| Habakkuk 2:1-20 |
哈巴谷书2:1-20 |
| 1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. 2 And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” 6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!” 7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. 9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! 10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. 12 “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink— you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! 16 You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’S right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory! 17 The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. 18 “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! 19 Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. 20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” |
1 我要站在哨岗，立在城楼，留心看耶和华在我里面说甚么， 怎样使我答覆自己的怨诉。 2 耶和华回答我说：“把异象写下，清楚地记在泥版上， 使读的人容易明白， 3 因这异象关乎一定的日期，很快就要实现，决不徒然；纵有迟延，仍当等候， 因为它一定会来到，绝不耽误。” 4 迦勒底人自高自大，心不正直；然而义人必因信得生（“必因信得生” 或译：“必因他的信实得生”）。 5 财富（传统作“酒” ，今照死海古卷译作“财富”） 使人奸诈狂傲，不得安宁；扩张慾望，如同阴间； 又像死亡，永不满足。 他们招聚万国，集合万民，都归自己。 第一祸 6 这些国民岂不都用譬喻、讽刺、暗语指着他们说：“那些滥得他人财物的， 满载别人抵押品的，有祸了！ 他们这样要到几时呢？” 7 你的债主（“你的债主” 或译：“咬你的”） 岂不忽然起来？ 扰乱你的岂不醒起？ 你就成了他们的掳物。 8 因你抢掠多国，杀人流血，向全地各城和其中所有居民施行暴力， 所以剩下的人也必抢掠你。 第二祸 9 你这为自己的家积聚不义之财，在高处搭窝，以逃避灾害的， 有祸了！ 10 你剪除多国的民，反害了自己；你所谋算的，使你的家蒙羞。 11 石头必从墙里呼叫，梁木必在树中应声。 12 你这用人血做城，凭邪恶立镇的，有祸了！ 13 众民劳碌得来的，被火焚烧；列国辛劳而得的，终归无有。 这不都出于万军之耶和华吗？ 14 认识耶和华之荣耀的知识，必充满全地，好像众水遮盖海洋一样。 15 你这请邻舍喝酒，却把毒物混入，使他醉倒， 为要见他赤裸的，有祸了！ 16 你满有羞辱，没有尊荣，你也喝到露出下体来吧！ 耶和华右手的杯必传回来给你，使极大的羞辱取代你的尊荣。 17 因你向黎巴嫩使用暴力，杀灭惊吓野兽；又杀人流血，向全地各城和其中所有居民施行暴力，就必受到报应（“报应” 原文作“遮盖”）。 18 雕刻的像有甚么用处呢？ 不过是匠人雕刻出来的；铸造的像、虚假的教师，有甚么用处呢？ 匠人竟倚靠自己所做，那不能说话的假神。 19 你这对木头说“起来” ，对哑石说“醒吧” 的人，有祸了！ 它怎能教导你呢？ 看哪！ 它包金镶银，里面却全无气息。 20 然而耶和华在他的圣殿里，全地当在他面前肃静。 |
| Greeting |
问候 |
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| Introduction |
引言 |
| And for those who were with us last week, you know we started a short series through the book of Habakkuk – a book that likely dates back to around 605 BC. And last week as we looked at chapter 1, we saw this amazing dialogue between the prophet and God. Chapter 1 started with Habakkuk asking God why He wasn’t doing anything about sin and violence that was happening among God’s people in Judah. And of course, God responded by saying… I am doing something. I’m raising up the Babylonians. In fact, I’m going to use them as my instruments to judge the sin that’s happening in Judah. |
对于上周和我们在一起的人来说，大家知道我们开始了一个简短的讲道系列，就是哈巴谷书—这本书可能可以追溯到公元前605年左右。上周我们看了第一章，我们看到了先知和上帝之间的这段惊人的对话。第1章开始时，哈巴谷问神，为什么神对发生在神的子民犹大中的罪恶和凶暴不采取任何行动。当然，上帝的回应是说……我正在行动。我在兴起巴比伦人。事实上，我要用他们作为我的工具来审判犹大所发生的罪恶。 |
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| Well, as we saw, God’s answer was extremely troubling for Habakkuk. You see, Habakkuk knew that Judah’s sin was an affront to God. And Habakkuk knew that because God is a holy God, He must punish their sin. But what he didn’t understand was how God could allow His people to be judged by the Babylonians. After all, the Babylonians were far more wicked and sinful than the people of Judah. So essentially, Habakkuk was struggling to reconcile God’s character with His actions. He couldn’t reconcile how a such a just God could allow such injustice? That’s why in verse 13 he says, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?” |
好吧，正如我们所看到的，神的回答对哈巴谷来说是极其困惑的。你看，哈巴谷知道犹大的罪是对神的侮辱。而哈巴谷知道，因为神是圣洁的神，所以祂必惩罚他们的罪。但他不明白的是，上帝怎么会允许祂的子民被巴比伦人审判。毕竟，巴比伦人比犹大人更邪恶，更罪恶。所以本质上，哈巴谷是在挣扎着要把神的品格与祂的行为调和起来。他无法理解这样一个公正的神怎么会允许这样的不公？那就是为什么在第13节中他说：“你的眼目纯洁，不看邪恶，不能坐视奸恶； 为甚么见行诡诈的人而不理？ 恶人吞灭比自己公义的人，你为甚么缄默呢？” |
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| Again, Habakkuk wanted to know how such a just and holy God could allow such injustice. |
哈巴谷又想知道这样一位公义圣洁的神怎么会允许这样的不公。 |
| And in many ways that’s a question we all wrestle with at times, isn’t it? Some of us wrestle with this question because of what we see happening in the world. After all, we live in a world where terrorism and human trafficking and racism and economic oppression are rampant. We live in a world where genocidal dictators and corrupt politicians and sexual predators often go unpunished. Others of us wrestle with this question because of the sin and injustices that we’ve experienced. For instance, some of you have lost a job with no explanation after years and years of faithful service. You may be thinking: “How could this happen? This just isn’t’ right”. Others of you were assaulted or taken advantage of when you were younger. You may be wondering, “Will I ever get back those years that were lost?” or “Will they ever have to pay for what they did?” And yet others of you have been victims of domestic abuse. And you may be thinking: “Are they going to get away with this? Even though the cops won’t intervene, can’t someone hold them accountable?”. |
