旧约研究6——他赐给我们先知 HGP——第四课   圣约的动态

• 目录

• 一、引言

• 二、约的理念（模式）

• 约的结构

• 先知的事奉（预言的事工）

• 三、约的审判

• 审判的类型

• 在自然中的审判

• 在战争中的审判

• 审判的过程

• 上帝的忍耐宽容

• 情势的恶化

• 特别的高潮

• 四、约的祝福

• 祝福的类型

• 在自然中的祝福

• 在战争中的祝福

• 祝福的过程

• 恩典

• 程度

• 高潮

• 五、总结

一、引言

你有没有注意到人与人之间的关系是有起有落的呢？友谊有时候令人很愉快，有时我们却不怎么享受那段友谊，有的友情很稳固，有的却不是这样。我们在前一课中看见了旧约中的先知是神和他子民立约的使者，要理解使者的功用，我们必须知道先知是明白以色列和神之间的关系是有起有落的。

我们称这一课为圣约的动态。在这一课里，我们要看三个不同的题目。我们先要探索约的理念。第二，我们要仔细地看约的审判。当神的子民陷在神的审判里的时候，先知究竟是怎样代表神去服侍他们呢？第三，我们要看约的祝福。我们要看看先知怎样宣讲神赐给他子民的祝福。掌握约的生活动力能够帮助我们了解旧约中的预言，又能够叫我们明白如何把预言应用到今天的教会和世界中。与耶和华立约的生活的基本理念是什么呢？

二、约的理念

你曾经在婚礼中听见过新娘和新郎向对方所起的誓言吗？「无论疾病、康健，富有、贫穷，我都照顾你、爱护你。」如果你听见新郎和新娘以不大理想的誓言去开始他们的婚姻，你会感到很奇怪。你能不能想象听见新郎对新娘说，「我愿意娶你为妻，可是，如果你得了甚么病，要我继续和你一起生活下去会很困难。」又或者听见新娘对新郎说：「我愿意嫁给你，以你为我的丈夫，但是你最好不要变成个穷光蛋！」如果我们在婚礼中听到一对新人向对方说这样的话，大概是有甚么地方出了错。因为我们期望婚姻的开始是最理想的，因为这是一段新的关系。这个阶段应该是最美好的。我们都期望新郎和新娘记住他们向对方所说的话，因为那时他们的关系是最美好的。

旧约的先知知道神和他子民之间的关系也是这样。他们了解到神和以色列之间约关系也有一些理想。要了解这个理想的关系，我们必须看两个主题。首先，我们要看约的基本理想结构，第二，我们会看预言的事工，也就是先知怎么依靠这些结构。

约的结构

在前一课中我们看见旧约是以近东附庸条约的模式去描述耶和华与以色列的约。在旧约的时代中，大国君王会与较小的国家订立条约。《圣经》中说耶和华与以色列国也订了相类似的约章。当君王第一次与国立约的时候，他们会首先宣称这次政治安排的基本理想结构。

至少有两个原素重复地出现在附庸条约中。第一个原素是古代近东条约中总会确定君主对其附庸国恩惠。条约中会宣告君主的大名，并列举君主在历史上曾为他子民做过的伟大事件。条约总是以王的恩惠为依据，在《圣经》中，王的恩惠也是约的理想主题。《圣经》里每份圣约都是以神对他子民的恩慈作中心的。

可是，我们不要忘记另一个理想中的原素，那就是人的责任。正如在古代世界里，每份附庸条约都要求附庸国对君主忠诚，同样在旧约中的每个约章也都是这样，要求神的子民对神忠心。我们要记住忠诚是个回应，是对神恩慈的回应，神的子民并没有在神面前赚得他们的地位。神以他的恩典作为与子民立约的基础。可是，最理想的约总会限定人的责任，那就是要求人在神面前忠诚地生活，从来没有例外。

说到这里，我们要考虑每一个理想中的元素是怎样进入到每一份旧约的约章中。我们在前几课中看到旧约先知了解到神进入了五个约的关系中。神透过亚当和挪亚与地上万国立约。他又透过亚伯拉罕，摩西和大卫呼召以色列与他进入特殊的契约关系中，后来在以色列被掳之后，又与他们订立新的契约。

让我们想想神与亚当所立的约。那时候神为人类创造了世界，彰显了他的慈爱。他把不适合人类居住、空虚混沌的世界创造成为一个美丽的乐园，叫人住在其中。我们在创世记1章2节中读到这样的话：

地是空虚混沌。渊面黑暗。神的灵运行在水面上。（创世记第1章2节）

神然后为按照他形像做了人，又为这个造了一个乐园，把亚当和夏娃安置在乐园里。神的慈爱是神与我们的始祖亚当和夏娃立约的依据。同时间，神与亚当所立的约的理想是要求人负起他们的责任。神把亚当安放在美丽的伊甸园中，神立即订立了严格的规则。在创世记2章16至17节中，我们读到这样的话：

「耶和华神吩咐他说，园中各样树上的果子，你可以随意吃。只是分别善恶树上的果子，你不可吃，因为你吃的日子必定死。」（创世记第2章16-17节）

就算是在乐园里，约的理想不单单只包含神的慈爱，也包含了人的责任。

神与挪亚立的约也是这样。一方面，神因为他的慈爱拯救了挪亚和他的一家，免他们受全球性洪水的大灾难，在创世记6章7至8节中有这样的记载：

耶和华说，「我要将所造的人和走兽，并昆虫，以及空中的飞鸟，都从地上除灭，因为我造他们后悔了。惟有挪亚在耶和华眼前蒙恩。」（创世记第6章7-8节）

与挪亚所立的约是基于神丰盛的慈爱。即使是这样，神与挪亚的约也是结合了神的慈爱和人的责任。当挪亚在洪水以后从方舟走出来的时候，神也给他指出了好些明确的规定。在创世记9章7节中，神提醒挪亚作为人的基本责任：

「你们要生养众多，在地上昌盛繁茂。」（创世记第9章7节）

神的慈爱和人的责任同时出现在挪亚的约章中。

现在让我们暂时转去看看神与以色列国所立的特殊契约。你还记得神与以色列所立的第一份约，是透过先祖亚伯拉罕而立的。神的恩典彰显在这份约章中，因为神在全地上各家各族中拣选这一个家族，又赐福给他们。在创世记第12章2到3节里，神对亚伯拉罕说这些话，显示了他极大的慈爱：

「我必叫你成为大国。我必赐福给你，叫你的名为大，你也要叫别人得福。为你祝福的，我必赐福与他；那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。地上的万族都要因你得福。」（创世记第12章2-3节）

神的恩典再一次成为契约理想的中心元素。但是，人的责任在亚伯拉罕的约的理想中也是根本的一部分。先祖亚伯拉罕的责任在许多情形下都占有显着的位置。例如，在创世记17章1到2节里，神这样说：

「我是全能的神，你当在我面前作完全人，我就与你立约，使你的后裔极其繁多。」（创世记第17章1-2节）

亚伯拉罕的约中也包括了人的责任。

当我们谈到神与摩西的约的时候，今天有许多基督徒会有一个错误的印象，认为这约是集中在行为上的，可是事实并不是这样。我们可以清楚地看见十诫是以历史性的序言为开始的，与古代近东附庸条约的序言十分类似。在出埃及记20章2节中，在神颁布十诫之前，我们读到这样的话：

