Hope from Gehenna 仍有盼望
Dexu Xia
Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place. Jeremiah 19:3
In 1979, archaeologist Gabriel Barkay unearthed two small silver scrolls. It took years to delicately unroll the metal scrolls, and each was found to contain a Hebrew etching of the blessing from Numbers 6:24–26, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Scholars date the scrolls to the seventh century bc. They’re the oldest known bits of Scripture in the world.
Equally interesting is where they were found. Barkay was digging in a cave in the Valley of Hinnom, the very place where the prophet Jeremiah told the people of Judah that God would slaughter them for sacrificing their children (Jeremiah 19:4–6). This valley was the site of such wickedness that Jesus used the word “Gehenna” (a Greek form of the Hebrew name for the “Valley of Hinnom”) as a picture of hell (Matthew 23:33).
On this spot, about the time Jeremiah was announcing God’s judgment on his nation, someone was etching His future blessing onto silver scrolls. It wouldn’t happen in their lifetime, but one day—on the other side of the Babylonian invasion—God would turn His face toward His people and give them peace.
The lesson for us is clear. Even if we deserve what we have coming, we can cling to God’s promise. His heart always yearns for His people.
What discipline from God have you deserved? How might you accept His discipline and cling to His promise of salvation?
Father, I confess my sin and the judgment I deserve and cling to Your promise to forgive and restore.
当听耶和华的话！万军之耶和华以色列的上帝如此说：我必使灾祸临到这地方。—耶利米书19章3节
在1979年，以色列考古学家加百列 · 巴克（Gabriel Barkay）挖掘出两个很小的银质经文卷轴。他花了数年小心地展开这两个金属卷轴，发现里面刻着希伯来文的民数记6章24-26节，祭司对以色列民的祝福：“愿耶和华赐福给你，保护你。愿耶和华使祂的脸光照你，赐恩给你。愿耶和华向你仰脸，赐你平安。”学者们认为这两个卷轴是公元前七世纪的文物，是世界上已知最古老的圣经经卷。
同样值得注意的是这些卷轴被发现的地点。巴克在欣嫩子谷的洞穴挖出这些卷轴，而先知耶利米也是在欣嫩子谷告诉犹大的百姓说，上帝会使灾祸临到他们，因他们把自己的孩子作为燔祭献给巴力（耶利米书19章4-6节）。这山谷是如此邪恶，以致耶稣在提到地狱的刑罚时（马太福音23章33节），用来形容地狱的希腊文，便是希伯来文的“欣嫩子谷”。
在这欣嫩子谷，大约在耶利米宣告上帝对百姓的管教和审判之时，有人把上帝对百姓未来的赐福刻在银质卷轴上。虽然他们终其一生都无法经历这祝福，但有朝一日，即他们从巴比伦被掳归回后，上帝会用脸光照祂的子民，并赐给他们平安。
我们要学习的功课很清楚。即使我们是自食其果，但仍可紧抓住上帝的应许，因祂总是渴望与祂的子民和好。
上帝曾如何对你施行适当的管教呢？
你如何接受上帝的管教,并紧抓住祂救赎的应许？
天父，我向祢承认我的罪，并愿接受应得的管教。
求祢帮助我，全然相信祢已应许会赦免我并与我恢复关系。