QT 18/07/2024 Thu. Ezekiel 4. Young at heart for tough assignments. 年轻的心，胜任艰巨的任务。

QT 18/07/2024 Thu. Ezekiel 4.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/eze4

MEDITATION: Ezekiel (probably only 25 years old then), was among the first batch of exiles taken to Babylon (about 597 B.C.). Judah's king Jehoiachin (18 years old) was also exiled (2Kgs 24:10-16). For both the young prophet and the king, these were tremendous times of lostness and anxiety.

REFLECTION: JYFers, YFers and others who are young at heart and in mind: Are you prepared to shoulder the task of faithfully witnessing to your generation in spite of vicious opposition and ever-present ridicule? Are you ready in terms of resolve, resources and training?

Ezekiel was asked to act out the drama of the siege against Jerusalem (Ezek 4:1-8) as part of his prophet messaging. He was even asked to use human dung (Ezek 4:12) and animal dung as fuel for cooking (Ezk 4:15). This was totally against their ceremonial laws regarding clean and unclean distinctions.

REFLECTION: The LORD wanted Ezekiel to experience the siege using a scaled down model of Jerusalem (Ezek 4:1-3) so that he might experience the pain of his people, who "rot away because of their punishment" (Ezek 4:17). Are you also aware of the lessons which the LORD might set for you to help you identify with the pain of others as part of ministry preparation?

星期四 2024年7月18日 今日读经：以西结书4章. 年轻的心，胜任艰巨的任务。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/eze/4/
听以西结书4章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/eze.4

默想：以西结(当时大概只有25岁)是第一批被掳去巴比伦的(约公元597年)。犹大王约雅斤(18岁)也被掳去(王下24:10-16)。对于年轻的先知和国王，那是一段十分彷徨和焦虑的日子。

反思：青年、少年和其他心智年轻的人:你们预备好肩负起为你们这个世代的人忠心作见证的责任吗，即便是遭到恶劣的反击和嘲笑？你们在决心上、资源上和装备上都预备好了吗？

以西结照神的吩咐在传道时把耶路撒冷被围困的情况搬演出来(结4:1-8)。他还照吩咐用了人粪(结4:12)和动物的粪便作为炊食的燃料(结4:15)。这对他们区分洁净和不洁净的礼仪律法是绝对有抵触的。

反思：耶和华要以西结用缩小的耶路撒冷模型来感受被围困的感觉(结4:1-3)，这样他才能感受到子民“因自己的罪孽衰弱而死”的痛苦。你可曾知道耶和华为你预备了哪些功课，以帮助你认同别人的痛苦，为事奉的工作做好准备？