「若我的子民」
“If My People”
作者：Kim Riddlebarger  誠之譯自：
https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/the-riddleblog/if-my-people
https://yimawusi.net/2021/03/07/kim-riddlebarger/
 
我們時常會聽到一些基督徒說美國是一個「基督教國家」。這到底是什麼意思呢？有一點很明確，就是這並不是說美國與上帝立了一個國家之約，類似於上帝與舊約時代以色列民所立的約。
It is common to hear Christians claim that America is a “Christian nation.”  What, exactly, does that mean?  One thing it does not mean is that America has a divinely established national covenant with God similar to God’s covenant with Israel.
 
因為我們的主對上帝的保護和拯救的應許是給教會的（太十六18），所以基督徒永遠都會受到這樣的誘惑，就是錯誤地以為我們的主的應許會超越教會的範圍，延伸到他們所居住的國家。對上帝的這種保護，其聖經支持可以從歷代志下七章14節的呼求中找到：「這稱為我名下的子民，若是自卑、禱告，尋求我的面，轉離他們的惡行，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的地。 」
Because our Lord’s promise of divine protection and deliverance is given to the church (Matthew 16:18), the temptation is ever-present for Christians to mistakenly assume that our Lord’s promise extends beyond the church to that nation in which they live.  Support for such divine protection is found by an appeal to 2 Chronicles  7:14 — “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 
 
活躍在政治領域裏的美國福音派人士，當他們在一場持續不斷的文化戰爭中陷入到另一場小衝突裏時，「上帝站在我們這一邊」的說法通常會浮出水面，比如在一種摩尼教式的善惡二元鬥爭中，與世俗的進步革新派（secular-progressives）爭奪國家靈魂的時候。在激烈的戰鬥中，許多基督徒會援引上帝對以色列國族所做的盟約應許，錯誤地以為這些應許也適用於美國，因為美國是一個「基督教國家」，因此像古代以色列民一樣，只要符合這個條件，即「若我的子民謙卑」，就可以呼求上帝的保佑並最終取得勝利。
The claim that “God is on our side” usually surfaces when politically active American evangelicals see themselves in another skirmish in the ongoing culture war–contending with secular-progressives for the soul of the nation in a Manichean struggle between good and evil.  In the heat of battle, Christians invoke covenant promises made by God to national Israel, mistakenly assuming these promises apply to the United States because the United States is a “Christian nation,” and therefore like ancient Israel, allowing appeal to God’s promise of protection and eventual victory upon the condition, “if my people humble themselves.”
 
這種將上帝對以色列民所做的盟約應許直接應用在美國（或任何一個地上國度）身上的傾向，是一種流行但錯誤的假設的關鍵指標之一，即以為美國是一個基督教國家，因為它是建立在「聖經原則」上的，因此就擁有某種與上帝的獨特關係，就像以色列民在舊約時那樣。
This tendency to apply the covenant promises God made to national Israel directly to America is one of the key indicators of a popular but erroneous assumption that American is a Christian nation because it was founded on “biblical principles” and therefore possesses some sort of unique relationship to God, just as Israel did under the Old Covenant. 
 
上帝曾在西奈山與祂的選民以色列國民立了約。但是，美國並沒有如同以色列那樣，與上帝立下國家之約。這個事實給那些認為上帝對古代以色列的應許可以直接適用於美國的人帶來了一個嚴重的問題。立約的祝福和咒詛的應許是在特定的聖經背景下（乃是為那即將到來的彌賽亞做準備）賜予以色列的，因此不能適用於當代的政治問題，因為這種立約的祝福和咒詛是在以色列獨特的歷史中發揮作用的。
But America has no national covenant with God, as did Israel under the covenant God made with his chosen people at Mount Sinai.  This fact presents a serious problem for those who assume that promises God made to ancient Israel can apply directly to the United States.  Covenant promises of blessing and curse were given to Israel in a particular biblical context (in preparation for a coming Messiah) and so cannot be applied to contemporary political issues given the role such covenant blessings and curses played in Israel’s unique history.  
 
將這些盟約應許直接應用在現代美國的一個例子出現在全國祈禱日的網站上，我們在網站上看到以下內容：
One such example of applying these covenant promises to modern America appeared on the website for the National Day of Prayer, where we read the following,
 
我們的目標是看到整個美國的社區發生變化。這種改變是在一個個家庭中發生的。我們知道許多生命正在被改變。我們每天都能看到報告和統計數字（請閱讀《禱告得到回應》）。 我們在期待中禱告，知道如果我們尋求祂，離棄我們的行為並悔改，上帝能夠也會帶來改變（歷代志下七14）。
Our goal is to see communities transformed across America.  That happens one family at a time.  We know lives are being changed. We see the reports and statistics everyday (read Answered Prayer).  We pray in expectation knowing that God can and will make a difference if we seek Him, turn from our ways and repent (II Chronicles 7:14).
 
國家禱告日的願景是轉化社區、改變個人。聖經的支持來自歷代志下七章14節。在引用這段經文時，完全沒有考慮到這節經文最初出現的救贖歷史背景，即所羅門聖殿的獻殿（歷代志下六～七章），特別是上帝在前幾節經文中藉著從天上降下的火向以色列眾人顯現之後（歷代志下七1-3），對所羅門的私下啟示（12節，「夜間」）。
The stated desire of the national day of prayer is the transformation of communities and individuals.  Biblical support is taken from 2 Chronicles 7:14.  This passage is cited apart from any consideration whatsoever of the redemptive-historical context in which the verse originally appears–the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 6-7), specifically God’s private revelation to Solomon after the public manifestation of fire in the previous verses (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).     
 
那些認為自己正處於文化戰爭當中的人，或者那些正在尋求民族復興的人，常常肯定地說，惟願生活在美國的上帝子民，按照上帝在歷代志下七章14節中對以色列人所做的約定應許行事，那麼上帝就會使我們的國家免於一些即將到來的災難——通常是一些討人厭的政治人物的當選，或者一些令人憂心的立法的通過，或者是被認為會破壞猶太-基督教價值觀的高等法院判決，甚至是黨派的政治觀點。如果上帝在所羅門時代向以色列人做出了這個應許，那麼祂今天仍然會向生活在美國的基督徒做出這個應許。不是嗎？
Those who see themselves in the midst of a culture war, or who are seeking a national revival, often affirm that if only God’s people living in America would act upon the covenant promises God made to Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14, then God would spare our nation from some impending calamity–usually the election of some disagreeable political figure, or the passage of some worrisome piece of legislation, or a high court decision which is perceived to undermine Judeo-Christian values, or even partisan political views.  If God made this promise to Israel during the days of Solomon, then he is still making this promise to Christians who live in America today.  Right? 
 
大錯特錯！對歷代志下七章14節的不當引用，與某些時代論者所作的警告非常相似，他們認為末世的中心是上帝對以色列民族的計劃。聖經中講到立約的祝福和咒詛降臨到以色列敵人身上的經文（即：創十二3），被解釋為除非美國支持現代的以色列國（特別是在給予亞伯拉罕實際後裔的土地應許方面），否則美國就有可能受到上帝的審判。正如一位著名的福音派信徒在國會任職時所說的：
Wrong.  The improper invocation of 2 Chronicles 7:14, closely parallels warnings made by certain dispensationalists, who see the end-times centering around God’s program for national Israel.  Biblical passages which speak of covenant blessings and curses coming upon Israel’s enemies (i.e., Genesis 12:3), are interpreted to mean that unless the United States support the modern nation of Israel (specifically in terms of the land promise given to the physical descendants of Abraham), America risks coming under God’s judgment.  As one prominent evangelical stated while serving in Congress,
 
我在心裏和腦海中堅信，如果美國不與以色列站在一起，美國就會滅亡。……我們必須表明，我們的命運和以色列是密不可分的，作為一個國家，我們曾因為與以色列的關係而蒙受祝福，而如果我們拒絕以色列，就會受到詛咒……我們非常相信創世記的經文[創十二3]，我們十分相信，萬國萬民在祝福以色列的同時也會得到祝福。這是一個強烈而美好的原則。
I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States . . . [W]e have to show that we are inextricably entwined, that as a nation we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, then there is a curse that comes into play. . . . We believe very strongly the verse from Genesis [Genesis 12:3], we believe very strongly that nations also receive blessings as they bless Israel. It is a strong and beautiful principle.
 
雖然人們相信，上帝對那些保護以色列的人的應許，主要適用於正在發生的以色列-巴勒斯坦的難題上，但聖經中提到舊的約（old covenant；譯按：即摩西之約）下的以色列（或亞伯拉罕）的經文卻毫不猶豫地被應用到了當代事件上。他們從來不在乎這個事實，即約書亞所告訴我們的關於土地的應許，在征服迦南地期間已經應驗了（書廿四13），也不管在新的約中，給予以色列的土地應許已經被普世化，擴展到了全世界（羅四13）。 鑒於前面提到的以色列在救贖歷史中相當獨特的角色，這種應用應該讓我們感到非常不安。
Although it is believed that God’s promise to those who protect Israel applies primarily to matters of the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conundrum, biblical passages referring to Israel (or to Abraham) under the Old Covenant are applied to contemporary events without the slightest hesitation.  Never mind the fact that Joshua tells us the land promise was fulfilled during the Conquest (Joshua 24:13) or that in the new covenant the land promise given Israel is universalized to extend to the entire earth (Romans 4:13).  In light of Israel’s quite unique role in redemptive history mentioned previously, this kind of application should give us great pause.
 
如果人們所說的「基督教國家」是指美國有某種神學上的憲章或與上帝立的約，如歷代志下七章14節這樣的聖經經文所規定的，那他們就大錯特錯了。歷代志下七章14節適用於所羅門時代的以色列人，當時上帝的榮耀充滿了他剛剛獻給耶和華的聖殿。
If by “Christian nation” one means that America has some sort of theological charter or covenant with God as set forth in a biblical passage such as 2 Chronicles 7:14, they are sadly mistaken.  2 Chronicles 7:14 applied to Israel in the days of Solomon when God’s glory filled the temple he had just dedicated to YHWH.  Passages such as this one are invoked the way they are because of a serious theological misunderstanding–the confusion of redemptive promises made regarding the kingdom of God with God’s providential purposes for the civil kingdom.  Unless we are willing to rip the passage from its redemptive historical context, it cannot be invoked as a promise applying to modern America.  In terms of our national relationship to God, America is every bit as “secular” as is Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, or even Israel, for that matter.  America is not a divinely-ordained theocracy with either national promises or threatened curses as was true of Israel.
 
以這種方式來引用這類經文，是源於一個嚴重的神學誤解，就是把關於上帝國度的救贖應許與上帝對公民國度的護理混為一談了。除非我們願意把這段經文從其救贖的歷史背景中抽離出來，否則就不能把它作為適用於現代美國的應許來引用。就美國與上帝的關係而言，美國與沙特阿拉伯、伊朗、中國，甚至以色列一樣，都是「世俗」的國家。 美國並不是像以色列那樣，是上帝定旨的一個神治國度，有著國家性的應許或威脅的詛咒。
If by “Christian nation” one means that America has some sort of theological charter or covenant with God as set forth in a biblical passage such as 2 Chronicles 7:14, they are sadly mistaken.  2 Chronicles 7:14 applied to Israel in the days of Solomon when God’s glory filled the temple he had just dedicated to YHWH.  Passages such as this one are invoked the way they are because of a serious theological misunderstanding–the confusion of redemptive promises made regarding the kingdom of God with God’s providential purposes for the civil kingdom.  Unless we are willing to rip the passage from its redemptive historical context, it cannot be invoked as a promise applying to modern America.  In terms of our national relationship to God, America is every bit as “secular” as is Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, or even Israel, for that matter.  America is not a divinely-ordained theocracy with either national promises or threatened curses as was true of Israel.
 
現實的情況是，歷代志下七章14節中的應許及其應許的祝福和威脅的咒詛（「若我的子民」）的條件，與民族復興或美國目前的命運是沒有任何關聯的，然而它卻與近3000年前所羅門聖殿的落成卻有著非常密切的關係。
The reality is that the promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and its conditionality of promised blessing and threatened curse (“if my people”) has nothing whatsoever to do with a national revival or the current fortunes of the United States.  It had everything to do with the dedication of Solomon’s temple nearly 3000 years ago.

 
另參：〈美國不是以色列〉一文。
https://yimawusi.net/2021/02/02/scott-clark-2/
https://yibaniba.blogspot.com/2021/03/none-dare-call-it-confused-usa-is-not.html