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约拿书 第四章 - 愤怒与怜悯

探讨愤怒如何揭示我们自身的不一致。

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Here I am

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4 分钟阅读

“你这样发怒合乎理吗?”(约拿书4:4, 8)  

神两次向约拿提出这个问题。第一次,约拿似乎没有回应。他出城,坐在城的东边,想看看城会有什么结局(第5节)。然而,第二次,约拿却反驳神,甚至表达了求死的愿望:“我死了比活着还好”(第8节)。这也是他之前在愤怒中表达的情感(第3节)。  

约拿认为自己配得神提供的荫凉,而尼尼微则配得审判。毕竟,尼尼微和亚述帝国对神的子民构成了军事威胁。对约拿来说,神向这样一个邪恶的民族施怜悯是毫无道理的。他怨恨神对以色列敌人的怜悯。然而,在愤怒中,约拿没有看到其中的讽刺:他自己也需要神的恩典和怜悯。毕竟,也是神怜悯他,预备了一棵植物为他提供荫凉(第6节)。  

表面上,约拿似乎是为了一棵植物而愤怒,这看似是一件微不足道的事情。但他的爆发揭示了一个更深层次的问题:一颗充满不满和怨恨的心。为什么一棵无辜的植物会枯萎,而邪恶的尼尼微人却得以幸免?  

像约拿一样,我们都有过愤怒的经历。在那些时刻,我们是否认为自己生气是正确且合理的?也许内心深处,我们并不这么认为。然而,我们往往没有反思自己的情绪,而是为自己辩护,坚持认为自己是对的。随着时间的推移,我们可能会为自己的愤怒感到后悔,甚至继续为其合理化。约拿的不满增长,是因为他认为神错了。他没有意识到自己的不一致。约拿希望尼尼微毁灭,而不是悔改。他的不一致表明,他的愤怒是不对的。  

今天的我们又如何呢?我们心中是否也有类似的不一致?下次我们感到愤怒时,让我们停下来问问自己:我这样发怒合乎理吗?

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约拿书 第三章 - 神的丰富怜悯

约拿书 第三章 - 神的丰富怜悯

“这是好的,在我们救主神面前可蒙悦纳;祂愿意万人得救,并得以认识真理。”(提摩太前书2:3-4)。   《约拿书》第3章记录了这一情感的经典例证。它记载了先知约拿向尼尼微人传道,以及尼尼微人悔改的故事。   当我们看到尼尼微人悔改的故事时,我们可以从中找到一种安慰。正如神在尼尼微人真心悔改时宽恕了他们一样,我们也有信心,只要我们以真诚的心悔改,神今天也会以怜悯宽恕我们的罪。   然而,我们不应因为认为神会对我们仁慈而变得自满。在这一章中,我们看到尼尼微人为了寻求神的宽恕所付出的努力。首先,第6节记载,王自己披麻蒙灰,坐在灰中。第7至9节记录了王颁布的命令,要求所有百姓禁食哀哭,促使他们都在神面前悔改。让我们花点时间反思一下,这是我们最终转向神之前想要达到的状态吗?尽管尼尼微人最终得到了赦免,但我们不要被欺骗,他们当时的状态是悲惨的。   此外,《希伯来书》 10:26告诉我们:“因为我们得知真道以后,若故意犯罪,赎罪的祭就再没有了。”  神的爱是丰盛的,祂的怜悯是充足的,但我们要小心,永远不要滥用这种爱和怜悯。   约拿的故事也教导我们如何对待那些我们可能认为有罪的人。《约拿书》的叙事围绕着约拿拒绝向尼尼微宣讲的故事,因他憎恨那座城市,并怀疑那里的人民是否会改变。 当我们读到约拿的故事时,我们会很快说约拿的态度是不对的。然而,当我们看周围的同伴时,我们是否也不知不觉地采取了约拿的心态?我们是否轻易地评判他人?是否给他们贴上某些标签,并拒绝在他们的信仰上帮助他们?我们必须记住,神愿意万人得救。在神的眼中,每一个灵魂都是宝贵的。既然如此,作为神的仆人,我们必须履行祂的旨意,努力拯救每一个灵魂,无论我们对他们的看法如何。   总而言之,我们已经从神那里领受了这份爱与怜悯的礼物。我们也应当将这美好的礼物与他人分享。

但以理书 第五章(英文)

但以理书 第五章(英文)

We see James 4:6 coming to pass in this chapter, through the end of Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans and Daniel being made the third ruler in the kingdom. "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”" James 4:6 V4 they did the wrong thing V7 they brought in ‘the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers’. They either did not know or did not care that they should not be turning to these men to find answers. As many secular beliefs become more prevalent through the media in this day and age, we must guard our heart against these beliefs as they may corrupt our faith. In our lives today, we also should not turn to such men to find answers in our lives. "Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23 V11 & 13 the fact that they still sought counsel from Daniel, someone guided by God, is interesting, because it seemed unexpected for them, given that they turned to ‘the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers’. Let us rely on God through prayer and reading the Bible to find God’s will for our lives. It can also be through people God has placed in our lives, to remind us and nudge us in a certain direction. V17 Daniel did not accept the gifts. He still interpreted the writing, and was not in it for the benefits, but did so with genuineness and a humble heart, for the glory of God, and not for his own praise or glory. V29 by relying on God to interpret the inscription, he was made third ruler in the kingdom. V19 Nebuchadnezzar also took advantage of the power he was given and ‘Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down’. V20-21 God resists the proud and Nebuchadnezzar faced a downfall ‘till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.’ "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”" James 4:6 We must humble our hearts, especially since we know God and His Word. V23 they praised the gods but did not glorify God Is it the same with us today? That we know God is the One ‘who holds our breath in His hand and owns all [our] ways’ yet we have not glorified Him? Do we give praise to other things (e.g. hard work) and people in the face of success? They used what belongs to God to praise the gods of silver and gold. Do we also use what God has given us to praise other things and people? We must remember to give glory to God because God has given and provided us with these. Even what may seem like ours (e.g. our hard work) only exists because God gives us the strength and the days to achieve these things. We merely live on borrowed time, and we are but dust. "For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children," Psalms 103:14-17 Every day we are given to live is a blessing. We should also not misuse our roles to oppress others. V25 the meaning of the inscription came to pass V27 ‘weighed in the balances, and found wanting’ could mean that Belshazzar’s life was wanted and would be taken away soon. We see that his soul was required of him that night. "But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”" Luke 12:20-21 God’s Word will come to pass. We see that V28 also came true in V31. V28 the kingdom was given to Medes and Persians V31 Darius the Mede received the kingdom. It indeed came true. God’s Word coming to pass can be something we are fearful or hopeful about. It depends how prepared we are. Since God’s Word will come to pass, let us prepare ourselves so that we will remain hopeful for what is to come with faith and not fear.

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