耶利米书生命读经 · 第12篇

在耶利米书中神的经纶及其分赐

God’s Economy with His Dispensing in the Book of Jeremiah

1读经：耶利米书2:13，耶利米哀歌3:22-23，耶利米书23:5-8;31:33-34。我研读圣经六十六年多了，我能见证主的话里启示的最高峰，乃是关于神的经纶与神的分赐，以产生新耶路撒冷。我们采取这个观点来读耶利米书，乃是非常重要的。不然，我们对耶利米的著作就不会有清楚、正确的领会。因此，在本篇信息中，我有负担来说到耶利米书中神的经纶及其分赐。

1Scripture Reading: Jer. 2:13; Lam. 3:22-23; Jer. 8; 31:33-34 3:22-23 After spending more than sixty-six years in studying the Bible, I can testify that the highest peak of the revelation in the Word is the revelation concerning God'secon o my and God's dispensing to produce the New Jerusalem. It is very important that we have this view when we read the book of Jeremiah. Otherwise, we will not have a clear and proper understanding of Jeremiah's writing. Thus, in this message I am burdened to give a word regarding God'secon o my with His dispensing in the book of Jeremiah.

神的目标－新耶路撒冷

GOD'S GOAL—THE NEW JERUSALEM

2圣经完成于新耶路撒冷城的启示。这指明新耶路撒冷是神的目标。新耶路撒冷的异象，是那包含一千一百八十九章之圣经的总结。圣经的各卷，从创世记到启示录，都在某些方面与新路撒冷是神的目标这事有关。然而，因为圣经说到许多别的事，我们读神的话语时，就很容易受到打岔，看不见神的目标。神在祂的智慧里，没有直接在圣经里说到，祂的目标是要得著新耶路撒冷。反之，祂知道新耶路撒冷太奇妙，是我们无法想像的，所以就用圣经的明言、故事、历史、豫表、表号和影儿，来启示这件事。藉著这一切不同的方法，祂将关于新耶路撒冷的思想启示出来，并将新耶路撒冷的各面描述出来。

2The Bible consummates with the revelation of the city of New Jerusalem. This indicates that the New Jerusalem is God's goal. The vision of the New Jerusalem is the conclusion of the Bible, which has one thousand one hundred eighty-nine chapters. All the books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, are related in some way to the New Jerusalem as God's goal. However, because the Bible speaks of so many other things, in our reading of the Word we may easily be distracted and not see God's goal. In His wisdom, God does not directly say in the Scriptures that His goal is to have the New Jerusalem. Instead, knowing that the New Jerusalem is too wonderful for us to imagine, He reveals this matter by using the Bible with its plain words, stories, histories, types, figures, and shadows. By all these different means, He reveals His thought concerning the New Jerusalem and depicts the various aspects of the New Jerusalem

与神成为一，

BECOMING ONE WITH GOD AND

并且活祂作祂团体的彰显

LIVING HIM FOR HIS CORPORATE EXPRESSION

3神有一个经纶，这经纶包含一个带著许多安排的计画。神在祂经纶里的目的，乃是要得著一班里面有祂的生命和性情，外面有祂的形像和样式的人。这班人是一个团体的实体，就是基督的身体，他们与祂是一，并且活祂作祂团体的彰显。当神不仅凭著身体，也藉著身体得著彰显时，祂就得著荣耀。祂得著荣耀的时候，祂的子民也就在祂的得荣里得著荣耀。这样神与人就在荣耀里是一。

3God has an economy, and this economy involves a plan with many arrangements. God ' sa i min His economy is to have a group of human beings who have His life and nature inwardly and His image and likeness outwardly. This group of people is a corporate entity, the Body of Christ, to be one with Him and live Him for His corporate expression. As God is expressed not only by the Body but also through the Body, He is glorified. When He is glorified, His people are also glorified in His glorification. In this way God and man are one in glory.

