GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

Jeremiah has sympathy for his people but at the same time he is abhorred by their sins. They only worship God outwardly with their religious rituals but inwardly they do not worship God in their heart. This is evidenced by their evil. They love to lie and ambush even their own siblings. The NT tells us if we say we love God but hate our brothers and sisters in Christ we are liars (1 John 4:20). Because of their false worship, God has no choice but to punish them so that they may repent. God makes their punishment vivid by calling the Jews to prepare for their punishment by learning to sing dirge. To some degree, God was able to change Israel’s behavior through punishment. After Israel returned from exile, they never worshipped idols again, but they continue to have idols in their hearts. Punishment can never cause sinful human hearts to abandon idols; therefore, the Messiah needs to change their hearts through the Spirit.

The root cause of their idolatry and sin is their idolatrous heart. They boast in their own wisdom, physical and military strength, and riches. Boasting is an expression of worship. They worshipped these things. Human wisdom, physical strength and riches were their idols. But God calls them to worship Him by boasting in Him and His character of steadfast love, justice and righteousness. As long as they do not boast in God, their idolatrous hearts can never be transformed. They will always have uncircumcised, i.e. unclean, hearts even though they are circumcised outwardly. Because of their idolatry, they will be punished, along with their uncleaned neighbours including Egypt when Babylonian conquers them.

As Christians, we are given a new nature, a new heart through Jesus. This heart has God as the center of our worship. Now we are able to put to death idols and sins in our hearts so that God can reign fully in our hearts (Rom. 8:13). Check to see what your heart boasts about. Whatever your heart boasts about, that is what you worship. If your boasting is sinful, ask God for forgiveness and thank Him for Jesus, who has died for you. Then ask God to change your sense of greatness so that you will see God and His character as the greatest and you should gladly imitate Him. Have your highest boast in God and His character.

耶利米为他的百姓悲伤，但同时也厌恶他们的罪孽。他们单单以外在的宗教仪式敬拜神，心里却不敬拜祂。他们的恶就是有力的证明。他们喜爱说谎话与谋害人，即使是亲兄弟也不放过。新约告诉我们：如果我们说自己爱神，心里却恨自己主内的弟兄姐妹，我们便是说谎话的（约一4:20）。因着他们虚假的敬拜，神别无选择，唯有惩罚他们，叫他们或许肯悔改。神呼召犹太人学唱哀歌，以此将他们的惩治具体化，叫他们预备受罚。在某种程度上，神是可以通过惩罚改变以色列的行为。以色列自流放归回以后便从此不敬拜偶像，但他们心里仍继续隐藏偶像。惩治是绝对不能叫罪人的心抛弃偶像；因此，弥赛亚需要藉着圣灵改变他们的心。

偶像崇拜与罪恶的根原是他们淫乱的心。他们因自己的智慧、体格和军事力量，以及财物夸口。夸口是崇拜的一种表现；他们崇拜的是这些东西。人类的智慧，体能和财物都是他们的偶像。然而，神呼召他们要敬拜祂，以祂与祂不变的慈爱、公平和公义之品格夸口。只要他们不以神夸口，他们奸淫的心就永不能改变。虽然他们受过割礼，但他们永远会存未受割礼，即不洁净，的心。因着他们的偶像崇拜，他们将与包括埃及在内的不洁净邻舍一同在巴比伦侵略之时遭受惩罚。