2:1 上主吩咐我2:2 向耶路撒冷的居民這樣說：我記得，你年輕時對我多麼情深！蜜月期間，你多麼愛我！你和我走過荒野，經過沒有耕種的地方。2:3 以色列啊，你是我神聖的子民，是專屬於我，是初熟的果子。誰傷害你，我就降災禍給誰。我─上主這樣宣佈了。2:4 雅各的後代，以色列的各支族啊，你們要聽上主的話！2:5 上主這樣說：究竟你們的祖先發現我有甚麼不對，他們竟離棄了我，去跟從虛無的偶像，使自己成為虛無。2:6 雖然我救他們脫離埃及，領他們經過荒野：崎嶇不平的沙漠，乾旱驚險的曠野，沒有人煙足跡，他們仍然不理我。2:7 我把他們帶到肥沃的土地去，讓他們享受土產和美物。但他們糟蹋了我的土地，污染了我賜給他們的地方。2:8 祭司從來不問：上主在哪裏？我的祭司不認識我。統治者背叛我；先知奉巴力的名說預言，拜毫無用處的偶像。
Jeremiah 2:1-8 (NIV)
Israel Forsakes God
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
" 'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the LORD,
the firstfruits of his harvest;
all who devoured her were held guilty,
and disaster overtook them,' "
declares the LORD.
4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob,
all you clans of the house of Israel.
5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness, [a]
a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
'Where is the LORD?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
一、中心內容：
內容：
1>回顧過去上帝與猶大之間真誠的的愛。（v1-3）Reminiscence of the commitment shared by God and Judah. (v1-3)
2>猶大離棄上帝，祭拜偶像。（v4-6）Judah betrayed God and worshiped idols. (v4-6)
3>猶大玷污了上帝所賜的土地。（V7-8）Judah defiled the land given by God. (v7-8)
主題：
1>忘恩負義。Forgetting God’s mercy and goodness.
2>愛的背叛。Betrayal of love
二、上帝、耶穌基督、聖靈是誰？
1>向人啟示、與人說話的上帝。（v1）God reveals and speaks to mankind. (v1)
2>期待以色列百姓歸向祂的上帝。（v3）God expected the return of the Israelites. (v3)
3>聖潔的上帝。（v3）God is holy and pure. (v3)
4>保護祂子民的上帝。（v3）God protected His people. (v3)
5>拯救以色列百姓（帶領出埃及）的上帝。（v6）God saved and led the Israelites. (v6)
6>帶領以色列百姓進入肥美之地的上帝。（v7）God brought His people into the fertile land. (v7)
7>豐富的預備與供應的上帝。（v7）The abundant provisions of God. (v7)
三、給我的教訓（命令、應允、榜樣、責備、警告）是什麼？
1>領受話語的條件Positioning oneself to receive God’s Word
先知耶利米說：上帝的話臨到我（上帝這樣吩咐我）。他雖然沒有明確交代上帝的話語，到底藉著什麼樣的方式臨到他。但是我們可以確定一件事，就是：先知能夠如此領受上帝的話語，絕對有一個先決條件，就是：個人與上帝之間，擁有非常親密的屬靈交通。
因此，我們如果期待經常領受上帝的話語，以便更明白上帝的心意，甚至進一步與上帝同行，有一個非常重要的前提，就是：常常跟上帝保持親密的屬靈交通。
反省：我的靈修生活如何？每天忙碌的生活當中，是否擁有個人的曠野？
Though the prophet Jeremiah said that God’s words came to him (God instructed me), but he did not specify how. One thing we can be sure of is that the intimate spiritual relationship between God and men serves as the prerequisite in receiving God’s words. Thus, if we were to constantly expect a word from God; to know of His will; to walk with Him; we need to keep an intimate spiritual relationship with Him at all times.
Reflection: How is my devotional life? Is there a personal desert in my busy life?
2>癡情丈夫的哀愁 a compassionate husband’s mourning
上帝吩咐耶利米，對以色列百姓說：我記得，你年輕時對我多麼情深！蜜月期間，你多麼愛我！你和我走過荒野，經過沒有耕種的地方。以色列啊，你是我神聖的子民，是專屬於我，是初熟的果子。誰傷害你，我就降災禍給誰。我─上主這樣宣佈了。（v2-3）
2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: " 'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,' " declares the LORD. (v2-3)
這是一首詩，這首詩的內容，是在描述上帝回顧過去，跟以色列百姓之間，所擁有那份特殊、親密的情愛，就像「恩愛的夫妻」（上帝是丈夫，以色列百姓是妻子）一樣，即便經過艱苦的歲月，以色列百姓依然忠於祂。
It is a poem of God’s reminiscence of the past relationship with the Israelites. Their relationship was like that of a husband and wife in a very special and intimate way. (God was the husband and the Israelites the wife.) Their steadfast love carried them through all the difficult years. The Israelites were faithful to God back then.
此外，以色列百姓也是上帝所分別，專屬於祂的百姓。所以凡是侵犯到他們（以色列百姓）的，上帝必為他們追討。表示：上帝無微不至的護衛著他們。
Besides, they were the people whom were set apart by God and solely belonged to Him. Whoever insulted them would be punished by Him. They were well taken care of by Him.
