這樣做，引起神極大的忿怒，這卻顯出他確有點點悔改的心，只是沒有貫徹始終。
就在這一章(37章) ，他兩次的主動找耶利米。第一次是在尼布甲尼撒因要應付埃及軍而暫時的撤軍。當然，這就給他產生幻想，以為假先知所傳的轉機或許會實現。但是，他以藉耶利米來求問神，表明他心知假先知是不可信的。
第二次發生在耶利米下獄已「多日/a long time」，意思是尼布甲尼撒已捲土重來，西底家就再次要求問神，不過卻是“私下” 的(37:17) 。可惜的是，神再次肯定審判的信息，卻沒有叫他悔改；這就從他沒有釋放耶利米，只把他遷到宮中的監獄可以看見。
不論是讓民悔約不釋放奴僕，或是仍把耶利米關在監獄中，其原因是顯而易見的。他是懼怕那些領袖，不願開罪這些他仍要倚靠來穩定王位的人。換句話說，他不願意全心全意的信靠神，雖然他心中是知道他和國家的命運是全操在神的手中。他真是個可憐蟲！
其實像西底家一樣的信徒，今天也實在不少！
King Zedekiah’s fear of the nobles almost cost the life of Jeremiah:
38:1-6—The Officials’ Attempt to Kill Jeremiah
(1) If Jeremiah was not a prophet and his prophecies did not come from God, what would his message amount to at a time like this? (v. 2-3)
(2) Was the opinion of these officials or noblemen necessarily wrong then? (v. 4) Why or why not?
(3) What was the king’s response in essence? (v. 5) Could he have saved him?
38:7-13—Godly Officials Stepped in to Save Jeremiah
(4) Who was this Ebed-Melek? (Note: Cushite means he was an Ethiopian.)
(5) Why was he the only one who dared to step up to save Jeremiah?
(6) What does it tell you about King Zedekiah who now changed his mind, but still put Jeremiah back in the prison in the courtyard of the guard?
38:14-28—Zedekiah’s Inquiry of the Lord
(7) Why did Jeremiah point out that it was futile for the king to ask?(v. 15)
(8) What promise did the king give? Why did he swear an oath “secretly”? (v. 16)
(9) The answer of Jeremiah was basically the same as before, with these exceptions: (vv. 17-23)
a. What details were given concerning the fate of the king and his household?
b. What would be the wider implications of his action beyond himself?
(10) Why did the king warn him not to repeat this conversation to the officials?
(11) Should Jeremiah listen to him? Why or why not?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
王對首領們的懼怕危害了先知的命：
38:1-6—首領欲殺耶利米
(1) 如果耶利米所言並非出於神，按常理來說，他在這情況下所說的話，人該怎樣看？(38:2-3)
(2) 這些首領對耶利米的話的感受是否一定是錯的？(38:4) 為什麼？
(3) 王對他們的回答是什麼意思？(38:5) 他是否能救耶利米？
38:7-13—以伯米勒挺身而出
(4) 以伯米勒是誰？
(5) 為何只有他敢挺身而出？
(6) 王為何於此時改變主意？為何卻仍把先知下監？
38:14-28—西底家向神求問
(7) 為何耶利米要指出王的求問是徒然的？(38:15)
(8) 王答應他什麼？為何要「私下」起誓？(38:16)
(9) 耶利米的回覆實質上與先前的無異(38:17-23) ，除了：
a. 現在對王和王家有什麼更詳盡的預言？
b. 也論到他的抉擇會有什麼更廣的後果？
(10) 為何王警告耶利米不要把他們的對話告訴首領？
(11) 耶利米應否聽從？為什麼？
(12) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the LORD has revealed to me…All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.” (Jer. 38:21, 23)
Both Jeremiah and King Zedekiah were in a tough place.
For Jeremiah to preach a message of surrender was not easy, because it would naturally be looked upon as unpatriotic. Throughout history, freedom is valued far more than life in all cultures. Such a message would not only been seen as cowardice, but would demoralize the people and especially the soldiers who were charged with the protection of the city. However, Jeremiah had no choice, because “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel says” (38:17).
