耶利米-神眼中的X光機（耶6章）

我使你在我民中為高臺、為保障、〔高臺或作試驗人的〕使你知道試驗他們的行動。（耶 6：27）

這裡的「高臺」原文作「試驗人的」，如今天作產品測試的品保人員；「保障」原文是「礦石」之意，是指以色列民為神眼中的礦石。神使耶利米有屬靈的眼光與智慧可以看見真實，一眼就看出百姓的奸惡，從最小的到至大的、從先知到祭司、都一味的貪婪、行事虛謊。耶利米先知就好像機場出入境檢查行李的X光機一樣，一目瞭然、無所遁形。

讀到這裡的經文，腦海中突然冒出「神眼中的X光機」的概念，耶利米先知就像超人一樣，眼睛可以射出X射線。我們總是會被人虛偽的表面所欺騙，難以看見一個人真實的內在。

神眼中的X光機，就我所經歷過的事奉歷程裡，就好像教會中大大小小的會議。如地方教會中的職務會或信徒會議、教區的信徒代表會議、總會的全國信徒代表大會或總會負責人會，都像神眼中的X光機，因為很輕易地藉由個人意見的表達、說話的態度、邏輯思考等，看出一個人的靈修。如：許多平常看起來非常謙虛、殷勤做工的人，進到會議之中，發言瞬間、甚麼靈修都拋諸腦海之後，讓人一眼看出心中沒有神，是虛假的工人。當然也有人藉著會議，反而讓我動容，因為所展現的氣度與胸懷，可以看出在平常看不到的屬靈深厚內涵。

站在神的X光機前機會多了，所以在平常與人交談中，對於大家口中的「好人」，我的心中就會有所保留；有些飽受大家所批評的人，我發現，其實並非都如大家所評論的那樣。於是我沉默了，不再與世界爭辯、不再與世俗人爭辯。只知道，人都是虛偽的，只有神是真實的。

在耶利米先知的透視眼中，看見「礦石」般的同胞其實都是「銀渣」。銀渣的意思，就是已完全不含銀的成分。煉銀，目的就是要將銀礦中的銀煉出來，既然看見毫無銀的成分，於是知道再怎麼煉皆已經無用！

風箱吹火，鉛被燒毀，他們煉而又煉，終是徒然。因為惡劣的還未除掉，人必稱他們為被棄的銀渣，因為耶和華已經棄掉他們。(耶 6：29-30)

想起完全人約伯，在極度痛苦之中時，他曾為自己打氣說：「然而他知道我所行的路、他試煉我之後、我必如精金。」(伯 23：10)。言下之意就是「我裡面的『金』成分，在這樣的操練後必能顯出來。」但是最後結束約伯記四十多章火煉的這回合的，那通過神喜悅的認知，卻是：「我從前風聞有你，現在親眼看見你。因此我厭惡自己、〔自己或作我的言語〕在塵土和爐灰中懊悔。」(伯 42：5-6)。言下之意竟是：「原來我裡面真的沒有『金』的成分，所以當然煉不出來。我厭惡自己，我很懊悔之前所說、所行的一切。」

又想起保羅說的：「我也知道，在我裏頭，就是我肉體之中，沒有良善。因為立志為善由得我，只是行出來由不得我。」(羅 7：18)。保羅的認知，直接認為自己裡頭沒有『金』、『銀』的寶貴成分，也就是沒有良善。

要能看見自己其實一無所有，很不容易。這裡說必須要先受教：

耶路撒冷啊！你當受教、免得我心與你生疏、免得我使你荒涼、成為無人居住之地。(耶 6：8)

若能藉由每日讀經、聖靈的啟示，我們人人就都可以有耶利米「試驗人」的能力。當每天自我檢討，就會發現：為何我的舊人要先死去，才能讓基督成形在我心裡？因為要先承認自己沒有「金」、沒有「銀」，所以我不會因為操練變精金，我只能捨己、完全無我，然後完全跟從神。對於過往的古聖徒，當站在路上察看、訪問古道、確認那是善道、然後行在其間。

耶和華如此說：「你們當站在路上察看、訪問古道、那是善道、便行在其間．這樣、你們心裏必得安息。」他們卻說：「我們不行在其間。」(耶 6：16)

By Isaiah Kao

Jeremiah—God’s X-Ray Machine (Jeremiah 6)

July 3,2027

"I have made you an assayer and a tester among My people, that you may know and assay their way." (Jeremiah 6:27, NASB 2020)

The word "tester"

 refers to one who examines or assays metals, much like a quality inspector today. The word "people" is pictured as ore in God's sight. God gave Jeremiah spiritual discernment and wisdom to see the truth. At a glance, he could recognize the wickedness of the people. From the least to the greatest, from the prophet to the priest, all were greedy for dishonest gain and practiced deception. Jeremiah was like an X-ray machine at an airport security checkpoint—nothing could be hidden from his sight.

As I read this passage, the idea of "God's X-ray machine" suddenly came to mind. Jeremiah was almost like Superman, whose eyes could see through everything. We are often deceived by outward appearances and find it difficult to see what is truly in a person's heart.

In my years of serving in the church, I have found that God's X-ray machine is often revealed through church meetings—whether local church ministers meetings, congratulational meetings, or the council members  of General Assembly. In such settings, a person's opinions, attitude in speaking, and way of reasoning often reveal the true condition of his spiritual life. For example: Some people appear very humble and diligent in daily life, yet once they begin speaking in a meeting, all signs of spiritual cultivation seem to disappear, making it obvious that God is not truly in their hearts and that they are merely outward workers. On the other hand, there are also those whose grace, humility, and broad-mindedness deeply move me, revealing a spiritual depth that is not easily seen in ordinary circumstances.

After standing before God's X-ray machine many times, I have become more cautious when others praise someone as a "good person." Likewise, I have discovered that some people who are widely criticized are not actually as others describe them. So I have learned to remain silent. I no longer argue with the world or contend with worldly people. I simply know that human beings are deceptive, but only God is true.

Through Jeremiah's spiritual vision, his fellow Israelites, who appeared to be ore, were in fact nothing but dross. Dross means that no silver remains. The purpose of refining silver is to carry the precious silver from the ore. But when no silver is left, no amount of refining can produce anything of value.

"The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, but the wicked are not separated. They call them rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them." (Jeremiah 6:29–30, NASB 2020)

This reminds me of the blameless man Job. In the midst of his strong suffering, he encouraged himself by saying,

"But He knows the way I take; when He has put me to the test, I will come out as gold." (Job 23:10, NASB 2020)

In other words, Job believed that the "gold" within him would be revealed through God's testing. Yet after more than forty chapters of refining, the conclusion that pleased God was very different:

"I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent, sitting on dust and ashes." (Job 42:5–6, NASB 2020)

The meaning is, "There was no gold within me after all. That is why nothing could be refined from me. I despise myself and repent of all that I have said and done."

It also reminds me of Paul's words:

"For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." (Romans 7:18, NASB 2020)

Paul recognized that there was no precious "gold" or "silver" within himself, in other words, no goodness.

It is not easy to realize that we truly possess nothing of ourselves. Jeremiah tells us that we must first be willing to receive instruction:

"Be instructed, Jerusalem, or My soul will turn away from you; otherwise I will make you a desolation, a land not inhabited." (Jeremiah 6:8, NASB 2020)

Through daily Bible reading and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, every one of us can receive Jeremiah's ability to "test" ourselves. As we examine ourselves day by day, we begin to understand why our old self must first die so that Christ may be formed in us. We must first acknowledge that there is no "gold" or "silver" within us. We do not become pure gold simply through training. Rather, we must deny ourselves completely, become nothing, and follow God wholeheartedly.

Therefore, let us follow the example of the saints of old:

"This is what the LORD says: 'Stand by the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.' But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6:16, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao