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何西阿书［第5章］
Book of Hosea 5

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何西阿书［第5章］ |Book of Hosea 5

【从心而听，回到原处】

主讲：郑伟健同工
03/05/2023

引言：愿听者为王，不听者灭亡

耳、王、十、目、一和心，这几个字组成起来就是繁体的的‘听（聽）’。拆字就是“十目一心耳为王”也就是说要多听多看用心记，虚心听取别人的意见和合理的建议。这其中的含义是需要眼到、口到、心到。并且要做到用眼看、用口说、用心记。

以色列民之所以陷在罪中，除了许多外邦文化的影响，更重要的关键就是领袖们没有做好榜样，甚至引导百姓们往错误的方向去。昨天和今天的经文都是要对未尽责的祭司和领袖们发出严厉的警告！神透过何西阿提醒领袖们要听，重新带领百姓们归回。

一、审判临到不听的人

经文提到神向三类的领袖发出审判的宣告，第一类是众祭司、第二类是向以色列的家长、第三类是王家。神将管治权柄交给他们，所以神首先要审判他们。以下的行为都是导致我们没办法用心听，我们要鉴察自己是否有这样的行为。

1. 悖逆的人 (V1-2)

米斯巴和他泊山都是有敬拜偶像的邱坛。北国的祭司和领袖们都在引导百姓名门误入歧途，就像把百姓们当成是鸟，张开网罗，使他们陷入罪里，无法自拔。 神称这些领袖是悖逆的人，他们甚至施行杀戮，神说他们的罪孽极深。

2. 行淫的人 (V3-4)

以法莲是北方十个支派中的领导支派，常被何西阿用来代指北国以色列。行淫、所行的指敬拜偶像的行为，淫心指敬拜偶像的心思。

今天当我们不能专心跟随神的时候，或许有一些思虑、钱财、宴乐挤住了。以色列不能归向神，因为他们喜欢拜偶像，里面存了拜偶像的心思。我们要警醒，若我们侍奉两位主，就如行淫的人一样。

3. 骄傲的人 (V5-6)

圣经形容以色列的骄傲当面见证自己就像是作见证控告自己，使他们在审判的时候因自己的罪孽跌倒。骄傲的人会不断否定别人的提醒，坚持自己是对的，最后的结果就是跌倒。我们要留心听劝，谦卑顺服地听，免得自己掉入蒙蔽的深渊里。

4. 诡诈的人 (V7)

当时候的以色列有许多的百姓们认为自己是在尽心地敬拜神，但是祭司只是引导百姓们虚假地，透过表面的宗教仪式敬拜神。这样的行为就如生了私生子，在淫乱中所生的孩子一样，他们甚至用宗教的名义去行淫，神都看见。

我们要警醒，不要停在表面上敬拜神，而是我们的生命，都要献给神。以心灵和诚实敬拜祂。

二、战争临到麻木的人

1. 轻慢神带来战争之祸 (V8-11)

犹大的领袖擅自挪移神所设立的地界，对神的命令不尊重，甚至南国犹大勾结亚述，侵占了神赐给北国以色列的领土。因此、经文提到吹角、吹号，和吹出大声，因为争战的事要临到。神警告百姓们，审判、地业要被吞灭，敌军要来攻击他们的日子已经临近。

2. 藐视神终成朽烂之木 （V12-14）

神使以法莲如虫蛀之物，使犹大家如朽烂之木。神在形容以法莲因为这些战事被欺压，为了求和，他们向亚述纳税钱，以致暂时平息这些战争。但是这只会使他们的经济越来越衰弱，外表看起来被保护了，但是里面却是已经烂了。

这是因为他们没有依靠神的保护，一直以金钱讨好敌人，藐视了神。就如罪恶的生命，最后带来的结局就是跌倒，被虫蛀了很久都不知道，最后产业被吞灭，生命被偷窃。

总结：神在原处等我们 （V15）

这一章经文最特别之处是，神在最后给以色列民一个出路、得救的盼望。以法莲最后没钱、没人搭救的时候，才想起神，才发现自己有罪。神在原处，就如父一样，在家里等我们回转。人愿意听，就得以回转。人的悖逆骄傲使人的生命如被虫蛀一样，全归无有。

Hosea 5 : "Hear from the Heart and back to the origin
GK611 Morning Devotion
03.05.2024
Speaker: Asher Chang

Introduction: May he who listens be king, but he who does not listen perish

The words 'ear', 'king', 'ten', 'eye', 'one' and 'heart' form the traditional Chinese word 'listen'. The word is "ten eyes, one heart and ears are king," which means we should listen more, read more and remember more, and listen to others' opinions and reasonable suggestions with an open mind. The meaning of this is the need to eye to, mouth to, heart to. And we must see with our eyes, speak with our mouths, and remember with our hearts.

The key to why the people of Israel are now in sin, besides the influence of many Gentile cultures, is that the leaders did not set a good example and even led the people in the wrong direction. Yesterday's and today's scriptures are meant to be a stern warning to the priests and leaders who have not done their part! Through Hosea, God reminded the leaders to listen and lead the people back again.

1. Judgment comes to those who do not listen

The Scripture mentions that God issued a declaration of judgment to three categories of leaders, the first category being the priests, the second category being to the parents of Israel, and the third category being the royal family. God gave them authority to rule, so God will judge them first. The following behaviours are the ones that cause us to fail to listen attentively, and we need to examine ourselves to see if we have such behaviours.

(1) The rebellious (V1-2)

Both Mizpah and Mount Tabor were altars with idolatrous worship. The priests and leaders of the northern kingdom were leading the people's names astray, as if they were birds, spreading their snares so that they would fall into sin and be unable to extricate themselves. God called these leaders disobedient people, who even committed murder, and God said their sins were deep.

(2) The adulterers (V3-4)

Ephraim was the leading tribe of the ten northern tribes and was often used by Hosea to refer to the northern kingdom of Israel. Adultery, what is done, refers to the act of worshiping idols, and the adulterous mind refers to the mind of worshiping idols.

Today when we cannot focus on following God, perhaps there are thoughts, money, and feasting that crowd in. Israel could not return to God because they loved idolatry and had an idolatrous mind in them. Let us be wary, if we serve two masters, we are like those who practise adultery.

(3) The Proud (V5-6)

The Bible describes the pride of Israel as testifying against itself to its face as if it were a witness against itself, so that they would fall at the judgment for their own sins. A proud person will constantly deny the reminders of others and insist that he is right, and the end result will be a fall. We need to listen carefully and humbly, lest we fall into the abyss of deception.

4. The deceitful man (V7)

There were many people in Israel who thought they were worshipping God with all their heart, but the priests only led the people to worship God falsely and through superficial religious rituals. Such behaviour was like having illegitimate children, children born in adultery, and they even committed adultery in the name of religion, which God saw.

Let us be alert and not stop at superficially worshipping God, but let us dedicate all our lives to God. Worship Him with spirit and truth.

2. War comes to the numb

(1). The scourge of war is brought about by despising God (V8-11)

The leaders of Judah removed the boundaries of the land established by God without permission, disrespected God's commands, and even the southern kingdom of Judah collaborated with Assyria to invade the territory given by God to the northern kingdom of Israel. Therefore, the scriptures mention the blowing of horns and trumpets, and the blowing of loud voices, because of the war that was coming. God warned the people that the day of judgment and the devouring of the land was near, and that the enemy would come against them.

(2) Defying God will lead to rotten wood (V12-14)

God made Ephraim like a moth and the house of Judah like rottenness. God is describing how Ephraim was oppressed by these wars, and in order to make peace, they paid taxes to Assyria to temporarily quell these wars. But this only made their economy weaker and weaker, appearing to be protected on the outside, but rotten on the inside.

This was because they did not rely on God's protection, but kept pleasing their enemies with money, and defied God. Just as the life of sin brings the final end of falling, being wormed for a long time without knowing it, and finally the estate is swallowed up and the life is stolen.

Conclusion: God is waiting for us where we are (V15)

What is special about this chapter is that God gives the people of Israel a way out, a hope of salvation, at the end. It was only when Ephraim finally ran out of money and had no one to help him that he remembered God and realised that he had sinned.

God is where He is, just like the Father, at home waiting for us to turn. If a man is willing to listen, he can turn back. Man's rebellious pride brings his life to nothing as if it were worm-eaten.