King Zedekiah’s struggle was made plain by his repeated inquiries of the Lord through Jeremiah. Although every time the replies were essentially the same, he still approached the prophet, and in this chapter, we read that he approached the prophet often in secret for fear of the officials or nobles of the city. In a way, it shows his desire to really comply with the words of God, but in the end, he did not, likely because of the pressure put on him by his officials, and partly because he was misled by false prophets (38:22). However, the Lord made plain to him that his decision would carry implications beyond him and his household, and would affect the entire city and the people (38:23).
It is often the case with our decision whether to obey the will of God. We would like to think that our decision is purely our own personal matter, but the truth of the matter is our decision as children of God often carries implications beyond ourselves, and would impact our family, the church family and the kingdom of God.
「你若不肯出去，耶和華指示我的話乃是這樣……人必將你的后妃和你的兒女帶到迦勒底人那裡；你也不得脫離他們的手，必被巴比倫王的手捉住；你也必使這城被火焚燒。」(耶38:21, 23)
耶利米和西底家都處在極困難的景況當中！
要耶利米傳投降的信息真不容易，因為這不但是不愛國的表現，更可算是叛國的行為。『不自由、無寧死』是所有文化所認同的。傳這樣信息的不但是懦夫，更會影響軍心。但耶利米是絕對沒有選擇的，因為這是「耶和華萬軍之神、以色列的神如此說」的（38:17）。
西底家內心的掙扎可以從他兩次的藉耶利米求問神可以看見。雖然，每次神的答覆都是一樣，他仍是要再次的求問；這一章更指出他是暗暗的去求問，因為他懼怕猶大的領袖。這足見他內心甚願遵從，但鑒於領袖所施的壓力，也因假先知的信息(38:22) ，他沒有聽從神的話。但神是清楚的告訴他，他的抉擇不單是會引來自己和王家的禍患，乃要禍及整個城市和百姓 (38:23) 。
是的，我們總以為我們的抉擇是「私人的事」；與人無猶。但其實，神兒女是否願意遵從神的旨意的抉擇，往往都不單是與自己有關而已，乃是會影響家庭、教會和神的國度的。
39:1-10—The Fall of Jerusalem
(1) Based on the information in vv. 1-2, how long did it take for Nebuchadnezzar to eventually overcome the opposition of Jerusalem?
(2) Given what we have considered in the last chapter, what would have gone through the minds of the king and his officials during this prolonged time of siege?
(3) What was the fate of King Zedekiah and his sons? (vv. 5-7)
(4) As his eyes were gouged, do you think King Zedekiah was filled with regrets? Why or why not? (v. 7)
(5) The fate of Jerusalem and its people were described in vv. 8-10. Read it carefully and reflect on the following:
a. What was it once, especially in the time of David?
b. How delighted was the Lord, especially in the time of the dedication of the temple? (2 Chr. 7:1-3)
c. How did the remnant feel at the news of the fall of Jerusalem? (see Ezek. 33:21ff)
d. How did the Lord feel at the destruction of His Holy City?
39:11-18—The Fate of Jeremiah
(6) How was Jeremiah treated by Nebuchadnezzar? (vv. 11-14)
(7) Why? (see 40:2-4) Would anything below be relevant?
a. The fact that he was a prophet of the Lord and Nebuchadnezzar knew about the prophecies he had been preaching.
