公義的神（結十四）中英bilingual

人子啊，這些人已將他們的假神接到心裡，把陷於罪的絆腳石放在面前，我豈能絲毫被他們求問嗎？（結 14：3）  

在本章中，神不斷重複一句很重要的話：將假神接到心裏（參3、4、7節）。偶像原本是在人的外面， 但當人把偶像「接到心裏」，它就不再只是一個外在敬拜的問題，而成為生命中的絆腳石。 這塊石頭不是別人放的，而是人自己放在所行的道路上，使自己跌倒、犯罪，最後遠離神。  

回顧以西結書第10章，當百姓把偶像帶進聖殿，污穢神的居所時，神的榮耀也漸漸離開聖殿。今天真正的聖殿又在哪裡呢？ 豈不知你們是神的殿，神的靈住在你們裏頭嗎？ （林前 3：16）我們讀以西結書時，不能只看當年的以色列百姓，也應當回頭看看自己的心。 我們的心既是神的殿，那麼，在我們的心中究竟住著什麼？神是不是仍然居首位？  

不可跪拜那些像，也不可事奉它，因為我耶和華－你的神是忌邪的神。（申 5：9） 

神要求的不是在眾多選擇中留一個位置給祂，而是要祂的百姓承認：祂是獨一的真神。 以色列百姓進入應許之地之後，長久以來不斷受到迦南各種偶像的影響，把外邦的神帶進家庭、帶進聖殿，最後更帶進自己的心裡。 耶和華沒有完全從他們的生活中消失，問題是，耶和華變成了他們眾多選擇中的一位。他們仍然可以獻祭、守節、稱自己是神的百姓，但是心裡「獨一真神」的位置已被其他事物佔去， 這正是他們背約的根本！ 

我們日常生活中有許多合約。 買賣、車輛、租賃、商業合作，都會清楚寫明雙方的權利與義務；如果一方違約，就須承擔相對責任。我們通常認為這是理所當然的，但是面對神的時候，人卻很容易用另一套標準，如「神不是慈愛的嗎？」 「神為什麼不能再原諒一次？」 「神既然愛人，為什麼還要審判？」 甚至好像因為神是慈愛的，祂就有義務原諒人一切的悖逆。但我們必須明白，神的慈愛從來沒有廢掉神的公義。  

公義和公平是你寶座的根基；慈愛和誠實行在你前面。（詩 89：14 ） 

神國寶座的根基是公義、公平，慈愛與誠實行在祂面前。 因此，當神審判以色列百姓的背約，並不是神突然不再慈愛，而是因為祂守約、信實、公義。 沒有公義的慈愛，剩下的只是縱容！神真正的慈愛，是建立在祂永不改變的公義之中。今天的基督徒可能不會在家中擺一尊偶像跪拜，但是我們仍然可能在不知不覺中，把許多東西「接到心裏」。 金錢、事業上的成功、人際關係、社團活動、娛樂、追劇，甚至對自我成就與自我滿足的追求，本身未必都是罪。真正需要警醒的是： 它們有沒有慢慢占滿我們的心，取代了神的位置？ 我們可自問： 還有讀經嗎？我還安靜禱告嗎？我期待聚會、親近神嗎？ 還是這些事情已經逐漸變成形式？ 有時候，仍然聚會、仍然禱告、仍然保留「基督徒」的身份，但內心真正關心的，早已不是神。 要警醒自己：不要讓神的榮耀像當年離開耶路撒冷一樣，在我們毫無察覺的時候，漸漸離開我們的生命。 當時常自省：「我的心裡，有沒有任何事物正在取代神？」 

本章還有一個非常嚴肅的訊息。 神提到三位義人——挪亞、但以理、約伯。 即使這三位義人在其中，他們也只能因自己的義救自己的性命，不能代替犯罪的百姓逃避神的審判。 這讓我們明白：信仰最終是每一個人自己與神的關係。 父母不能代替兒女敬虔；傳道不能代替信徒有信心； 教會有許多義人，也不能使一個不願悔改的人得救。 別人的代禱很重要，但別人的義不能成為我們自己的義。當神審判時，每個人都必須為自己的生命向神交帳。基督徒能站在神面前，不是因為本來配得， 而是因神的愛，耶穌為我們釘十架上，使我們重新得到生命，也得到重新回到神面前的機會。 但得著這個恩典之後，我們要怎樣度過剩下的人生？有一天，當我們真正站在神的審判台前，我們要拿什麼面對祂？ 是仍然帶著心中的偶像與絆腳石來到神面前？ 還是已經預備好了？  

我們要歡喜快樂，將榮耀歸給他。因為，羔羊婚娶的時候到了；新婦也自己預備好了， 就蒙恩得穿光明潔白的細麻衣。（這細麻衣就是聖徒所行的義。） （啟 19：7-8）

藉著每日的讀經與禱告親近神，把心中的偶像除掉，把使我們跌倒的絆腳石挪開，使我們的心重新成為聖潔的殿。  

公義和公平是你寶座的根基；慈愛和誠實行在你前面。（詩 89：14）  

by陳婉萍

真耶穌教會石牌教會、天母教會線上講道

石牌教會https://www.youtube.com/@TJChurchShipai

天母教會https://www.youtube.com/c/TJC_Tianmu/featured

The Righteous God (Ezekiel 14)

September 6, 2026

“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be consulted by them at all?” (Ezekiel 14:3, NASB 2020)

In this chapter, God repeats one very important point: they had set up idols in their hearts (cf. verses 3, 4, and 7). Idols were originally outside a person. But when people set up idols “in their hearts,” idols are no longer only an outward problem of worship. They become a stumbling block in their lives. This stumbling block is not put there by someone else. People put it on their own path, causing themselves to fall into sin and finally move away from God.

Looking back at Ezekiel chapter 10, when the people brought idols into the temple and made God’s dwelling place unclean, the glory of God gradually left the temple. But where is the true temple today? “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NASB 2020) When we read Ezekiel, we should not only look at the Israelites at that time. We should also look at our own hearts. Since our hearts are God’s temple, what is living in our hearts? Is God still first in our lives?

“You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 5:9, NASB 2020)

God does not ask us to simply give Him one place among many choices. He wants His people to recognize that He is the one true God. After the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they were influenced for a long time by the many idols of Canaan. They brought foreign gods into their homes, into the temple, and finally into their hearts. The LORD did not completely disappear from their lives. The problem was that the LORD became only one of their many choices. They could still offer sacrifices, keep the feasts, and call themselves God’s people. But in their hearts, other things had taken the place that belonged to the “one true God.” This was the main reason they broke their covenant with God!

We have many contracts in our daily lives. Buying and selling, cars, renting, and business agreements all clearly state the rights and duties of both sides. If one side breaks the agreement, that side must take responsibility. We usually think this is reasonable. But when it comes to God, people easily use a different standard. They may say, “Isn’t God loving?” “Why can’t God forgive one more time?” “If God loves people, why does He still judge?” We may even think that because God is loving, He must forgive every act of rebellion. But we must understand that God’s love never removes His righteousness.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before You.” (Psalm 89:14, NASB 2020)

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne, and mercy and truth go before Him. Therefore, when God judged Israel for breaking His covenant, it did not mean that God suddenly stopped loving them. He judged them because He keeps His covenant and is faithful and righteous. Love without righteousness becomes only tolerance of sin! God’s true love is always built on His unchanging righteousness. Christians today may not put an idol in their homes and bow down to it, but we can still unknowingly set up many things “in our hearts.” Money, success at work, relationships, social activities, entertainment, watching shows, and even the desire for personal achievement and satisfaction may not be sins by themselves. But we must ask: Are these things slowly filling our hearts and taking God’s place? We can ask ourselves: Do I still read the Bible? Do I still pray quietly? Do I look forward to church services and drawing near to God? Or have these things slowly become only a routine? Sometimes we still attend church, still pray, and still keep the name “Christian,” but deep inside, God is no longer what we truly care about. We must be watchful. Do not let God’s glory slowly leave our lives without us even noticing, just as it left Jerusalem long ago. We should often ask ourselves, “Is anything in my heart taking God’s place?”

There is another very serious message in this chapter. God mentions three righteous men—Noah, Daniel, and Job. Even if these three righteous men were there, they could only save their own lives by their righteousness. They could not save the sinful people from God’s judgment. This teaches us that faith is finally a personal relationship between each person and God. Parents cannot be godly for their children. A preacher cannot have faith for the believers. Even if there are many righteous people in the church, they cannot save someone who refuses to repent. The prayers of others are important, but their righteousness cannot become our own righteousness. When God judges, each person must give an account of his or her own life to God. Christians can stand before God not because we deserve it, but because of God’s love. Jesus was crucified for us, so we can receive life again and have the opportunity to return to God. But after receiving this grace, how will we live the rest of our lives? One day, when we truly stand before God’s judgment seat, how will we face Him? Will we still come before God with idols and stumbling blocks in our hearts? Or will we be ready?

“Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7–8, NASB 2020)

Through daily Bible reading and prayer, let us draw near to God, remove the idols from our hearts, and remove the stumbling blocks that cause us to fall, so that our hearts may once again become a holy temple.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before You.” (Psalm 89:14, NASB 2020)

By Sis. Chen Wan-Ping