提要
Lynn Harold Hough在解這節（3：16）經文時，引了先知西番雅的話很值得留意（參Interpreter’s Bible，十二冊397頁）：
「那時，我必用燈巡查耶路撒冷；我必懲罰那些如酒在渣澤上澄清的；他們心裡說：耶和華必不降福，也不降禍。」（番1：12）
「她不聽從命令，不領受訓悔，不倚靠耶和華，不親近她的上帝。」（番3：2）
西番雅的話當然在講耶路撒冷，但也可不受時間的限制。Hough說這信息在說一個「不對的溫度」。也就是老底嘉教會的宗教冷默，結果，道德與屬靈的溫度也都不對。雖沒有反對上帝的冷溫度，卻也沒有對上帝熱愛忠誠的高溫，所有的只是令人噁心的「微溫」。這種情況令人不得不想問：「難道基督死在十字架上，受了極大的痛苦，就為了產生這般不冷不熱的門徒嗎？」答案是：「我必從我口中把你吐出去。」
假如「一個罪人悔改，在天上也要這樣為他歡喜，較比為九十九個不用悔改的義人歡喜更大。」（路15：7）我們這些信了基督蒙祂拯救的人，至少要因我們的救主而心中高興，情感火熱。也應為了赦免得多，而愛更多（路7：36~50）。
|
Overview
Lynn Harold Hough, in his exposition of this passage, draws our attention to the prophet Zephaniah (Interpreter's Bible, vol.12, p. 397). Consider these words,
"At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad'" (Zeph. 1:12 NIV).
"She obeys no one,
She accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
She does not draw near to her God." (Zeph. 3:2 NIV)
Zephaniah, of course, was speaking about Jerusalem. But there's a timeless message .here. Hough says it's a message about "The Wrong Temperature". He writes, "This is precisely the religious indifference which characterized the church at Laodicea. As a result, the moral and spiritual temperature was all wrong. There was not the bitter cold of hard hostility to God; there was not the glowing heat of passionate loyalty; there was only that 'lukewarm' temperature which is about as distasteful as anything can be. The question is inevitable: 'Had Christ died upon the Cross and suffered the great passion in order to produce such lukewarm disciples?' And the question answers itself in the words, "I will spew you out of My mouth.'"
If there is "more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons need no repentance" (Luke 15:7), then we who are saved through faith in Christ should, at least, be as happy and as passionate as we can be about our Saviour. We've been saved "from much"; that's why we should "love much" (Luke 7:36-50).
|
