7月4日 国家的审判
国家的审判
“求祢记念我怎样站在祢面前为他们代求，要使祢的忿怒向他们转消”（耶18:20）。
即便如挪亚、但以理这样蒙神所爱的义人，有时神仍不为一个已被祂审判锁拿的民族准许释放。耶利米便是如此，他勇敢地指证那个时代的罪，并为百姓恳切代求；然而他既不能借着讲道使他们悔改，也不能借着祷告转移神的忿怒。最终，犹太人要求他不要再说预言攻击他们，神也命令他停止为这个民族代求。
审判如鹰盘旋，步步逼近它的猎物。耶利米的心因以色列的罪而胀满忧伤，唯一能使他的心稍得舒缓的，就是他对神、对人都持守了纯全的记忆：“求祢记念我怎样站在祢面前为他们代求，要使祢的忿怒向他们转消”（耶18:20）。这仿佛是他说：“主啊，我无法使这悖逆的世代为己罪悔改，也似乎无法在祢面前得胜，使祢收回刑罚的定旨；然而我在自己当守的岗位上，对祢和对他们，都已经尽了忠心。”
相反，在审判临到的时期，惊惶失措的心乃是假冒为善之人所当得的分。巴施户珥就是一例，他是耶利米及其从神而来之信息的苦毒仇敌。他费尽心机，以虚妄的盼望安抚君王，声称黄金盛世就在眼前；而这一切，都与耶和华借耶利米之口所说的话相违背。当审判的暴风如倾盆大雨降落之时，耶利米撕去了这一切虚幻的遮蔽，告诉巴施户珥：除了与百姓共担共同的灾祸之外，他还将亲自承受神忿怒专门加给他的印记（耶20）。
纯全，也坚固那些被剥夺了服事神机会的基督徒。若基督的仆人可以从一切患难中任意选择，他宁可承担其他所有的苦，也不愿忍受成为破损器皿、无法再为神所用的那种痛苦。一个忠心的仆人，是以他所拥有的荣耀神的机会来衡量自己生命价值的。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：书6章，诗135-136章，
个人灵修：赛66章，太14章
JULY 4, SATURDAY
JUDGMENT OF THE NATION
“Remember that I stood before theeto speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them” (Jeremiah 18:20).
Even when the righteous are men beloved of God like Noah and Daniel, sometimes God still denies bail for a people under the arrest of His judgment. Jeremiah, for instance, boldly testified against the sins of the times and interceded in earnest prayer for the people; but he could not convert them by preaching or divert God’s wrath by praying. Finally the Jews asked him not to prophesy against them any more and God commanded him to stop praying for the nation.
Judgment hovered like an eagle closing in on her prey. And the only thing that eased Jeremiah’s heart, swollen with grief for Israel’s sins, was his memory of sincerity to God and man: “Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them” jeremiah 18:20). It is as if he had said, “Lord, I cannot make this rebellious generation repent of their sins, and I cannot seem to prevail with You to reverse Your decree of punishment; but I have been faithful in my place both to You and to them.”
On the contrary, horror and a terrified spirit is the portion of hypocrites in seasons of judgments. Pashur, for example, was a bitter enemy of Jeremiah and of the prophet’s message from God. He put in long efforts to soothe the king with vain hope of golden days just ahead. And all this against the Word of the Lord at the mouth of Jeremiah! When the storm began to fall in torrents of judgment, Jeremiah tore away all such imaginary shelter by telling Pashur he would carry a personal brand of God’s anger, besides sharing in the common calamity of the people (Jeremiah 20).
Sincerity strengthens the Christian deprived of the chance to serve God. If a servant of Christ could choose any affliction, he would select everything else before he would endure the pain of being a broken instrument, unserviceable to God. A devoted servant values his life by the opportunities he has to glorify God.