17/11/2021

引言 :

大卫行神眼中看为正的事，所以神拣选他建立了神子民的王国。可惜他的子孙专行神眼中看为恶的事，到西底家作王，仍然不知悔改，继续作恶，结果王国就毁在他的手中！但是我们看见犹大虽然亡国了，神却是永在，凡是回转敬畏神的子民，都得救恩得祝福！

一、犹大亡国 (V1-26)

这段经文讲述巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒第二次进攻耶路撒冷，使到犹大国灭亡，因为他所立的犹大王西底家背叛了他。

1.国破家亡 (V1-12)

当时耶路撒冷被围困三年，以致国中饥荒。当巴比伦人破城而入时，西底家试图逃跑，但被抓住了，被挖去双眼，受尽凌辱，他在失明前看到的最后一件事就是他的儿子们被杀。

巴比伦人又将圣殿、王宫和富户的房屋放火烧了，城墙也拆毁(V8-10)，除了极贫穷的人以外，全部被带到巴比伦去。犹大族人的家都亡了。一座本来被众山围绕，似乎牢不可破的城市，如今却被巴比伦人攻破了。犹大人以为依靠有利的地形、牢固的城墙可以保护耶路撒冷。但犹大人犯了一个可怕的错误，就是错误的依靠。城墙的石头虽然很硬，原来这些东西不能保护他们！因着这个可怕的错误，让他们得到了可怕的结局-国破家亡！

弟兄姐妹，我们现在依靠的是什么东西让自己有安全感？金钱？文凭？地位？事业？
当我们尝试倚靠世界，导致生命有了破口，我们的一切就会被仇敌掳走！我们真正可靠的保护，不是来自世界，而是只来自神！惟有转向神、依靠神，才能让我们得到身心灵的保护和平安！

2.圣殿尽毁 (V13-17)

经过多次被抢夺之后的圣殿，原本已经所存无几，现在更是连圣殿本身也被焚烧，连锅，蜡剪，调匙等等小物品也不放过，被洗劫得一乾二净，代表为神所建立的两根铜柱也被拆毁，被运到巴比伦去了。所罗门所建的圣殿遭焚毁了，犹太人信仰的中心已经完全尽毁了，耶和华的荣耀所在之地，顿时变得荒凉了！

本章详细讲述圣殿如何被毁坏， 是要让人知道，圣殿不等于神。当人背叛神，不再敬拜神，神会心疼地离开圣殿！这绝对不是神的失败，而是神选民的失败！

今天我们信了主，神的灵住在我们里头，我们的身体也是神的殿，如果我们仍然行恶玷污‘神的殿’，最终蒙羞遭毁的是我们自己。神是一直在等我们回转，要赐给我们蒙福永恒的生命！

3.子民四散 (V18-26)

在亡国的情景下，最后我们看见犹太人的悲惨下场。就连尚存的大祭司西莱雅、副祭司西番亚，以及一些重要的官员也被杀害。这样，会众与神之间的连接也随着大祭司的遇害而断绝了。而犹大省长基大利的被杀，更让犹太余民失去了可以带领他们的领袖，大家再一次陷入无助的境地。而且更为可悲的是，基大利还是被犹大人杀害的。犹太人原本已经所剩无几，他们却还手足相残！

犹大王室的遗族把基大利杀了于是众民，无论大小。因为惧怕迦勒底人，都逃亡到埃及去。如此，犹大国正式子民四散的灭亡了！

人离开神，不行神的道，终必遭受毁灭，连神的选民，以色列国也不例外。所以，今天当我们似乎一切都失去时，处在无助绝望时，我们要知道一切事物都会过去，惟有神是永远长存！当我们懂得回转向神，一切就有转机，凡事有出路。

二、神是永在 (V27-30)

在经文的最后一段，也是列王纪全书的最后一段，突然地讲述了已经被废除并被掳三十七年后的约雅斤王抬头，被提出监狱受恩待的事情。

经文没有介绍任何背景让我们知道为什么会发生这样的事。也正是如此，才让我们知道这看似莫名其妙发生的事，乃是出于永在的神，是在显明永在神的作为：

1.永远纪念

约雅斤被关了37年，他自己也应该觉得就是这样被关到死为止！哪里还会想到有出狱的一天，而且是出狱蒙恩待，终身常在巴比伦王面前吃饭。

我们的神是永远纪念祂的子民的，尤其是祂在管教中的孩子，祂必不离弃！除非我们选择放弃！
就像神没有忘记被掳37年的约雅斤，神也没有忘记我们每一位信靠等候祂的子民！ 如果我们对神有信心，我们就知道地上的一切都会过去的，我们只要定睛在‘神的应许’和‘永恒的盼望’！那么我们的等候就是有平安的！有盼望的！

2.永远守约

这件事之所以重要，也是因为约雅斤是大卫的后代。当西底家死了之后，大家会以为大卫的后代终止了，其实不是，还有约雅斤。由于耶稣是大卫的后代，所以大卫的子孙必要世代传下去，才有耶稣的出生。所以，约雅斤被释放获恩待，表明神是永远守约信实的，大卫子孙不会因为犹大亡国而断绝！

约雅斤虽然是行神眼中看为恶的事（24:9），但是神可以奇妙的使用任何人，来成就祂的计划！
这不单单是发生在以色列民族历史中的事，其实也是不断地发生在我们每一位基督徒的身上的事，
因为无论是过去、现在，还是将来，神始终如一；祂的怒气不过是转眼之间，祂的恩典乃是一生之久；一宿虽然有哭泣，早晨便必欢呼。因为神是永远守约的神，所以祂应许的祂必成就！

就像主耶稣被钉十字架上的可怕结局，却成为整个世界的新起点！因为主战胜了死亡，从坟墓中复活，并赐给凡愿意信靠祂的人，得救恩得永生！对于基督徒来说，我们要知道：神可以把‘最糟的残局’，变成‘全新的开始’！

总结：人亡国灭，唯有神是永在！

因为人的不断作恶，爱人的神就会介入残局，施行管教，翻转局面，让受教的子民有一个全新的开始！

人会死亡，国家会灭亡，唯有永在的神，能给我们‘每天的更新’，和‘永恒的盼望’！只要我们愿意信靠跟随祂！在现今的混乱时局，我们也要求神帮助我们，能够带领更多的人，在基督里得更新和得盼望！

2 Kings 25: Though Judah Perishes.God is Everlasting
GK611 Morning Devotion
17/11/2021
Speaker: Intern Pastor Daniel Kew + Reverend David Tan

Introduction:

David did what was right in the eyes of God, so God chose him to establish the kingdom of God’s people. Unfortunately, his descendants did what was evil in God’s sight, and when Zedekiah became king, he did not repent and continue to do evil, and the kingdom was destroyed by his hand! But we see that though Judah fell, God lives forever, and all who turn to God and fear Him are blessed with salvation!

1. The Fall of Judah (V1-26)

This passage tells of the second attack on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, which brought about the destruction of the kingdom of Judah because Zedekiah, the king of Judah whom he had made, had betrayed him.

(1) The nation was broken (V1-12)

At that time Jerusalem was besieged for three years, so that there was famine in the country. When the Babylonians broke into the city, Zedekiah tried to escape, but was caught, had his eyes gouged out, and was so abused that the last thing he saw before he lost his sight was his sons being killed.

The Babylonians also set fire to the holy temple, the king’s palace, and the houses of the rich families, and the walls of the city were torn down (V8-10), and all but the very poor were taken to Babylon. All the houses of the tribe of Judah perished. A city that had been surrounded by mountains and seemed unbreakable was now invaded by the Babylonians. The people of Judah thought they could protect Jerusalem by relying on the favorable terrain and the strong walls of the city. But the people of Judah made the terrible mistake of relying wrongly. Though the stones of the walls were hard, it turned out that these things could not protect them! Because of this terrible mistake, they received a terrible end – the destruction of their nation!

Brothers and sisters, what are we relying on now to make ourselves feel secure? Money? Credentials? Status? Career?
When we try to rely on the world, which leads to a stronghold in our lives, everything we have will be taken away by the enemies! Our true and reliable protection does not come from the world, but from God alone! Only by turning to God and relying on Him can we have protection and peace of mind and body!

(2) The temple was destroyed (V13-17)

The temple, which had been plundered so many times with nothing much left, was burned, even the temple itself was burned, and even the the pots, the trimmers, the spoons, and other small items were sacked and plundered, the two bronze pillars that represented the building for God were also torn down and carried to Babylon. The temple built by Solomon was burned down, the center of Jewish faith and belief was completely destroyed, and the place where the glory of Yahweh was located became desolate!

This chapter tells in detail how the temple was destroyed to show people that the temple is not the same as God. When people betray God and stop worshiping Him, God will leave the temple in pain! This is definitely not a failure of God, but a failure of God’s chosen people!

Today we have believed in the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord lives in us, and our body is also God’s temple. If we still do evil to defile the ‘temple of God’, we will be the ones who are ultimately shamed and destroyed. God has been waiting for us to turn around and give us blessed eternal life!

(3) The people are scattered (V18-26)

In the end, we see the tragic end of the Jews in the scenario of the fall of the kingdom. Even the surviving chief priest, Seraiah, and the second priest, Zephaniah, as well as some important officials, were killed. Thus, the connection between the congregation and God was severed with the killing of the high priest. The killing of Gedaliah, the governor of Judah, left the Jewish remnant without a leader who could lead them, and they were once again left in a helpless situation. What is even more tragic is that Gedaliah was killed by the Jews. The Jews had few left, and yet they fought among themselves!

The remnants of the royal family of Judah killed Gedaliah, and all the people, large and small, were killed. All fled to Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans. Thus the nation of Judah was formally scattered and perished!

Even the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, is not exempt from destruction when people leave God and do not walk in His ways. Therefore, today, when it seems that everything is lost and we are in a state of helplessness and despair, we need to know that all things pass away, but God endures forever! When we know how to turn to God, everything will turn around and there will be a way out for everything.

2. God is Everlasting (V27-30)

In the last paragraph of the scripture, which is also the last paragraph of the whole book of Kings, it suddenly tells about the raising up of King Jehoiachin after he had been abolished and taken into captivity for thirty-seven years, and being raised up to be treated graciously in prison.

The scriptures do not introduce any background to let us know why this happened. This is what makes us know that this seemingly inexplicable occurrence is from the living God and is a manifestation of the work of the living God.

(1) Forever in remembrance

After 37 years of imprisonment, Jehoiachin himself should have thought that he would be imprisoned until he died! How could he have ever imagined that he would be released from prison, and that he would be treated graciously for life and eat before the king of Babylon.

Our God is ever mindful of His people, especially His children in discipline, and He will not forsake them! Unless we choose to give up!
Just as God did not forget Jehoiachin who was in captivity for 37 years, so God has not forgotten each of us who trusts and waits on Him! If we have faith in God, we know that all things on earth will pass away, we just need to fix our eyes on ‘God’s promises’ and ‘eternal hope’! Then our waiting is with peace! There is hope!

(2) Keeping the covenant forever

This matter is also important because Jehoiachin is a descendant of David. When Zedekiah died, people would have thought that David’s descendants had ended, but not so, there was still Jehoiachin. Since Jesus was a descendant of David, it was necessary for David’s descendants to pass on from generation to generation in order for Jesus to be born. Therefore, the fact that Jehoiachin was released and treated graciously shows that God is always faithful to keep His covenant and that the descendants of David will not be cut off because of the fall of Judah!

Although Jehoiachin was doing what God saw as evil (24:9), God can use anyone wonderfully to accomplish His plan!
This is not only what happened in the history of the nation of Israel, but in fact it is what happens to each and every one of us as Christians constantly.
For God is the same in the past, in the present, and in the future; For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But [a]joy comes in the morning.Because God is a God who keeps His covenants forever, He will fulfill what He has promised!

Like the terrifying end of the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion, which became a new beginning for the whole world! For the Lord overcame death, rose from the grave, and gives salvation to all who will trust in Him for eternal life! For Christians, we need to know: God can take the ‘worst mess’ and turn it into ‘a new beginning’!

Summary: Man and Nation Perishes, Only God is Everlasting!

Because of man’s constant wickedness, a loving God will intervene in the wreckage, exercise discipline, turn the situation around, and give a new beginning to the people who are teachable!

Man will die, nations will perish, but the living God can give us ‘daily renewal’ and ‘eternal hope’! If we are willing to trust and follow Him! In these chaotic times, we also ask God to help us to be able to lead more people to renewal and hope in Christ!