「我是耶和华你的神，曾将你从埃及地为奴之家领出来。」（出埃及记第20章2节）

神期望他的子民以神领他们离开埃及地这慈爱的举动作依据，因此而顺服他。当然，人的责任的另一层面也出现在摩西的约中。在出埃及记19章5节中，神这样对以色列说：

「如今你们若实在听从我的话，遵守我的约，就要在万民中作属我的子民，因为全地都是我的。」（出埃及记第19章5节）

在摩西的约的理想阶段中，神的恩典与人的责任是并存的。

大卫家族的约也是集中在神的慈爱上。神在撒母耳记下7章8节中对大卫说这样的话：

「我从羊圈中将你召来，叫你不再跟从羊群，立你作我民以色列的君。」（撒母耳记下第7章8节）

神从他们子民当中拣选了大卫家永远作王，那是基于神对他子民的慈爱，不是因为他看中大卫有甚么优点。大卫家王朝得以建立，是由于神对大卫的慈爱。神对大卫彰显恩典的同时，也要求他要忠心。让我们看看神要求大卫忠心这项要求如何在诗篇89篇30至32节中铺陈出来：

「倘若他(也就是大卫)的子孙离弃我的律法，不照我的典章行。背弃我的律例，不遵守我的诫命。我就要用杖责罚他们的过犯，用鞭责罚他们的罪孽。」（诗篇第89篇30-32节）

神盼望大卫的子孙因为神对大卫彰显的恩典而感谢他，因此而对神忠心。

契约理想的两个层面也出现在新约当中，就是先知预言要透过弥赛亚去实现的。使徒保罗简洁地在以弗所书2章8至10节中说：

你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信。这并不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的；也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。（以弗所书第2章8-10节）

恩典是基督的约的基础。现在，让我们继续听接下来读第10节中的话：

我们原是神的工作，在基督耶稣里造成的，为要叫我们行善。（以弗所书第2章10节）

新约的理想也包括了人行善的责任。

在这里我们要转去看第二个题目：先知是怎么依靠这些结构的呢？

先知的事奉

一方面，先知经常提醒神的子民耶和华怎样对他们彰显慈爱，可是旧约先知同时间也把注意力集中在契约中人的责任这一部份。先知被神呼召到神的子民当中，提醒他们要忠心地服侍神。我们要记住先知们知道在以色列的有形群体当中，有信神的人，也有不信神的人。因此，他们把约中人的责任作为测试的场地。人们对约的规定所作的反应会显示出他们内心的本质。

一方面，在有形群体中的不信者显示了他们实际上没有得救的信心，因为他们不顾契约的责任。他们拒绝相信耶和华的救恩，又不愿意对神忠心。这些明目张胆地违背契约的人要遭受神的审判。另一方面，对人的责任的测试把真正属于无形约中群体的人分别出来，这些人要永远得赎，他们在耶和华里行使得救的信心，所以他们走向永生的道路。但是事实上先知很多时候挑战神的子民，要他们证明他们的信心，就如我们在新约中所看到的那样。听听启示录2章7节的话：

「圣灵向众教会所的话，凡有耳的，就应当听！得胜的，我必将神乐园中生命树的果子赐给他吃。」（启示录第2章7节）

我们要顺服主，要以此证明我们真有得救信心的这类题材，也是先知书中普遍的题材。

我们来到这里必须小心，不要因为先知们强调人的责任，就认为他们是形式主义者。事实上先知了解到在顺服和忠心行动背后都有神的恩典。当我们看《圣经》整体教导的时候，我们也会知道每当人对神忠心的时候，都是因为有神的灵运行在他们心里。然而，《圣经》同时常常提醒我们，我们是有责任顺服神的。因为先知知道每次顺服行动的背后都有神的恩典同在，所以他们毫不犹豫地呼召神的子民要顺服神，要对神忠心。

来到这里我们看过了约的动力的结果，我们看到契约的两个理想。现在我们要去集中去看第二个题目，约的审判。当神的子民转离神，不服侍神的时候，契约生活的动力是怎么样的呢？

三、约的审判

世界上的政府有许多种模式，可是每一个政府都有一处相同的地方，那就是他们知道国中的人民不会服从所有的法律。结果是要设立刑罚制度。神与以色列所立的约也是这样。神知道他的子民是罪人。他知道他们会背叛他，所以他在子民当中设立审判系统。先知在这个审判系充统中担当了非常重要角色。他们是契约的使者，指出罪的存在，又警告神的子民若他们不遵行契约的话，神就要惩罚他们。要了解先知作为宣告审判讯息使者的职责，我们需要了解神在约中审判他子民的时候的两个元素。首先，我们要探索先知宣告审判的类型，然后，我们要看看各种类型审判的过程。让我们首先去看旧约先知如何警告公然违背耶和华的约的人，看看这些审判的类型。

审判的类型

我们要知道旧约先知没有自创审判类型，这一点是十分重要的。相反地，他们从旧约经文中见到神子民应得的审判目录或类别。从先知的用语中我们知道先知经常依靠摩西五经的几段经文。当先知把神子民的审判排列出来的时候，我们看见引导先知的五段主要经文：申命记4章25至28节，申命记28章15至68节，申命记29章16至29节，申命记32章15至43节和利未记26章14至39节。当先知们寻求了解神要给他子民的审判类型的时候，这些经文为先知提供资料。经文中的材料是这么的丰富，要作总结是十分困难的。但是我们可以万无一失地说，摩西写这些经文的目的是要把约的两个基本审判类别传达给列国。

在自然中的审判

第一种约的审判是神要以大自然的审判去对待持续不断的罪。神警告要撤回给大自然秩序的祝福，这样，世界就变得与神的子民敌对。你回想一下神领以色列到流奶与蜜之地。大自然的秩序在应许地上本来是神子民的莫大祝福。但是先知警告以色列说当他们背叛神的时候，神就要在审判中拿走这个祝福。

有什么自然审判临到有形的约的群体呢？在申命记4章、28章、29章和32章，和利未记26章里至少列出了神审判他子民的六个主要大自然审判类型。首先，这些摩西五经的经文段落告诉我们神有时候使旱灾临到以色列地。旱灾叫土地完全干旱，住在地上的人要遭受极大的痛苦，甚至发生瘟疫。当以色列民公然地背叛神的时候，饥荒也会临到人的身上，叫他们绝粮。他们又会遭受到各种疾病的侵害，如害热病、长起泡的疮、肿瘤和发生瘟疫。野生动物要威胁到人的性命，要有人命的损失。不育和夭折要使应许地上的牲畜和人遭受到损害。

先知反复地提及到种种约的审判，又经常警告说神快要叫自然灾害临到，打乱应许地上人们的生活。让我们听听哈该在哈该书第1章9至11节中所说的话，以此作为例子：

「因为我的殿荒凉，你们各人却顾自己的房屋……。所以为你们的原故，天就不降甘露，地也不出土产。我命干旱临到地土、山冈、五谷、新酒和油，并地上的出产、人民、牲畜、以及人手一切劳碌得来的。」（哈该书第1章9-11节）