4在这个一里，我们这些神的子民与神不是分开的，但我们确实与祂仍有分别。我们在生命、性情、元素、素质、并构成上与神是一。我们也在目的、目标、形像、和样式上与祂是一。然而，无论我们多么与神是一，我们都无分于祂的神格，也绝不会有分于此。人还是人，神还是神。不错，在基督的成为肉体里，神成为人，但祂没有放弃祂的神格。祂单单为自己保留、保守了神格。因此，人还是有限的，神仍然据有独一的神格。这一班除了神格以外，在各面都与神是一的人，乃是由奇妙的圣城新耶路撒冷所象征、表征、描述、并描绘。我们来到耶利米书时，需要将这异象持守在我们面前。

4In this oneness we, God'sp eople, are not separate from God, but we definitely remain distinct from Him. We are one with God in life, in nature, in element, in essence, and in constitution. We are also one with Him in purpose, goal, image, and likeness. Nevertheless, no matter how much we are one with God, we do not share His Godhead and will never share it. Man remains man, and God remains God. Yes, in the incarnation of Christ, God became a man, but He did not give up His Godhead. Rather, He has reserved and preserved the Godhead for Himself alone. Thus, man is still limited, and God still possesses the unique Godhead. The group of human beings who are one with God in every way except in the Godhead is symbolized, signified, depicted, and portrayed by a wonderful, holy city—the New Jerusalem. We need to keep this vision before us as we come to the book of Jeremiah

神向以色列人陈明

GOD PRESENTING HIMSELF TO THE CHILDREN

自己是活水的泉源

OF ISRAEL AS A FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS

5在耶利米二章十三节，我们看见这卷书中关于神的经纶头一件要紧的事。在这节里，神藉著申言者向以色列人陈明自己是活水的泉源。原则上，在创世记二章，神造人以后，也作了同样的事。神没有对人说，『你要知道我是你的创造者。记得你是我的受造之物，你该圣别、仁爱，像我一样。』神没有给人这样的嘱咐，反而将他安置在园子里，在他跟前有两棵树－表征神的生命树，和表征撒但的善恶知识树。（创二9。）然后神吩咐人，说，『园中各样树上的果子，你可以随意吃；只是分别善恶树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。』（16～17。）这指明神要人有分于生命树所表征的神自己。圣经在首次题到生命树以后，立刻告诉我们：『有河从伊甸流出来滋润那园子。』（10。）圣经末章也说到生命树与生命水的河，（启二二1～2，）这是很有意义的。创世记二章生命树与河的图画，指明神是叫人生存的生命树与活水。神渴望人吃祂这生命树，喝祂这生命水。藉著我们吃喝祂，神就能将自己分赐到我们里面，作我们的生命和生命的供应。

5In Jeremiah 2:13 we have the first crucial matter in this book concerning God ' secon o my. In this verse God, through the prophet, presents Himself to the children of Israel as a fountain of living waters. In principle, God did the same thing in Genesis 2, after the creation of man. God did not say to man, "You must know that I am your Creator. Remember that you are My creature and that you should be holy and loving, just as I am." Instead of giving such a charge to man, God placed him in a garden, in front of two trees—the tree of life, which signifies God, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which signifies Satan (Gen. 2:9). Then God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (vv. 16-17). This indicates that God wanted man to partake of Himself as signified by the tree of life. Immediately after the first mention of the tree of life, we are told that "a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (v. 10). It is significant that the last chapter of the Bible also speaks of the tree of life and the river of water of life (Rev. 22:1-2). The picture in Genesis 2 of the tree of life and the river indicates that God is both the tree of life and the living water for man's existence. What God desires of man is that man would eat of Him as the tree of life and drink of Him as the water of life. Through our eating and drinking of Him, God is able to dispense Himself into us as our life and our life supply.

