Two eagles and a vine.

Ezekiel 17:1-24
Two eagles and a vine.
Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and tripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it - wither away in the plot where it grew?
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.
All his fleeing troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.
All the trees of the field will know that I the Lord being down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who took King Jehoiachin captive. The seed he plants is Zedekiah. But Zekekiah soon turned to Egypt for help, bringing the Babylonians back to destroy Jerusalem. In 587, within three or four years, the prediction came true. But God will take a cutting from the line of Israel's kings which will take root.
Why?
God cared about the oath and treaty. if we made we have to follow it. For the Lord hates the lie or one who despise his oath.
It is the Lord who make plant have rooted and make it grown up. It is the Lord gives them water and good environment. Only God is my Lord, I will trust in Him and follow his word.
How?
God's word will be done, don't doubt it. God's word is my way and my strength.

I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth,

Ezekiel 16:35-63
Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?

Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters.

I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you.

She courted them and worshipped their gods, with all the hideous pracrices that involved. God was forgotten; the covenant broken. God must punish, but will also restore his people, making a new covenant with them that will last for ever.

Why?

Everyone has to bear his own sins, according to what he have done. God deal with Israel for they even did more detestable thing than her surrounding nations. So God's angry came upon them.

How?

God is full of mercy and love but God's righteousness is endure forever either.

人生的舞台

人生的舞台
林前4：1-9。 台南聖教會   高敏智牧師
我們是一個「詩人，軍人，牧人…」→藝人 演出"基督"的角色
思想
當一個人 自知只剩 30秒
     → 他會病拼命 …告訴摯愛。"我愛妳"
30天


約伯的一台戲？(天上的戲) 摩西的一台戲？(法師的心) 參孫的一台戲？(大廟的戲)

使你與人不同的是誰呢？你有什麼不是領受的呢？若是領受的，為何自誇？
我被你們論斷，或被別人論斷，我都以為極小的事，但判斷我的乃是主。只等主來，他要照出暗中的隱情，顯明人心的意念。

大綱
1.你們只想活在自己的理想…自己就作王
時代敵人。羅馬
大祭司，法利賽人 猶大。 百姓多數但卻盲目
主耶穌。先知使徒
2.神把我們使徒明明列在末後…定死罪的囚犯
  君王→臣 侯 →將，兵→地方官
      →百姓→奴隸→罪犯
3.因為我們成了一臺戲，…給世人和天使看
  魔鬼也在看
挪亞的一台戲…愚拙？→親手做工→被咒罵→得勝的故事
暫時的憂愁，必有大喜樂。
簡易大綱
1.自已為是王
2.我們是死囚  人生失敗時只有論斷，卻無法說。失敗時不要。要站起了
3.觀眾
誰將船造在山上？除了挪亞以外  神給挪亞三個兒子幫忙做。今天我們有一大群同工一起做。
挑戰
1.你們要追念往日
2.人應當以我們為基督的執事

You did not remember the days of your youth

Ezekiel 16:1-34
Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.
You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!  All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
The issue is faithfulness. Jerusalem has been unfaithful to God. So the sexual image in this parable is a natural one, especially in view of the sexual rites and prostitution liked with worship of pagan gods.
God took Israel up when she was nothing - and abandoned baby that no one has cared for - and lavished his love on her, making her into a great and glorious nation. She owed him everything. But prosperity turned her head and, like a wife turned prostitute, she played fast and loose with foreign nations.
Why?
God is sad that what He has favors on Israel, treated her as his own, cared her when he was born. There was no one cared about her. Only the Lord who loves her and gave her everything. But when she grown up she turned away from God and forgot the days of her youth.
God described this to express his feeling, God put disaster on his lover for there is no way to turn her back. So his judgment poured on them is expect her may turn back.
How?
God is Love. All God's mind and his hand is doing good to his children!

Useless vine

Ezekiel 15:1-8
Jerusalem, a useless vine.
Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?
As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem.
And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful,declares the Sovereign Lord.
Why?
Vine compare with other tree, it is useless wood. So when God against them for they are useless will be put on fire as fuel.
God has mercy to Israelite, chose them as his people, given them the way and life, but when God turn away from them. No one can escape from the judgment of the Lord.
To be a Christian should be a light in the world to shine others in the dark, or like salt to keep fresh and persistent truth among people. To be a useful Jesus follower.
How?
Let me be the light and salt in my life to affect others and reflect the love of Jesus Christ.

I have done nothing in it without cause

Ezekiel 14:12-23
For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals!
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.
But at this point in time not even Noah or Job could save anyone but themselves.
This judgment represent the worst fears of ancient peoples.
Why?
These were severe disaster to Jerusalem, for God's dreadful judgments, for their own conducts.
Yes, God's action has done nothing in it without cause. 
Even Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save themselves only, they could not save their children or relatives.
God is right and God's way is the best way, God has done nothing it without cause. Trust in the Lord, He is my shepherd.
How?
Fear the Lord for God's judgment is terrible, God has given us the chances and time let us repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

Ezekiel 14:1-11
When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.
This is what the Sovereign Lordsays: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
And if the prophet is enticed(誘惑) to utter a prophecy(說出預言), I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.
God claims a unique place in the heart of his people. Those who deny him his rightful place, worshipping other 'gods' alongside, are destined for destruction. The majority regard the few godly people among them as an insurance against disaster. But at this point in time not even Noah or Job could save anyone but themselves.
Why?
Set idols or God in our heart is the most important matter. Those who fear the Lord will put God in his heart. And Jesus came later He arranged Holy Spirit in our heart, when we accepted Jesus Christ as out savior.
Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices: Turn our focus on the Lord instead of the world and confess out sins.
How?
Set up God in my heart, repent our sins and humble before the Lord!