b. Perhaps because Daniel had increased in influence in Babylon by then. (see Dan. 2:1ff)
(8) How was Ebed-Melek rewarded for his action in saving Jeremiah’s life? (vv. 15-18)
(9) What was the reason given for his action? (v. 18)
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
39:1-10—耶路撒冷的陷落
(1) 按39:1-2所載，耶路撒冷頑抗多久才失陷？
(2) 按上一章所載，王與領袖在這堅守的期間會有什麼掙扎？
(3) 西底家與眾子終於遭到什麼收場？(39:5-7)
(4) 西底家遭到悲慘的結局，連眼也被剜掉，他會有後悔之意嗎？為什麼？
(5) 39:8-10記載耶路撒冷和神的百姓的遭遇。試仔細的反思：
a. 這聖城昔日在大衛作王時是怎樣的？
b. 在所羅門獻殿時，神的心是怎樣喜悅它的？（代下7:1-3）
c. 在現在的情況下，神的心有什麼感受？
39:11-18—耶利米被善待
(6) 尼布甲尼撒怎樣對待耶利米？(39:11-14)
(7) 為何會如此？
a. 與但以理有關嗎？(參但2:1ff)
b. 與耶利米一直所說的預言有關嗎？(參40:2-4)
(8) 以伯米勒從神得到什麼賞賜？(39:15-18)
(9) 神如何稱許以伯米勒？(39:18)
(10) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“‘But I will rescue you on that day', declares the LORD; 'you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me', declares the LORD.” (Jer. 39:17-18)
We have earlier reflected on the pitiful king Zedekiah who knew in his heart not only that Jeremiah was the prophet of the Lord but also that his oracles from the Lord about the coming disaster would certainly come true. Yet he chose not to listen, partly for fear of the nobles of the city who were so enraged with the message of surrender preached by Jeremiah that they sought to put him to death.
It was obvious that there were some officials and people who revered Jeremiah as the prophet of the Lord. As a result, these nobles chose to put Jeremiah in a cistern for him to die of starvation instead of executing him outright (38:6).
King Zedekiah could have stopped these nobles and saved Jeremiah, except that he was afraid of a mutiny and so he said, “The king can do nothing to oppose you” (38:5). As much as there were officials who would support Jeremiah, only one dared to step up to approach the king to save him, and was bold enough to call the deed of the other officials “wicked” and affirmed that Jeremiah was a prophet (38:9).
It is important to note that this official in the royal court was not even a Jew; he was a Cushite, meaning an Ethiopian. The Lord was so pleased with his action that He promised to rescue him from the hands of the Babylonians on the day Jerusalem fell and said, “because you trust in me” (39:18). In other words, Ebed-Melek did not only act out of a sense of justice, but because, unlike most Jews of the time, he trusted in the Lord, and believed in the oracles He gave Jeremiah. His faith in the Lord gave him the courage to risk his own life in order to save the servant of the Lord when no one else dared to.
This incident carries prophetic implications in that at the destruction of Jerusalem which was a result of the sins of God’s people, the only one whose deliverance was promised at this time was a Gentile because of his faith. Indeed, salvation has always been based on faith (Rom. 4:16).
「耶和華說：到那日我必拯救你，你必不致交在你所怕的人手中。我定要搭救你，你不致倒在刀下，卻要以自己的命為掠物，因你倚靠我。這是耶和華說的。」(耶39:17-18)
我們思想過西底家的失敗：他雖然心知耶利米是神的先知，他所說審判的預言是出於神，是必要成就的，他卻選擇不理會。這是因為他懼怕那些因耶利米勸導投降的信息而感到十分憤恨的領袖之故，甚至在他們要置耶利米於死地時，他也不敢攔阻。
相信這些領袖不就地處決耶利米，而放他在無水的深池中，讓他餓死，是因他們知道尚有尊耶利米為先知的官員。其實，西底家是可以干預的，只是他懼怕引起叛亂，就說：“王也不能與你們反對”(38:5) 。在那些仍尊耶利米為先知的，只有一個願意挺身而出，要求王干預，甚至稱這些兇徒是“一味的行惡”(38:9) 。
最特別的是，這人是王宮的太監以伯米勒，不是猶太人，是外邦的古實人(即伊索匹克人) 。神是如此悅納他所行的，藉耶利米應許他在耶路撒冷失陷時要搭救他，“因你倚靠我”(40:18) 。原來以伯米勒這樣無懼的挺身而出，不是出於一般人的勇敢或正義感，乃因他相信神。
以伯米勒這事件，不但顯出在神因祂百姓的罪而施行審判要毀滅耶路撒冷之際，惟一得神的應許被搭救的，竟是一個外邦人，而他得這應許是因著信；正顯明了聖經一貫的真理，就是得救是本乎信了。(羅4:16)
40:1-6—The Freeing of Jeremiah—There was an apparent slipup by the soldiers in that they mistakenly captured Jeremiah in spite of the order given by Nebuchadnezzar. (39:11-14)
(1) What do you think might be the reason for the mix-up or mistake in Jeremiah being bound in chains? (v. 1)
(2) What was reason given by the commander for the freeing of Jeremiah? (vv. 2-4)
(3) Do you think he was sincere with his words? Why or why not?