神经常叫他的先知宣告审判将要按照大自然的秩序出现。

在战争中的审判

除了给大自然的审判之外，我们又发现先知也宣告战争的审判。战争经常带来饥荒和疾病等可怕的自然灾难。但是神也说要叫仇敌与他的子民对抗，这也是约的审判的一种类型。在摩西的写作中出现了好几种不同的战争主题。在申命记4章、28章、29章、32章和利未记26章中，我们发现至少有五种主要的战争审判类别。首先，神的子民要打败仗，他们承受不了敌人的攻击。第二，他们的城市要被围困，敌人要围城并叫城内的居民受苦，然后敌人要占据他们的土地。神子民的敌人要进入和接管应许地。死亡和毁坏是战争中约的诅咒，因为许多神的子民要死在敌人的手中。然后，最坏的诅咒是神说他的子民要被掳到外邦去，并要分散流亡在列国之中。

先知不仅一次又一次地宣告神的子民要被敌人打败，他们也警告神的子民被掳离开应许地的来临。例如，先知弥迦警告说许多犹大人要被掳离开应许地。在弥迦书1章16节中，我们读到这些有关被掳的话：

犹大啊，要为你所喜爱的儿女剪除你的头发，使头光秃，如同秃鹰，因为他们被掳去离开你。（弥迦书第1章16节）

象这类的审判和战争威胁在旧约先知书中十分常见。

我们看到了旧约先知宣告两种基本约的审判类型，那就是自然灾害的审判和战争的审判。现在我们去看看神把这些审判加在他子民身上的过程。

审判的过程

先知应该怎样为审判的过程作预备呢？先知主要是从利未记26章14至39节中去了解到约的审判过程。在这个段落里，摩西形容审判是要经过一段长时间，并且会依照特定的形式发生的。当我们仔细地观察这段经文的时候，我们会发现至少有三个原则管理着将要来临的审判。神会显示他的耐性，但是审判会越来越严重，而且这些审判会有明显的高潮。我们先考虑神的耐心这一点。

上帝的忍耐宽容

利未记26章14至39节讲得很清楚，当神子民犯罪的时候，神对他们是十分有耐性的。神知道他的子民要背叛他，他们十分倔强，拒绝悔改。摩西在这一个段落里明显地谈到了神对他的子民是十分有耐性的。利未记26章可以被划分成为五个主要的部分：第14节到17节、第18节到20节、第21节到22节、第23到26节和第27节到39节。每个段落都是以「你们若不听从我…」这句话作开始，然后神继续说出将要临到他们的审判是甚么。神重复地说「你们若不听从我」这句话，显示了神的本意是以耐心对待他的子民，给他们许多次悔改的机会。

对神的耐心最简洁的描述出现在旧约的预言之中。先知约珥在约珥书2章里呼召子民悔改的时候谈到神的耐心。在2章13节里他对以色列民说这样的话：

归向耶和华你们的神；因为他有恩典，有怜悯，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，，并且后悔不降所说的灾。（约珥书第2章13节）

先知坚信约的审判，但是他们也相信耶和华对他的子民是非常有耐心的。

约的审判的第一项原则是在利未记26章里，那就是神是有耐心的。接下来是第二项原则，约的审判是会越来越严重的。

情势的恶化

正如利未记26章里有五段经文告诉我们神是有耐心的那样，在第18节、21节、24节和28节中，神是这样警告他的子民的：如果他们继续背叛他，他要把审判加剧七倍。

利未记26章告诉我们神的审判是有不同的严重程度的。有时候先知为相对来说较轻微的审判作出警告，后来又为比较严重的审判作出警告。我们在以赛亚书书38章1节中看到一个比较轻微的审判，那审判是这样说的：

「你当留遗命与你的家，因为你必定死，不能活了。」（以赛亚书书第38章1节）

我相信希西家认为这是对他个人来说十分严重的约的审判，但是对整个国家来说，这审判相对来说是很轻微的...因为只有一个人受到神的审判。可是在另一方面来看，当希西家奇妙地从亚述人的攻击中被拯救出来之后，却拒绝顺服耶和华的时候，以赛亚发出了严厉的审判。以赛亚宣告说巴比伦要吞灭整个犹大国。在以赛亚书39章第6节中，我们读到这些话：

「日子必到，凡你家里所有的，并你列祖积蓄到如今的，都要被掳到巴比伦去，不留下一样。」（以赛亚书第39章6节）

把这个宣告与希西家的审判比较，这个审判严厉得多了，对希西家的审判只是有关他个人的健康，对<u犹大< 的审判是威胁到全个国家的。许多先知都跟随着同样的形式发出审判，审判的程度越来越严重。<><>

我们不仅仅发现神是有耐心地带来的约的审判，审判的严重性也越来越加强烈，同时我们也发现了第三项原则，那就是终极的审判是被掳去离开本国。

特别的高潮

在利未记26章27到39节中警告说在神子民身上的终极审判是他们的土地要完全地被毁灭，他们又要被掳离开应许地。让我们听听摩西在利未记26章33节中所说的话：

「我要把你们散在列邦中，我也要拔刀追赶你们。你们地要成为荒场，你们的城邑要变为荒凉。」（利未记第26章33节）

在旧约信徒的脑袋里，实要难以想象比这描述更坏的情况。神带领以色列人到流奶与蜜的应许地去，可是现在先知却宣告他们要被掳离开这片土地。当我们看《圣经》中大部份先知书的时候，我们见到神已经一次又一次地警告要把他的子民流放到外邦去。并且，先知宣告神子民被掳一事真的要来临。例如在阿摩司书5章26至27节中，我们读到这些话：

「你们抬着为自己所造之摩洛的帐幕和偶像的龛，并你们的神星。所以我要把你们掳到大马士革外。＂（阿摩司书第5章26-27节）

虽然摩西在利未记26章和其他好几段经文中非常清楚地谈到被掳的危险，以色列民仍然认为被掳是难以置信的事。他们一般都相信神不会完全地逐出他的子民，他们认为至少耶路撒冷会完好无缺。他们忘记了他们与耶和华之间的约是需要他们负起责任的。因为这个缘故，在耶路撒冷仍然存留的最后几年间，耶利米必须宣告这个城市和圣殿的毁坏必定要临到。在耶利米书7章13至15节中，我们读到这样的话：

「耶和华说：现在因你们行了这一切事，我也从早起来警告你们，你们不却听从；呼唤你们，你们却不答应。所以，我要向这称为我名下，你们所倚靠的殿，与我所赐给你们和你们列祖的地施行，照我从前向示罗所行的一样。我必将你们从我眼前赶出，正如赶出你们的众弟兄，就是以法莲的一切后裔。」（耶利米书第7章13-15节）

神对他的子民有恩慈、有耐心，也有慈爱；要叫神发怒是需要很长的时间的。但是神是会发怒的，神确实要审判他的子民，但是这些审判是有耐心的和有恩慈的审判。

到目前为止，在约的动力这一课里面，我们看过了约的理念和约的审判。现在，我们要讨论第三个元素，那就是约的祝福。神究竟怎样把他的祝福倾倒在他子民的身上呢？

四、约的祝福

你有没有交过一些总是不愿放弃友谊的朋友呢？就算你搬到老远的地方去，也许你已经忘记了这个朋友，但是他还是照样的来信来电话，这样，他继续是你忠诚的朋友。有这样一位与你同甘共苦的朋友是很美好的事。耶和华与以色列之间的关系也是这样。先知知道神要严厉地审判他的子民，但是他们也了解耶和华永远不会放弃曾与他立约的子民，并向以色列宣告这个事实。

要探索约的生活的这一个层面，我们需要考虑两点，就像我们检查约的审判那样。首先，我们要看约的祝福的类型，然后我们又看约的祝福的过程。

祝福的类型

当神的子民忠诚地寻求神的时候，神的祝福就临到他们身上。当然，神不奢望他的子民是完美的，但是，他期望他们恳切地寻求他，不要背叛他。当约的子民展示这样的忠诚的时候，神就丰足地赐福给他们。

在自然中的祝福

第一个祝福类型是对大自然的祝福。正如摩西谈论到对大自然的审判，他同时也提到在大自然领域中的祝福。摩西向以色列宣告，若他们忠心地服侍神的话，神要大大地赐福在大自然中。这样的主题至少以四种方式出现在申命记4章、28章、30章和利未记26章中。摩西首先讲到农耕的丰足。如果神的子民对神忠心的话，土地就要得丰收。摩西也谈到牲畜的增长。如果神的子民忠诚地服侍主的话，他们牧养的牲畜的数目要倍增。神的子民也要得健康、享兴盛。总的来说，他们会得享安康，以色列的人口也因此而增加，遍满应许地。

神对大自然宣告的祝福实在不应叫我们感到奇怪，因为当神创造人的时候，他把我们安置在伊甸园这片乐土之中。但是因为罪的缘故，神把人逐出了乐园。当神的约中子民忠心地向神的时候，他就应许要赐福给他们：那就是大自然中的祝福，这样神的子民就能够体验到神在创世的时候原先为人类设立的一切福气。旧约先知以各种方式谈论大自然富饶的祝福。听听在约珥书2章22至23节中的例子：

「田野的走兽啊，不要惧怕！因为旷野的草发生，树木结果，无花果树、葡萄树也都效力。锡安的民哪，你们要快乐，为耶和华你们的神欢喜，因他赐给你们合宜的秋雨。」（约珥书第2章22-23节）

撒迦利亚在他的预言中也说到相类似的情况，撒迦利亚谈到当神的子民顺服神的时候，他们就要经验到神的祝福。撒迦利亚书8章12节中有这样的话：

「因为他们必平安撒种，葡萄树必结果子，地土必有出产，天也必降甘露。」（撒迦利亚书第8章12节）

在战争中的祝福

第一种约的祝福类型集中在大自然的富饶上，在先知书中重复地出现的第二种约的祝福类型是在战争中的祝福。约中子民在神的审判之下的时候，他们会在战争中被打败，同样地，当他们在约的祝福之下的时候，他们要经历到胜利与和平。这个主题至少以四种方式现在申命记4章、28章、30章和利未记26章之中。首先，摩西告诉神的子民他们要战胜敌人。更进一步地看，所有战事都要终结，别的国家不再对以色列怀敌意，他们也不用担心战争所带来的毁坏。同时，所有被掳的人都要归回到本国去。

旧约先知经常提及到战争中的祝福。听听阿摩司怎样预言以色列国在未来战争中要获得的重大胜利。在阿摩司书9章11节和12节中，他以这些话谈论被掳后期的情况：

「到那日，我必建立大卫倒塌的帐幕，堵住其中的破口...重新修造，象古时一样，使以色列人得以东所余剩的和所有称为我名下的国。」（阿摩司书第9章11-12节）

在充满敌意和混乱的世界中，先知阿摩司宣告大卫家要战胜所有敌人。在相类似的情形下，弥迦在第4章3节里宣告由于他们获得这些胜利，他们会享平安：

「他们要将刀打成犁头，把枪打成镰刀。这国不举刀攻击那国，他们也不再学习战事。」（弥迦书第4章3节）

我们从这些经文中看到先知把重点放在神的恩典和祝福上。虽然先知对审判和罪抱消极的看法，可是先知也说明了以色列民的悔改和忠诚态度会为大自然带来祝福，也叫他们在战争中得到神的保守。

我们看过了神为他子民带来的祝福类型，现在我们要探查他们得到这些祝福的过程。

祝福的过程

审判有审判的过程，祝福也有祝福的过程。至少有三项原则管理着神祝福的过程。首先，祝福是经由恩典而来的；其次，祝福的来临是有不同程度的；然后就是神祝福的高潮。

恩典

现代的基督徒经常对旧约有错误的印象，以为旧约中的人们要赚取他们的救赎，或要靠行为在神面前称义。其实，这样想法与事实相离甚远。先知并没有为人提供以行为称义的救赎方法，他们呼召人民悔改和寻求神的恩慈。在何西阿书14章1节中有这样的话：

以色列啊，你要归向耶和华你的神；你是因自己的罪孽跌倒了。当归向耶和华，用言语祷告说：「求你除净罪孽，悦纳善行；这样我们就把咀唇的祭代替牛犊献上。」（何西阿书第14章1节）

请注意，何西阿在这里并没有说他的读者应该努力行善去赚取神的祝福。相反地，以色列中那些忠心的人都知道，只有从神而来的慈爱才能带来祝福。他们寻求赦免的原因是要以此作为得到约的祝福的依据，祝福并不是靠人为努力而赚取的。

程度

管理着约的祝福的第二项原则是，祝福是有不同程度的，就如审判有不同的程度那样，我们可以看到比较小的祝福和大的祝福。在较小的程度上看来，旧约先知谈论到从神而来相对来说较小的祝福。例如，当以赛亚告诉希西家他要生病而且要死的同时，他也宣告了一个对这位国王较小的祝福，那就是神要让他存活。在以赛亚书38章5节中：神这样说：

「你去告诉希西家说，耶和华你祖大卫的神如此说：『我听见了你的祷告，看见了你的眼泪。我必加增你十五年的寿数。』」（以赛亚书第38章5节）

有许多先知们把重点集中于这些个人的祝福上。但是很多时候，先知们也把注意力集转向神要赐给他子民的全国性的大祝福。例如，在公元前？701年，亚述人攻击犹大，来到了耶路撒冷城门。在以赛亚书37章34到35节中，先知清楚地宣告神要拯救他的子民，叫他们不至打败仗。

「『他从哪条路来，必从那条路回去，必不得来到这城』，这是耶和华说的。『因我为自己的缘故，又为我仆人大卫的缘故，必保护拯救这城。』」（以赛亚书第37章34-35节）

这是神赐给他子民极大的祝福，因为亚述人威胁到以色列的存活，可是神说要叫他们在战争中得到胜利。当我们读旧约先知书的时候，我们必须经常留意神对他子民所宣告的祝福，无论这些祝福是大是小，我们都要注意。