而在很多方面，这也是我们有时候都会纠结的问题，不是吗？我们中的一些人因为我们看到的世界上发生的事情而纠结于这个问题。毕竟，我们生活在一个恐怖主义、贩卖人口、种族主义和经济压迫猖獗的世界。在我们生活的世界里，施行种族灭绝的独裁者、腐败的政客和性掠夺者往往不受惩罚。我们中的另一些人因为我们经历过的罪恶和不公而纠结于这个问题。例如，有些人在忠心耿耿地服务了多年后，在没有任何解释的情况下失去了这份工作。你可能在想：“怎么会这样？这是不对的。”你们中的其他人在年轻的时候被攻击或被利用。你可能会想，“我还能找回那些失去的岁月吗？”或者，“他们会不会为自己的所作所为付出代价？”而你们中的一些人也是家庭虐待的受害者。你可能会想，“他们能逃脱法网吗？即便警察不插手，难道就没有人追究他们的责任吗？” |
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| Brothers and sisters, at some point we all wrestle with Habakkuk’s question. We all wrestle with how such a just God could allow such injustice. And thankfully, God has an answer not just for Habakkuk but for all of us. In fact, that’s what we find as we turn our attention to chapter 2 this morning. In chapter 2 verse 2-20 God answers Habakkuk by doing three things: |
弟兄姊妹们，在某些时候，我们都会纠结于哈巴谷的问题。我们都在纠结这样一个公正的上帝怎么会允许这样的不公。值得感恩的是，神不仅为哈巴谷，也为我们所有人准备了一个答案。事实上，这就是我们今天上午关注第二章时的发现。在第二章2-20节中，神通过做三件事来回答哈巴谷。 |
| Outline: |
纲要： |
| 1. First, God tells Habakkuk to write down an important vision He is about to give. |
1.首先，神让哈巴谷写下祂要赐予的一个重要异象。 |
| 2. Second, God encourages the righteous to live by faith until this vision is fulfilled. |
2.其次，神鼓励义人凭着信心生活，直到这异象实现。 |
| 3. And third, God shares His vision with Habakkuk. |
3.第三，神把异象分享给哈巴谷。 |
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| 1）God tells Habakkuk to write down an important vison that He is about to give. (vv.2-3) |
1）神告诉哈巴谷，要他记下一个祂要赐予的重要异象(第2-3节) |
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| Now the word for “vision” here often refers to a prophetic message or revelation. In other words, God has something important He wants to share with Habakkuk. In fact, it’s so important that God wants him to write it down and make it plain on tablets. He wants this message to be legible and clear. |
现在，这里的“异象”一词常指先知预言性的信息或启示。换句话说，神有重要的事情要与哈巴谷分享。事实上，这是很重要的，上帝希望他把它写下来，清清楚楚地写在泥版上。祂希望这个信息清晰可辨。 |
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| And God says the reason he wants this message to be written down clearly is so that “he may run who reads it.” Now that phase, “he may run who reads it” could be understood in a couple of different ways. The person who is running here could be a messenger who goes from town to town with these tablets so they can be read to others. If that’s the case, it would be like a modern-day politician who goes to various cities to hold and hold rallies and share his message. It’s also possible that the person who is running here is actually the one reading the message. If that’s the case, the idea is similar to what happens when you drive by someone who is advertising by wearing a sandwich board. Even though you’re driving by their message is so big and clear that you can read it. So which is it.. the politician or the person going past the sandwich board? Well to be honest, I don’t know. But either way God’s point is the same. |
而神说，祂之所以要把这个信息清楚地写下来，是为了让读者可以“随跑随读”。现在“随跑随读”可以有几种不同的理解。在这里奔跑的人可能是一个信使，他拿着这些泥版从一个镇子到另一个镇子，这样就可以给大家传阅了。如果是这样的话，那就像现代的政治家到各个城市去举行、召开集会，分享他的信息。也有可能是跑到这里来的人，其实就是来读消息的人。如果是这样的话，这个想法和你开车经过一个胸前背后戴着广告牌的人差不多。即使你开车经过，他们的信息写得很大而清晰，你也能看明白。那到底是哪个... 是政治家，还是经过那个夹心广告牌的人？嗯，说实话，我不知道。但无论哪种方式，上帝要表达的意思都是一样的。 |
| God wants Habakkuk to write down this vision and make it plain because He wants this message to be shared with others! He wants it to go public. He wants Habakkuk and his contemporaries and yes even us to read and receive this message. |
神要哈巴谷把这个异象写下来，并把它说得清清楚楚，因为祂要让这个信息传扬出去!祂想把它公开。祂希望哈巴谷及其同时代的人，是的，甚至我们都能读到并接受这个信息。 |
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| But there’s something else important that God wants Habakkuk to know about this vision before he writes it down… Look at verse 3. God says, “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” In other words, this prophetic message that God is about to give is for a future time. So it’s not going to happen right away. It’s not going to be fulfilled immediately. But that said, it will happen. So God promises that this vision will in fact take place. It will take place according to the timetable He has set. But that brings up an important question: What are Habakkuk and the righteous supposed to do while they wait for this vision to be fulfilled? Well, that leads us to our next point. |