(4) What options did he give Jeremiah? (v. 4)
(5) What did Jeremiah choose? (vv. 5-6) Why? (see the opening words of this chapter)
40:7-16—Gedaliah as Governor
(6) In order to understand why Gedaliah was chosen as governor, perhaps we need to trace his genealogy (see Note below).
a. What was recorded about his father Ahikam? (40:9; 26:24; also 2 Ki. 22:12-14)
b. What was recorded about Ahikim’s father Shaphan? (2 Ki. 22:3-13)
(7) How does v. 12 speak of the goodness of the Lord to the remnant and the hope He offers after His punishment of the land?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“He (Gedaliah) may have had a good deal of administrative experience in Zedekiah’s cabinet. A seal impression found in Lachish dating to the beginning of the sixth century B.C. bears the name, ‘Belonging to Gedaliah, Over the House.’ The latter expression was used of the chief minister of the king.”
(NICOT, 653)
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
40:1-6—釋放耶利米—不知何故，巴比倫士兵並沒有照尼布甲尼撒的話釋放耶利米。
(1) 按你的猜測，是什麼引至巴比倫士兵並沒有按照尼布甲尼撒的話釋放耶利米？(40:1)
(2) 護衛長怎樣解釋要釋放耶利米的原因？(40:2-4)
(3) 你認為他所言是由衷的嗎？為什麼？
(4) 他給予耶利米什麼選擇？(40:4)
(5) 耶利米作了什麼選擇？(40:5-6) 為什麼？(參40:1)
40:7-16—基大利作省長
(6) 請參下註有關基大利的背景：
a. 他父親亞希甘是誰？(40:9; 26:24; 王下22:12-14)
b. 亞希甘的父親沙番又是誰？（王下22:3-13）
(7) 40:12怎樣顯出神對生還者的恩慈？
(8) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
註：“他（基大利）相信在西底家王的內閣有豐富的行政經驗。在Lachish(拉吉—見耶34:7) 發掘出來的文物中，有屬主前六世紀初印鑒留下印有“屬於基大拉，掌管全家” 的字樣。後者是指王的首相之意”(NICOT, 653)
“The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord… So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.” (Jer. 40:1, 6)
Many were surprised that this chapter begins with “The word came to Jeremiah form the Lord” and no word of the Lord was recorded. The truth is it was not necessary; the word was given to Jeremiah personally for him to act upon, and he did.
After a long and difficult time of ministry by Jeremiah, all the prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in the hands of the Babylonians because of the sins of the people had come to pass. This should mark the end of his ministry.
We know that Jeremiah began his ministry in the 13th year of Josiah (25:3) which would be around 628 B.C. and by the time Jerusalem fell, it was about 586/7 B.C., therefore he had faithfully performed his duty for some 40 years during which he was mocked, beaten and imprisoned. Throughout it all, he persevered and had not “omitted one word” (26:2) that the Lord had told him to preach.
Now, with the unfortunate fulfillment of the prophecies of punishment, should it not be time for him to retire, or join Ezekiel or Daniel to minister to the exile in Babylon? Why would he stay with Gedaliah to minister to the mostly poor remnant that were really very few in number? But he did, because the word of the Lord had come to him and told him to do so (40:1).
