上帝乐意赦免并更新祂的儿女。

In his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

祂在你中间必因你欢欣喜乐，默然爱你，且因你喜乐而欢呼。-西番雅书3章17节

Years ago, I attended a wedding where two people from different countries got married. Such a blending of cultures can be beautiful, but this ceremony included Christian traditions mixed with rituals from a faith that worshiped many gods.

几年前我参加了一场婚礼，新郎和新娘来自不同的国家。文化融合确实是件美事，但婚礼中却混杂了基督教传统及多神教的宗教仪式。

Zephaniah the prophet pointedly condemned the mixing of other religions with faith in the one true God (sometimes called syncretism). Judah had become a people who bowed in worship to the true God but who also relied on the god Molek (Zephaniah 1:5). Zephaniah described their adoption of pagan culture (v. 8) and warned that as a result God would drive the people of Judah from their homeland.

先知西番雅曾斥责犹大国的百姓，在独一真神的信仰中掺杂了其他的信仰（或称为宗教融合）。他们虽敬拜真神，但却也信奉当时民间的宗教玛勒堪（西番雅书1章5节）。西番雅发出警告，因为他们随从异教的文化（8节），上帝要将他们赶离家乡。

Yet God never stopped loving His people. His judgment was to show them their need to turn to Him. So Zephaniah encouraged Judah to “Seek righteousness, seek humility” (2:3). Then the Lord gave them tender words promising future restoration: “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home” (3:20).

然而，上帝从未停止爱祂的子民。祂的审判只是为了要他们回头转向祂。因此，西番雅鼓励百姓“寻求公义谦卑”（2章3节）。过后，上帝也以温柔的话语应允他们未来的回归：“那时，我必招聚你们，带你们回到故土。”（3章20节，当代译本修订版）

It’s easy to condemn examples of obvious syncretism like the wedding I attended. But in reality, all of us easily blend God’s truth with the assumptions of our culture. We need the Holy Spirit’s guidance to test our beliefs against the truth of God’s Word and then to stand for that truth confidently and lovingly. Our Father warmly embraces anyone who worships Him in the Spirit and in truth (see John 4:23–24). 

我们会谴责将宗教融合的情况，正如我参加的那场婚礼一样。但实际上，我们每个人都很容易将自己的文化掺杂于上帝的真理中。我们需要圣灵的引导来检测我们的信仰，让我们的信仰合乎上帝的真理，并以勇气和爱心站在真理的立场上。我们的天父会温暖地拥抱每一个用心灵按真理敬拜祂的人（参阅约翰福音4章23-24节，新译本）。

主啊，求祢帮助我们以勇气和爱心站在祢真理的立场上。我们想让别人认识祢的真理，也想让他们知道我们爱他们。

Zephaniah 1:1-6  NIV

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: 2 “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. 3 “I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea— and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”“When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,” declares the Lord, 4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests— 5 those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek, 6 those who turn back from following the Lord and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”

Zephaniah 2:1-3 

2 Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation, 2 before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you. 3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

西番雅书 1:1-6 

1 当犹大王亚们的儿子约西亚在位的时候，耶和华的话临到希西家的玄孙、亚玛利雅的曾孙、基大利的孙子、古示的儿子西番雅。2 耶和华说：“我必从地上除灭万类。 3 我必除灭人和牲畜，与空中的鸟、海里的鱼，以及绊脚石和恶人。我必将人从地上剪除。”这是耶和华说的。 4 “我必伸手攻击犹大和耶路撒冷的一切居民，也必从这地方剪除所剩下的巴力，并基玛林的名和祭司， 5 与那些在房顶上敬拜天上万象的，并那些敬拜耶和华指着他起誓，又指着玛勒堪起誓的，6 与那些转去不跟从耶和华的，和不寻求耶和华也不访问他的。”

西番雅书 2:1-3 

2 不知羞耻的国民哪，你们应当聚集！趁命令没有发出，日子过去如风前的糠， 2 耶和华的烈怒未临到你们，他发怒的日子未到以先，你们应当聚集前来。 3 世上遵守耶和华典章的谦卑人哪，你们都当寻求耶和华！当寻求公义、谦卑，或者在耶和华发怒的日子，可以隐藏起来。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

God’s judgment is the theme of Zephaniah and is predicted because the people “neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him” (1:6). Several groups are targeted: the priests, who thought they could worship God and false gods (v. 6); the royal family,“who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit” (v. 9);“merchants,” who exploit the poor (v. 11); and the “complacent” (v.12), who live comfortably while doing nothing to change their corrupt culture. When we mix God’s truth with error, as the idolatrous priests did, judgment is inevitable.

西番雅书的主题是关于上帝的审判，该书有此预言是因为百姓“不寻找耶和华，也不求问祂”（1章6节，新译本）。本书特别针对几种人：以为可以同时敬拜上帝和众假神的“祭司”（4-6节）；祭拜偶像，使主人家充满暴力和欺诈的“王室”（9节）；剥削穷人的“商人”（11节）；生活安逸不愿改变腐败文化，安于罪中的人（12节）。我们若像拜偶像的祭司那样，将上帝的真理掺杂了错谬的道理，就必定会面对审判。

整理：于姊妹