公義之主的來臨; The Coming of the Lord, our Righteousness

11/29/09 Sermon by Rev. Rong-Hu Lu translated by Ming-Chung Kan

公義之主的來臨

Jeremiah 23:1-8

The Coming of the Lord, our Righteousness

今天是待降節的第一個主日‧顧名思意、讓我們知道有期待之前必有應許的事先發生。

剛才宣召時所宣告的事，就是這应許的開始；「上帝要賜一個特别的嬰兒來拯救世人」

Today is the first day of Advent. What it means to for us to expect the coming of events being promised.

What we declare in our opening prayer is the beginning of this promise: God will sent a special baby to save the world.

猶太教使用舊約聖經，,我們基督徒則新、舊兩約都用。因為我們相信两者都是上主向世人的啓示。

Judaism use the Old Testament and Christian use both New and Old Testament. Because we believe Both are inspiration from God to people.

雖然舊約是上主以祂與以色列人的互動，其实上主是籍着以色列人的歷史來啓示祂是唯一的真神，以及对世人所存的心意。

以色列史是祂用來教導世人的教科書。

舊約不是一部用來展示一位被關在以色列史中的上帝的活动。

Although Old testament is the interaction between Lord and Israelite, Lord shows He is the true God through the history of Israelite and His wish to the world.

我們強調舊約是新約的基礎，因為舊約的時間早於新約。它也記載着上帝創造天地以來的諸多啟示，讓後世的人对祂的神性、與權柄、認知而敬畏祂。

舊約也讓我們知道一個聖經中非常重要的觀念，就是「約」的觀念。上主與祂所選召的人之間，有一個約的存在。

We Christian emphasize the Old testament is the foundation of New Testament, because it is written in a earlier time. It also keep records of the God’s word since the the world is created, so that people may know the nature and power of God and fear God. Old testament also bring out the concept of Convenent. There is a convenant between God and his Chosen People.

樂意接受祂的啟示，確信祂是真神而信靠者、祂就要做他們的神，他們要做祂的羊，祂的百姓，祂的子女。

由於上主「開始是向亞伯拉罕的家族顯現，與他們立約，做他們的上帝。這個家族，特別是族長的名字，也就被用來代表一切信上主，與上主有約的人。

例如每當有人呼叫說「亞伯拉罕的上帝啊！」它的意是便是「我們這些與祢有約的人」的上芾帝啊。

Whoever willing to accept His words and believe He is the true God and follow Him will become His herd, His people and His son and daughter. And He will become their God.

Since God first appeared to the family of Abraham and made convenant with them. So the name of this family especially the patriach’s name representing the People who believe and make convenant with God. Whenever people said”The God of Abraham!”It means”The God of that make convenant with us.”

每当我們讀到以色列民啊! 的時候我們的了解應該是「一切信主（上帝）的人啊」

Whenever we read “The Isrraelite”, it means “People who believed in God.”

不只人名是這樣、許多舊約的地名，不再是指其地域，而是呈現在那地方所發生的宗教活動，或它與上帝的特殊關係。

Not only is the name of people but also the name of location in Old Testament, it not only has geographical meaning but also means the religious activities happened there and its relationship with God.

比如耶路撒冷是聖殿，是上主的所在地，是敬拜的地方。它代表上帝的居所，祂接受人敬拜的地方。所以它也代表了今日的教會。

For example, Jerusalem is the Holy Land, it is the location where God resides and a place for worship. It representing the residence of God and the place He receives worship, so it also represent the church of Today.

這些了解能大大地幫助我們了解今天的經文。 舊約不再是「猶太人的事」。它像一片透視鏡，透過它讓我們看到上主在全世界中的計劃，救贖。祂向以色列人的應許也是向一切樂意信靠祂的人的应許。

With these explanations, we will be able to understand the scripture today. Old testament is no loger the business of Jew. It is like a telescope, it help us to see the salvation plan of God in this world. His promise to Israelite also applied to everyone who follow Him.

今天的經文向我們述說了幾件事

1) 歷史上，上帝的牧人並未好好地照顧祂的羊群。

舊約中、牧人是君王、祭司，先知等人。由於那些該保護以色列民（上主的羊群）的君王，未顧及到人民的平安康泰；祭司們、未教導是非，確立敬拜禮儀、規律（献祭事宜）；先知不敢指責政治、社會弊端，以致人民放肆，以致被上主趕到外國。追究禍首实是牧人之過。上主說祂要向他们討那惡行的罪。

There are several points in today’s scrpture:

1) Historically, God’s shepherds did not take good care of God’s sheep.

Shepherds mean Kings, prophets and priest in Old testament. Kings did not provide their people with Peace and Prosperity; Priests did not teach, setup procedures and rules for worship and sacrifice; Prophet did not dare to criticize the peoblem in politics and society, so people went astray and scattered from their land by God.

那世代要過去，上主不再靠肉体的大衛体系來做祂的羊群的牧人（君王）。上主要另立一位公義之苗，把他安放在大衛的位置上，來掌權、來牧養祂的羊群。

上主本來应許大衛，要讓他的子孫長久做王統治祂的百姓。但由於他們的不才，上主要另立一位公義之苗，安坐在大衛的宝座掌權。在地上施行公平和公義。

That generation will be over, because God will not rely on King David and his descendents to oversee His sheep. Lord will a righteous branch and put Him in the position of David to be in charge and take care of His sheeps. Though there is promise from God to David to make His descendant Kings and ruling His people. But since they are now impotent, God will raise a righteous branch to sit on the throne of King David and rule the world with righteousness and justice.

這位公義之苗要從列國中領他們（餘民-remnant) 回歸本圈，他們必生養眾多。

餘民-remnant 是舊約中的一個重要的字眼/觀念。

它指一少数真心信靠上帝的人，,而不是受擄外國沒死光的以色列人。到相當大的程度-to a very large extent, 它可指初初信主耶穌時的少數人。

This righteous branch is gong to bring these remnant back to their Land and they will have bountiful of offspring. Remnant is an important word in Old testament. It means the few people that following God faithfully, instead of the remaining israelite that still alive in foreign land. To a large extent, it means the few people that follow Jesus in the beginning.

這些人才是回到上主圈內的羊，由公義之苗所照顧的羊。

在祂的統治照顧下，基督徒要得救，要安然居住。

These people is the sheep that come back to the pasture of God who are taken cared by the righteous branch. In the ruling of righteous branch, Christian will be saved and settled in peace.

第六節中的猶大与以色列，是指與上帝有約，真正信靠祂的人，而非指國度。

今日的羊群是你們（所有的基督徒）牧人是主耶穌本身；牧師/傳導人是助理(小牧人)。我不能乱教，你們也不能随便聽，或不聽。否則都必遭殃。

The Juda and Israel in verse 6 mean the people who have convenant with God and following God instead of the two Kingdoms. The sheep today are you, and the shepherd is Jesus Himself. Revrend and Minister are only asistant. I can not teach you nonesense and you can not be irrelevent or we are both in trouble.

舊約看似一部以色列國的歷史，但是它的真相是一部救恩史。它被用來顯明上主对真正信靠祂的人的救贖及供應。

人在智慧品性生存期間上，即然都有其限度，他们之中就沒有完美的牧者。賢如大衛者，也是凡人一個。時間一到、就與他列祖同歸塵土了。 其後的子孫一個不如一個。

Old testament Looks like the History of Israel, but it really is a History of Salvation. It is been used to demonstrate the salvation and offering to people who really believe in Him. Human being has its limit in wisdom, character and life span. There is no perfect minister in them. Greatness like King David, was a regular people afterall. When His time is up, he also fall down and become dust just like people before him. Not to mention his offspring.

因此這位公義之苗，雖然一般被了解為大衛的子孫。其實，希伯來原文是被「設立」的一位。祂是上主特別設立，叫祂取代大衛家宝座的公義之王。祂要治國以公，以義。Isa.22:3,15.

So this righteous branch, though commonly referred as the descendant of David, but in hebrew it means the one been setup. He is setup by Lord to be the King of Righteousness and to replace the House of David. He will rule the kingdom with righteousness and justice.

