神的異象
我的安慰來自我的公義
經文
以西結書十四12-23
12耶和華的話臨到我說，
13人子阿，若有一國犯罪干犯我，我也向他伸手折斷他們的杖，就是斷絕他們的糧，使飢荒臨到那地，將人與牲畜從其中剪除。
14其中雖有挪亞、但以理、約伯這三人，他們只能因他們的義救自己的性命。這是主耶和華說的。
15我若使惡獸經過糟踐那地，使地荒涼，以致因這些獸，人都不得經過；
16雖有這三人在其中，主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，他們連兒帶女都不能得救，只能自己得救，那地仍然荒涼。
17或者我使刀劍臨到那地，說：刀劍哪，要經過那地，以致我將人與牲畜從其中剪除；
18雖有這三人在其中，主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，他們連兒帶女都不能得救，只能自己得救。
19或者我叫瘟疫流行那地，使我滅命（原文是帶血）的忿怒傾在其上，好將人與牲畜從其中剪除；
20雖有挪亞、但以理、約伯在其中，主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，他們連兒帶女都不能救，只能因他們的義救自己的性命。
21主耶和華如此說：我將這四樣大災─就是刀劍、饑荒、惡獸、瘟疫降在耶路撒冷，將人與牲畜從其中剪除，豈不更重嗎？
22然而其中必有剩下的人，他們連兒帶女必帶到你們這裡來，你們看見他們所行所為的，要因我降給耶路撒冷的一切災禍，便得了安慰。
23你們看見他們所行所為的，得了安慰，就知道我在耶路撒冷中所行的並非無故。這是主耶和華說的。
信息分享
今天我們要繼續強調昨天所說的：神的「底線」是公義，神所做的一切都是對的。
在今天的經文中，神告訴以西結祂將會審判耶路撒冷，但在破壞中祂會賜下安慰。可那是甚麼樣的安慰？那就是放過少數人，把他們帶到以西結面前，讓他看到他們是多麼的邪惡，以致他明白神所做的一切都有公正的原因。換句話說，神表示：「我的公義就是我的安慰」。你明白嗎？如果你的「底線」是安慰，如果對你來說，安慰比一切都重要，那麼當神公正地行事時，你就不會得到安慰。你呼求得到安慰，以為那是你最需要神賜給你的東西時，神可能認為公義才是你最大的需要；因此當神公義地行事，不是按你對公義的想法而行，你就會感到困惑。但這問題不在神身上，而是在你身上，因為你沒有清楚畫出應有的「底線」。你的「底線」是根據你自己對公義的想法，而不是神對公義的想法而畫下，所以你覺得不能接受神的作為。
我們大部分人都不是真的相信神的公義，我們只根據自己的條件相信公義。如果事情發生在別人身上或在其他家庭的時候，我們很容易接受那是神的公義；但在我們自己的生命中，事情的進展不如我們所期望的時候，我們會像亞伯拉罕為了所多瑪向神祈求說：「審判全地的主，豈不行公義嗎？」（創十八25），這才是屬靈成熟程度的真正考驗。
「問題永遠都不在於神，而是在我們自己」
進深研究
創十八22-25；詩三十三4；何十四1-9
1. 亞伯拉罕問甚麼問題？
2. 何西阿有甚麼信念？
祈禱
天父，求您讓我明白，您的公義與我所想的不同，幫助我解除因不同所造成的張力。因為我明白，如果這張力不解除，我會繼續誤解，甚至會叛逆。求您教導我理解，您的做法是對的，而且永遠是對的。奉耶穌的名祈求。阿們。
The Vision of God
"My comfort is My justice'"
Bible reading:
Ezekiel 14:12-23
12 The word of the Lord came to me:
13 "Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,
14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel[a] and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 "Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,
16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
17 "Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass throughout the land,' and I kill its people and their animals,
18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
19 "Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals,
20 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
21 "For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!
22 Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it.
23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord."
Message
We continue emphasising the point that the "bottom line" as regards God is justice - the fact that everything that God does is right.
In our reading today God tells Ezekiel that He is going to judge Jeremiah but that He would provide comfort during that destruction. But what was that comfort? It was to spare a few people and bring them before Ezekiel, so that he could see how evil they were and realise that God had a just cause for everything He did. In other words, God was saying: "My comfort is My justice." You see the point? If your "bottom line" is "comfort", if that is more important to you than anything else, then when God acts justly it will be no comfort to you. When you cry out for comfort and think that is the most important thing you need from God, it may be that, from His point of view, your biggest need is justice. Then, when God acts justly but not according to your idea of justice, you get totally confused. But the problem is not with God, it is with you. You have not got the "bottom line" drawn clearly enough. Your "bottom line" is being drawn at your idea of justice, not His, and therefore His actions are anathema to you.
Most of us don't really believe in God's justice, only justice on our terms. It is easy to believe in God's justice when other people or other families are on the receiving end; but the true test of spiritual maturity is when in our own lives things do not go the way we expect them to go, and we say with Abraham, when pleading with God for the deliverance of Sodom: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25, AV)
"The problem is never with God, it is with us"
Prayer
Father, help me resolve this tension between my idea of justice and Yours. For I see that if it goes unresolved then I shall continue to misunderstand - even rebel. Teach me to accept that Your way is right - always. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
Genesis 18:22-25
Psalm 33:4
Hosea 14:1-9
1. What question did Abraham ask?
2. What was Hosea's conviction?
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