但还有一件重要的事，神要哈巴谷在写下这个异象之前，先让他知道......请看第3节。神说：“因这异象关乎一定的日期，很快就要实现，决不徒然；纵有迟延，仍当等候， 因为它一定会来到，绝不耽误。”换句话说，神要给的这个预言性的信息是关乎未来的时间。所以，这不是马上就会发生的。它不会马上应验。但它必定会发生。所以神应许这个异象会真的发生。它将按照祂所设定的时间表进行。但这带来了一个重要的问题。哈巴谷和义人在等待这个异象实现的时候 应该做什么呢？好吧，这就引出了我们的下一个问题。 |
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| 2) God encourages the righteous to live by faith until this vision is fulfilled. (vv.4-5) |
2）神鼓励义人凭信心生活，直到这异象实现（第4-5节） |
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| Look with me again at verse 4-5: It says, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” So who is this one who’s soul is puffed up - whose greed is as wide as Sheol - who gathers for himself all nations? Well, given our context, this certainly refers to Babylon. After all, we know from chapter 1 that God is going to raise up the Babylonians to judge His people. And in time that’s exactly what happened. But I also think these verses also address people or nations that are like Babylon – people or nations who are wicked. That’s one of the reasons why God uses general pronouns in these verses rather than addressing Babylon directly. God uses the language of “he” and “him” and “his” because these verses actually apply to anyone who is wicked. |
再看第4-5节：“迦勒底人自高自大，心不正直；然而义人必因信得生。财富（传统作“酒” ，今照死海古卷译作“财富”） 使人奸诈狂傲，不得安宁；扩张欲望，如同阴间； 又像死亡，永不满足。 他们招聚万国，集合万民，都归自己。”那么，这个灵魂自高自大的人—他的贪婪像阴间一样宽广—为自己聚集万民的人是谁呢？根据我们的上下文，这肯定是指巴比伦。毕竟，我们从第一章就知道，神要兴起巴比伦人来审判祂的子民。毕竟，我们从第一章就知道，神要兴起巴比伦人来审判祂的子民。而在时间上也正是如此。但我也认为这些经文也是针对像巴比伦一样的人或国家—那些邪恶的人或国家。这也是为什么神在这些经文中使用一般代词，而不是直接针对巴比伦的原因之一。神用了“他”（主格）、“他”（宾格）、“他的”（属格）的代词，因为这些经文其实适用于任何恶人。 |
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| All right, well what about this righteous person who is mentioned in verse four? Who is that referring to? Is that referring to Habakkuk? Is that referring to others within Judah who shared Habakkuk’s concerns? Is that referring to Christians in our day? Well, I would say, yes. I would say it refers to anyone that God has declared to be righteous. Again, that’s why God uses general language here. And as we know, God doesn’t declare people righteous because of how good they are or how many works they do. He declares them righteous because He’s being gracious. He declares them righteous because in spite of their sin, He’s chosen to have a relationship with them. So, in many ways we could say that verses 4 and 5 are addressing two categories of people: the wicked and the righteous. The wicked includes the Babylonians and those who are like them. The righteous include Habakkuk and all those whom God graciously declares as righteous. But there’s something else you need to see in these verses. Not only do verses 4 and 5 address the wicked and the righteous: they actually contrast the way they live. |
好，那第四节提到的这个义人呢？这是指谁？是指哈巴谷吗？是指犹大内部与哈巴谷有同样顾虑的其他人吗？是指我们这个时代的基督徒吗？嗯，我会说，是的。我想说的是，它指的是任何一个被神称为义的人。同样，这也是为什么上帝在这里使用泛指语言的原因。我们知道，神不会因为人有多好或做了多少事而称他们为义。祂称他们为义，因为祂是有恩典的。祂称他们为义，因为尽管他们有罪，但祂还是选择与他们建立关系。所以，在很多方面，我们可以说，4、5节是针对两类人：恶人和义人。恶人包括巴比伦人和那些像他们一样的人。义人包括哈巴谷和所有神出于恩典称之为义人的人。但是，在这些经文中，你还需要看到一些东西。4、5节不仅是针对恶人和义人：实际上是对比他们的生活方式。 |
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| Notice that the wicked are characterized by pride. That’s why it talks about their soul being puffed up. In other words, they’re full of arrogance. They overrate their own importance. Their agenda is all about themselves. In the case of the Babylonians they were puffed up with pride in their achievements and possessions and military power. And not only are the wicked’s soul puffed up, they’re also not upright. In other words, their souls are not in right relation to God. Sadly, they delight in things God hates. And ultimately they trust in themselves instead of God. |
注意，恶人的特征是骄傲。所以才会说到他们的灵魂自高自大。换句话说，他们充满了傲慢。他们高估了自己的重要性。他们的议程都是为了自己。就巴比伦人而言，他们为自己的成就和财产以及军事实力而骄傲自大。而且恶人的灵魂不仅自大，还不正直。换句话说，他们的灵魂与神的关系不对。可悲的是，他们喜欢神所厌恶的东西。而最终他们相信自己而不是相信神。 |
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| A little over a year ago my wife started working in a grocery store. And one of the things she’s noticed more and more – especially in the past few months - is that people are wearing masks with messages on them. And some of those messages are really fun. Some of them say things like “Oof-dah” or “You Betcha” or my personal favorite “Dr. Fauci Fan Club”. Others though are a little bit snarky. They say things like “I may be wrong, but I doubt it” or “OK Boomer”. But some of these masks that people wear have messages that are really sad and disturbing. For instance, the other day my wife saw a woman wearing a mask that said “My body, my choice.” Now whether this woman knows it or not, she’s not just making a political statement or even a personal statement… she’s making a prideful statement. It’s as if she’s shaking her fist at God and saying: “You’re not in charge of me. I can do whatever I think is best. The only person I answer to is me.” Now I don’t claim to know this woman’s heart. I’ve never met her. I don’t know her. And it’s possible she doesn’t understand the message she’s communicating. But I do know what our text says. And it’s a warning to every single one of us. The souls of the wicked are puffed up. They are not right before God. Sadly, they are characterized by pride. |
一年多前，我妻子开始在一家杂货店工作。而她越来越注意到的一件事—尤其是在过去的几个月里—是人们戴上了带有信息的面罩。其中一些信息真的很有趣。有的说“乌乎哀哉”或“你是对的”，还有我个人最喜欢的“福奇博士粉丝俱乐部”。其他人却有点尖酸刻薄。他们会说“我可能错了，但我怀疑”（译注：这是美国前职业篮球运动员查尔斯·巴克利的回忆录，2002年成为畅销书）或“好吧，你这个老古董”（译注：OK Boomer，是2019年广泛流行于年轻群体的口头禅，用来嫌弃或嘲讽婴儿潮年代的人。）之类的话。但有些人戴的这些面具所传递的信息真的很悲哀，令人不安。比如前几天，我老婆看到一个女人戴着一个口罩，上面写着“我的身体我作主”。不管这个女人是否知道，她不仅仅是在做政治声明，或仅仅是个人声明... 她在做一个骄傲的声明。就好像她在向上帝挥拳头，说： “你不是我的主宰。我可以做任何我认为最好的事。我只对自己负责。”现在，我不声称知道这个女人的心思。我从来没有见过她。我也不认识她。而且她有可能不明白自己传达的信息。但我知道我们的文字说的是什么。这也是对我们每个人的警告。恶人的灵魂是自大的。他们在神面前的姿态是不对的。可悲的是，他们的特征就是骄傲。 |
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| All right, so we know the wicked are characterized by pride but what about the righteous? Well, according to verse 4, the “righteous shall live by his faith.” Now when most of you hear that phrase, you immediately think about passages like Romans 1:17 or Galatians 3:11 where Paul quotes this verse. But it’s important to understand that when Paul quotes this verse, he’s using it to explain how a person is declared righteous before God. So he’s using it to articulate the doctrine of justification – that in spite of our great sin, we can be declared righteous through faith in Christ. Well here In Habakkuk, the emphasis isn’t so much on how someone is declared righteous but on how a person who has been declared righteous lives. So in verse 4, God’s instructing the person who has already been declared righteous by faith to keep living by faith. He’s saying: Keep trusting in me regardless of what you see happening around you. He’s saying: Continue to have confidence that I will stay true to my character. He’s saying: Keep relying on my Word and on every promise I make. |
好吧，所以我们知道恶人的特点是骄傲，但义人呢？好吧，根据第4节，“义人必因信得生”。现在，当你大多数人听到这句话时，你会立即想到罗马书1:17或加拉太书3:11等经文，保罗在这些经文中引用了这节经文。但重要的是要明白，当保罗引用这节经文时，他是用它来解释一个人如何在神面前被称为义。所以他用它来阐述称义的教义—尽管我们犯了很大的罪，但通过对基督的信，我们可以被称为义。在哈巴谷书中，重点并不在于某人如何被称为义，而在于一个被称为义的人如何生活。所以在第4节中，神是在指示已经因信称义的人，要继续因信而活。祂说：要继续相信我，不管你看到的是什么，发生在你身边。祂说的是：继续相信我将保持我的品格。祂在说：继续依靠我的话语和我的每一个应许。 |
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| And of course, that fits with the context here, doesn’t it? Remember, Habakkuk was crying out to God on behalf of the righteous. He was wrestling with how such a just God could allow such injustice. And God told him that an answer was coming… He told him to write down a vision that would take place in the future. And so what is Habakkuk and the righteous supposed to do while they wait for this vision to be fulfilled? Well, they’re to keep trusting God. They’re to keep relying on His Word. Unlike the wicked who pridefully trust in themselves, the righteous are to live by faith. |
当然，这也符合这里的背景，不是吗？记住，哈巴谷是代表义人向神呼求。他在纠结，这样一个公正的上帝怎么会允许这样的不公。上帝告诉他，一个答案即将到来……祂让他写下一个将来会发生的异象。那么哈巴谷和义人在等待这个异象应验的时候，他们应该做什么呢？嗯，他们要继续相信上帝。他们要继续依靠祂的话语。不像恶人骄傲地相信自己，义人要凭着信心生活。 |
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| 3) God shares His vision. (vv.6-20) |
3）神分享祂的异象（第6-20节） |
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| In many ways, this is what our entire passage has been building up to. God began by telling Habakkuk to write down an important vision He was about to give. Then He encouraged the righteous to live by faith until that vision was fulfilled. And now, in verses 6-20, God shares His vision. He shares a prophetic message that He wants to be read and shared for generations to come. And His vision is a vison of coming judgment. |