高潮

除了神的恩典和祝福的程度之外，第三项管理着约的祝福的原则是余民复兴这个高潮。旧约先知相信无论神的审判有多严重，当中总有残余的子民。这些残余子民的数目可能很大，也可能非常小，数目的大小要看神子民对神作出的是怎么样的回应。先知们总是说神要保守余民的安全，并且要复兴残余的子民。例如，耶利米宣告耶路撒冷要完全被毁，但是在耶利米书5章18节中，他保证残余的子民要存活下来：

「耶和华说：『就是到那时，我也不将你们毁灭净尽。』」（耶利米书第5章18节）

余民的生存是十分重要的，因为神透过余民向以色列全民应许要赐给他们极大的祝福。

我们已经从利未记26章中看到约的诅咒的最低点是神子民的被掳。但是在利未记26章40到45节，和申命记4章和30章中，神应许他要保存残余的子民，要领他们回到本国去，又要更进一步地大大赐福给他们。听听摩西在申命记30章4至5中怎样说：

你被赶散的人，就是在天涯的，耶和华你的神也必从那里将你招聚回来。耶和华你的神必领你进入你列祖所得的地，使你可以得着；又必善待你，使你的人数比你列祖众多。（申命记第30章4-5节）

复兴余民这个主题在先知书中经常出现。例如，耶利米教导说在神子民被掳以后，神把大自然的祝福赐给他的余民。在耶利米书23章3节中，耶利米叙述了这些从神而来的话：

「我要将我羊群中所余剩的，从我赶他们到的各国中招聚出来，领他们归回本圈，他们也必生养众多。」（耶利米书第23章3节）

余民在被掳以后也得到在战争中的祝福。先知约珥教导说当神的子民归回的时候，这些余民要经历重大的胜利，又要得享平安。在约珥书3章9节中，我们读到这样的话：

当在万民中宣告说：要预备打仗，激动勇士，使一切战士上前来。（约珥书第3章9节）

然后在3章17节，我们读到以色列的胜利：

「你们就知道我是耶和华你们的神，且又住在锡安我的圣山。那时耶路撒冷必成为圣，外邦人不再从其中经过。」 （约珥书第3章17节）

约珥谈及到一次重大的胜利，这次胜利要永远坚立以色列国。

所有旧约先知都盼望神残余子民的复兴。神应许尽管神的子民要经历被掳这最严历的惩罚，但是残余的子民要领受复兴这巨大的祝福。

五、总结

在这一课里面，我们探索了先知怎样了解约的动力，我们又看了三个主要的题目。我们首先看了神的慈爱和人的责任。然后我们又看了先知怎样从个人的层面发出审判的警告，再一步一步地把审判扩大到全国被掳的审判。最后，我们也看见神从较小的层面上赎回他的子民，然后透过残余的子民带来被掳后的盛大复兴。这些题材、这些动力都在引导旧约先知所说的一切话，当我们研读旧约先知书的时候，这些题材同样地也引导着我们。

He Gave Us Prophets: Dynamics of the Covenant

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INTRODUCTION

Have you ever noticed that human relationships have their ups and downs? Friendships are sometimes enjoyable and other times not enjoyable. Sometimes they're secure and other times, insecure. We've seen in previous lessons that the prophets of the Old Testament were emissaries of God's covenant with his people, and to understand this emissarial function, we have to understand that the prophets realized that the relationship between Israel and God had its ups and its downs. We've entitled this lesson, the "Dynamics of the Covenants." In this lesson, we are going to look at three different topics: first, we will explore the covenant ideals. Second, we'll examine covenant judgment — how did the prophets minister on God's behalf when the people fell under divine judgment? And then third, we're looking to covenant blessings — how did prophets speak of blessings that God offered to his people? Grasping these dynamics of covenant life will help us understand Old Testament prophecy and how it applies to the church and the world today. What were the basic ideals of covenant life with Yahweh?

COVENANT IDEALS

Have you ever been to a wedding and heard all the wonderful things that the bride and groom say to each other? "To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer." Wouldn't it be strange to hear the bride and groom begin their marriages with vows that were less than ideal? Can you imagine hearing the man say to the woman, "I take you to be my wife, but it really is going to be hard to hold on if you get sick"? Or can you imagine the woman saying to the man, "I'll take you as my husband, but you better not let us get poor!" Well, we would wonder what was wrong with a couple who spoke like that to each other on their wedding day because we expect the beginning of a marriage to focus on ideals. It's a fresh relationship. It's a time when things are just like they're supposed to be. We all hope that the couple will remember the things they said to each other when the relationship was ideal.

The prophets of the Old Testament knew something like this was true of the relationship between God and his people. They understood that there were certain ideals of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. Now to understand this ideal relationship, we have to look at two subjects. First, the basic ideal covenant structures; and then secondly, the prophetic ministries, or how the prophets relied on these structures.

Covenant Structures

In earlier lessons, we saw that the Old Testament describes Yahweh's covenants with Israel as if they are patterned around the Ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties. In the times of the Old Testament, great emperors would enter into treaties or covenants with smaller nations, and the Bible says that Yahweh entered into such a covenant with the nation of Israel. When emperors first entered into covenant treaties with their vassal nations, they began by declaring certain ideals that formed the basic structures of their political arrangements.

At least two components always appear in suzerain-vassal treaties. In the first place, Ancient Near Eastern treaties always affirmed the benevolence of the emperor toward his vassals. They declared the name of the great king and began with a historical account that enumerated all the great things the king had done for his people. Treaties were always based on the kindness of the emperor and this theme of kindness from the emperor is true also in the Bible's ideal of covenant. The center of every divine covenant in the Bible was God's kindness toward his people.

There's another element in the ideals of covenants that we must never forget and that's the element of human responsibility. Just like every suzerain-vassal treaty in the ancient world required loyalty from the subjects of the emperor, so it is that every single covenant in the Old Testament also required loyalty from the people of God. Now we always have to remember that the response of loyalty was always a response — a response to divine kindness — people did not earn their status before God. God established covenants with his people on the basis of his grace. But without exception, the ideals of the covenants always entailed human responsibility — the requirement to live loyally before God. At this point, we need to think about how each of these ideal elements enter into every Old Testament covenant. As we saw in the preceding lessons, Old Testament prophets understood that God entered into five covenant relationships. He established covenants with all the nations of the earth through Adam and Noah. And then he called Israel into a special relationship through covenants with Abraham, Moses and David, as well as a future new covenant in the latter days after the exile. Think for a moment about the covenant with Adam. In the days of Adam, God's benevolence was displayed in the way he created the world for humanity. He took an uninhabitable, chaotic creation and shaped it into a wonderful garden in which humanity was to dwell. As we read in Genesis 1:2:

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2).

Then God made a paradise for his image and placed Adam and Eve within that paradise. This mercy was the basis upon which God entered into covenant with our first parents, Adam and Eve. At the same time, human responsibility was also required in the covenant ideal with Adam. God put Adam in the wonderful Garden of Eden, but he immediately set forth serious stipulations. In Genesis 2:16-17, we read these words:

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).

Even in paradise, the covenant ideal included not just the benevolence of God, but also the responsibility of the human race. Well, the same is true with the covenant with Noah. On the one hand, God mercifully rescued Noah and his family from the worldwide flood. As Genesis 6:7-8 put it:

So the Lord said, "I will wipe out mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:7-8).

The covenant with Noah was based on unmerited, divine mercy. Even so, the covenant that God made with Noah joins divine benevolence and kindness with human responsibility. When Noah came out of the ark after the flood, God set forth a number of explicit stipulations. In Genesis 9:7, God also reminded Noah of his basic human responsibility:

"Be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it" (Genesis 9:7).

Both divine mercy and human responsibility appear in the covenant with Noah. Now let's turn for a moment to the special covenants that God made with the nation of Israel. You'll recall that the first covenant with Israel was through the patriarch, Abraham. God's grace appears in this covenant because God chose this one family to be blessed above all the families on the earth. God showed great mercy toward Abraham when he said these words to him in Genesis 12:2-3:

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on the earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2-3).

Once again, divine grace is the central element in the covenant ideal. Nevertheless, human responsibility was also an essential part of the ideal of Abraham's covenant. The patriarch's responsibility comes to the foreground on many occasions. For instance, in Genesis 17:1-2, God says these words:

"I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers" (Genesis 17:1-2).

The Abrahamic covenant included human responsibility. When it comes to God's covenant with Moses, many Christians today have a false impression. They believe that this covenant was centered around works, but it wasn't. And we can see this plainly in the fact that the Ten Commandments begin with a historical prologue much like the prologues of Ancient Near Eastern suzerain treaties. Before any commandments were given, in Exodus 20:2 we read these words:

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Exodus 20:2).

God expected his people to obey him, but on the basis of his act of mercy in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. Of course, the other side of human responsibility also appears in the covenant with Moses. Exodus 19:5 says these words to Israel:

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession" (Exodus 19:5).

Divine grace was coupled with human responsibility in the ideal stage of the covenant with Moses. Now, the royal covenant with David also focused on divine benevolence. God spoke to David in this way in 2 Samuel 7:8:

"I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel" (2 Samuel 7:8).

God chose David's family as the permanent dynasty over his people out of love, not because of some merit that he saw in David. David's dynasty was established because God was merciful to him. At the same time, God joined this display of grace to David with the requirement of human loyalty. Listen to the way the requirements of loyalty are set forth in Psalm 89:30-32:

"If [David's] sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging" (Psalm 89:30-32).

God expected the sons of David to be faithful to him in recognition of the grace he had shown to them. The two sides of the covenant ideal also appear in the new covenant, which the prophets predicted would come through the Messiah. The apostle Paul put it succinctly in Ephesians 2:8-10:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God — not of works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Grace is the basis of the covenant in Christ. But now, listen to the words that follow in verse 10:

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

The new covenant ideal also included the human responsibility of good works.

Prophetic Ministry

On the one hand, the prophets constantly reminded the people of the mercies that Yahweh had shown them. At the same time, however, Old Testament prophets concentrated a lot of their attention on human responsibility in the covenant. They were called by God to approach his people and to remind them of the requirement of loyal service. We must always remember that the prophets knew there were both believers and unbelievers within the visible community of Israel. And for this reason, they treated human responsibility in the covenant as a testing or proving ground. The response of people toward the stipulations of the covenant showed the true nature of their hearts.

On the one hand, unbelievers within the visible community showed that they did not actually have saving faith because they would turn away from their covenant responsibilities. They failed to trust Yahweh for salvation, and they refused to give him their loyalty. These flagrant covenant violators would suffer the judgment of God. On the other hand, the test of human responsibility also identified those who were truly within the invisible covenant community. Now, these were people who were eternally redeemed. They had exercised saving faith in Yahweh and they were on their way to eternal life. But the fact is that many times the prophets even challenged these people to prove their faith, much like the New Testament does. Listen to the words of Revelation 2:7:

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).

This kind of theme, that we must obey the Lord in order to prove that we genuinely do have saving faith, is a theme that runs throughout the prophets as well. Now we have to be careful here not to think that the prophets were legalists simply because they emphasized human responsibility. The reality is that the prophets understood that God's grace was behind every act of obedience and faithfulness. We know this too from the whole teaching of scripture, that whenever people are faithful to the Lord, it's because the Spirit of the Lord is working within them. At the same time, however, the Bible constantly reminds us of our responsibility to obey. And because the prophets knew that God's grace was behind every act of obedience, they did not hesitate to call God's people into obedience and faithfulness.

So far in our examination of the dynamics of the covenants, we have seen the two sides of the covenant ideal.

At this point, we should turn our attention to our second topic, covenant judgment. What were the dynamics of covenant life when the people of God turned away from service to the Lord?

COVENANT JUDGMENT

There are many forms of human government throughout the world. But there's one thing in common with every single human government: they all recognize that the people of the land will not obey all of their laws, and as a result, they establish a system of crime and punishment. The same kind of thing was true with God's covenant with Israel. He knew that his people were sinners. He knew that they would rebel against him and so he also set up a system of judgment over his people. The prophets played a very important role in this system of judgment. They were messengers of the covenant. They brought to mind the crimes, and they also warned of the punishments that God would give to his people if they violated his covenant. Now, to understand how the prophets functioned as messengers of judgment, we need to understand two elements of covenant judgment that God held over his people. First, we'll explore the types of judgments that prophets announced; and second, we'll explore the process which these judgments would follow. Let's take a look first at the types of judgments that Old Testament prophets threatened against those who flagrantly violated their covenant with Yahweh.

Types of Judgment

It's very important to realize that Old Testament prophets did not invent the types of judgments that they threatened. On the contrary, they looked to the Scriptures of the Old Testaments for lists or catalogs of the kinds of judgments that the people of God should expect. The vocabulary of the prophets reveals that they often depended on passages that come from the books of Moses. There are five main passages that guided the prophets as they listed off the kinds of judgments that would come against the people of God: Deuteronomy 4:25-28, Deuteronomy 28:15-68, chapter 29 of Deuteronomy, verses 16-29, and chapter 32 of Deuteronomy, verses 15-43, and finally Leviticus 26:14-39 provided information to the prophets as they sought to understand the types of judgments that God would bring against his people. There is so much material in these passages that it is difficult to summarize what they say. But it is safe to say that Moses wrote these passages to convey to the nation that there were two basic categories of covenant judgment.

Judgment in Nature

The first type of covenant judgment is that God would respond to persistent sin with judgment in nature. God threatens to remove his blessing from the natural order so that the world would become hostile to the people of God. You'll recall that God brought Israel to a land flowing with milk and honey. The natural order in the Promised Land was going to be a tremendous blessing to the people of God. But the prophets warned that when Israel rebels, he will remove this blessing in judgment.

Now, what kinds of natural judgments would come against the visible covenant community? Deuteronomy 4, 28, 29, and 32 as well as Leviticus 26 list at least six major types of natural judgments against the people of God. First, these chapters in the books of Moses tell us that God will sometimes send drought to the land of Israel. This drought would dry up the land so that the people will suffer tremendously, and there will be a pestilence. Famine will also come so that the people will have no food when they rebel flagrantly against the Lord. And disease will come upon them — they will receive fevers and boils and tumors and plagues. Wild animals will threaten human life and there will be a loss of population. Infertility and untimely death will decimate the animal and human population in the Land of Promise.

The prophets mentioned these kinds of covenant judgments time and again. They often warned that God was going to bring some natural disaster to disrupt life in the Promised Land. For example, listen to what God said in Haggai 1:9-11:

"My house…remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands" (Haggai 1:9-11).

God often had his prophets announce that judgment was coming in the natural order.

Judgment in Warfare

Now in addition to judgment in nature, we also find that the prophets announced judgment in warfare. War often brings natural horrors, such as famine and disease, but God also spoke of sending human enemies against his people as a kind of covenant judgment. A number of warfare motifs appear in the writings of Moses. In Deuteronomy 4, 28, 29 and 32 as well as Leviticus 26, we find at least five major categories of judgment in warfare. First, the people of God will suffer defeat. They will not be able to withstand the attacks of their enemies. Second, sieges will be laid against their cities. Cities will be surrounded by enemies and their inhabitants will suffer. Then there will be occupation of the land by enemies. Enemies of God's people will come into the Land of Promise and take control. Death and destruction is another covenant curse in warfare, because many of God's people will die at the hands of their enemies. And finally, the worse curse of all — God says that his people will be taken captive and scattered among the nations in exile. Time and again the prophets not only announced that the people of God would be defeated by their enemies, but they also warned that exile from the Promised Land was coming. For example, the prophet Micah warned that many Judaites would be exiled from the Land of Promise. In Micah 1:16 we can read these words of exile:

Shave your heads in mourning for your children in whom you delight; make yourselves as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you in exile (Micah 1:16).

Threats of judgment and warfare like these appear throughout the Old Testament prophets.

So we see that Old Testament prophets announced two basic types of covenant judgment: natural disasters and warfare. Now let's take a look at the process that God said he would follow as he imposed these kinds of judgments on his people.

Process of Judgment

What processes of judgment did the prophets expect to take place? The prophets learned the process of judgment primarily from Leviticus 26:14-39. In this passage, Moses describes judgment as something that takes place over a long period of time and follows a particular pattern. As we examine this passage, we'll find at least three principles that govern the manner in which these judgments will come: God will show patience, but the judgments would increase in severity, and there will be a particular climax to these judgments. Let's think first about divine patience.

Divine Patience

Leviticus 26:14-39 makes it clear that God exercises great patience toward his people when they sin. God realizes that his people will rebel and that they will be stubborn, refusing to repent. So in this passage, Moses reveals that God will be very patient with his people. Leviticus 26 divides into five main sections: verses 14-17, 18-20, 21-22, 23-26, and 27-39. Each of these segments begins with God saying this, "If you will not listen to me …" and then he goes on to say what he will do to Israel in judgment. This repetition of, "If you will not listen to me" shows that God intended to be patient with his people by giving them many opportunities for repentance. One of the most succinct descriptions of the patience of God appears within Old Testament prophecy. The prophet Joel spoke of God's patience in Joel 2 when he called the people to repent. In 2:13, he said these words to Israel:

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity (Joel 2:13).

The prophets believed very strongly in covenant judgment, but they also believed that Yahweh was very patient with his people.

Now, the first principle of covenant judgment in Leviticus 26 is that God will be patient, but there is a second principle as well — God's covenant judgments will come with increasing severity.

Increasing Severity

Just as the five segments of Leviticus 26 tell us that God is patient, they also tell us that God will increase the severity of his judgments. In verses 18, 21, 24 and 28 God warns his people in this way: if they continue to rebel against him, then he will increase the judgments seven times over.

This dimension of Leviticus 26 tells us that covenant judgment comes in degrees. Sometimes the prophets warned of relatively small judgments, and then they later warned of greater judgments to come. For example, we read of one smaller judgment in the book of Isaiah 38:1:

"Put your house in order, because you are going to die; and you will not recover" (Isaiah 38:1).

Now, I'm sure that Hezekiah himself thought this was a great covenant judgment against him, but in terms of the whole nation, it was rather small — it was just one individual suffering the judgment of God. But on the other hand, after Hezekiah refused to submit himself to Yahweh, even after a miraculous deliverance from the attacking Assyrians, Isaiah gave a much more severe judgment. He announced that one day the Babylonians would conquer the entire nation of Judah. In Isaiah 39:6, we read these words:

"The time will surely come when everything in your palace … will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left" (Isaiah 39:6).

This statement was much more severe than the threat against Hezekiah about his personal health. It was a threat against the entire nation. And many prophets would follow this very same pattern. They would speak of increasing judgments.

Not only do we find that God brought covenant judgments with patience and increasing severity, but we also find a third principle: the climax of judgment is exile from the land.

Particular Climax

The last section of Leviticus 26:27-39, warns that the worst judgment to come against the people of God would be an utter devastation of the land and exile from the Land of Promise. Listen to the way Moses puts it in Leviticus 26:33:

"I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins" (Leviticus 26:33).

In the minds of Old Testament believers, it was hard to imagine anything worse than this. God had brought Israel to a Land of Promise — a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, the prophets were announcing that there was going to be an exile from this land. By the time we come to most biblical prophets, God had already warned time and again that he was going to send his people out of the land. And so we find the prophets announcing that exile was coming. For example, in Amos 5:26-27, we read these words:

"You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god which you have made for yourselves. Therefore, I will send you into exile" (Amos 5:26-27).

Although Moses made the threat of exile very clear in Leviticus 26 and a number of other passages, the people of Israel still found it hard to believe. It was popular to believe that God would never utterly drive out his people — at least Jerusalem would remain intact. The people had forgotten that their covenant with Yahweh entailed human responsibility, and this is why even in the last years of Jerusalem's safety, Jeremiah had to proclaim that the destruction of the city and the temple was coming. In Jeremiah 7:13-15 we read these words:

"While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers. I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim" (Jeremiah 7:13-15).

God is gracious and patient and kind to his people; it takes a long time to make him angry, but he can be provoked to anger. And so we discover that God does have judgment over his people, but it is a patient and a kind judgment that he exercises over his people.

So far in this lesson on the dynamics of the covenants we have seen the covenant ideal and covenant judgment. Now let's look at the third element in our discussion: covenant blessings. How does God pour out his blessings on his people?

COVENANT BLESSINGS

Have you ever been in a friendship where the other person just won't let go? Maybe you've moved far away and the letters keep coming even after you forget to respond, or the phone call comes and it's your faithful friend again. Well, it's good to have friends like that, that stick with you throughout all of history. And the same was true for Yahweh and his relationship with Israel. The prophets knew that God would judge his people severely, but they also knew and proclaimed that Yahweh would never let go of his covenant people. To explore this side of covenant life, we need to look at two considerations, just as we did in the examination of judgment. First, we'll look at the types of covenant blessings and then we'll look at the process of covenant blessings.

Types of Blessings

Blessings come to the people of God when they seek to be faithful to him. Of course, God does not expect his people to be perfect, but he does expect them to seek him sincerely, and not to rebel against him. When the people of the covenant are faithful in this way, God richly blessed them.