This is a mark of a faithful servant of the Lord: To do only what the Lord tells him or her to do. Yes, the most important task appeared to have been finished; the most important group of people have been served, yet without kings or princes, without Jerusalem or the temple of the Lord, God told him to stay with the remnant and continue to minster to them; and he ended up being forced to go with them to Egypt and likely died there. (43:6-7)
「耶利米鎖在耶路撒冷和猶大被擄到巴比倫的人中，護衛長尼布撒拉旦將他從拉瑪釋放以後，耶和華的話臨到耶利米……耶利米就到米斯巴見亞希甘的兒子基大利，在他那裡住在境內剩下的民中。」(耶40:1, 6)
不少解經者在問：這章的第1節既說「耶和華的話臨到耶利米」，為何全章似乎沒有交代這話是什麼？其實，是有交代的，不過是耶利米用行動來交代神給他的吩咐。
到了這時候，耶利米已在艱苦中服侍神很長的時間了，而神藉著他所傳講的預言，特別是耶路撒冷要被尼布甲尼撒毀滅的預言，也應驗了。神的百姓，不是被殺，就是被擄到巴比倫。餘下的是貧中最貧，人數寥寥可數！故此，這該是他事奉的終點了。
我們知道，耶利米是在約西亞的第13年時開始得到神的默示（25:3），即主前628年；到耶路撒冷失陷、即主前586/7年，他已作先知近40年。在這期間，他常受欺淩、侮辱；甚至鞭打和下獄；但他始終如一的忠心事奉，“一字不減” 的(26:2) 把從神來的話語傳講。
現在耶路撒冷和猶大遭審判的預言已應驗了，豈不正是功成身退的時候嗎？或是與被擄的到巴比倫，與但以理或以西結同工，向大批被擄的人繼續傳道嗎？為何留在這毫不重要、多是貧窮且人數稀少的餘民中呢？但是，後者是他的選擇，原因是這是“耶和華的話” 所吩咐的(40:1) 。
這正是忠心事主的人的徵記—單單遵行神的吩咐。對，在人看來，蒙召最重要的差事已完成了，最重要的事奉對象也離開或成為過去了；但是，在沒有君王或大衛王家的後人、聖城和聖殿也不存在，單因為是神的吩咐，耶利米就留在餘民中，作他們的先知。結果，他被迫跟著他們逃到埃及，相信更是死在異鄉（43:6-7）。
41:1-9—The Assassination of Gedaliah
(1) Why didn’t Gedaliah believe the report of Johanan? (40:13-14) What possibly could the reason(s) be?
(2) Who was Ishmael? (v. 1) What might be his motive to assassinate the governor (40:14; he had planned to flee afterwards and not to remain in Mizpah)?
(3) How many men did he bring with him? (v. 1)
(4) He also killed 70 of the 80 men who came from the north (vv. 4-9)
a. Where did these men come from? (v. 5)
b. What kind of offerings did they bring? (v. 5)
c. How did they come and how did it show their purpose for coming? (v. 5)
d. How did Ishmael fool them into trusting him? (v. 6)
e. What does this story about the death of these men tell us about Ishmael?
41:10-18—The Aftermath of the Assassination
(5) What might be the motive of the king of the Ammonites to use Ishmael to kill the governor and Babylonian soldiers and to take captive of the daughters of the king? (v. 10)
(6) Having rescued the captives, why did Johanan and his men decide to flee to Egypt? (v. 18)
(7) With Jeremiah among them, what should he have done?
(8) This presumably was a tragedy of lesser national significance, and yet it was later commemorated by the Jews of the post-exilic period (see Zech. 7:3; 8:19) with a fast “on the third day of the seventh month” (K&D, 340; NICOT, 657). Why was this the case?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請慢慢細心讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反復思考問題。
41: 1-9—刺殺基大利
(1) 為何基大利不信約哈難之言？(40:13-14) 可能的原因包括什麼？
(2) 這以實瑪利是誰？(41:1) 要刺殺基大利的原因是什麼？(40:14—他早已計劃逃回亞捫的)
(3) 他帶了多少人來行刺？(41:1)
(4) 他也要殺掉從北面來獻祭的人(41:4-9)
a. 這些人從什麼地方來？(41:5)
b. 他們帶來的只是什麼祭物？(41:5)
c. 他們來獻祭時是怎樣的模樣？表示什麼？(41:5)
d. 以實瑪利怎樣欺騙他們？(41:6)
e. 聖經這裡是要刻畫出以實瑪利是個怎樣的人？
41:10-18—刺殺的後果
(5) 亞捫王策動這刺殺之事，動機可能是什麼？(註：連巴比倫衛兵也被殺掉)
(6) 既拯救了被以實瑪利擄去的，為何約哈難與眾人要逃到埃及？(41:18)
(7) 耶利米既在他們當中，在這抉擇上，他們本當怎樣作？
(8) 這刺殺的事，在整個耶路撒冷失陷的事上，本是較為不重要的，為何（按一般解經者的分析）那些後來被擄歸回的人把這「七月的第三日」定作禁食日為記念？（可參亞7:3; 8:19；K&D, 340; NICOT, 657）
(9) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“(E)ighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord.” (Jer. 41:5)
The killing of Gedaliah and his men by Ishmael was indeed a very heinous act, but what made it even more heinous was his killing of the men who came to mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Perhaps, it was the latter and not so much the former that touched the hearts of the post-exilic Jews to set aside a day of fasting to commemorate the event.
As much as it was a tragedy, it serves to show us God always has reserved for Himself a remnant who would still remain faithful to Him even at the worst of (spiritual) times. This is how J.A. Thompson speaks of the 80 men:
“Pilgrims from old Northern Israel cultic centers, Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, arrived at Mizpah on their way to Jerusalem to engage in worship, as is clear from the cereal offerings (minha) and incense (lebona) they carried. It was the seventh month, which was the time of the great autumn feast and the cultic new year…The fact that these pilgrims came from the north suggests that at least some in Northern Israel accepted and remained faithful to Josiah’s reformation of 622 B.C. Presumably they were following the prescriptions of Deuteronomy which required centralization of worship in the central sanctuary, by that time fixed at Jerusalem (cf. Deut. 12:5-6, etc.; 2 Ki. 23). The custom had been securely established before the fall of Jerusalem. The pilgrims wore the signs of mourning and repentance, shaven beards, torn clothes, and gashed bodies (cf. 16:6; 48:37), no doubt because the temple had been destroyed. Mourning for the temple was an important theme during the whole exilic period (Lamentations; Ps.74, 79; Isa. 63:7–64:12). For some time at least, the cultic worship in some form continued in Jerusalem after 587 B.C.”
(NICOT, 659-660)
「第二天，有八十人從示劍和示羅，並撒瑪利亞來，鬍鬚剃去，衣服撕裂，身體劃破，手拿素祭和乳香，要奉到耶和華的殿。」(耶41:5)
以實瑪利行刺基大利實屬冷血的行為，但他繼而以欺騙的方式殺掉那些無辜從北面來獻祭的人，就更是滔天的大惡了。那些為這日的屠殺而定為禁食日的被擄歸回的猶太人，應該記念的，不單是基大利的被刺，更是這七十人的死亡。
這八十個人正顯示在這被神審判的時刻，祂尚有不少對祂忠誠的百姓。J.A. Thompson就這樣論到這八十人：
“這些從北面敬拜的中心，即示劍、示羅和撒瑪利亞來耶路撒冷敬拜的人，是路經米斯巴的。他們是來敬拜，可從他們帶來的供物（素祭和乳香）可以看出(他們沒有携帶祭牲表明他們知道祭壇已被毀；譯者按)。這正是猶太人最重要的節期月份—七月份……這些人是從北面來敬拜，顯示在北面以色列，仍有些人不但受約西亞在主前622年的改革所影響，他們至此仍忠心敬拜耶和華。他們到耶路撒冷來，相信是要遵守律法的吩咐，只在神指定的地方才獻祭(見申12:5-6；王下23等) 。這是在耶路撒冷陷落前已被遵守的。這些人剃了鬍鬚、撕裂了衣服、並劃破了身體的來，肯定是為神的殿的被毀而哀悼。為聖殿的哀悼就成了整個被擄期間重要的焦點（見耶利米哀歌；詩74, 79；賽63:7 – 64:12）。就是在主前587年後，人仍到耶路撒冷作出（某程度上的）敬拜。” (NICOT, 659-660)