章:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
12:1 以法莲吃风,且追赶东风。时常增添虚谎和强暴。与亚述立约,把油送到埃及。
Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
12:2 耶和华与犹大争辩,必照雅各所行的惩罚他,按他所做的报应他。
The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
12:3 他在腹中抓住哥哥的脚跟,壮年的时候与神较力。
He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
12:4 与天使较力,并且得胜,哭泣恳求,在伯特利遇见耶和华。
Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;
12:5 耶和华万军之神在那里晓谕我们以色列人,耶和华是他可记念的名。
Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
12:6 所以你当归向你的神,谨守仁爱,公平,常常等候你的神。
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
12:7 以法莲是商人,手里有诡诈的天平,爱行欺骗。
He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
12:8 以法莲说,我果然成了富足,得了财宝,我所劳碌得来的,人必不见有什么不义,可算为罪的。
And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
12:9 自从你出埃及地以来,我就是耶和华你的神,我必使你再住帐棚,如在大会的日子一样。
And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.
12:10 我已晓谕众先知,并且加增默示,藉先知设立比喻。
I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
12:11 基列人没有罪孽吗。他们全然是虚假的。人在吉甲献牛犊为祭,他们的祭坛,好像田间犁沟中的乱堆。
Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
12:12 从前雅各逃到亚兰地,以色列为得妻服事人,为得妻与人放羊。
And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.
12:13 耶和华藉先知领以色列从埃及上来,以色列也藉先知而得保存。
And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
12:14 以法莲大大惹动主怒,所以他流血的罪,必归在他身上,主必将那因以法莲所受的羞辱归还他。
Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his LORD return unto him.
何西阿书12参考
雅各的生命纵不完美,但值得学习的是他寻求神的心;我呢?我又是如何?
12:2-5 后来改名为以色列的雅各是以色列十二个支派的祖先。雅各和他的后裔都行过欺诈,所不同的是雅各一直寻求神,为了得到祝福与天使摔跤,清除家中的外邦神像;而他的子孙却不肯放弃崇拜偶像,并认为他们的福分是自己努力得来的。
归向神,谨守仁爱与公平!是的,这我们都知道,只是不知道做到了多少?
12:6 何西阿呼吁以色列人遵守的原则──慈爱和公义,是神的特质中最基本的要素。这对信徒来说也是必不可少的,但人不易在两者之间保持平衡。有些人爱心有余以至宽容错误;有些人则坚持公义以至忘记爱。没有公义的爱,让人置身罪中,因为神的标准未被坚持;没有爱的公义,使人远离神,因为神的爱心未被彰显。重这个、轻那个往往会扭曲我们为神所作的见证。今天的教会也应该跟何西阿时代的以色列一样,同时坚持这两个原则。
以色列人看得到财富为神的祝福,只是在神眼中,真正有福的人是……
12:7-8 以诡诈的方法攫取财富在以色列已被认可,那些富裕的以色列人不能想像神会因此视他们为有罪。他们认为富有是神祝福的象徵,却不去考虑钱财是如何得来的。神说以色列的富有并不能掩饰它的罪恶。切记神衡量成功的标准跟人不同。在他眼里,忠诚胜于富有,品格重于钱财。
贫乏使人自卑,富有令人傲慢,人总把人的才干置于神的恩典之上,为何?你是这样吗?
12:8 富有的人和国家,常声称他们物质上的成就来自于自身的努力进取和聪明才智。应有尽有的物质财富使他们觉得没有必要依靠神。他们认为这些财富属于自己,所以有权随心所欲。若你为自己的成就感到自豪,请切记所有的机会、能力和资源都来自神,我们只是神的管家。
同样的处境──住在帐棚里,今次难道神要他们回想旷野的生活吗?
12:9 每逢一年一度的住棚节,以色列人就一个星期住在帐棚中,来纪念祖先出埃及后,漂流旷野的四十年中神的保守(参申1:19-2:1)。这里由于他们的罪,神又罚以色列人住帐棚,但不是过节而是受奴役。
卑微者升高是神的恩典,我这卑下人身上有哪些神的恩典?
12:12 何西阿在这里引用雅各之例来指出:“不要忘记从前你卑微的出身,今日你所得到的并非出于自己的努力,乃出于神的恩典。”
12:13 带领以色列出埃及的先知是摩西(参出13:17-19)。