Blessing in Nature

The first category of blessing is blessing in nature. Just as Moses spoke of judgment in nature, he also spoke of blessing that would come in the natural realm. Moses revealed to Israel that God offered tremendous natural blessings if they would only serve him faithfully. This kind of motif appears in at least four ways in Deuteronomy 4, 28, 30, and Leviticus 26. First, Moses spoke of agricultural plenty. The fields would be full of crops if the people would be faithful to their Lord. Also, he speaks of livestock having fertility. The livestock would grow in great numbers if the people would serve the Lord faithfully. Health and prosperity would come to the people of God. They would enjoy general health and well-being and in addition to this, the population would increase. The numbers of Israelites would increase so that they would fill the Land of Promise. Announcements of blessings in nature should not surprise us. When God first made humanity, he set us within a paradise — the Garden of Eden. But then God drove us out because of sin. When God's covenant people are faithful to him he promises to give them blessings, blessings in nature, so that they can experience the kinds of things God meant for the human race to have in the very beginning. Old Testament prophets spoke about the blessings of natural bounty in many ways. Listen to one example in Joel 2:22-23:

"Do not be afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness" (Joel 2:22-23).

In much the same way, Zechariah predicted that the people in his day would see the blessings of God when they obeyed the Lord. Zechariah 8:12 says these words:

"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit; the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew" (Zechariah 8:12).

Blessing in Warfare

Although the first type of covenant blessings focuses on natural bounty, a second major category appears time and again in the prophets, and this is blessing in warfare. Just as the people of the covenant suffered defeat in war when they were under God's judgment, they experienced victory and peace when they were under the blessings of covenant. This motif appears in at least four ways in Deuteronomy 4, 28, 30, and Leviticus 26. First, Moses tells the people of God that they would defeat their enemies. But beyond this, there would be an end to warfare — hostility with the nations would cease and there would be relief from all destruction. And, of course, there would be a return of any captives who had been taken away from the Land of Promise. Old Testament prophets often spoke of these kinds of blessings in warfare. Listen to how Amos predicted a grand future of military success for the nation of Israel. In Amos 9:11-12, he said these words about the post-exilic period:

"In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places… and build it as it used to be so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name" (Amos 9:11-12).

In a world of hostilities and troubles, the prophet Amos announced that the house of David would have victory over all hostile enemies. And in much the same way, Micah in 4:3 announced that there would be great peace as a result of these victories:

"They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore" (Micah 4:3).

So we can see from these passages that the prophets oriented themselves toward the grace and the blessings of God. Although the prophets had much negative to say about judgment and about sin, the prophets also said that repentance and fidelity would lead to great blessings in nature and in war.

Now that we've seen the types of blessings that God would bring to his people, we should also look into the processes by which these blessings would come.

Process of Blessings

Just as there was a process of judgment, so there is also a process of blessing as well. There are at least three principles that govern the process of divine blessing: first, blessings come through grace; and then blessings come in various degrees; and that there is a climax of the blessings of God.

Grace

All too often, modern Christians have the false impression that in the Old Testament people earned their salvation or earned their righteousness before God. But nothing could be further from the truth. Old Testament prophets did not offer men and women the way of salvation through works. They called on people to repent and to seek the mercy of God. In Hosea 14:1-2, we read these words:

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Say to him, "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips" (Hosea 14:1-2).

Notice that Hosea did not say that his readers should work hard and earn the blessings of God. On the contrary, the faithful in Israel knew that only mercy from God would bring about blessings. They sought forgiveness as a basis for covenant blessing — not human merit.

Degrees

The second principle that governs covenant blessings is that they come in varying degrees. Just as judgments came in degrees, so we may speak of lesser and greater blessings. On the lower end of the scale, Old Testament prophets spoke of relatively small mercies from God. For example, just as Isaiah told Hezekiah he was going to become ill and die, he also announced a small blessing to the king when he told him that God would let him live. In Isaiah 38:5, God said:

"Go tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayers and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life'" (Isaiah 38:5).

A good number of prophecies focus on these personal or individual kinds of blessings. But many times, the prophets also turned their attention to the great national blessings that God would bring to his people. For example, in 701 BC, the Assyrians attacked Judah and had come right to the gates of Jerusalem. In Isaiah 37:34-35, the prophet announced clearly that God would deliver the people from this great defeat:

"By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city," declares the Lord. "And I will defend this city and save it for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!" (Isaiah 37:34-35).

This was a great blessing to the people of God, because their very existence was being threatened and God said he would give them the blessing of victory in war. As we read Old Testament prophets, we must always be alert to the smaller and to the greater blessings which God announced to his covenant people.

Climax

In addition to divine grace and degrees of blessing, a third principle governs covenant blessings — the climax of the remnant's restoration. Old Testament prophets believed that no matter how great a judgment might come, there would always be a remnant. Now, this remnant could be very large or it could be very small, depending on how the people reacted. But the prophets always said God would keep a remnant safe and would build on that remnant. For instance, Jeremiah said that Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed, but in Jeremiah 5:18, he assures the people that a remnant would survive:

"Even in those days," declares the Lord, "I will not destroy you completely" (Jeremiah 5:18).

The survival of a remnant is important, because it was through a remnant that God promised to bring the greatest blessing of all to his people.

We have already seen from Leviticus 26 that the worst covenant curse was exile from the land. But in Leviticus 26:40-45, as well as Deuteronomy 4 and Deuteronomy 30, God promised that he would preserve a remnant, bring that remnant back to the land, and bless them even more than ever before. Listen to the way Moses put this matter in Deuteronomy 30:4-5:

Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers (Deuteronomy 30:4-5).

This theme of remnant restoration appears throughout the prophets. For example, Jeremiah taught that after the exile, God would give great natural blessings to his remnant. In Jeremiah 23:3, Jeremiah reported these words from God:

"I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and I will bring them to their pastures where they will be fruitful and increase in number" (Jeremiah 23:3).

In much the same way, after exile, the remnant would also receive a great blessing in warfare. The prophet Joel taught that when the people of God came back, this remnant would experience a great victory and enduring peace. In Joel 3:9, we read these words:

Proclaim this song among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack (Joel 3:9).

But then in 3:17, we read of Israel's victory:

"Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her" (Joel 3:17).

Joel spoke of a great victory in battle that would establish Israel as safe forever.

All Old Testament prophets looked forward to the restoration of the remnant of God's people. God promised that despite the greatest punishment of exile, the remnant would receive the greatest blessing of restoration.

CONCLUSION

In this lesson, we've explored how the prophets understood the dynamics of covenants and we've seen three main topics: first, the ideals of divine benevolence and human responsibility; and then we've also seen how the prophets warned of judgment from an individual level all the way to the grand judgment of national exile. And then finally, we've also seen that God would redeem his people both in small ways, and then, through a remnant, bring a grand restoration after the exile. These themes, these dynamics guided the Old Testament prophets in all they said, and these themes must also guide us as we study the Old Testament prophets.

Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr. (Host) is Co-Founder and President of Third Millennium Ministries. He served as Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary for more than 20 years and was chair of the Old Testament department. An ordained minister, Dr. Pratt travels extensively to evangelize and teach. He studied at Westminster Theological Seminary, received his M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary, and earned his Th.D. in Old Testament Studies from Harvard University. Dr. Pratt is the general editor of the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible and a translator for the New Living Translation. He has also authored numerous articles and books, including Pray with Your Eyes Open, Every Thought Captive, Designed for Dignity, He Gave Us Stories, Commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles and Commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians.