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cover of episode Day 238 (Lamentations 3-5) - Year 4

Day 238 (Lamentations 3-5) - Year 4

2022/8/26
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Tara Lee Cobble: 我是《圣经回顾》节目的主持人Tara Lee Cobble。今天我们完成了圣经的第29本书——《耶利米哀歌》,这本书很可能由先知耶利米所写。第三章是一首诗,讲述了在邪恶似乎盛行的时候,上帝的信实。作者毫不避讳地将这些苦难归咎于上帝,但我们知道,这些都是上帝对百姓罪恶的回应。尽管将这一切归咎于上帝,作者在22-24节中仍然表达了对上帝的赞美。在犹大的苦难中,作者提醒自己要记住真理,即使真理看起来最不真实、最难以触及。当你感觉不到的时候,你最需要它。在25-27节中,他继续说道:『耶和华向等候他的人为善,向寻求他的人为善。』安静等候耶和华的拯救是好的;人从小就担当重担是好的。记住轭吗?记住它有什么作用?作者说,挑战实际上对我们有益,尤其是在年轻的时候,因为我们余生都能从中受益。品格是在这些时候形成的。对上帝的认识也是在这些时候形成的。在39节中,他指出,我们因罪受的任何惩罚都是合理的。他说:『活人为何埋怨,人为何因自己的罪受罚?』正是这种谦卑带来了悔改,这正是下一节发生的事情。40节开始呼吁他们省察自己的行为,向上帝认罪悔改。当他们悔改时,上帝就靠近他们。你能猜到当他靠近时,他首先对他们说的是什么吗?57节说:『我呼求你,你就靠近我;你说:不要惧怕。』上帝总是告诉他的子民不要害怕,因为他与他们同在。作者知道上帝应许要为犹大的敌人报仇。上帝的敌人不会有最终的胜利。邪恶不会有最终的胜利。上帝的子民可以在罪不会得胜的事实中找到希望。作者在第四章继续写了一首关于耶路撒冷两年围困及其随后毁灭的诗。他怀念过去他们过着奢华舒适的生活,那些穿着最昂贵的紫色衣服长大的富人,现在却住在灰堆里。但是,我们必须记住,并非每个人都过着奢华舒适的生活。他们压迫穷人,献祭他们的孩子,并非法奴役人民。因此,尽管作者回忆起过去的美好时光,但对每个人来说,那并不是那么美好。他说,耶路撒冷所经历的事情比上帝毁灭他们的城市时所多玛所经历的事情还要糟糕。所多玛被立即毁灭,但耶路撒冷的苦难持续了数年。那么,为什么上帝对自己的孩子更严厉呢?大多数评论员说,这是因为既然所多玛是他的敌人,立即毁灭对他们来说是合适的。但对他的孩子,他的目标是管教和恢复。所以他把眼光放长远。他试图训练他们顺服和信靠。如果你是一个父母,你会知道这不会在一夜之间发生。在他管教孩子的过程中,他也将愤怒倾泻在那些不认识他的人身上。耶路撒冷的情况很糟糕。饥荒如此严重,以至于人们开始吃人肉。他们的国王被俘,他们没有领导者,这往往会导致混乱。作为回应,他们的邻居以东却对他们的困境幸灾乐祸。因此,作者提醒他们,他们的日子就要来了。上帝会惩罚以东因耶路撒冷的沦陷而欢欣鼓舞。第五章以一首诗结束全书,这首诗是为上帝的怜悯和恢复而做的集体祈祷。在这章中,我们再次看到,上帝带来的管教产生了祂预期的悔改。在16-17节中,人们说:『祸哉,我们有罪了!因为这事,我们的心忧伤。』然后在19节中,他们在困境中赞美上帝。那节经文说:『你今日所行的,是什么呢?』我在3.22-23节中看到了这一点,它指出了上帝愿望的复杂性。就像我们一样,他可以有相互矛盾的愿望。但与我们不同的是,他的愿望,即使看起来相互矛盾,也没有一个是罪恶的。他总是做正确和最好的事情。这些经文说:…这一切都是与他的怜悯和他的坚定不移的爱结合在一起的,如果你是一个父母,你也会有这种感觉,有时你必须做你不想做的事情,才能完成更重要的事情。上帝总是知道,并且总是做最好的事情。在他的旨意中,他总是落在最能彰显他的荣耀和他的孩子更大喜乐的事情上。他追求的是他的荣耀。他追求的是我们的喜乐。他就在喜乐所在的地方。

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Hey Bible Readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for The Bible Recap. Today we finished our 29th book of the Bible. We just finished Lamentations, which was possibly written by the prophet Jeremiah. Chapter 3 is a poem about God's faithfulness in the midst of all the evil that seems so prevalent.

The author doesn't hold back in attributing these things to God, but as we know, these are things God has done in response to the sins of the people. And despite attributing all this to God, this is what he says about God in verses 22-24.

During Judah's struggle, the author is reminding himself of the truth when it seems most untrue and most inaccessible. When you feel it the least is when you need it the most.

In verses 25-27, he goes on to say, The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

Remember the yoke? Remember what that does? The author is saying that challenges are actually beneficial to us, and they're especially helpful when they come to us at a young age, because then we have the whole rest of our lives to receive those benefits. Character is formed in those times. Knowledge of God is formed in those times.

In verse 39, he points out that any punishment we receive for our sins is justified. He says, why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? This is the kind of humility that brings about repentance, which is exactly what happens in the next verse. Verse 40 begins a call to examine their ways, confess and repent to God. And God draws near when they repent. And can you guess the first thing he says to them when he draws near?

Verse 57 says, You came near when I called on you. You said, Do not fear. God is always telling his people not to be afraid. He is near. And the author knows God has promised to take vengeance on Judah's enemies.

God's enemies don't get the final word. Evil doesn't get the final word. God's people can find hope in the fact that sin doesn't get to win. The author continues in chapter 4 with a poem about the two-year siege of Jerusalem and its subsequent destruction. He looks back longingly at the way they used to live in luxury and ease, how the wealthy who were raised in purple garments, which are the most expensive, now live in ash heaps.

But again, we have to remember that not everyone was living in luxury and ease. They were oppressing the poor, sacrificing their children, and enslaving people illegally. So even though the author reminisces about how things used to be wonderful, they weren't so wonderful for everyone. He says the things Jerusalem has endured are worse than what Sodom endured when God destroyed their city. Sodom was destroyed immediately, but Jerusalem's struggle lasted for years.

So why is God acting more harshly toward his own kids? Most commentators say it's because since Sodom was his enemy, immediate destruction was fitting for them. But with his kids, his aim is to discipline and restore. So he's keeping the long game in mind. He's trying to train them toward obedience and trust. And if you're a parent, you know that doesn't happen overnight. And in the process of disciplining his children, he also pours out wrath on those who don't know him.

Things in Jerusalem are horrible. There's a famine so bad people resort to cannibalism. Their king has been captured, and they have no leaders, which often lends itself to chaos. And in response to all that, their neighbor Edom is gloating over their plight. So the author reminds them that their day is coming. God will punish Edom for rejoicing over the fall of Jerusalem.

Chapter 5 closes out the book with a poem that acts as a communal prayer for God's mercy and restoration. And in this chapter, we see again that the discipline God brought has yielded the repentance He intended. In verses 16-17, the people say, Woe to us, for we have sinned. For this our heart has become sick.

And then in verse 19, they praise God in the midst of their circumstances. That verse says, What was your God shot today?

Mine was in 3.22-23, which point out the complexity of God's desires. Just like us, He can have desires that are in contrast with each other. But unlike us, none of His desires, even when they seem in contrast, are sinful. And He always does what is right and best.

Those verses say,

and it's all done in conjunction with his compassion and his steadfast love if you're a parent you've felt this too sometimes you have to do the thing you don't want to do in order to accomplish something far more important

God always knows and always does what is best. And in the layers of his will, he always lands on what serves his utmost glory and the greater joy of his kids. He's after his glory. He's after our joy. And he's where the joy is. ♪

Tomorrow we'll be starting the book of Ezekiel. It's 48 chapters long. We're linking to a short video overview in the show notes that covers the first 33 chapters of Ezekiel. And then we'll link to the second video on day 249 before we begin the second part of Ezekiel. Today's video is seven minutes long, so check it out if you have some time to spare.

Okay, Bible readers, it's time for our weekly check-in. How are you doing? What have you learned so far? If you're behind, don't beat yourself up about it. You're probably reading the Bible more than you would on your own. Think about the things you've learned so far. Reflect on the attributes of God's character that you've seen in the chapters we've read so far. Lean into those things and ask him to grant you an increasing desire to know him more. He can change your heart.

The Bible Recap is brought to you by DeGroote, discipleship and Bible study groups that meet in homes and churches around the world each week.