耶利米哀歌［第5章］
Book of Lamentations 5
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耶利米哀歌［第5章|Book of Lamentations 5【求神记念使民回转】
29/12/2021
引言：
耶利米哀歌第5章是第五首哀歌，这是一首祷告诗,也是全书的结束祷告。是先知耶利米为他的人民-以色列子民求告神的祷告。整个祷告是求神记念祂子民的苦难，并使他们回转向神，再次得到复兴。
一、求神记念子民受苦（V1-18）
这段经文一开始就是‘耶和华啊，求你记念’，先知耶利米切切祈求神垂听他的祷告。他求神‘记念我们所遭遇的事’， ‘观看我们所受的凌辱’。 ‘观看’ 原文是‘眷顾’的意思。
先知耶利米求神记着他们的苦难，眷顾他们所受的凌辱，希望耶和华给他们施恩救助。
接着，耶利米向神倾诉，他们现在面对因列祖和自己所犯的罪，所带来的祸害困苦：
1.失去产业（V2）
V2 我们的产业归与外邦人。我们的房屋归与外路人。
从前以色列人出埃及之后，神赶出迦南地的外邦人，让百姓得土地为业。如今，产业却归外邦人，没有安定的居所。
产业是神‘应许的福分’！罪使人失去神所要赐给我们各样属灵的福分，神已在基督里给我们各样属灵的福气，不要让罪使我们失去了神的应许与祝福而遭遇审判与咒诅！
2.失去倚靠（V3-13）
V3 我们是无父的孤儿。我们的母亲好像寡妇。
第三节经文让我们看见罪使以色列子民成为‘无父的孤儿’， 失去了最主要的‘倚靠’。
事实上，我们有一位富足赐恩给我们享受的天父，而‘罪’却使我们远离天父。 当我们因罪失去父的供应时，我们会成为贫穷、饥渴、疲乏不得歇息、可怜无助的人(V4-10)； 也成为一个失去父亲保护、到处被欺侮的人(V11-13)； 让我们离弃‘罪’重新回到神的怀抱，再次享受祂成为爱我们、保护我们的父亲和良人！
3.失去自由（V8）
V8 奴仆辖制我们，无人救我们脱离他们的手。
奴仆是指巴比伦人，他们从前是奴仆，现在反过来辖制神的子民。更严重的是，没有人来帮助神的子民，别人也无力帮助。
罪使我们成为不自由的人，成为欲望的仆人！成为撒但的奴仆！被罪恶辖制！ 我们基督徒应当过的是自由得胜的生活！让我们远离罪恶的网罗，好让我们成为真正自由的人！
4.失去喜乐（V14-18）
V14 老年人在城门口断绝。少年人不再作乐。15 我们心中的快乐止息，跳舞变为悲哀。16 冠冕从我们的头上落下。我们犯罪了，我们有祸了。
先知耶利米在这段经文总结了他们心里的悲哀。 以前的安定、‘作乐’、‘快乐’、‘跳舞’、繁荣已经没有了，代表地位、权柄和荣耀的‘冠冕’都没有了，一切换来了‘悲哀’、‘心里发昏’、‘眼睛昏花’。
犯罪的人心中背负良心的谴责和神的震怒，心中不可能有真正的喜乐。所有的只是短暂的、虚假的‘罪中之乐’！而喜乐才是我们当有的人生，‘罪’会夺走它们！但愿我们远离罪恶，好让我们心中有真实的喜乐和平安！重新得着荣耀的冠冕！
二、求神动工使民回转（V19-22）
V19 耶和华阿，你存到永远。你的宝座存到万代。20 你为何永远忘记我们。为何许久离弃我们。21 耶和华阿，求你使我们向你回转，我们便得回转。求你复新我们的日子，像古时一样。22 你竟全然弃绝我们，向我们大发烈怒。
先知耶利米向神诉说他们的悲苦情况之后，最后便向神呼求拯救，呼求神采取行动使人回转。因为人回转向神，是得神复新的第一步！
接着耶利米宣告：耶和华阿，你存到永远。你的宝座存到万代（V19）。并带领以色列子民继续求神拯救。因为知道耶和华是掌王权、居首位的神，所以将主权交给祂，让祂亲自动工。所以第21节耶利米就呼求神‘使我们向你回转，我们便得回转’。耶利米恳求神使人‘回转’，这也是在祈求神和人一同‘回转’！就是：神转向祂的子民，拯救帮助他们回转向神、悔改专心信靠主。因为，若不是神主动施恩，罪人没有可能、也没有能力自己主动回转。
而神使‘刚硬者’回转、向‘顽梗者’施怜悯的方式，就是‘大发烈怒’（V22）；天性悖逆的人只有经历过神管教的烈怒，才能知道神是应当敬畏的，才肯回转归向祂，好使祂能‘复新我们’（V21）！如果人拒绝管教，在管教中挣扎反抗，就拦阻了神施怜悯的管道，而无法回转归向神！
耶利米用一个疑问诗句来结束本章，我们看来好像有点不顺。其实，这个疑问是要引发我们思考的最好结尾。
其实，神深不可测的爱，以及刑罚，都是为了叫我们更明白神的作为都是有计划的。我们的祷告，不一定能看见它成就，我们的困难也不一定可以快速解决，但我们可以好好交托给神，‘求神纪念，让神动工’。神希望我们‘不为明天忧虑’，‘一天的难处一天当就够的’。所以，我们除了要好好祷告之外，现在要做的，是努力活在当下，每一天抓紧神的恩典生活，信实的神愿意与我们同在，祝福我们，也借我们祝福他人。
总结：
弟兄姐妹，耶利米哀歌虽然只有短短的5章，但却让我们看见，不要忽视神叫我们悔改的宝贵机会。因为我们一直不悔改重复犯罪，当神出手审判甚至毁灭我们的时候，那是非常可怕的!
