尊崇人邏輯與神邏輯的兩種不同結局（耶52章）

猶大王約雅斤被擄後三十七年．巴比倫王以未米羅達元年、十二月二十五日、使猶大王約雅斤抬頭、提他出監．又對他說恩言、使他的位高過與他一同在巴比倫眾王的位、給他脫了囚服。他終身在巴比倫王面前喫飯。巴比倫王賜他所需用的食物、日日賜他一分．終身是這樣、直到他死的日子。（耶 52：31-34）

本章是耶利米書的最後一章，詳細敘述猶大國的末日。相信沒有人喜歡自己的末日，但是不會因為不喜歡、或是忌諱提起，就不會臨到。歷史上的這天，終於臨到，神的旨意必然成全，因此不可心存僥倖，認為不會來臨。

本章有兩個人有著截然不同的遭遇，原因是在於願不願意聽神的話，這兩個人就是西底家和約雅斤兩個猶大王。這兩個人一開始都是行耶和華眼中為惡的王，起始點都一樣，都是壞王。西底家因為抵死不從神的命令，最後導致國家滅亡，眾子也在他眼前被殺，然後自己的雙眼被剜出，還被戴上銅鍊帶到巴比倫，並在巴比倫死亡；一樣素行不良的約雅斤，則是在緊要關頭，帶著王后、王族開城門投降，雖然一開始是被帶到巴比倫下在監裡，但是在歷經三十七年後，境遇突然發生轉變，竟然可以脱去囚服，甚至得與巴比倫王一同進食，直到死日，可以算是有安養天年。

讓我們靜下心來思考：若用人的邏輯來看，西底家才是好王，因他堅守民意，堅持到底，對敵人抵死不從，願意戰到最後一兵一卒，是真值得歌頌的明君！反觀約雅斤，是位叛國的君王，因為他不戰而降，是應該給予極大羞辱的君王。但是，人若不進入神的旨意之中，永遠都無法做出對的決定。要知道：做對的事情，永遠比那些只會把事情做對的人還要更有智慧，因為糟糕的事也可以把它做得很對，但是糟糕的事做得越對反而越糟糕，還不如不做。

來看看主耶穌如何看待人邏輯。在以馬忤斯的路上，那兩位門徒就曾經用人邏輯來看待耶穌受死與復活一事，最後因無法接受這樣的結果而面帶愁容。但是耶穌對這樣的人邏輯給了一個評論：「無知的人哪．先知所說的一切話、你們的心、信得太遲鈍了。基督這樣受害、又進入他的榮耀、豈不是應當的麼？」（路 24：25-26)。

約雅斤或許最後出降，只是因一部分接受了神藉著耶利米先知的勸告，甚至按照神的指示，在外邦深切悔改，並配合敵國巴比倫帝國的作息，耐心等候。就只有這樣，終於在經過三十七個年頭，時候到了，神就使他從苦境轉回，竟然可以在外邦中蒙福。而希底家一生只在乎人的情面，懼怕人勝於怕神，所以不能接受神要他投降巴比倫一事，因為覺得丟臉，最後遭受咒詛，承受悲慘的晚年。

人不能因為遵守神的旨意覺得丟臉，就拒絕遵守。

可見，神的邏輯，不見得都是與感覺相符的。所以不敬虔的世人，在譏笑他人的邏輯上有問題時，常笑人家是「神邏輯」，也就是很可笑的想法之意。事實上，每天讀經、常常禱告，每天晚上都跟著耶穌出城去「歸零」，目的就是要去領受這樣一般人難以接受，卻是正確的「神邏輯」。因為這樣的邏輯，必跟世上的聰明人、智慧人、資優生、專家學者所講的不同。既然如此，關於家庭、婚姻、學業與事業等問題，為何還要去聽專家、學者，或是自以為聰明、有智慧的人，那樣無用的言論呢？因此主說：

凡勞苦擔重擔的人、可以到我這裏來、我就使你們得安息。（太 11：28）

來到神面前要做什麼？就是要領受能真正使人得安息的「神的邏輯」。真正的智慧人，必是敬畏耶和華真神的人。而且這樣的敬畏，還只是知識的開端而已。一個敬畏神的人，還要願意完全順服、完全遵從，這樣，必能從神蒙福，也就是那在神面前的真正智慧人。

敬畏耶和華、是智慧的開端．認識至聖者、便是聰明。（箴 9：10）

By isaiah Kao

Honoring Human Logic or God’s Logic— Two  Different Outcomes (Jeremiah 52)

August 18, 2026

In the thirty-seventh year after Jehoiachin king of Judah was taken into exile, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So he changed his prison clothes, and he had his meals in the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life. For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a portion for each day, all the days of his life, until the day of his death.

