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Ezekiel 36

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1 Men du menneskesøn, profeter om Israels bjerge og sig: Israels bjerge, hør Herrens ord.

2 siger den Herre HE EN: Fordi Fjenden sagde om eder: "Ha! Ørkener for stedse! De er blevet vor Ejendom!"

3 derfor skal du profetere og sige: Så siger den Herre HE EN: Fordi man har higet og snappet efter eder fra alle Sider, for at I skulde tilfalde esten af Folkene som Ejendom, og fordi I er kommet i Folkemunde,

4 derfor, Israels Bjerge, hør HE ENs Ord: Så siger den Herre HE EN til Bjergene, Højene, kløfterne og Dalene, til de øde Tomter og de forladte Byer, som er blevet til ov og til Spot for esten af Folkene rundt om,

5 derfor, så siger den Herre HE EN: Sandelig, i brændende Nidkærhed vil jeg tale mod esten af Folkene og mod hele Edom, som med al Hjertets Glæde og Sjælens ingeagt udså sig mit Land til Ejendom for at drive indbyggerne bort og gøre det til ov.

6 Profeter derfor om Israels Land og sig til Bjergene, Højene, Kløfteme og Dalene: Så siger den Herre HE EN: Se, jeg faler i Nidkærhed og Harme, fordi I bærer Folkenes Hån.

7 Derfor, så siger den Herre HE EN: Jeg løfter min Hånd og sværger: Sandelig, Folkene rundt om eder skal selv bære deres Hån.

8 Og I, Israels Bjerge, skal skyde Grene og bære Frugt for mit Folk Israel, thi de skal snart komme hjem.

9 Thi se, jeg kommer og vender mig til eder, og I skal dyrkes og tilsås;

10 jeg gør Mennesker, alt Israels Hus, mangfoldige på eder, Byerne skal bebos og uinerne genopbygges;

11 jeg gør Mennesker og Dyr mangfoldige på eder, ja de skal blive mangfoldige og frugtbare; jeg lader eder bebos som i fordums Tider og gør det bedre for eder end i Fortiden; og I skal kende, at jeg er HE EN.

12 Jeg lader Mennesker, mit Folk Israel, færdes på eder; de skal tage dig i Eje, og du skal være deres Arvelod og ikke mere gøre dem barnløse.

13 siger den Herre HE EN: Fordi de siger til dig: "Du er en Menneskeæder, som gør dit Folk barnløst!"

14 derfor skal du ikke mere æde Mennesker eller gøre dit Folk barnløst, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN.

15 Og jeg lader dig ikke mere høre Folkenes Hån, og du skal ikke mere bære Folkeslagenes Spot eller gøre dit Folk harnløst, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN.

16 HE ENs Ord kom til mig således:

17 Menneskesøn! Da Israels Slægt boedei deres Land, gjorde de det urent ved deres Færd og Gerninger; som en Kvindes renhed var deres Færd for mit Åsyn.

18 Så udøste jeg min Vrede over dem for det Blods Skyld, de udgød i Landet, og fordi de gjorde det urent med deres Afgudsbilleder.

19 Jeg spredte dem blandt Folkene, og de strøedes ud i Landene; efter deres Færd og Gerninger dømte jeg dem.

20 Således kom de til Folkene: hvor de kom hen, vanærede de mit hellige Navn, idet man sagde om dem: "De der er HE ENs Folk, og dog måtte de ud af hans Land!"

21 Da ynkedes jeg over mit hellige Navn, som Israels Hus vanærede blandt de Folk, de kom til.

22 Sig derfor til Israels Hus: Så siger den Herre HE EN: Det er ikke for eders Skyld, jeg griber ind, Israels Hus, men for mit hellige Navns Skyld, som I har vanæret blandt de Folk, I kom til.

23 Jeg vil hellige mit store Navn, som vanæres blandt Folkene, idet I har vanæret det iblandt dem; og Folkene skal kende, at jeg er HE EN, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN, når jeg helliger mig på eder for deres Øjne.

24 Jeg vil hente eder fra Folkene, samle eder fra alle Lande og bringe eder til eders Land.

25 Da stænker jeg rent Vand på eder, så I bliver rene; jeg renser eder for al eders Urenhed og alle eders Afgudsbilleder.

26 Jeg giver eder et nyt Hjerte, og en ny Ånd giver jeg i eders Indre; Stenhjertet tager jeg ud af eders Kød og giver eder et Kødhjerte.

27 Jeg giver min Ånd i eders Indre og virker, at I følger mine Vedtægter og tager Vare på at holde mine Lovbud,

28 I skal bo i det Land, jeg gav eders Fædre, og I skal være mit Folk, og jeg vil være eders Gud.

29 Jeg frelser eder fra al eders Urenbed; jeg kalder Kornet frem og mangfoldiggør det og sender ikke mere Hungersnød over eder.

30 Jeg mangfoldiggør Træernes Frugter og Markens Afgrøde, for at I ikke mere skal tage en Hungersnøds Skændsel på eder blandt Folkene.

31 Da skal I ihukomme eders onde Veje og eders Gerninger, som ikke var gode, og ledes ved eder selv over eders Misgerninger og Vederstyggeligheder.

32 Ikke for eders Skyld griber jeg ind, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN, det være eder kundgjort! Skam jer og blues over eders Veje, Israels Hus!

33 siger den Herre HE EN: Den Dag jeg renser eder for alle eders Misgerninger, lader jeg Byerne bebos, og uinerne skal genopbygges;

34 det ødelagte Land skal dyrkes, i Stedet for at det har været en Ødemark for alles Øjne, som kom forbi.

35 Da skal man sige: "Dette Land, som var ødelagt, er blevet som Edens Have, og Byerne, som var omstyrtet, ødelagt og nedrevet, er befæstet og beboet."

36 Og Folkene, der er tilhage rundt om eder, skal kende, at jeg, HE EN, har opbygget de nedrevne Byer og tilplantet det ødelagte Land; jeg, HE EN, har talet, og jeg fuldbyrder det.

37 siger den Herre HE EN: Også dette vil jeg gøre for Israels Hus på deres Bøn: Jeg vil gøre dem mangfoldige som en Hjord af Mennesker;

38 som en Hjord af Offerdyr, som Jerusalems Fårehjorde på dets Højtider skal de omstyrtede Byer blive fulde af Menneskehjorde; og de skal kende, at jeg er HE EN.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

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What the Bible says about... Forgiveness

Napsal(a) John Odhner

Photo by Gretchen Keith

- Someone recklessly cuts in front of you on the highway, almost forcing you off the road.

- Your friend still has not paid back the fifty dollars he "borrowed" a year ago.

- Your family has been criticizing your lifestyle.

- You find out that your spouse has been unfaithful.

What do you do in situations like these? Can you forgive them? Should you forgive? Or should you "give them what's coming to them"?

We all know that the Bible teaches us to forgive others. But sometimes it seems like it is impossible to forgive, because the wrong that has been done is so great. Sometimes it seems like it just wouldn't be fair to be merciful.

When there seems to be a conflict between mercy and justice, it may be that we do not clearly understand the nature of genuine forgiveness and mercy. The Bible teaches us to show mercy in a way that lets us be both fair and genuinely useful to all involved.

One reason we sometimes get confused about mercy, is that we tend to replace mercy with artificial substitutes. Essentially, mercy is a Divine quality.

"To You, O Lord, belongs mercy." (Psalm 62:12)

Divine Mercy has nothing in common with the petty revenge and "get-even" kind of "fairness" that tends to occupy our thoughts. And it has little in common with the superficial pardon or even condoning of evil that is sometimes passed off as mercy. The Lord's thoughts are far more merciful than ours. It is in speaking of His mercy that the Lord says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways." (Isaiah 55:7-9)

One of the things that distinguishes true mercy from its substitutes is its constancy. Peter came to the Lord asking, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)

A truly forgiving person will not show mercy one moment and malice the next, because the two cannot mix together. For example, to forgive your friends but not your enemies is not true mercy, because it would be done for the sake of some favor you might get in return.

"Love your enemies.... For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (Matthew 5:44-46)

We can only be truly merciful by completely rejecting any desire for malice or revenge.

This perfectly reflects the way the Lord shows mercy to us. We tend to think that the Lord is changing His mind when He forgives us, as if He decided not to punish us after all. Of course He does not really change His mind at all. He knows and foresees all things. He does not desire to hurt one day and heal the next.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)

He is always a loving and gentle Father.

"The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him." (Psalm 103:17)

"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has mercy on you." (Isaiah 54:10)

Thus forgiveness is not the Lord changing His mind about us. Rather, it is the Lord changing our minds about Him.

Another quality that marks genuine mercy is that it involves helping the person who has wronged us. Sometimes we think that a person should earn our forgiveness. We refuse to give up our bitter feelings unless the other person makes an effort to earn our good will. This gives us an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves and to neglect helping the other person do better. However, the time to help a person is when he needs it. Mercy and forgiveness involve helping a person who has done wrong do better, not waiting until he does better and then helping him. That's why the Lord said,

"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45)

Another way we sometimes avoid helping those who have hurt us is by misapplying the phrase "forgive and forget." It is good to forget your own malice. Is is something else to forget that the other person may need our strength or discipline. We might think that forgiving implies forgetting that evil was ever committed. However, the Bible does not tell us simply to forget about the evil in other people. Rather, we are to actively help others face their faults and overcome them.

"If your brother sins against you, rebuke him: and if he repents, forgive him." (Luke 17:3)

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, your have gained your brother." (Matthew 18:15)

"Brethren, if a person is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness." (Galatians 6:1)

Helping others over their faults is not inconsistent with mercy. It is part of mercy. In fact that is exactly how the Lord forgives us. He is always willing to help us do better.

"I will cleanse you from all your filthiness.... I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

Notice how the Lord showed mercy to the woman taken in adultery: He said, "Go and sin no more." (John 8:10-11)

He didn't forget her sin - He encouraged her to overcome it. In fact, we would never be able to overcome our faults without the Lord's power. If we had to earn His mercy we would be lost.

The Lord says, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes." (Isaiah 1:16).

And yet this is something that is accomplished only by His mercy and forgiveness, because He is the one who can put away our sin and remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 65:3; Psalm 103:12)

The Lord asks for us simply to do for others what He does for us. "Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." (Luke 6:36)

Our forgiveness should be constant and unconditional because He forgives us that way. Yet in our mercy we may confront others with their evil in order to help them become better people, just as the Lord in His mercy confronts us with our evil so that we may overcome it and accept the love and mercy He offers.

To sum up:

Some Christian churches teach this: If you just believe, God will overlook all your sins. God punishes unbelievers, even if they are caring, good people.

What the Bible actually says (and what the New Christian Church teaches): God's mercy involves helping us become better people. God is willing to forgive everyone, and is more concerned how we live than with what we believe.

Some references from teachings for the New Christian Church: Heavenly Secrets 8393, 9443-9454, True Christian Religion 611-614

Used with the permission of John Odhner, the author of this very useful site: whatthebiblesays.info.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 1079; True Christian Religion 409)