旧约 - 约珥书(Joel)第2章

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
约珥书第二章   第 2 章 

  珥 2 章 > 吹角声起,定有所示…… 

  2 章 约珥继续描述蝗虫所造成的破坏( 2:25 )。角声显示灾难已迫在眉睫。约珥更指出蝗灾只是先头部队,若百姓还不离罪悔改,更大的灾难还在后头。 

  珥 2:3> 地如伊甸,那时还有伊甸园? 

  2:3 伊甸园是神为亚当和夏娃造的第一个居所(参创 2:8 ),以美丽闻名,此处用作形容大地受破坏前的美丽。 

  珥 2:12,13> 事情宜早不宜迟,──时间还有的是?我敢这么夸口吗? 

  2:12,13 神告诉百姓当趁还有时间时离罪归向祂,因为毁灭将至。对我们而言,时间也正在消逝,因为无人能知生命何时终结,所以要尽早相信并且顺服神,别让任何事情阻挠你归向神的心。 

  珥 2:13> 悔罪得捶胸顿足不可?还是── 

  2:13 撕裂衣服是人彻底懊悔的表现。但神所要的,不是没有内涵、实质和虚有其表的悔罪(参撒上 16:7 ;太 23:1-36 )。因此,要检讨自己对神的态度是否正确,而非只注重外在的表现。 

  珥 2:18> 审判──让人绝望;什么?还有赦免的可能?只要…… 

  2:18 这是约珥所发出预言的转捩点:从预言神发出审判,转到神赐赦免和恩福。可是,后者只会在百姓离弃罪恶,过神所喜悦的生活时才临到。事实上,有悔改的地方就有盼望。约珥书这部分所提到的就是盼望,没有这部分,整个预言只会带来绝望和无奈。在此,赦免的应许鼓励人作出悔改的回应。 

  珥 2:20> 2:20 约珥见有攻击从北方的亚述和巴比伦而来,并以蝗虫作预示。 

  珥 2:21> 审判──灭亡,赦免──喜乐,选择哪一个是不言而喻的吧…… 

  2:21 约珥将神审判所引发的恐惧( 2:1 ),与祂介入所带来的喜乐做对比。在耶和华的日子,罪要带来审判,只有神的赦免才会带来喜乐。除非你已悔改,否则你的罪只有招致审判。因此,让神进入你的生命吧!这样,到那日你必定喜乐,不再恐惧。往昔是禁食、灾难和挽歌,将来则有筵席、丰收和颂赞。当神作王的时候,神的重建工作便会完成。与此同时,我们必须谨记,神并没有应许祂所有的跟随者在世上都会倍享荣华;神赦免我们,我们可以与祂重建关系,但这并不意味个人会因此发大财。神的应许是要满足爱祂之人最深切的需要:爱我们、赦免我们、赐我们生命的意义,并给我们一个互相关爱的社群。 

  珥 2:26,27> “我的百姓必永远不至羞愧”,据我所知不是这样的呀…… 

  2:26,27 假如按经文所说,犹大人将永不再经历象蝗虫灾害那样的毁灭(“必永远不至羞愧”),那么,我们当如何解释他们被掳到巴比伦、在希腊及罗马人手下作奴隶、以及遭希特勒大屠杀等等的事件?我们须谨记一点,解经切不可断章取义。这经文是约珥预言中“赐福”的部分,即说只有当百姓真心悔改,才可避免像约珥所描述那般的灾难。神的恩福只应许赐给真诚恒久地跟随祂的人。不过,神的确应许在最后审判之后,祂的选民永远不再经历这样的苦难(参亚 14:9-11 ;启 21:1-27 )。 

  珥 2:28-32> 神的灵要浇灌在人身上,我身上也有吗?若真是如此…… 

  2:28-32 彼得曾引述这段经文(参徒 2:16-21 )。约珥预言神要将圣灵浇灌在人身上,这事在圣灵降临时(五旬节)已应验了。过去,神的灵似乎只临到列王、先知及士师身上,但约珥预见将来圣灵必要临到每一位信徒。以西结也曾提及圣灵浇灌的事(参结 39:28-29 )。如今,凡信神的人必有圣灵在他身上( 2:32 )。 

  珥 2:30> 2:30 这些“奇事”会稍稍呈现将至的景象。 

  珥 2:31,32> 在耶路撒冷路上必有逃脱的人!他们是…… 

  2:31,32 在此,“耶和华的日子”是用以描述神审判万邦的特定时刻(参 1:15 注释)。审判与怜悯是不可分割的。约珥曾指出,只要肯悔改,神必要从审判中把人拯救出来( 2:12-14 )。所以,在审判和大灾难的日子,仍会有人得救。神的心意并非要破坏,而是要医治和拯救;然而我们必须接受救恩才可幸免于难,否则必要和那些不悔改的人一同灭亡。──《灵修版圣经注释》