藉著「偶像的對付」經歷被 神修理

Being Pruned by God through “Dealing with Idols”

經文：出20:3-5，詩16:4，耶8:19，林前10:14，弗5:5

Scriptures: Exodus 20:3-5, Psalm 16:4, Jeremiah 8:19, 1 Corinthians 10:14, Ephesians 5:5

背誦經文：以別神代替耶和華的（或譯：送禮物給別神的），他們的愁苦必加增；他們所澆奠的血我不獻上；我嘴唇也不提別神的名號。(詩16:4)

Memory Verse: Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips. (Psalm 16:4)

A. 偶像一直是 神所忌恨、所要除滅的

A. Idols are always what God is jealous of, and wants to destroy

• 3除了我以外，你不可有別的神。 4 不可為自己雕刻偶像… 5 …不可事奉它，因為我耶和華─你的 神是忌邪的 神。(出20:3-5)
• 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image...5 you shall not... serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. “(Exodus 20:3-5)

B. 對偶像的敬拜成為 神子民得罪 神及失敗痛苦的主因

B) Idolatry became God’s people’s biggest sin against God and major cause for failure and pain

• 歷代以來，拜偶像成為神百姓最得罪 神的大罪，聖經稱之為屬靈的淫亂，包括了各種不同形式的偶像：埃及諸神，迦南地諸神，巴力，金牛犢， …，都說到它們的目的就是要來取代或破壞 神在我們心中那獨一無二的絕對地位。

今日在神兒女們的心中也常有「無形的偶像」來奪取 神的地位和我們對 神全然純淨的愛，一樣的會令 神傷痛、惹神忿怒。例如：財富、成功、名利、不良嗜好與習慣、婚姻以外的貪戀、網路綑綁、名人、配偶、子女、人的稱許…等等

Throughout the generations, idolatry became God’s people’s greatest sin against God.  The Bible calls it spiritual adultery, which includes various forms of idols: the gods of Egypt, the gods of Canaan, Baal, the golden calf, ….  Their purposes are to replace or destroy God’s absolute unmatched supremacy in our hearts.

Today oftentimes there are ‘invisible idols’ in the hearts of God’s children to steal God’s place and rob our pure love for God, and they grieve God and provoke God to anger just the same way.  For example, money, success, fame, bad hobbies or habits, lust outside of marriage, internet bondage, celebrities, spouses, children, praises of man, etc.

• 倚靠雕刻的偶像，對鑄造的偶像說：你是我們的神；這等人要退後，全然蒙羞。(賽42:17)
• They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, who trust in carved images, who say to the molded images, ‘You are our gods.’ (Isaiah 42:17)

C. 偶像的對付

C) Dealing with Idols

1. 藉著聖靈的光照，找出自己的偶像

By the light of the Holy Spirit, identify our idols

· 希西家王的榜樣：打碎摩西所造的銅蛇(王下18:3-4)

· The example of Hezekiah: broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made (2 Kings 18:3-4)

2. 靠著聖靈的幫助，除滅一切的偶像

Through the help of the Holy Spirit, destroy all idols

· 約西亞王的榜樣：全國、全面性的清除(王下23:4-26)

· The example of King Josiah: Nation-wide, comprehensive cleansing (2 Kings 23:4-26)

3. 防備它們回頭的力量，求 神醫治背道的病

Guard against their relapses, ask God for healing of backsliding

· 列王興衰史及至終亡國的鑑誡

· The warning of the rise and fall of the kings and the nation’s ultimate destruction

4. 防備它們滲透的力量，不給魔鬼留地步

Guard against their infiltration, do not give ground to the devil

· 我所親愛的弟兄啊，你們要逃避拜偶像的事。(林前10:14)/小子們哪，你們要自守，遠避偶像！(約壹5:21)/有貪心的，就與拜偶像的一樣。(弗5:5)

· Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry (1 Cor 10:14) / Little children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21)/ covetous man, who is an idolater (Ephesians 5:5)

· 大衛焚燒非利士人撇下的一切神像(代上14:12) & 亞瑪謝戰勝以東卻帶回其神像，惹 神忿怒，遭叛黨所殺 (代下25章)

· David gave a commandment, and they (the gods) were burned with fire (1 Chronicles 14:12) & Amaziah defeated the Edomites yet brought back their gods, which aroused God’s anger and was eventually slain by the rebels (2 Chronicles 25)

D. 藉著「偶像的對付」經歷被 神修理

D) Being pruned by God through “dealing with idols”

• 神是獨一的真神，祂配得也要求我們要盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力的來愛祂，敬拜、事奉祂。因此，任何形態、方式的偶像，神都要除滅，我們的生命和對 神的愛才可能純淨、真誠，也才可能多結果子來榮耀祂。
• God is the only true God, who is worthy for us to love Him, worship Him and serve Him with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength.  Therefore God will destroy any form and way of idolatry so that our lives and our love for God can be pure and true, and can bear fruit to glorify Him.

• 以法蓮必說：我與偶像還有甚麼關涉呢？…(何14:8)

Ephraim shall say, “What have I to do anymore with idols?...” (Hosea 14:8)