从很多方面来说，这就是我们整段经文一直在建立的目标。神首先告诉哈巴谷，要他写下祂所要赐下的一个重要异象。然后他鼓励义人凭信心生活，直到那异象实现。然后现在，在第6-20节，神分享了祂的异象。祂分享了一个预言性的信息，祂要让后世的人阅读和分享。祂的异象是即将到来的审判的异象。 |
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| So let’s start by looking at verse 6. It says: “Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him.” The idea here is that a day is coming when various nations and peoples who’ve been oppressed by Babylon are going to join together to mock them. And the way they are going to do that is by declaring 5 woes of judgment. And each woe of judgment is going to address a particular transgression or sin that the Babylonians have committed. Now, even though these woes address Babylon, they also apply those like Babylon – those who are among the wicked and marked by pride. That’s why similar to what we saw earlier, God continues to use general pronouns in this section. That why He leaves the various parties unidentified. So as we read these woes, they should be read as a warning. They’re a warning to all who follow in the footsteps of Babylon - to all who walk in pride and rebellion against God- that a day is coming when they will face judgment for their sin. And so with that in mind, let’s look briefly at each of these woes. |
所以我们先看第6节。它说：“这些国民岂不都用譬喻、讽刺、暗语指着他们说”这里的意思是，有一天，被巴比伦压迫过的各个国家和民族要联合起来嘲笑他们。而他们要做的，就是宣告五祸的审判。而每一个审判的灾祸，都要针对巴比伦人所犯的特定过失或罪恶。现在，尽管这些灾祸是针对巴比伦的，但也适用于那些像巴比伦一样的人—那些恶人，以骄傲为标志的人。这就是为什么与我们前面所看到的类似，神在本节中继续使用一般代词。这就是为什么祂没有精确定义各方面的人。所以，当我们读到这些灾祸的时候，应该把它们理解为一种警告。它们是对所有跟随巴比伦脚步的人的警告—对所有行在骄傲和悖逆神的人的警告—终有一天，他们将因自己的罪而面临审判。于是，带着这样的想法，我们来简单地看一下这些灾祸的每一个。 |
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| First, in verses 6-8, we see a woe of judgment against the greedy. Essentially, God is addressing those who continually acquire wealth and try to build their own kingdom. And of course, that’s exactly what the Babylonians did. As they invaded various countries and began to conquer nations, they plundered helpless people. They hoarded stolen goods. But in this woe, God makes it clear that a day of judgment is coming when that’s going to end. In fact, a day is coming when the nations that remain will rise up to condemn Babylon and take back what belongs to them. So sort of like creditors coming to collect, they’re going to plunder the Babylonians who plundered them. In other words, justice will happen. The greedy will reap what they sow. |
首先，在6-8节中，我们看到了对贪婪者的审判的灾祸。本质上，神是针对那些不断获取财富并试图建立自己王国的人。当然，这也正是巴比伦人的做法。当他们入侵各个国家并开始征服各国时，他们掠夺了无助的人民。他们囤积赃物。而在这灾祸中，上帝明确指出，当这一切结束的时候，审判的日子就要来临。事实上，有一天，其它的国家会起来谴责巴比伦，夺回属于他们的东西。所以有点像债权人来讨债，他们要去掠夺曾经掠夺他们的巴比伦人。换句话说，正义将会发生。贪婪的人将收获他们所种下的东西。 |
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| Second, in verses 9-11 we see a woe of judgment against those with selfish ambition. And the picture here is of oppressors, like the Babylonians, who took land that wasn’t theirs in order to build houses and empires for themselves. And much like a bird that builds a nest out of the reach of its enemies, these oppressors tried to build houses that were secure and out of reach. |
其次，在9-11节中，我们看到了对那些自私野心者的审判的灾祸。而这里的画面是压迫者，比如巴比伦人，他们夺取了不属于他们的土地，以便为自己建造房屋和帝国。就像鸟儿在敌人够不着的地方筑巢一样，这些压迫者试图建造安全的、够不着的房子。 |
| But as we know, it doesn’t matter how strong you build your house, if it’s not built on the Rock, it’s not going to stand. That’s why God says they’ve actually devised shame for themselves. So rather than living out their days in safety and security, they going to face God’s judgment. Their fate is so clear that even the materials they used to build these houses testify against them. Again, a day of reckoning and judgment is coming for those with selfish ambition. |
但我们知道，不管你的房子建得多结实，如果不建在磐石上，它是站不住脚的。所以上帝说他们其实是为自己设计了羞耻。所以他们不是安安稳稳地过日子，而是要面对上帝的审判。他们的命运是如此清晰，甚至连他们用来建造这些房子的材料都可以证明他们的命运。同样，对于那些有自私野心的人来说，算计和审判的日子即将到来。 |
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| Third, in verses 12-14 we see a woe of judgment against those who are violent. Notice in verse 12 it says, “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! Here the problem is not so much the building of these towns and cities but how they were built. They were built sinfully through violence and injustice. And in the case of the Babylonians, that happened in really horrific way. They actually used prisoners of war and slave labor to build their cities – often under horrible conditions. But once again, God will not stand for this. As He says in verse 13: Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? God is saying it’s just a matter of time before He raises up another superpower to conquer the Babylonians. It’s just a matter of time before He raises up another nation who will set fire to their buildings just like they did to so many others before them. So in the end, all of their labors.. all of their efforts to build these cities will be in vain. As our text says, they weary themselves for “nothing”. Not only that, but as verse 14 shares, a day is coming when “…the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” In other words, when these woes of judgment are fulfilled, something amazing is going to happen. The knowledge of God’s glory is going to be spread throughout the earth. And God’s glory here refers to a display of His character. In some ways it’s similar to what Moses experienced when God passed before Him in and announced Himself to be merciful and gracious and just. So God is saying that a day is coming when His character will be known to everyone. As these woes of judgment are fulfilled, the knowledge of God’s holiness and righteousness will be evident to all. |
第三，在12-14节中，我们看到了对那些暴力的人进行审判的灾祸。请注意第12节说：“你这用人血做城，凭邪恶立镇的，有祸了！”。在这里，问题不在于这些城镇和城市的建设，而在于它们是如何建设的。它们是通过暴力和不公而罪恶地建立起来的。而在巴比伦人的铁蹄下，那是以非常可怕的方式发生的。他们实际上使用战俘和奴隶劳工来建造他们的城市—通常是在可怕而恶劣的条件下。但是，再一次地，神不会容忍这一切。正如祂在第13节中说：众民劳碌得来的，被火焚烧；列国辛劳而得的，终归无有。 这不都出于万军之耶和华吗？ 上帝是说，祂会兴起另一个超级大国来征服巴比伦人，这只是时间问题。这只是一个时间问题，祂兴起另一个国家，他们会放火烧他们的建筑，就像他们对之前的许多人一样。所以，到最后，他们所有的劳动... 所有的努力，建立这些城市将是徒劳的。正如我们的经文所说，他们辛劳而得的，都“终归无有”。不仅如此，正如14节所分享的那样，有一天，“认识耶和华之荣耀的知识，必充满全地，好像众水遮盖海洋一样。”换句话说，当这些审判的灾祸应验的时候，将会有惊人的事情发生。神荣耀的知识要传遍全地。而神的荣耀在这里指的是祂品格的展示。在某些方面，这与摩西所经历的类似，当上帝在他面前经过，并宣告自己是仁慈、恩典和公正的。所以神是说，有一天，祂的品格要被大家都认识。当这些审判的灾祸应验的时候，对神的圣洁和公义的认识就会昭然若揭。 |
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| But there’s more here. In verses 15-17 we see another woe – and this time it’s a woe against those exploit others and take advantage of them. That’s what the text is referring to when it talks about oppressors making people drunk and gazing at the nakedness. The Babylonians and those like them were acting like someone who gets a person drunk at a bar so they can take advantage of them. They took joy in demeaning others and shaming their victims. But once again, the Babylonians and those like them will get what they deserve because God is a holy God. Just as God told Moses when He passed before him, He will by no means let the guilty go unpunished. And so what does God do? He promises to shame them in the same way they shamed others. In fact, in the same way they gave their victims a cup to drink from, God is going to give them a cup to drink from. Only this cup is not going to be filled with wine. It’s going to be filled with God’s wrath – His righteous anger against sin. Again, God will judge those who exploit others and take advantage of them. |
但这里还有更多。在15-17节中，我们看到了另一个灾祸—这次是针对那些剥削他人、利用他人之人的灾祸。这就是文中所说的压迫者让人醉倒、为要见他赤裸。巴比伦人和那些像他们一样的人的行为就像有人在酒吧里把人灌醉，好占他们的便宜。他们以贬损他人和羞辱受害者为乐。但巴比伦人和像他们这样的人将再次得到他们应得的报应，因为神是圣洁的神。正如上帝在摩西面前经过时告诉他的那样，祂决不以有罪的为无罪。那么神是怎么做的呢？祂应许会用他们羞辱别人的方式来羞辱他们。事实上，他们给受害者喝酒杯的方式一样，上帝也要给他们喝那酒杯。只不过这个杯子里不会装酒。而是被上帝的愤怒所充满—祂对罪恶的义怒。同样，上帝也会审判那些剥削他人、利用他人的人。 |
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| And then finally, in verses 18-20 we see a fifth woe of judgment against idolaters. And in many ways, this woe gets at the heart of Babylon’s sin and really all of our sin. The reason any of us go down a path of greed or selfish ambition or violence or exploitation is because we turn from the living God and pursue idols instead. And as most of us know from our own sinful experience, an idol doesn’t have to be image crafted from metal or stone, or wood. It can be things like comfort or achievement or pleasure or anything else we’re more devoted to than God. But as God points out, at the end of the day, an idol is lifeless. It doesn’t help. It can’t satisfy. And it certainly won’t save. God on the other hand, is VERY much alive. In fact, verse 20 says the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. In other words, God is ruling and reigning from His heavenly dwelling. So He and He alone deserves our worship and allegiance. And at the end of the day, when these woes come to pass, every single person will recognize that reality. God’s righteous rule and just reign will be so evident that all the earth will be silent before Him. |
最后，在18-20节中，我们看到了对拜偶像者的第五个审判之祸。从很多方面来说，这灾祸直指巴比伦的罪和我们所有的罪的核心。我们任何一个人之所以走上贪婪、自私的野心、暴力或剥削的道路，都是因为我们远离了永生神，而去追求偶像。而我们大多数人从自己的罪恶经验中知道，偶像不一定是用金属或石头，或木头制作的形象。可以是舒适、成功、快乐等事情，也可以是其他任何事情，其中我们所投入的，甚于我们对神的投入。但正如神所指出的，到了最后的日子，偶像是没有生命的。它帮不了你。它不能给你满足。它当然也救不了你。而另一方面，神的生命却是永存的。其实，20节说耶和华在祂的圣殿里，全地都要在祂面前肃静。换句话说，神是在祂的高天之上掌权作王。所以祂，也只有祂才配得我们崇拜和效忠。而到了最后的日子，当这些祸事发生的时候，每一个人都会认清这个现实。上帝的公义统治和公正的统治将如此明显，以至于全地都要在祂面前肃静。 |
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| Application |
应用 |
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| So think about our question from earlier… the Habakkuk that asked and that we often ask… How can such a just God allow such injustice??? Well, in verses 6-20, God has given His answer. |
所以想一想我们前面的问题，哈巴谷问的，也是我们经常问的，这样一位公义的上帝怎么会允许这样的不公呢？在6-20节，神已经给出了祂的答案。 |
| Through this vision and these five woes He has been abundantly clear. God’s not going to let Babylon get away with what they’re doing. He’s going to judge them and all who follow in their footsteps. So even though God uses corrupt nations and people to carry out His purposes, He will ultimately hold them accountable. That means every evil deed… every act of rebellion… every instance of injustice will be punished. Again, a day is coming when God will fully and finally establish His justice – and when He does the whole world will know it! |
通过这个异象和这五祸，祂的意思已经非常清楚了。上帝不会让巴比伦逃脱他们正在做的事情。祂要审判他们和所有跟随他们脚步的人。所以，即使神使用腐败的国家和人民来实现祂的目的，祂最终还是要追究他们的责任。这意味着每一个邪恶的行为… 每一次反叛的行动... 每一件不公正的事都会受到惩罚。有一天，神将完全并最终建立祂的正义—当祂这样做的时候，整个世界都将知道! |
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| So when will that happen? When exactly will these judgments occur? When will this vision come to pass? Well, like a lot of prophecy, this vision has multiple layers of fulfillment. In some ways it’s like a plant that grows over time. First you see sprouts and then it grows leaves and then it forms buds and then eventually it becomes a mature plant with flowers that are in full bloom. Well, I believe the first layer of fulfillment (or sprout if you will) happened in 539 BC. That’s when God raised up the Medes and Persians to overthrow Babylon. And of course, that judgment is what allowed God’s people to return from exile and begin rebuilding the temple. But as you and I both know greed, violence, idolatry, and all sorts of evils have continued to this day. And so what has happened is at various times in history God has brought additional layers of fulfillment to this vision. So for instance, I believe He brought a layer of fulfillment to this vision when the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. I also believe He brought a layer of fulfillment to this vision when the Nazis and the Axis powers were defeated in WWII. And it may be that God is bringing another layer of fulfillment in our day – it may be that He brings judgement to other nations or even ours. |
那么，什么时候才能实现呢？这些审判到底会在什么时候发生？这个异象何时才能实现？好吧，就像很多预言一样，这个异象有多层的实现。从某种程度上来说，它就像一株植物，随着时间的推移而成长。首先你会看到萌芽，然后它长出叶子，再形成花蕾，最后变成一株成熟的植物，开满了花。好吧，我相信第一层的实现（或者说萌芽，如果你愿意的话）发生在公元前539年。这时，上帝兴起了米底人和波斯人，推翻了巴比伦。当然，这个审判也是让神的子民从流放地回来，开始重建圣殿的原因。但你我都知道，贪婪、暴力、偶像崇拜，各种罪恶一直延续到今天。所以，在历史上的不同时期，神为这个异象带来了更多层次的实现。所以比如说，我相信当罗马帝国在公元476年沦陷的时候，祂给这个异象带来了新一层的实现。我也相信，当纳粹和轴心国在二战中被打败时，祂为这个异象带来了又一层实现。而在我们这个时代，神可能会带来另一层的实现—可能会给其他国家甚至我们的国家带来审判。 |
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| But one thing we know for certain is that at the end of history this vision will reach its ultimate fulfillment. So this plant will eventually see its full bloom. And it’s going to see it’s full bloom when God’s very own Son Jesus comes back to the earth at His second coming. On that day God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. On that day every person will be held accountable for what they’ve done. And on that day all those who’ve been found righteous in Christ will receive eternal life but all those who remain outside of Him will receive eternal punishment. |
但有一点我们可以肯定的是，在历史的尽头，这个愿景将达到最终的实现。所以这株植物最终会迎来它的全然盛放。而当神的亲生儿子耶稣第二次降临时，它将会看到它的全面绽放。到了那一天，上帝的公义审判就会显现出来。在那一天，每个人都要为自己的行为交账。到了那一天，所有在基督里被称为义的人都会得到永生，但所有留在基督之外的人都会受到永远的惩罚。 |
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| So friends, how do we respond to this vision that will be fulfilled when Jesus returns? Well, for those of you here this morning who are not Christians.. those of you who have yet to turn from your sins and trust in Jesus… this is a very sobering message. It’s sobering to hear how our sin is an affront to God. It’s sobering to hear that God’s holiness requires our sin to be punished. And it’s also sobering to hear that a day of judgment that is coming when we will have to give an account for what we’ve done. But I want you to know there is hope. There’s hope because of what Jesus did when he came to the earth the first time. You see, when Jesus came to the earth some 2000 years ago, He lived a perfect life. So unlike you and I, He never sinned or did anything unjust. And yet at the end His life we willingly died on a cross taking the place of sinners and paying the penalty their sins deserved. And then three days later Jesus rose from the grave demonstrating that He had satisfied God’s justice against their sin. And as we’ve just heard, one day He’s going to return to this earth to bring judgment and establish God’s eternal kingdom. And when He does, all those who have trusted in Him… all those who God has declared righteous through faith in Him will receive the gift of eternal life. But for those who reject Him.. those who remain in their sin… those who continue to rebel… they will receive eternal punishment. So if you’re here today and you’ve been greedy or had selfish ambition or been violent or exploited others or devoted yourself to idols, it’s not too late. You don’t have to experience God’s justice against your sin. You don’t have to face the eternal punishment you deserve. If you trust in Jesus you all your sins will be forgiven. You’ll be declared righteous in God’s sight. And you’ll be able to enjoy eternal life with God. So trust in Him! Trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life. |
那么朋友们，当耶稣再来的时候，我们该如何回应这个将要实现的异象呢？好吧，对于那些今天早上在座的还不是基督徒的人... 那些还没有从你的罪孽中转过来并相信耶稣的人... 这是一个非常清醒的信息。听到说我们的罪是对神的侮辱，这应该让人警醒。听到神的圣洁要求我们的罪受到惩罚，这应该让人警醒。听到审判的日子即将来临，我们将不得不为自己的所作所为而交账，这也应该让人警醒。但我想让你知道，希望还在。之所以有希望，是因为耶稣第一次降临人间时的所作所为。你看，大约2000年前，当耶稣来到世上时，祂活了一个完美的生命。所以，和你我不同的是，祂从来没有犯过罪，也没有做过不公的事情。然而在祂生命的最后，却心甘情愿地死在十字架上，代替罪人，为他们的罪承担应有的惩罚。三天后，耶稣从坟墓中复活，表明祂已经满足了上帝对他们的罪的公正审判。就像我们刚才听到的那样，有一天祂要回到这个世上，带来审判，建立上帝永恒的国度。当祂这样做的时候，所有那些信祂的人... 所有那些上帝通过对祂的信心而称为义的人，都会得到永生的恩赏。但对于那些拒绝祂的人... 那些仍然在罪中的人... 那些继续叛逆的人... 他们将受到永恒的惩罚。所以，如果你今天在这里，你曾经贪婪过，或者有私心野心，或者暴力过，或者剥削过别人，或者献身于偶像，现在还为时不晚。你不必亲自经历神对你的罪的公正审判。你不必面对你应得的永恒的惩罚。如果你相信耶稣，你所有的罪都会得到赦免。你会在上帝的眼中被称为义。你就能与上帝一起享受永生。所以要相信祂!信靠耶稣，使你的罪得赦免，得永生的恩赏。 |
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| Well what about for those of you who here this morning who have already trusted in Jesus…how should you respond? Well, I want encourage you with what we talked about earlier - that the “righteous shall live by faith.” As you and I know, the Christian life not only starts by faith, it continues by faith. So each and every day we seek to walk by faith and not by sight. Each and every day we look to God to fulfill His promises to us in Christ. And that includes the promises that are found in this vision – that a day of judgment is coming. So if you’re here this morning and you’re wrestling with injustices that are happening in our world or in your own life, know that justice will occur. God is a holy God and He will not let sin go unpunished. He will provide perfect justice for every evil deed – whether at the cross or in hell. So you can trust God to settle every matter in His time. You can have confidence that He will make every wrong right. You can entrust yourself to the One who judges justly. So brother and sisters, until He returns let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. Let’s keep looking to the founder and perfecter of our faith. He will help us. He will help the righteous to live by faith. |
那么对于今天早上在座的那些已经相信耶稣的人来说呢......你应该如何回应呢？好吧，我想用我们之前说过的话来鼓励你们—“义人必因信得生。”你我都知道，基督徒的生活不仅由信心开始，而且由信心继续。所以，我们每一天都在寻求凭信心而不是凭眼见而行。每一天我们都期待神在基督里实现祂对我们的应许。包括这异象中的应许—审判的日子即将来临。所以，如果今天早上在这里，你正在纠结于发生在我们的世界或你自己的生活中的不公，你要知道正义会发生。神是圣洁的神，祂不会让罪恶不受惩罚。祂将为每一个邪恶的行为提供完美的正义—要么是在十字架上，要么在地狱里。所以你可以相信神会在祂的时间里解决每一件事。你可以有信心，祂会让每一个冤屈都得昭雪。你可以把自己托付给那位公正的审判者。所以，兄弟姐妹们，在祂回来之前，让我们定睛耶稣。让我们继续仰望我们信心的创始成终者。祂会帮助我们。祂会帮助义人因信而活。 |
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| Closing Prayer |
结束祷告 |
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