上主是古早、現在、直到永遠，永生的神。猶太人論到祂時都稱祂為亞伯拉罕的上帝，以撒的上帝，雅各的上帝、、、好像上主只是他們的上帝。

主耶穌指出他們的誤解；指出亞伯拉罕，以撒，雅各，都是不同世代的代表。上主是各世代的人的上帝。 是活人的上帝，不是死人的上帝。

Lord is the beginning, the present and the forever, God of eternal life. Jew called Him the God of Abraham, the Issac and the Jacob as if God only belong to them. Jesus point out their mis-interpretation; he said Abraham, Issac and Jacob are only the representations of different generations. But Lord is the God of all generations and of the people alive but not of the dead.

只有上主才是永遠的牧者。早先、祂以無比的能力，救祂的百姓出埃及。那是前所未見的大神跡。以至祂的百姓指其名發誓時必加上「那領以色列家從埃及地上來、永生的耶和華」。

Only God is the Eternal shepherd. Early on he saved His people from Egypt, a miracle never seen. So that when His people swear on His name, they will add”The eternal Jehovah who lead Israel from Egypt”

號稱祂的百姓的以色列家，是背逆的族類。耶和華上主早已看到他們被懲罰，被流放去北方各國的命運。但是上主耶和華並不放棄那些真心敬拜祂的人，僅管他們的人数並不多。

這些餘民回來之後要，感嘆上主再度行了「不可能」的大事。以致其後他們起誓時改稱上主為「那領以色列家後裔，從北方、和趕他們到的各國中上來的，永生的耶和葦」。

The Israelite that bear the name of God’s people is actually a group of traitors. Jehovah had forseen their destiny of been punished and scattered in northern lands. But Jehovah did not give up those that worship Him truthfully, even though they are only handful. These remnant will be awed by the impossible achievement of God, so that they will call Lord as”The enternal Jehovah that lead Israelites from North and the lands they had been scattered. “

這個第二個近乎不可能的大事，那時並未發生，那公義之苗也未被設立。上主耶和華却已宣布、那两者都是祂要做的事。

This nearly impossible mission did not accomplished then nor did the righteous branch been setup. But Lord had said, he will get both done.

前者成就在BC 538 年，先後被亞述及巴比倫擄去的猶太人，毫無條件地得到

那世代的波斯王，古列，的釋放。忠於耶和華、願回耶路撒冷，重建聖殿、

重整家園的小部份人--餘民，就那樣被領回故鄉。

The first missions is accomplished at BC 538, when the Jew kidnapped by Asius and Babylonian is released unconditionallyby the Persian King, Kulie. These small group of Remnant who being loyal to God and willing to go back to Jerusalem to build Temple were bring back to their land.

後者-公義之苗，救主-彌賽亞，耶穌，於4 BC 道成肉身，

降生在飽受苦难的以色列民中。

以愛以恕以代人受苦，以上主要賜平安與永生給人的福音要人信靠祂。可惜以色列家中信祂者寥寥無幾，有如以往的餘民。

但是我們已看到那些信祂之名的餘民-基督徒，已經生養眾多成為大群。

The later, the righteous branch, the Messiah, Jesus born to Israelite that had been suffering 2000 years ago. With Love, forgiveness and sacrifice, Jesus spread the Gospel of Peace and enternal life. But not much Israelite believe in Him, just like the remnant. But these remnant who believe in Him have widely populated and become an enormous group.

我們也到這些上主耶和華的百姓，不再指那從北方領他們回鄉的耶和華發誓。我們聽到這位公義之王要我們奉祂的名求，而奉祂的名求，正是基督徒日夜在做的事、也是他們感受到的最大福份。

These people no longer swear in the name of Lord Jehovah who bring them back from northern land. He, the King of Righteouseness, want us to pray in His name. Pray in His name is what we Christian do everyday and the biggest blessing that they will perceive.

這些事的成就，不是任何人有什麽值得上主恩寵的善良，乃是上主耶和華的熱心( 祂愛的本貭) 所要成就的事。

Accomplishment of these is not because anyone possess the goodness that deserve God’s

願一切的感恩與讚美都歸於祂，從今直到永永遠遠。 阿們