生命之路、與死亡之路（耶21章）

你要對這百姓說：「耶和華如此說：『看哪、我將生命的路、和死亡的路、擺在你們面前。住在這城裏的、必遭刀劍、飢荒、瘟疫而死．但出去歸降圍困你們迦勒底人的、必得存活、要以自己的命為掠物。』」（耶 21：8-9）

時間來到猶大國最後一個王西底家，在急難中逼不得已，這位我行我素的王終於想到要依靠神。只是我們所敬拜，有絕對自主權的神，怎可能讓人呼之則來、揮之則去呢？我們的神，是怎樣的神？

因為經上說、『人若愛生命、願享美福、須要禁止舌頭不出惡言、嘴唇不說詭詐的話．也要離惡行善．尋求和睦、一心追趕。因為主的眼看顧義人、主的耳聽他們的祈禱．惟有行惡的人、主向他們變臉。』（彼前 3：12)

這是在說，只要我們願意「離惡行善、尋求和睦、一心追趕」，就會成為神眼中的義人。神對待祂眼中的義人和行惡的惡人，態度是絕對不同的，「因為主的眼看顧義人、主的耳聽他們的祈禱．惟有行惡的人、主向他們變臉。」

西底家王的時代，雖然他在危機存亡之際，懂得尋求神，但是他沒有先改正自己行惡的心志，不自我省察，冒然就要求神幫助，因此所招致的不是神的憐憫，而是更大的咒詛。耶和華說：「我向這城變臉、降禍不降福、這城必交在巴比倫王的手中、他必用火焚燒。」（耶 21：20）

今天我們在真教會中所敬拜的神，並不同於一般世人所拜的偶像。世人所拜的，是那些竟然願意保護惡人，也就是持續欺壓人的、訛詐人的、兇殘殺害人的人，是是非不分、毫無知識的偶像。我們的神，只要我們願意照祂旨意、行祂所喜悅的事，祂必垂聽我們的乎求。至於持續作惡的人，祂絕不寬貸，必定報應！

就如同神要耶利米先知再次宣告：「看哪、我將生命的路、和死亡的路、擺在你們面前。」。神再次給他們一次機會：出去投降敵人，就必存活；死守耶路撒冷的，必慘死。

這是一個違反一般世人理解與邏輯的命令，為要考驗人是否願意遵守神命令的心。神常會給違反我們認知的命令，這時，你若是一個習慣憑感覺走這條信仰之路的就要小心了！信仰不是憑感覺就可以，不是覺得自己很不錯，有做自以為是的好事，就覺得神必喜悅我。有真信仰的人，是時時警覺的，隨時留心注意神的命令，因此願意天天讀經、常常禱告，因熱愛真理常常聚會，並會積極努力「離惡行善、尋求和睦、一心追趕」。

出去投降，既是神的命令，就投降吧！因為這是「生命的路」。然而要做出這樣的抉擇，就要先捨己，也就是先否定自我：「我的想法與做法都是錯的，只有神的才是對的。」要能捨棄原本的想法、邏輯，只接受神的邏輯，就需要再次用「隨身攜帶」的十字架，釘死自我。唯有「我」除去了，腳，才走得出去，照神的旨意，投降。

今天我們還在堅持自以為是的想法與做法嗎？還在吶喊說：「不行啦！神怎麼是要我去投降？」若神要我們行的是一件違反常理的抉擇時，我願意嗎？若還是繼續堅持自我的想法、絕不改變，那就只能維持悲慘的現狀，最後走向死亡一途了。

那我們該如何行呢？打開聖經，求聖靈引導，看清楚神所說的每一句話，然後不要懷疑，知道了就立刻去行，這樣就必定能走向「生命之路」，進入蒙神祝福的境地。

但我斷不以別的誇口、只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架．因這十字架、就我而論、世界已經釘在十字架上．就世界而論、我已經釘在十字架上。（加 6：14）

By Isaiah Kao

The Way of Life and the Way of Death (Jeremiah 21)

July 18, 2026

“You shall say to this people, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Anyone who stays in this city will die by the sword, the famine, or the plague; but anyone who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and his life will be like plunder to him.”’” (Jeremiah 21:8–9, NASB 2020)

The time had come to the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. In the midst of troubles, this self-willed king was finally forced to think of relying on God. But how could the God whom we worship, the God who possesses absolute sovereignty, how could we possibly can call upon and set aside? What kind of God is our God?

For the Scripture says, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.” (1 Peter 3:10–12, NASB 2020)

This tells us that if we are willing to “turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it,” we will become righteous in the eyes of God. God’s attitude toward those whom He considers righteous is completely different from His attitude toward those who do evil: “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

During the reign of King Zedekiah, although he knew to seek God when faced with a crisis threatening his life and kingdom, he did not first correct his evil intentions or examine himself. He rashly asked God for help. Therefore, what he brought upon himself was not God’s mercy, but an even greater curse. The LORD said, “Behold, I am going to turn against this city for harm and not for good; and I will hand it over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.” (Jeremiah 21:10, NASB 2020)

Today, the God whom we worship in the True Jesus Church is different from the idols worshiped by the people of the world. The idols worshiped by the world are supposedly willing to protect evil people—those who continually oppress, deceive, and brutally murder others. They are idols that cannot distinguish right from wrong and possess no true knowledge. But our God will surely hear our prayers when we are willing to follow His will and do what pleases Him. As for those who continue to do evil, He will never let them go unpunished. He will surely repay them!

Just as God commanded the prophet Jeremiah to proclaim once again: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.” God gave them one more opportunity: if they went out and surrendered to the enemy, they would live; but those who insisted on defending Jerusalem to the end would die distressingly.

This was a command that went against the understanding and logic of ordinary people. It was meant to test whether they were willing to obey God’s command. God often gives commands that go against our understanding. At such times, we must be careful if we are accustomed to walking the path of faith according to our feelings! Faith cannot be based merely on feelings. We cannot think that God must be pleased with us simply because we feel that we are doing well or because we have done what we consider to be good deeds. Those who possess true faith are always watchful. They constantly pay attention to God’s commands. Therefore, they are willing to read the Bible every day, pray frequently, and attend church services often because they love the truth. They also actively and diligently “turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”

Since going out and surrendering was God’s command, they should surrender! For this was “the way of life.” Yet to make such a choice, one must first deny oneself. This means first denying oneself: “My thoughts and ways are all wrong; only God’s thoughts and ways are right.” To abandon our original thoughts and logic and accept only God’s logic, we must once again use the cross that we carry with us and crucify the self. Only when the “self” has been removed can our feet walk out and surrender according to God’s will.

Are we still insisting on our own ideas and ways today? Are we still shouting, “No! How could God want me to surrender?” When God asks us to make a choice that goes against common sense, are we willing to obey? If we continue to insist on our own ideas and refuse to change, we can only remain in our miserable condition and eventually walk toward death.

What, then, should we do? Open the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. Clearly understand every word God has spoken. Then do not doubt. Once we know what God says, immediately put it into practice. In this way, we will surely walk toward “the way of life” and enter the blessed condition of being blessed by God.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao