神厭惡見風轉舵的信仰(耶34章)

如今你們回轉、行我眼中看為正的事、各人向鄰舍宣告自由．並且在稱為我名下的殿中、在我面前立約．你們卻又反悔、褻瀆我的名、各人叫所任去隨意自由的僕人婢女回來、勉強他們仍為僕婢。(耶 34：15-16)

西元前588年，巴比倫帝國聯軍已將猶大國攻到僅剩兩座堅固城，離耶路撒冷京城僅剩二三十公里。神藉耶利米先知要西底家王聽從神的話，如果聽話，就可以平安離世。從歷史看來，最後西底家王死在巴比倫的監獄中，並沒有照神對他原本應許可以享受安然離世的福氣，可見他並沒有遵守神的命令。

當時的西底家王，在巴比倫帝國大軍進攻時，情急之下，曾經執行了久未執行的神的命令，就是叫希伯來奴僕可以自由離去，可能藉此祈求神同在。這看似國家在情急之下，所露出的一線曙光，卻在後來巴比倫大軍退兵後，百姓故態復萌，又強迫希伯來人自己的弟兄們回來為奴。

神為此極為憤怒，說：

所以耶和華如此說：「你們沒有聽從我、各人向弟兄鄰舍宣告自由．看哪、我向你們宣告一樣自由、就是使你們自由於刀劍飢荒瘟疫之下．並且使你們在天下萬國中拋來拋去．」這是耶和華說的。(耶 34：17)

這是說人不給鄰舍弟兄宣告自由，神就使敵人自由殺戮他們、也任憑本來被神阻止的饑荒瘟疫自由發作。

這好像有人因為屢次犯錯被神懲治一樣，後來懂得在病痛或患難中自我反省，然後悔改。結果當神施憐憫與慈愛，使他們從苦境轉回時，他們就存僥倖的心態，繼續回去做著原本在神面前已立志不犯的罪。從聖經真理看來，人若違背曾在神面前立志過的約定，後果都比原來更加悽慘。如：

污鬼離了人身、就在無水之地、過來過去、尋求安歇之處．既尋不着、便說、我要回到我所出來的屋裏去。到了、就看見裏面打掃乾淨、修飾好了．便去另帶了七個比自己更惡的鬼來、都進去住在那裏．那人末後的景況、比先前更不好了。(路 11：24-26)

這是主耶穌說過的比喻，提到有人蒙恩，所以鬼被趕出去了，但是卻不願意將主耶穌迎接進來，任憑心裡空著，「裡面打掃乾淨，修飾好了」卻空無一物，也就是反而過著自己以前舊有的生活，違背了原本在主面前所立下的心志，只因鬼出去了，竟忘恩負義。這樣的結果，神就再次將原本綑綁的鬼給牠們自由，不再阻擋鬼進入這人的心。這裡說：「那人末後的景況、比先前更不好了。」在真教會的歷史中，不乏有這樣的見證，也就是這樣的人一旦再次被鬼進入，就很難再趕得出來，而且情況比上次被鬼附身更加嚴重。

如果有需求，就短暫遵守道理而行；問題解決了，就放棄耶穌，這是典型的消費耶穌，欺騙耶穌，假意跟從主的行為。欺哄聖靈的人，就是褻瀆聖靈，比犯罪的罪更甚，是永不得赦免的，當戒慎之。

不可指着我的名起假誓、褻瀆你神的名．我是耶和華。(利 19：12)

我實在告訴你們、世人一切的罪、和一切褻瀆的話、都可得赦免．凡褻瀆聖靈的、卻永不得赦免、乃要擔當永遠的罪。(可 3：28-29)

By Isaiah Kao

God Detests a Faith That Changes with the Wind (Jeremiah 34)

July 31, 2026 

“Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each person proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. Yet you turned around and profaned My name, and each of you took back his male slave and each of you his female slave whom you had set free according to their desire, and you forced them to become your male and female slaves.” (Jeremiah 34:15–16, NASB 2020)

In 588 B.C., the Babylonian alliance had conquered nearly all of Judah, leaving only two fortified cities. They were only about twenty to thirty kilometers from Jerusalem. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God told King Zedekiah to obey His word. If he did, he would die in peace. However, history tells us that Zedekiah eventually died in a Babylonian prison instead of enjoying the peaceful death God had originally promised him. This shows that he did not obey the Lord's command.

When the Babylonian army was attacking, King Zedekiah, in a hurry, finally carried out a command of God that had long been neglected: he proclaimed freedom for the Hebrew slaves. Perhaps he hoped to seek God's favor and presence in this way. It seemed to be a small ray of hope for the nation in its darkest hour. Yet when the Babylonian army temporarily withdrew, the people quickly returned to their old ways. They forced their own Hebrew brothers  back into slavery.

Because of this, God was greatly angered and declared:

“Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release, each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘to the sword, to the plague, and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.’” (Jeremiah 34:17, NASB 2020)

In other words, since they refused to proclaim freedom to their neighbors and brothers, God would allow the sword to kill them freely and would no longer restrain the famine and plague from coming upon them.

This is much like someone who repeatedly sins and is disciplined by God. During illness or hardship, the person reflects, repents, and returns to the Lord. But after God shows mercy and brings them out of their suffering, they begin to take His grace for granted and return to the very sins they had once vowed before God to forsake.

The Bible teaches that when people break the promise they have made before God, the consequences become even more severe than before. For example:

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24–26, NASB 2020)

In this parable, the Lord Jesus spoke of a person who had received God's grace and from whom a demon had been cast out. Yet instead of welcoming the Lord Jesus into his heart, he left it empty. Although the house was "swept and put in order," it remained unoccupied. He simply returned to his former way of life, abandoning the promise he had once made before the Lord. Because the demon had left, he forgot God's grace.

As a result, God allowed the demons that had once been restrained to enter that person's heart again. As the passage says, “the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first.” Throughout the history of the True  Church, there have been testimonies of such cases. Once such a person becomes demon-possessed again, the demons are often much more difficult to cast out, and the condition is even more serious than before.

If someone obeys God's word only when they have a need, but abandons Jesus once their problem is solved, that is a faith that merely uses Jesus, deceive Jesus, and following Him insincerely. Those who deceive the Holy Spirit are guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This is an even more serious matter than ordinary sin, for it will never be forgiven.We must therefore be watchful.

“You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:12, 

NASB 2020)

“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons and daughters of mankind, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:28–29, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao