Message in the temple

Jermiah7:1-15(NIV)

False Religion Worthless

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ² "Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message:
" 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. ³ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. ⁴ Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" ⁵ If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, ⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. ⁸ But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

⁹ " 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, ^[a] burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, ¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things? ¹¹ Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.

¹² " 'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. ¹³ While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. ¹⁴ Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. ¹⁵ I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.'

耶利米書07：01-15

7:1 上主差我到聖殿門口，要我站在那裏向猶大人宣佈他自己的話。於是我到聖殿門口，向進入聖殿敬拜上主的人傳達上主─萬軍的統帥、以色列上帝的信息：「你們要 棄邪歸正！我就讓你們在這地方居住。7:2 併於上節7:3 併於上節7:4 不要再相信那些騙人的話，說：『我們很安全，這是上主的聖殿；這是上主的聖殿；這是上主的聖殿！』7:5 「你們要棄邪歸正，以公平相待。7:6 不要再佔外僑和孤兒寡婦的便宜。停止在這塊地上殺害無辜。不要再拜別的神明，自取滅亡。7:7 如果你們改過，我就讓你們繼續居留在這裏，就是從前我賜給你們祖先作永久產業的土地。7:8 「看吧，你們倚靠那騙人的話是徒然的！7:9 你們偷竊，殺人，姦淫，作偽證，向巴力獻祭，拜你們不認識的神明。7:10 你們做我恨惡的事，然後跑到我的聖殿裏，站在我面前，說：『我們很安全！』7:11 你們以為我的聖殿是賊窩嗎？我清清楚楚地看見你們的一舉一動。7:12 你們到示羅去，看我選定的第一個居所，就知道我因我子民以色列的罪怎樣對付那地方。7:13 你們犯了這許多罪過；我一再勸導你們，你們總是不聽；我呼叫你們，你們總是不應答。7:14 因此，我從前怎樣待示羅，也要怎樣待你們所信賴那屬於我的聖殿，以及我賜給你們和你們祖先的地方，像我從前對付示羅一樣。7:15 我要從我眼前把你們趕走，像我從前驅逐你們的親族以色列人一樣。我─上主這樣宣佈了。」

一、中心內容：

內容：
1>上帝呼召耶利米，要他站在聖殿宣佈信息。（v1a）God called Jeremiah to stand at the temple gate and declare His word. (v1a)
2>耶利米奉命站在聖殿，呼籲以色列百姓，勿相信假先知，應儘快改邪歸正。（v1b-4）Jeremiah stood at the temple gate and called the Israelites to not trust the false gods and to repent of their sins. (v1b-4)
3>耶利米舉出以色列百姓當悔改的事項，並談論有關上帝的應許，即：如果悔改的話，將能繼續留在上帝所賞賜，作為永久產業的土地上。（v5-7）

Jeremiah listed the things that the Israelites should repent of and talked about God’s promise. If they should repent, they would stay in the land that God had given them. (v5-7)
4>耶利米指出以色列百姓，一面姦殺、偷盜、拜偶像，另一面卻在聖殿敬拜上帝。（v8-11）

Jeremiah pinpointed that the Israelites had committed the sins of adultery, robbery and idol worshiping, yet they still went to the temple to worship God. (v8-11)
5>耶利米宣佈最後的結局---過去如何對待示羅，如今也要照樣對待耶路撒冷。（v12-15）
Jeremiah declared that God would do to Jerusalem what He did Shiloh. (v12-15)
主題：
1>聖殿宣講的信息。Message in the temple
2>不蒙悅納的敬拜。Unacceptable worship
3>住在殿中的資格。The qualification to live in the temple

二、上帝、耶穌基督、聖靈是誰？

1>啟示人、賜人話語的上帝。（v1）God reveals and gives His word to man (v1)
2>配得敬拜的上帝。（v1、v10） God who is worthy of worship (v1,10)
3>萬軍的統帥上帝。（v1）God who is the head of a mighty army. (v1)
4>全能、掌權的上帝。（v1、v7、v15） Almighty and powerful God (v1,7,15)
5>賜下產業的上帝。（v7）God gives inheritance. (v7)
6>諄諄教誨、聲聲呼喚的上帝。（v13）God who exhorts and calls. (v13)

三、給我的教訓（命令、應允、榜樣、責備、警告）是什麼？

序言：耶利米書從第七章開始，所傳遞的是以「聖殿敬拜」為主題的信息。（7:1-11:25）
Foreword: Starting from Chapter 7, the main theme is “Worship in the temple” (7:1-11; 25)
1>不蒙悅納的敬拜（v1-3）Unacceptable worship
上主差我到聖殿門口，要我站在那裏向猶大人宣佈他自己的話。於是我到聖殿門口，向進入聖殿敬拜上主的人傳達上主─萬軍的統帥、以色列上帝的信息：「你們要棄邪歸正！我就讓你們在這地方居住。（v1-3）
上 帝吩咐先知耶利米，要站在聖殿門口，宣佈上帝所啟示的話語。領受信息的對象是：進入聖殿敬拜上帝的人。吩咐他們要聽從上帝的話，要離棄罪惡，要改邪歸正。 顯示：當時進到聖殿敬拜上帝的人，根本沒有聽從上帝的話，一直都活在罪惡之中。所以，他們的敬拜是表面的、是虛假的，是上帝所厭惡的。
反省：每個禮拜都到聖殿敬拜上帝的我，上帝會如何看我？會跟當時的以色列百姓一樣嗎？
¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ² "Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: " 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. ³ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.(v1-3)

God instructed Jeremiah to stand at the temple gate declaring the message to those who were entering the temple. God wanted them to heed His words and turn away from their sins. Clearly, whoever entered the temple never heeded God’s words and they continued to live in a sinful way. They only worshiped God outwardly and hypocritically. Thus, it was detestable to Him.

Reflection: How does God see me who goes to church every Sunday? Does He think that I am like the Israelites?
2>視聖殿如護身符（v4）Viewing the temple as a protective charm
不要再相信那些騙人的話，說：『我們很安全，這是上主的聖殿；這是上主的聖殿；這是上主的聖殿！』（v4）
以 色列百姓一直都認為：上帝就住在聖殿的至聖所裏面，所以只要來到聖殿，就理所當然擁有上帝的同在。再加上當時的假先知，傳講「只要進到聖殿，就能擁有上帝 的照顧，所以敵人就不會前來攻擊，生命安全就會有保障」這樣偏差的信息。導致以色列百姓遭受誤導、信以為真。因此，一方面殷勤敬拜上帝，一方面活在罪中、 為所欲為。所以，再三強調：這是上主的聖殿；這是上主的聖殿；這是上主的聖殿！我們躲在這裏就可享平安了！
殊不知，因為以色列百姓所犯下嚴重的罪行，導致上帝不僅遠離至聖所，同時也遠離他們，甚至還要審判他們、毀滅他們。顯然，上帝絕對不是盲目的保護者，聖殿也絕對不是「不分青紅皂白」的護身符！
反省：在我的心目中如何看待上帝？有求必應的護身符？利益交換、各取所需的神祉？或---
⁴ Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" (v4)

The common concept shared among the Israelites was that God dwells in the Most Holy Place in the temple. Thus, whenever they came to the temple, they owned the presence of God. The false prophets misled the Israelites by false teachings that preached that they would be protected from their enemies and would live under God’s care. Therefore, the people worshiped God and lived a sinful life at the same time. They thought it was safe in the temple, thus they kept on repeating “This is the temple of God. This is the temple of God. This is the temple of God. We are safe in here!”They did not know that their sins not only had kept God away from the temple but also from themselves. Their sins had provoked judgment and destruction on them. Neither did God protect without discerning, nor was the temple a safe haven for whoever came to it.

Reflection: What is my perception of God? Do I treat Him like a charm to get what I want? Is the temple of God a place where people get what they want and exchange their profits? Or…
3>百姓所犯的罪過（v5-6、v8-9）The sins of the Israelites
「你們要棄邪歸正，以公平相待。不要再佔外僑和孤兒寡婦的便宜。停止在這塊地上殺害無辜。不要再拜別的神明，自取滅亡。（v5-6）
「看吧，你們倚靠那騙人的話是徒然的！你們偷竊，殺人，姦淫，作偽證，向巴力獻祭，拜你們不認識的神明。（v8-9）

⁵ If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, ⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,… ⁸ But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. ⁹ " 'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, ^[a] burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,(v5-6;8-9)
根據這段經文的描述，我們可以發現：當時以色列百姓所犯的過錯如下列：
a.在鄰舍之間，未以公平相待。 b.佔外僑和孤兒寡婦的便宜。 c.在這塊地上殺害無辜。
d.祭拜別的神明（巴力）。 e.欺騙。 f. 偷竊，殺人，姦淫，作偽證。
反省：以上罪行，我是否常因不小心而觸犯到？我如何更加謹慎守著自己，以免得罪上帝？
From these verses, we find that the Israelites had committed the following sins:

1. They did not deal justly with each other.
2. They oppressed the alien, the fatherless and the widows.
3. They shed the blood of the innocent.
4. They worshiped false gods (Baal).
5. They deceived others.
6. They committed the crimes of stealing, murder, adultery and perjury.