然 而，曾幾何時，妻子的愛，竟然消失得無影無蹤，也就是移情別戀了。因此，上帝以「遭妻子無故遺棄的丈夫」來比喻自己。由於過去那段「以愛廝守」的甜蜜歲 月，實在令祂難以忘懷。所以就以哀怨的口吻說：難道我有什麼錯，導致妻子移情別戀？否則，她為何離棄我，去隨從那毫無價值，不值得愛的假神呢？
However, the wife’s love for him had gone, she had given her love to someone else. Therefore, God used the metaphor of a husband being betrayed by his wife to describe Himself. He could not forget the sweet and happy days with His wife, therefore He mourned, “What did I do wrong that my wife left me? If I did nothing wrong, why did she leave Me for the false gods who are worthless and unworthy of her love?”
反省：上帝對我們癡情的愛，我能夠體會嗎？在我的生命當中，是否永遠讓上帝居首位？還是早已移情別戀了？就是移情到金錢、名譽、地位，或其他事物。
Reflection: Do I understand God’s compassionate love? Do I let God be in the first place of my life? Or do I turn my love away from Him into love for money, reputation, social status and other things?
3>玷污神所賜的地 Defiling the land given by God
上帝說：我把他們帶到肥沃的土地去，讓他們享受土產和美物。但他們糟蹋了我的土地，污染了我賜給他們的地方。（v7）
I brought you into a fertile land, to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land, and made my inheritance detestable. (v7)
上 帝好不容易，將祂的子民領出埃及，走過荒野（曠野），經過沒有耕種的地方。進入流奶與密之地（上帝賜福的迦南地）。照理說，以色列百姓應該存著感恩與敬畏 的心，確實遵守上帝的命令才對。但是，非常可惜，以色列百姓竟然忘恩負義，也就是在上帝所賜的土地上，祭拜起其他的神明來。如果以夫妻關係來形容，以色列 百姓道道地地的犯了姦淫罪。因此，上帝非常難過的說：他們糟蹋了我的土地，污染了我賜給他們的地方。
God had brought them out of Egypt and led them through the barren wilderness; the unsown land, into a land of milk and honey, the Promised Land. It would be reasonable that they be grateful and reverent to God and faithfully obey His commands. Yet, they forgot the goodness and mercy of God. They worshiped the false gods in the land where God had brought them. They committed adultery in terms of the relationship of a husband and wife. Therefore, God sorrowfully said that they had devastated and defiled the land He had given them.
反省：在上帝面前，我是否忘恩負義？是否糟蹋恩典？是否污染了上帝的地方？
Reflection: From God’s perspective, do I forget His goodness and mercy? Do I trash God’s grace? Do I defile God’s place?
4>屬靈領袖的責任 The responsibilities of spiritual leaders
祭司從來不問：上主在哪裏？我的祭司不認識我。統治者背叛我；先知奉巴力的名說預言，拜毫無用處的偶像。（v8）
8 The priests did not ask, 'Where is the LORD?' Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols. (v8)
面對以色列百姓離棄上帝、祭拜偶像一事，先知在此特別指出，當時有四種職位的人，首該負起責任。這四種職務就是：祭司、傳講律法的、官長、先知。
When faced with the matter of the Israelites abandoning God and worshiping idols, the prophet particularly pointed out that people who held the following positions should be held accountable: the priests, the teachers of the law, the officials and the prophets.
a祭司：祭司的職責，就是藉著獻祭禮儀，使人與上帝和好。如果祭司盡忠職守，百姓跟上帝的關係就會得著建立。
- The priests: They were in charge of the rituals of offering which served as reconciliation between God and men. If they were faithful to their responsibility, the relationship between God and men would have been properly established.
b傳講律法的（呂：處理禮節規矩的）：傳講律法的人，就是祭司和利未人，同樣因為怠忽職守，沒有將上帝的律法、上帝的審判，正確的告知百姓。所以，百姓的靈性，才會淪落到如此地步，才會有這種忘恩負義的事發生。 - The teachers of the law: The Levites and the priests were in charge of the law. They were negligent in keeping their duties and did not correctly teach God’s law and judgment. Thus, people were led astray and forgot God’s goodness and mercy.
c官長（呂：牧民者、現：統治者）：由於統治者沒有照上帝所定的原則來統治，莫怪百姓頹廢、國家落敗。 - The officials: The officials did not rule according to God’s principles. It was no wonder that the people backslid and that the whole country regressed.
d先知（呂：神言人）：照理說，先知應該忠實傳講上帝的話語才對，但是當時的先知，竟然藉著外邦神明巴力說預言（假先知），而不傳達上帝的話語。 - The prophets: They ought to be truthful and faithful in speaking God’s word. However, instead of fulfilling their duty, they spoke for Baal instead of God.
反省：靈性的興盛與敗落，屬靈領袖扮演著相當重要的角色。包括：國家、教會、單位、家庭等。如：身為家長的我，對兒女的信仰，是否看到自己的責任？
Reflection: The spiritual leaders play an important role in the ups and downs of people’s spiritual growth. Including the levels of a country, a church, working place and family…etc. For example, as a parent, do I perceive my personal responsibility in building up my children’s faith in God?
四、我的禱告 / 實際應用
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