旧约 - 何西阿书(Hosea)第12章

Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence. He makes a treaty with Assyria and sends olive oil to Egypt.
The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.
In the womb he grasped his brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God.
He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there--
the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name of renown!
But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.
The merchant uses dishonest scales; he loves to defraud.
Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin."
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of your appointed feasts.
I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them."
Is Gilead wicked? Its people are worthless! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Their altars will be like piles of stones on a plowed field.
Jacob fled to the country of Aram; Israel served to get a wife, and to pay for her he tended sheep.
The LORD used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him.
But Ephraim has bitterly provoked him to anger; his Lord will leave upon him the guilt of his bloodshed and will repay him for his contempt.
何西阿书第十二章   第 12 章 

  何 12:2-5> 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。 

  何 12:6> 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。 

  何 12:7-8> 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征,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。在祂眼里,忠诚胜于富有,品格重于钱财。 

  何 12:8> 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。 

  何 12:9> 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。 

  何 12:12> 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。” 

  何 12:13> 12:13 带领以色列出埃及的先知是摩西(参出 13:17-19 )。──《灵修版圣经注释》