Reflection: Have I committed any of the above offenses? How can I be more scrupulous and keep myself from sinning against God?

4>將聖殿當作賊窩（v10-11a）Treating the temple as a house of robbers
你們做我恨惡的事，然後跑到我的聖殿裏，站在我面前，說：『我們很安全！』你們以為我的聖殿是賊窩嗎？（v10-11a）

¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"-safe to do all these detestable things? ¹¹ Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you?
先知耶利米聲稱：以色列百姓犯了許多污穢的罪行，卻又躲到聖殿裏，尋求上帝的保護。如此，無非是將聖殿當作盜賊的庇護所，也就是所謂：將聖殿變成賊窩。
當然，上帝接納罪人，也願意赦免罪人，罪人當然也可以進到教會。但是，如果有某一個人，他就是不肯悔改，一直活在罪惡之中，卻又常常進到聖殿尋求上帝，期待得著上帝的保護，這是上帝所不悅納的，這樣的情境，就是所謂的「將聖殿當成賊窩」。
反省：就這樣的情境，對我來說，聖殿是否有「被當作賊窩」的嫌疑？
Jeremiah said that the Israelites hid in the temple seeking God’s protection after they had committed detestable sins. They used the temple as a safe haven for robbers. This was what he meant when he said that they turned the temple into a house of robbers.

There is no doubt that God receives and forgives sinners. Sinners can enter the church. However, God is not pleased when a person constantly leads a sinful life and does not repent of his sins, despite of the fact that he enters the temple to seek God and to look for His protection. This is an example of turning the temple into a house of robbers.

Reflection: Am I hypocritical like the Israelites?
5>以示羅作為借鏡（v12-15）Learn from Shiloh’s example
你 們到示羅去，看我選定的第一個居所，就知道我因我子民以色列的罪怎樣對付那地方。你們犯了這許多罪過；我一再勸導你們，你們總是不聽；我呼叫你們，你們總 是不應答。因此，我從前怎樣待示羅，也要怎樣待你們所信賴那屬於我的聖殿，以及我賜給你們和你們祖先的地方，像我從前對付示羅一樣。我要從我眼前把你們趕 走，像我從前驅逐你們的親族以色列人一樣。我─上主這樣宣佈了。」（v12-15）

¹² " 'Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. ¹³ While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. ¹⁴ Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. ¹⁵ I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.'( v 12-15)
先知耶利米以當時以色列百姓跟非利士人爭戰的事件為例，對前來聖殿敬拜的以色列百姓提出警戒。示羅這個城市，曾經是以色列百姓的宗教中心（士師記21:19、撒母耳記上1:13）。
在約書亞的時代，聖幕與約櫃曾經放在這個地方，（約書亞記18:1）。

然 而，該城並沒有因此而確保安全無虞。因為根據撒母耳記上第四章的記載，當以色列百姓與非利士人爭戰的時候，係將約櫃從示羅抬到以便以謝，他們以為將約櫃帶 在身邊，就表示擁有上帝的同在，如此就能夠打勝仗，其實是極大的誤解。因為，結果戰爭還是輸了，甚至輸到連約櫃也被非利士人擄去。當然，示羅的情景也可想 而知。
因此，先知耶利米提醒以色列百姓，應該以「示羅」事件作為殷鑑。要是他們還是不肯悔改的話，聖殿根本保護不了他們，甚至連他們也都要被驅逐出去。
反省：我是否從歷史、先人失敗的經驗當中，學習到信仰功課？

According to Judges 21:16 and 1Samuel 1:13, Shiloh was once a religious centre. It was also a place where the Tent for Meeting and the Ark were located. (See Joshua 18:1) However, Shiloh was not invincible from enemy intrusion. As recorded in1 Samuel 4, when they fought against the Philistines, the Israelites carried the Ark from Shiloh to Ebenezer, naively thinking that the Ark was the equivalence of God’s presence which would bring them victory. Their naiveness led them to defeat and the Ark was captured by the enemy, not to mention that Shiloh must be in worse condition.

Therefore, Jeremiah brought Shiloh’s history to the people’s attention and said that they should learn from its past. The temple would not be an asylum to those who did not repent and would cast them out.

Reflection: Did I learn anything from the mistakes the people made in history?

四、我的禱告 / 實際應用