全本圣经的摘要

AN ABSTRACT OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE

6我带领圣经生命读经的时候，有时候指出我们正在查读的那卷书，就是圣经的摘要。我说这话，原因是圣经各卷都与同一件事有关。因此，我怎样说到别卷书，现在也照样的说到耶利米书：耶利米书是全本圣经的摘要。我们已经看见，在陈明神是活水泉源的这一面来说，耶利米书是全本圣经的摘要。现在让我们从另一面来看这卷书是圣经的摘要。

6As I have been carrying out the life-study of the Scriptures, I have sometimes pointed out that the particular book we were studying is an abstract of the Bible. The reason I say this is that all the books of the Bible are concerned with the same thing. Thus, now I wish to say about Jeremiah what I have said about other books: The book of Jeremiah is an abstract of the entire Bible. We have already seen that the book of Jeremiah is an abstract of the Bible in the sense that it presents God as the fountain of living waters. Let us now go on to consider another way in which this book is an abstract of the Scriptures

7在创世记三章，魔鬼以蛇的形状出现，引诱亚当和夏娃，吃了善恶知识树的果子。在耶利米书，蛇也进来，叫神的百姓从生命树岔到知识树。耶利米二章十三节说，『我的百姓作了两件恶事，就是离弃我这活水的泉源，为自己凿出池子，是破裂不能存水的池子。』这告诉我们，以色列已从生命树岔到知识树，从活水的泉源岔到偶像（池子）。以色列人也许说，『我们不是在拜偶像，我们是在凿池子。』然而，他们没有领会，因著凿池子，他们就转向善恶知识树。这里我的意思是，我们在耶利米书也能看见两棵树。二至十章给我们看见那在创世记二章里同样的两棵树。在耶利米书这几章，神似乎在说，『愚昧的人！为甚么你们不到我这里来？为甚么你们不来有分于我这生命树？为甚么你们到另一棵树，就是偶像那里去？』因著转向另一棵树，以色列人就离弃了神和祂的律法。

7In Genesis 3 the devil appeared in the form of a serpent, and both Adam and Eve were seduced by him to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Jeremiah the serpent also comes in to distract God'sp eople from the tree of life to the tree of knowledge. Jeremiah 2:13 says, "My people have committed two evils: / They have forsaken Me, / The fountain of living waters, / To hew out for themselves cisterns, / Broken cisterns, / Which hold no water." This tells us that Israel had been distracted from the tree of life to the tree of knowledge, from the fountain of living waters to the idols (the cisterns). The children of Israel might have said, "We are not worshipping idols—we are hewing out cisterns." They did not realize, however, that by hewing out cisterns they were turning to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. My point here is that in Jeremiah we can see the two trees. Chapters two through ten show us the same two trees that were in Genesis 2. In these chapters of Jeremiah, God seemed to be saying, "Foolish people! Why do you not come to Me? Why do you not partake of Me as the tree of life? Why do you go to the other tree, to the idols?" By turning to the other tree, Israel had forsaken God and His law

关于律法的话

A WORD CONCERNING THE LAW

8现在我要说到神的律法。保罗告诉我们，律法不是神原初目的的一部分。神原本无意给我们律法。那为甚么要颁赐律法？神为甚么进来颁赐律法？在加拉太三章十九节保罗解释，律法『乃是因过犯添上的。』这就是说，在神向人陈明祂的目的以后，人没有接受神和神的目的，反而开始照著自己行事。为这缘故，神进来添上律法。

8At this juncture I would like to say a word concerning the law of God. Paul tells us that the law was not apart of God's original purpose. Originally, God did not intend to give us the law. Why, then, was it given? Why did God come in to give the law? In Galatians 3:19 Paul explains that the law "was added because of the transgressions." This means that after God presented His purpose to man, man did not accept God and His purpose but instead began to do things according to himself. For this reason, God came in to add the law.

9虽然律法是外添的东西，牠却有正面的功用。律法正面的功用就是陈明神的一幅画像。在十诫里，我们看见一幅神所是的画像。头五条诫命是基于耶和华神的独一和忌邪，末五条诫命是基于耶和华神爱、光、圣、义的属性。神用律法陈明自己的画像，指明祂要祂的百姓成为祂的复本。

9Although the law is something added, it nevertheless has a positive function. The positive function of the law is to present a portrait of God. In the Ten Commandments we see a picture of what God is. The first five commandments are based on Jehovah God's uniqueness and jealousy, and the last five commandments are based on Jehovah God's attributes of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. By using the law to present a picture of Himself, God was indicating that He wanted His people to become His duplication

以色列在耶利米的时候

ISRAEL'S BREAKING OF THE LAW

10破坏律法达到极点

10REACHING ITS PEAK AT THE TIME OF JEREMIAH

11律法在西乃山上颁赐给摩西的时候，以色列人正在作许多恶事，违反十诫。他们特别因著拜金牛犊犯罪得罪神。历代以来，以色列继续更多的破坏律法的诫命。至终，他们在耶利米的时候破坏律法达到极点。以色列人离谱到在拜偶像的事上有配搭。关于这点，神在耶利米七章十八节说，『孩子捡柴，父亲烧火，妇女抟面作饼，献给天后，又向别神浇奠祭，惹我发怒。』何等的配搭！似乎在造偶像和拜偶像的事上，每个人都有功用。很难相信神的百姓竟堕落到这样的地步。在耶利米的时候，以色列人还作许多别样的恶事。在犯奸淫上，他们『成群聚集在娼妓家里。』（五7。）他们像𫗪饱的马，到处乱跑，各向他邻舍的妻发嘶声。』（8。）他们行事虚谎，为要夺取不义之财。他们全然失去了神的形像和样式，成了蛇和蝎子。因此，在神看来，以色列到了尽头，并且了了。神的申言者耶利米不愿与百姓有关联，他说，『惟愿我在旷野有行路人住宿之处，使我可以离开我的民出去，因他们都是行奸淫的，是行诡诈的一伙。』（九2。）他不愿再看见以色列的邪恶。

11While the law was being given to Moses on Mount Sinai, the children of Israel were doing many evil things in violation of the Ten Commandments. In particular, they sinned against God by worshipping the golden calf. Throughout the centuries Israel continued to break the commandments of the law more and more. Eventually, their breaking of the law reached the peak at the time of Jeremiah. The people of Israel went so far as to have a kind of coordination in their worship of idols. Regarding this, in Jeremiah 7:18 God says, "The children gather wood, and the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger." What a coordination! It seemed that in making idols and worshipping them, everyone had a function. It is hard to believe that God'sp eople could have degraded to such an extent. At Jeremiah ' stime the people of Israel were doing many other kinds of evil things. In committing adultery they " trooped to the house of harlots " (5:7). They roamed about like well-fed horses, "each one neighing after his neighbor's wife " (v. 8). They dealt falsely in order to wrest unjust gain. They had altogether lost the image and likeness of God and had become serpents and scorpions. Thus, in the sight of God, Israel had come to the end and was finished. God's prophet Jeremiah wanted nothing to do with the people and said, "Oh, that I had a traveler's lodging place in the wilderness / That I might leave my people and go away from them, / For all of them are adulterers and an assembly of treacherous men" (9:2). He no longer wanted to see the wickedness of Israel.

神不放弃以色列

GOD NOT GIVING UP ISRAEL

12表面看来神放弃了以色列，不愿再与他们有关联。事实上，神没有放弃祂的百姓。祂知道祂对以色列作的是甚么，祂也知道祂要达到荣耀的目标。所以，祂虽然惩治他们，却还怜恤他们。在以色列受神惩罚的事上，神和耶利米都同情他们。（九10～11，～19，八18～22，九1，十19～。）耶利米知道神对以色列的同情，就能说，『我们不至消灭，是出于耶和华的慈爱，因祂的怜恤不至断绝；每早晨这些都是新的。你的信实，极其广大。』（哀三22～23。）神在祂的慈爱和怜恤里，保守以色列，使以色列继续存在。不仅如此，在神被放逐的堕落选民中间，神得著祂的得胜者，如但以理和他的同伴。

12Apparently God had given up Israel and would have nothing more to do with them. Actually God did not give up His people. He knew what He was doing with Israel, and He knew that He had a glorious goal to reach. Therefore, although He chastised them, He still had compassion on them. Both God and Jeremiah sympathized with the people of Israel in their suffering of God's punishment (9:10-11, 17-19; 8:18-22; 9:1; 17 10:19-25). Knowing God's sympathy toward Israel, 25 Jeremiah could say, "It is Jehovah's lovingkindness that we are not consumed, / For His compassions do not fail; / They are new every morning. / Great is Your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22-23). In His lovingkindness and compassion, God preserved Israel, and Israel continued to exist. Furthermore, among His degraded elect who had been sent into exile, God had His overcomers such as Daniel and his companions.

13此外，耶利米申言以色列要来的复兴。（耶二三3～8，三三1～26。）在这复兴的时候，神要将祂散居、四散的子民聚集回到圣地。至终，耶利米申言基督要来作公义的苗。（二三5～6。）

13In addition, Jeremiah prophesied concerning the coming restoration of Israel (23:3-8; 33:1-26). In this time of restoration, God will gather His dispersed and scattered people back to the holy land. Eventually, Jeremiah prophesied that Christ would come as the righteous Shoot (23:5-6

基督是惟一能完成

CHRIST BEING THE ONLY ONE

神经纶的一位

WHO CAN FULFILL GOD'SECON O MY

14耶利米申言基督的事，指明惟有基督能完成神的经纶。惟有基督能回应神在祂经纶里的要求。在完成神的经纶上，基督首先是我们的公义，然后是我们的救赎，和我们包罗万有的内里生命。基督作我们生命的供应，乃是我们的食物和饮料。基督的这一切方面，在新约里得著完全的发展。特别是新约启示基督是我们的生命。（西三4。）基督是我们的救主和救赎主，乃是为著祂作我们的生命。基督作我们的生命，乃是我们的一切。祂是我们的食物、我们的饮料、我们的精力、我们的能力、我们的性能、我们的力量。藉著这样一位基督，并在这

14Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Christ indicates that only Christ can fulfill God'secon o my. Only Christ is the answer to God's requirements in His economy. In fulfilling God'secon o my, Christ is first our righteousness and then our redemption and our all-inclusive inner life. As our life supply, Christ is our food and drink. All these aspects of Christ are fully developed in the New Testament. In particular, the New Testament reveals that Christ is our life (Col. 3:4). Christ's being our Savior and Redeemer is for His being our life. As our life, Christ is everything to us. He is our food, our drink, our energy, our power, our capacity, our strength. In and through such a Christ, we become one with God in life, nature, image, and appearance

15样一位基督里，我们就在生命、性情、形像、和样式上与神成为一。

16今天基督对我们是甚么，在祂回来的时候，对以色列也将如此。在祂回来的时候，以色列要悔改并接受基督。（亚十二10～十三1。）他们要接受基督作他们的公义、救赎、和生命，他们也要饮于活水的泉源，并吃生命树。结果，以色列也要由神构成，而在生命、性情、形像、和样式上与神成为一。一幅图画表明我们算不得甚么，

16What Christ is to us today He will be to Israel at the time of His coming back. At His coming back, Israel will repent and receive Christ (Zech. 12:10—13:1). They will receive Christ as their righteousness, redemption, and life, and they will drink of the fountain of living waters and eat of the tree of life. As a result, Israel too will be constituted with God and become one with God in life, nature, image, and appearance. A PICTURE SHOWING THAT WE ARE NOTHING

基督对我们才是一切

AND THAT CHRIST IS EVERYTHING TO US

17耶利米所描绘关于以色列的图画，乃是今天我们在基督里之信徒的图画。这就是说，我们和以色列一样。我们就像以色列，曾经『订亲，』（耶二2，）那时我们保证爱主，告诉祂我们爱祂到极点。然而，许多信徒离弃了起初的爱，（启二4，）而照著启示录二、三章所陈明的样式堕落了。我们也许对这样的光景失望，但神不失望。祂知道要有复兴的时候，迟早我们会甘愿被征服。至终我们都要服从主，并承认我们是邪恶的；我们会承认我们就是罪的总和。我们一旦领悟这点，就会说，『主，我算不得甚么，你才是我的一切。我是罪，但你是我的公义。我是死的，但你是我的生命。』不仅如此，我们会领悟，我们不仅有神的生命连同其感觉、律、和性能，也有神的性情。（彼后一4。）我们会看见，日复一日，我们被圣别、更新并变化；时候将到，那时我们要模成基督的形像，并得著荣耀。神总是有独一神格的神，我们与神之间也总是有区别，然而我们要由神构成，并在生命、性情、元素、素质、形像、和样式上与祂是一，使我们能作祂团体的彰显，直到永远。有些人也许很难相信，这关于神经纶及其分赐的启示，竟出现在耶利米书中。我们该受题醒，耶利米说到神是活水的泉源，以及基督是我们的公义。这卷书也说到新约及其一切福分。以色列失败以后，神进来说，『耶和华说，那些日子以后，我与以色列家所立的约，乃是这样：我要将我的律法放在他们里面，写在他们心上；我要作他们的神，他们要作我的子民。』（耶三一。）在希伯来八章，保罗引用耶利米书这段话，将其应用到我们新约信徒的身上。这就是说，新约连同其特权和福分，乃是给我们今天享受的。但到主回来以后，以色列随后也会有这享受。

17The picture portrayed by Jeremiah concerning Israel is a picture of us as believers in Christ today. This means that we are the same as Israel. Like Israel, we once had a "bridal day" (Jer. 2:2), a time when we pledged our love to the Lord and told Him that we loved Him to the uttermost. However, many believers have left their first love (Rev. 2:4) and have become degraded according to the pattern presented in Revelation 2 and 3. We may be disappointed with such a situation, but God is not disappointed. He knows that there will be a time of restoration and that sooner or later we will be willing to be subdued. Eventually we will all be submissive to the Lord and recognize that we are evil; we will confess that we are a totality of sin. When we realize this, we will say, " Lord, I am nothing, but You are my everything. I am sin, but You are my righteousness. I am dead, but You are my life." Moreover, we will realize that along with the divine life with its sense, law, and capacity, we also have the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). We will see that day by day we are being sanctified, renewed, and transformed, and that the time is coming when we will be conformed to the image of Christ and be glorified. Whereas God will always be God with the unique Godhead and whereas there will always be a distinction between us and God, we will nevertheless be constituted with God and be one with Him in life, nature, element, essence, image, and appearance so that we may be His corporate expression for eternity. Some may find it hard to believe that this revelation concerning God ' secon o my with His dispensing can be found in the book of Jeremiah. We should be reminded that Jeremiah speaks of God's being the fountain of living waters and of Christ's being our righteousness. The book also speaks of the new covenant with all its blessings. After Israel's failure, God came in to say, " This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Jehovah: I will put My law within them and write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people" (Jer. 31:33). In Hebrews 33 8 Paul quotes this portion of Jeremiah and applies it to us, the New Testament believers. This means that the new covenant with its privileges and blessings is for us to enjoy today. Israel will have this enjoyment later, after the Lord's coming back.

18耶利米书的确是圣经的摘要。这卷书是这样一本摘要，描绘了一幅图画，给我们看见我们算不得甚么，基督对我们才是一切。我们若看见我们算不得甚么，就不会对自己有所期望。相反的，照著神的经纶及其分赐，我们要接受基督作我们的生命、我们生命

18Jeremiah truly is an abstract of the Bible. As such an abstract, this book is a picture showing us that we are nothing and that Christ is everything to us. If we see that we are nothing, we will not expect anything of ourselves. Rather, according to God'secon o my with His dispensing, we will take Christ as our life, our life supply, and our everything

19的供应、和我们的一切。