QT 19/12/2024 Thu. Christmas Message 02: Accepting the Gift of the Seed. 接受种子的馈赠。
QT 19/12/2024 Thu. Christmas Message 02: Accepting the Gift of the Seed.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/jer23:5-8
Jeremiah 23:5–8 [5] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [6] In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
[7] “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ [8] but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” (ESV)
Jeremiah 23:5 referred to a righteous Branch, which can also be translated literally as “new growth, a sprout, a new shoot.” The Hebrew word for “righteous/right” (tsedek) is a play on the name of the last king of Judah Zedekiah who was now an exile. However, Zekediah was far from righteous. But the coming king in the class of "David" would be really righteous, thus revealing a new reality to readers and giving them real hope rather than lip-service only.
Secondly, the phrase "offspring of the house of Israel" was literally "the seed of the house of Israel". This idea of "seed" is a central term in the interaction between God and Abraham who was promised multiple "seeds" or descendants (See Gen. 12:7; 13:15, 16; 15:5, 18; 17:7, 8, 9, 10, 19; 22:17, 18).
Today, all who accept this gift of God in the person of Jesus can also be listed as one of the seed of God's house, or the true and spiritual descendants of Abraham and are part of that blessed household.
Would you accept this gift of Jesus Christ, the Seed, this Christmas?
QT 19/12/2024 星期四. 圣诞信息 02: 接受种子的馈赠
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/jer/23/
耶利米书 23:5–8 耶和华说，日子将到，我要给大卫兴起一个公义的苗裔。他必掌王权，行事有智慧，在地上施行公平和公义。 6 在他的日子，犹大必得救，以色列也安然居住。他的名必称为耶和华我们的义。 7 耶和华说，日子将到，人必不再指着那领以色列人从埃及地上来永生的耶和华起誓，8 却要指着那领以色列家的后裔从北方和赶他们到的各国中上来，永生的耶和华起誓。他们必住在本地。
耶利米书 23:5 提到了“苗裔”，也可直译为 “新长出的枝子、新芽、新枝”。希伯来语中的 “公义/权利”（tsedek）是对犹大末代国王西底家（Zedekiah) 名字的戏仿，西底家现在是一个流亡者。然而，西底家远非正直。但是，即将到来的 “大卫 ”类国王将是真正的义人，这就向读者揭示了一个新的现实，给他们带来了真希望，不只是口惠而实不至。
其次，“以色列家的后裔 ”的字面意思是 “以色列家的种子”。在上帝与亚伯拉罕的互动中，“种子” 是一个中心词，亚伯拉罕曾被应许有多个 “种子“” 或 “后裔”（见创 12：7；13：15，16；15：5，18；17：7，8，9，10，19；22：17，18）。
今天，所有接受上帝所赐耶稣基督的人也都可以被列为上帝家的后裔，或亚伯拉罕真正的属灵后裔，成为这个蒙福家庭的一份子。
今年圣诞节，你愿意接受耶稣基督--这增贵的“种子”--的这份礼物吗？
