耶利米: 上帝的代言者 Jeremiah: God’s Mouthpiece


[wots]
6/1/2018


耶利米: 上帝的代言者

Jeremiah: God’s Mouthpiece

June 3, 2018, Session 1, Unit 1: Jeremiah

Worldwide Outreach Teaching School 賴美滿 校長

https://www.WorldwideOTS.org

 

 

前言Preface: 上帝呼召所有的基督徒、在生活中的各種情況下、為祂說話。

God calls all Christians to speak for Him in the various circumstances of life.

 

上週: 我們專心讀過耶穌如何允諾局外已被忽視或避開的婦女，並改變了她的生命。

Last Week We read that how Jesus engaged an outcast Samaritan woman, who                                     could have been ignored or shunned, and changed her life forever.

這週: 讀耶利米書1:1-19, 發動坦然為主傳說福音的習慣, 無論面對個人內在之有限                      或者外          在之對立.

This Week: Read: Jeremiah 1:1-19: To develop the courage to speak for God in the                                face of personal limitations and external opposition.

這週將發現先知耶利米預言，古猶太人在歷史上，當最騷亂的時期，猶太人對將來有大的期望，但這期望立刻絕望而不斷下降失敗。本週讀在耶利米之時期對這以色列的歷史望現燭光。Jeremiah prophesied to the people of ancient Judah during the most difficult time in their history. The people of Judah had great hope for the future, but this hope soon turned to despair as the nation spiraled down to destruction. This week’s article sheds light on these dark years of Israel’s history;

人、地、和事件都很重要且有趣 。我們喜愛故事中包含有真實人、實在的奇遇。一位實實在在的猶太人, 耶利米生活於難以想像的奇遇。我們更難於想像, 耶利米開始於上帝的呼召直至成為先知。People, places, and events are important, and all can be interesting. We love stories, including the real adventures of real people. A very real Judean, Jeremiah lived more adventures than he wanted, more than we definitely can imagine. They began with God’s calling him to the office of prophet.

A.     Jeremiah’s Assignment: Jeremiah 1:1-10 A. 耶利米的課題: 耶利米書1:1-10

  1. The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
  2. The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
  3. and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
  4. The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
  5. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
  6. "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
  7. But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.
  8. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
  9. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.
  10. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

 Jeremiah Faces Difficulty Period: Verse 1, 2 on Jeremiah. After King Solomon’s death, the united kingdom of Israel had split into rival northern and southern kingdoms. The northern kingdom was called Israel; the southern kingdoms, Judah. Jeremiah was from Anathoth, 4 to 5 miles north of Jerusalem in the southern kingdom. He lived and prophesied during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah. This was a chaotic time politically, morally, and spiritually. As Babylon, Egypt, and Assyria battled for world supremacy, Judah found itself caught in the middle of the triangle. Although Jeremiah prophesied for 40 years, he never saw his people heed his words and turn from their sins.

Verse 5 on Jeremiah: God knew you, as God knew Jeremiah, long before you were born or even conceived. God thought about you and planned for you. When you feel discouraged or inadequate, remember that God always thought of you as valuable and that he has a purpose in mind for you.

 Jeremiah was “appointed” by God “as a prophet to the nations.” God has a purpose for each Christian, but some people are appointed by God for specific kinds of work. Samson (Judges13:3-5), Dave (Samuel 16:12; 12, 13), John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17), and Paul (Galatians 1:15, 16) were also called to do particular jobs for God. Whatever work you do should be done for the Glory of God (Philippians 1:11). If God gives you a specific task, accept it cheerfully and do it with diligence. If God has not given you a specific call or assignment, then seek to fulfill the mission common to all believers – to love、 obey、 and serve God-until his guidance becomes really clear.

Jeremiah 1:5, God specifically appointed Jeremiah “as a prophet to the nations.” It is God’s call upon the most important Old Testament prophet, after Moses and Isaiah.

Jeremiah’s father was a priest; he would become a priest. God had a different idea. As God had chosen the younger son Isaac, the younger son Jacob, the younger son Moses (who also confessed his inability to speak), the youngest son David, and many others, so God now chose Jeremiah. God, who knows the heart; no matter how, whom God chooses, God also empowers.

 

B.     God Comforted Jeremiah 1: 17-19           Key Verses: Jeremiah 1:6-10

      Jeremiah thought he was “only a child” – too young and inexperienced to be God’s spokesman to the world. But God promised to be with him.

I learned that we should not allow feelings of inadequacy to keep us from obeying God’s call. He will always be with us. When we find ourselves avoiding something we know we should do, be careful not to use lack of self confidence as an excuse. If God gives us a job to do, He will provide all we need to do it.

v.8, God promised to “rescue” Jeremiah from trouble, not to keep trouble from coming. God does not keep us from encountering life’s storms, but he will see us through them. In fact. God walks through these storms with us and rescues us.

 

v.10, God appointed Jeremiah to bring his word to “nations and kingdoms.” Jeremiah’s work was to warn not only the Jews but all the nations of the world about God’s judgment on sin. Don’t for get in reading the Old Testament that, while God was consistently working through the people of Judah and Israel. God’s plan was to communicate to every nation and person. We are included in Jeremiah’s message of judgment and hope, and as believers we are to share God’s desire to reach out the whole world for God.

 

C.     Worship Other Idols (gods) will Cost Severely Punishment  Je.1:16

     The people of Judah sinned greatly by continuing to burn incense to and worship other gods. God had commanded them specifically against this (Exodus 20:3-6) because idolatry places trust in created things rather than the Creator. Although these people belonged to God, they chose to follow false gods. Many “gods” entice us to turn away from God. Material possessions, dreams for the future, approval of others, and vocational goals compete for our total commitment. Striving after these at the expense of our commitment to God puts our heart where Judah’s was-and God severely punished Judah.

 

D.     POINT:
God thrust Jeremiah into the center of His divine purpose still calls some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, but all “His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

    

      Do not think, speak, watch or worship, what God does not like it! 

 

 

 

 
  1. 便雅憫地亞拿突城的祭司中、希勒家的兒子耶利米的話記在下面。
  2. 猶大王亞們的兒子約西亞在位十三年、耶和華的話臨到耶利米。
  3. 從猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬在位的時候、直到猶大王約西亞的兒子西底家在位的末年、就是十一年五月間耶路撒冷人被擄的時候、耶和華的話、也常臨到耶利米。
  4. 耶利米說、耶和華的話臨到我、說、
  5. 我未將你造在腹中、我已曉得你、你未出母胎、我已分別你為聖．我已派你作列國的先知。
  6. 我就說、主耶和華阿、我不知怎樣說、因為我是年幼的。
  7.  耶和華對我說、你不要說我是年幼的．因為我差遣你到誰那裡去、你都要去．我吩咐你說甚麼話、你都要說。
  8.  你不要懼怕他們、因為我與你同在、要拯救你．這是耶和華說的。
  9.  於是耶和華伸手按我的口、對我說、我已將當說的話傳給你。
  10. 看哪、我今日立你在列邦列國之上、為要施行拔出、拆毀、毀壞、傾覆、又要建立栽植” 。

耶利米處於國家衰弱之時: V. 1, 2,  所羅門王駕崩後，以色列王國分裂為兩個敵對的國家，就是北國以色列和南國猶大。耶利米生於南國耶路撒冷以北約有4 至5公里的亞拿突，耶利米以先知身分宣講預言，經歷了猶大國末代五位君王統治的時期。那段時期猶大國在政治、道德、靈性方面都非常的腐敗，而鄰近的巴比倫、埃及和亞述等國為爭奪盟主地位，戰火不斷。猶大國被夾在這成鼎足之勢的國家中。耶利米雖40年來不斷說預言，勸領袖和國人悔改離開罪惡，但無人聽從。                                                        耶利米書1:5,  上帝認識您, 就像祂認識耶利米一樣， 您還未在母腹成胎，上帝就已認識您了， 祂關心您 也為您計劃一生，當您感到灰心， 無法決定時，您必禱告，祈求祂的旨引，因祂時刻顧念您，看您如掌上名珠，且為您設定一生的目標。

耶利米蒙上“委派”作“列國的先知”。其實，上帝在每位基督徒上都已經訂下祂美好的旨意，有些人會被派定去完成某些特定的工作。如參孫 - 參考士師記13:3-5、大衛 -參考撒母耳上16:12-13、施洗約翰 - 參考路加1：13-17、和保羅- 參考加拉太書1:15-16，都是蒙召替上帝完成某些特別使命的。您無論做什麼都要為榮耀上帝而做 -參考腓利比書1:11。如果上帝已給您特別的任務，就努力去完成它！如果還沒有，就盡基督徒的本分愛慕、順服、以及順奉上帝，直到上帝的旨意越清楚。

 

 

 

耶利米書1:5,  上帝特別“委派” 作“列國的先知”。舊約之先知摩西、以賽亞之後就是耶利米 。

 

耶利米的父親是一位祭司；他可也成一位祭司，上帝有不同的理想；例如: 上帝選了最小的孩子以撒 (Abraham & Sarah 之子 )。最小的孩子Jacob, 和最小的孩子摩西 (他曾自認沒有口才)。最小的孩子,  大衛和其他等等, 因此，現在上帝選了耶利米。上帝知道我們的內心; 無論如何, 上帝所選的人， 祂也給他或她能力的。

B. 上帝慰勉耶利米1:6-10; 17-19

鑰句: 耶利米書1:6-10: 耶利米以為自己 “是年幼的小孩” – 指太年青、沒經驗承當上帝之代言者之使命。然而，上帝應許與他同在。我學到我們不應該對上帝的呼召感覺到不合格或不能勝任，祂總是與我們同在。小心，不要以沒有自信心做理由去拒絕該作的事。如果是由上帝來的事工，祂將供應我們全部所須的。

 

v.8, 上帝之應許耶利米必救其困難，祂不會讓我們的生命遇到大難如洪水猛獸，既成事實，上帝也跟我們在大難中同行，並且解救我們。

 

 

v.10, 上帝選召耶利米將祂的話傳到列邦列國。耶利米不但向猶大人發出上帝必審判罪的警告。也向全世界的人發出同樣的警告。上帝不單在猶大國和以色列國的歷史中彰顯祂的作為，也要讓世界上每個國家和每個人都明白祂的新意和計劃。因此，對耶利米所說的審判和信息也是對我們說的。我們既是基督徒就應將上帝要所有人歸向祂的心意告訴全人類。

 

 

C.     拜偶像遭上帝嚴懲: 耶.1:16

上帝早已向百姓三令五申，不可拜別神(出埃及記20:3-6)，因為拜偶像就是信靠受造之物而不是信靠造物主，但猶大人卻不斷燒香拜祭偶像，一次嘔一次犯這嚴重的罪。他們雖然屬於上帝，卻選擇隨從偶像假神。許多假神如物質財寶、未來夢想、別人的讚賞和事業成功等都會分我們的心，引誘我們離棄真神，或不能全心全意獻身於祂。倘若我們情願追求假神，像猶大人一樣犯罪，也會遭到上帝嚴懲猶大人那樣的懲罰。

 

 

 

D.    要點:
上帝選召和信任耶利米進行神聖的中心目標，仍在選召某些人成為門徒、先知、傳教士、牧師、和老師，但所有蒙召同工同歸於一的心起來服事，好建造基督的身体。(以4:11-12)

      不合乎上帝旨意的事不想、不 說、不看、也不拜！