神的异象
我的安慰来自我的公义
经文
以西结书十四12-23
12耶和华的话临到我说，
13人子阿，若有一国犯罪干犯我，我也向他伸手折断他们的杖，就是断绝他们的粮，使饥荒临到那地，将人与牲畜从其中剪除。
14其中虽有挪亚、但以理、约伯这三人，他们只能因他们的义救自己的性命。这是主耶和华说的。
15我若使恶兽经过糟践那地，使地荒凉，以致因这些兽，人都不得经过；
16虽有这三人在其中，主耶和华说：我指着我的永生起誓，他们连儿带女都不能得救，只能自己得救，那地仍然荒凉。
17或者我使刀剑临到那地，说：刀剑哪，要经过那地，以致我将人与牲畜从其中剪除；
18虽有这三人在其中，主耶和华说：我指着我的永生起誓，他们连儿带女都不能得救，只能自己得救。
19或者我叫瘟疫流行那地，使我灭命（原文是带血）的忿怒倾在其上，好将人与牲畜从其中剪除；
20虽有挪亚、但以理、约伯在其中，主耶和华说：我指着我的永生起誓，他们连儿带女都不能救，只能因他们的义救自己的性命。
21主耶和华如此说：我将这四样大灾─就是刀剑、饥荒、恶兽、瘟疫降在耶路撒冷，将人与牲畜从其中剪除，岂不更重吗？
22然而其中必有剩下的人，他们连儿带女必带到你们这里来，你们看见他们所行所为的，要因我降给耶路撒冷的一切灾祸，便得了安慰。
23你们看见他们所行所为的，得了安慰，就知道我在耶路撒冷中所行的并非无故。这是主耶和华说的。
信息分享
今天我们要继续强调昨天所说的：神的「底线」是公义，神所做的一切都是对的。
在今天的经文中，神告诉以西结祂将会审判耶路撒冷，但在破坏中祂会赐下安慰。可那是甚么样的安慰？那就是放过少数人，把他们带到以西结面前，让他看到他们是多么的邪恶，以致他明白神所做的一切都有公正的原因。换句话说，神表示：「我的公义就是我的安慰」。你明白吗？如果你的「底线」是安慰，如果对你来说，安慰比一切都重要，那么当神公正地行事时，你就不会得到安慰。你呼求得到安慰，以为那是你最需要神赐给你的东西时，神可能认为公义才是你最大的需要；因此当神公义地行事，不是按你对公义的想法而行，你就会感到困惑。但这问题不在神身上，而是在你身上，因为你没有清楚画出应有的「底线」。你的「底线」是根据你自己对公义的想法，而不是神对公义的想法而画下，所以你觉得不能接受神的作为。
我们大部分人都不是真的相信神的公义，我们只根据自己的条件相信公义。如果事情发生在别人身上或在其他家庭的时候，我们很容易接受那是神的公义；但在我们自己的生命中，事情的进展不如我们所期望的时候，我们会像亚伯拉罕为了所多玛向神祈求说：「审判全地的主，岂不行公义吗？」（创十八25），这才是属灵成熟程度的真正考验。
「问题永远都不在于神，而是在我们自己」
进深研究
创十八22-25；诗三十三4；何十四1-9
1. 亚伯拉罕问甚么问题？
2. 何西阿有甚么信念？
祈祷
天父，求您让我明白，您的公义与我所想的不同，帮助我解除因不同所造成的张力。因为我明白，如果这张力不解除，我会继续误解，甚至会叛逆。求您教导我理解，您的做法是对的，而且永远是对的。奉耶稣的名祈求。阿们。
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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