第十八章

1 此後，我看見另有一位有大權柄的天使從天降下，地就因他的榮耀發光。2 他大聲喊著說：巴比倫大城傾倒了！傾倒了！成了鬼魔的住處和各樣污穢之靈的巢穴（或譯：牢獄；下同），並各樣污穢可憎之雀鳥的巢穴。3 因為列國都被她邪淫大怒的酒傾倒了。地上的君王與她行淫；地上的客商因她奢華太過就發了財。

4 我又聽見從天上有聲音說：我的民哪，你們要從那城出來，免得與她一同有罪，受她所受的災殃；5 因她的罪惡滔天；她的不義，神已經想起來了。6 她怎樣待人，也要怎樣待她，按她所行的加倍地報應她；用她調酒的杯加倍地調給她喝。7 她怎樣榮耀自己，怎樣奢華，也當叫她照樣痛苦悲哀，因她心裏說：我坐了皇后的位，並不是寡婦，決不至於悲哀。8 所以在一天之內，她的災殃要一齊來到，就是死亡、悲哀、饑荒。她又要被火燒盡了，因為審判她的主神大有能力。

 

默想：

1. 這首詩是有關巴比倫，大淫婦的滅亡。第一段的詩指出，巴比倫是個魔鬼很舒服的地方，因為那裡面的價值觀與神的價值背道而馳。
2. 這首詩的第二段指出，世人所享受的權利與奢華會摧毀屬靈生命。神賜給了我們各樣的事物來享受，但沒有一事比愛神，以及愛鄰舍更重要。巴比倫被定罪，是因他們太過珍惜物質財富，甚至在所不惜一切來獲得。
3. 思想這句呼喚：「出來吧！我的子民，要從那城出來，免得在她的罪上有分，」（ 4節，新譯本）。這是今天神對我的柔聲地呼喚呢？還是祂在向我大聲地疾呼？是要從什麼事情中出來？
4. 禱告，求聖靈照亮我心中的所有黑暗之處，讓我明白，並且願意順從地聽主的招喚，從那些事情中「出來吧！我的子民」。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。

 

Chapter 18 

¹After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ²With a mighty voice he shouted:
   “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons
and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.  ³For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
   “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; ⁵for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.  ⁶Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. ⁷Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.  In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.’  ⁸Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:  death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

 

Meditation

1. This song is about the destruction of Babylon, the Prostitute.  Babylon is a place where demons feel comfortable, because the values expressed in the society Babylon represents are at such odds with the values of our God.
2. The second part points out that power and luxuries enjoyed by the people of this world are devastating to the spiritual life.  God has given us all things richly to enjoy.  But nothing must become more important to us than loving God and loving our neighbour.  Babylon is condemned because her people value material possession so much that they willingly commit crimes against their fellow human being.
3. Meditate on this, “Get out, my people, as fast as you can, so you don’t get mixed up in her sins …” (v. 4). Is God whispering this to me today?  Or is He shouting at me?  Where does He want me to get out of?
4. Pray, ask the Holy Spirit to shine in every dark corner in my life and help me see and be willing to obey.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.