愿耶利米哀歌成为我们基督徒的提醒，也让我们不要只管自己的事，也要关心国家社会的事。 为我们所在的城市来祷告，并且起来传福音做见证。因为当越来越多不信主的人，他们的心转而归向神的时候，世界上不公不义的邪恶事情、战争侵略就会减少！
Lamentation 5: Pray for God's Remembrance to Turn the People Around
GK611 Morning Devotion
29/12/2021
Speaker: IP Daniel Kew + Rev David Tan
Introduction:
Lamentations Chapter 5 is the fifth lamentation, which is a prayer and the closing prayer of the book. It is the prophet Jeremiah's prayer of supplication to God for his people, the children of Israel. The whole prayer is to ask God to remember the suffering of His people and to turn them back to Him for revival again.
1. Pleading God to Remember the People's Suffering (V1-18)
The prophet Jeremiah prayed earnestly for God to hear his prayer, beginning with the words 'Remember, O LORD'. He asks God to 'remember what has happened to us' and to 'see the abuse we have suffered'. The original word 'watch' means 'to look upon'.
The prophet Jeremiah asked God to remember their sufferings and to look on their humiliation, hoping that the Lord would give them relief.
Jeremiah then confided in God about the woes they were now facing because of the sins of their fathers and of themselves.
(1) Loss of Inheritance (V2)
V2 Our inheritance is given to the Gentiles. Our houses are given to the Gentiles.
Once upon a time, after the Israelites came out of Egypt, God drove out the Gentiles from the land of Canaan, so that the people could have land for their property. Now, the inheritance is given to the Gentiles, and there is no stable dwelling place.
Property is the 'promised blessing' of God! Sin deprives man of all the spiritual blessings that God wants to give us. God has given us all spiritual blessings in Christ, so do not let sin deprive us of God's promises and blessings and bring judgment and curses upon us!
(2) Loss of Dependence (V3-13)
V3 We have become orphans and waifs, Our mothers are like widows.
Verse 3 shows us that sin has made the children of Israel 'fatherless orphans', losing their primary 'dependence'.
In fact, we have a Father who is rich in grace for our enjoyment, but 'sin' has kept us from Him.
When we lose our Father's provision because of sin, we become poor, hungry, thirsty, weary and restless, poor and helpless (V4-10). Also become a person who is without the protection of the Father and is bullied everywhere (V11-13).
Let us turn away from 'sin' and return to God’s embrace and enjoy Him again as a loving, protecting Father and good man!
(3) Loss of Freedom (V8)
V8 Servants rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand.
The slaves are the Babylonians, who were once slaves, but now they have come back to dominate God's people. What is worse, no one comes to help God's people, and no one else is able to help.
Sin makes us unfree men, servants of our desires! To become slaves of Satan! To be ruled by sin!
We Christians should live a free and victorious life! Let us be free from the snare of sin, so that we may become truly free!
(4) Loss of Joy (V14-18)
V14 The elders have ceased gathering at the gate, and the young men from their music. 15 The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance has turned into mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
The prophet Jeremiah summed up the sorrow of their hearts in this passage. The old stability, 'making merry,' 'joy,' 'dancing,' and prosperity were gone, and the 'crowns' that represented status, power, and glory ' are gone, and everything has been replaced by 'sorrow', 'faintness of heart', and 'dimness of eyes'.
The sinner bears the condemnation of his conscience and the wrath of God in his heart, and there can be no true joy in his heart. All that is there is a short-lived, false 'joy in sin'! And joy is what we should have in life, and 'sin' takes them away! May we turn away from sin, so that we may have true joy and peace in our hearts! To be crowned with glory again!
2. Ask God to Turn the People Around (V19-22)
V19 You, O Lord, remain forever; Your throne from generation to generation. 20 Why do You forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time? 21 Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored; renew our days as of old, 22 unless You have utterly rejected us, and are very angry with us!
After the prophet Jeremiah had told God about their misery, he finally cried out to God for salvation, and asked God to act to turn people back. For turning back to God is the first step to God's restoration!
Then Jeremiah declared: You, O Lord, remain forever; Your throne from generation to generation. (V19). And he led the children of Israel to continue to ask God for salvation. Knowing that the LORD is the reigning and first God, the sovereignty is given to Him to work in person. So next, in verse 21 the prophet Jeremiah cries out to God 'Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored'. Jeremiah pleads with God to 'turn' the people, and this is a prayer for God to 'turn' with the people! That is, that God would turn to His people and save and help them to turn to God and repent and trust in the Lord. For there is no possibility or power for man to turn of his own accord, if God does not take the initiative to give grace. And the way God turns the 'hardened' and shows mercy to the 'stubborn' is by 'great wrath' (V22); It is only when the rebellious by nature have experienced the wrath of God's discipline that they will know that God is to be feared and will turn to Him so that He may 'restore us'. (V21)! If man rejects discipline and struggles against it, he blocks the channel of God's mercy and cannot turn back to Him!
Jeremiah ends the chapter with a questioning verse that seems to us to be a bit out of place. In fact, this question is the best way to end to provoke us to think.
In fact, God's unfathomable love, as well as the punishment, are meant to make us more aware that God's actions are all planned. Our prayers may not always see their fulfillment, and our difficulties may not always be solved quickly, but we can entrust them to God well, and 'ask God to remember and let Him work'. God wants us to 'not worry about tomorrow', and 'one day's difficulty is enough for one day'. Therefore, besides praying well, what we need to do now is to try to live in the present moment and grasp God's grace to live each day, and the faithful God is willing to be with us and bless us, and through us to bless others.
Conclusion:
Brothers and sisters, although the Book of Lamentations is only 5 short chapters, it shows us not to neglect the precious opportunity of God to call us to repentance. For if we keep on not repenting and sinning repeatedly, it will be very scary when God steps in to judge and even destroy us!
May Lamentations of Jeremiah be a reminder to us as Christians, and that we should not only care about our own affairs, but also about the affairs of our nations and society.
Come and pray for our city, and rise up as witnesses to the gospel. For as more and more unbelievers turn their hearts to God, there will be less unjust and evil things, wars and aggression in the world!
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