(Jeremiah 52:31–34, NASB 2020)

This chapter is the final chapter of the Book of Jeremiah. It gives a detailed account of the downfall of the kingdom of Judah. I believe no one likes to think about his own end. Yet simply because we dislike it or avoid talking about it does not mean it will never come. That day in history finally came. God’s will was fulfilled. Therefore, we must not take chances or deceive ourselves into thinking that such a day will never come.

There are two people in this chapter whose experiences were completely different. The reason lies in whether or not they were willing to listen to God’s word. These two men were Zedekiah and Jehoiachin, two kings of Judah.

In the beginning, both of them were kings who did evil in the sight of the LORD. Their starting point was the same: both were bad kings. Because Zedekiah stubbornly refused to obey God’s command to the very end, the nation eventually fell. His sons were killed before his eyes, his own eyes were put out, and he was bound with bronze chains and taken to Babylon, where he eventually died;

Jehoiachin, who had likewise lived a bad acts, surrendered at a critical moment. He opened the city gates and surrendered with the queen and the royal family. Although he was initially taken to Babylon and imprisoned, after thirty-seven years his circumstances suddenly changed. He was able to put off his prison clothes, eat regularly at the king’s table, and remain there until the day of his death. In a sense, he was able to enjoy a peaceful old age.

Let us quietly reflect on this: If we look at things according to human logic, Zedekiah would seem to have been the better king. He stood firmly with people opinion and held his ground to the very end. He refused to surrender to the enemy and was willing to fight until the last soldier. Surely, he would be considered a courageous and worthy king to praise! By contrast, Jehoiachin would appear to be a traitorous king. Because he surrendered without fighting, he should, according to human standards, have been greatly shamed. But if a person does not enter into God’s will, he will never be able to make the right decision. We need to understand this: Doing the right thing is always wiser than merely doing something the right way. Even a bad thing can be done very well. But the better a bad thing is done, the worse the outcome may become. In such a case, it would have been better not to do it at all.

Let us see how the Lord Jesus viewed human logic. On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples also looked at Jesus’ death and resurrection according to human logic. Because they could not accept what had happened, they were looking sad. But Jesus gave this judgment of their human logic:

“And He said to them, ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter His glory?’”

(Luke 24:25–26, NASB 2020)

Perhaps Jehoiachin surrendered in the end because he accepted, at least in part, the counsel God had given through the prophet Jeremiah. He may even have repented deeply while in a foreign land, followed God’s instructions, cooperated with the Babylonian Empire’s way of life, and patiently waited.

Only by doing so did he finally experience a reversal of his circumstances after thirty-seven years. When God’s appointed time came, God brought him out of his difficulty, and he was even able to receive blessing in a foreign land. Zedekiah, 

however, cared throughout his life about how he appeared in the eyes of people. He feared people more than he feared God. Therefore, he could not accept God’s command that he surrender to the king of Babylon. He felt that doing so would bring shame upon him. In the end, he suffered judgment and endured a tragic old age.

We must never refuse to obey God’s will simply because we feel ashamed to do what God commands.

Clearly, God’s logic does not necessarily agree with our feelings. That is why ungodly people, when mocking someone whose reasoning seems strange to them, sometimes call it “God’s logic,” meaning that they think it is ridiculous.

In reality, the purpose of reading the Bible every day, praying frequently, and going out of the city with Jesus every evening to “return to zero before the Lord ” is to receive this kind of “God’s logic”—something that ordinary people may find difficult to accept, yet is actually right.Such logic will differ from what the clever, wisdom, gifted students, experts, and scholars of this world say.

If this is the case, then when we face questions concerning our family, marriage, education, career, and other areas of life, why should we continue listening to the useless opinions of experts, scholars, or people who consider themselves clever and wise?

Therefore, the Lord says:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

(Matthew 11:28, NASB 2020)

What should we do when we come before God? We are to receive “God’s logic”—the wisdom that can truly give us rest. A truly wise person must be one who fears the LORD God. Yet even this fear of God is only the beginning of knowledge. A person who fears God must also be willing to obey Him completely and follow Him fully. Such a person will surely receive blessings from God and become a truly wise person in His sight.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

(Proverbs 9:10, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao