106.約珥書2:13

106. Inward more than Outward

Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord you God. Joel 2:13
EXPLAIN the oriental custom of rending robes. People were ready enough to use the outward signs of mourning when, as in the present instance, locusts appeared to devour their crops, or when any other judgment threatened them.
They failed in mourning as to the Lord, and in rendering spiritual homage to his chastising rod. Hence the language of the text.
Let us revolve in our minds—

I. THE GENERAL DOCTRINE THAT TRUE RELIGION IS MORE INWARD THAN OUTWARD.

The expression "Rend your heart, and not your garments," casts somewhat of a slur upon the merely outward.

1. This respects forms and ceremonies of men's devising. These are numerous and vain. "Not your garments" may in their case be treated in the most emphatic manner. Will-worship is sin.

2. It bears also upon ordinances of God's own ordaining if practiced without grace, and relied upon as of themselves effectual.
Among good things which may become unprofitable we may mention—

  • The regular frequenting of a place of worship.
  • The practice of family prayer in one's own home.
  • The reading of Holy Scripture.
  • The holding of an orthodox creed.
  • The practice of private prayer.
  • The attendance upon sacraments.

All these good things should have their place in our lives; but they do not prove saint-ship: since a sinner may practice them all, after a sort. The absence of a true heart will make them all vain.

II. THE FURTHER DOCTRINE THAT MAN IS MORE INCLINED TO THE OUTWARD OBSERVANCE THAN TO INWARD MATTERS.

Hence he needs no exhortation to rend his garments, though that act might in certain cases be a fit and proper expression of deep repentance, and holy horror for sin.
Man is thus partial to externals—
1. Because he is not spiritual, but carnal by nature.
2. Because the inward is more difficult than the outward, and requires thought, diligence, care, humiliation, etc.
3. Because he loves his sin. He will rend his robes, for they are not himself; but to rend off his beloved sins is like tearing out his eyes.
4. Because he cares not to submit to God. Law and gospel are both distasteful to him; he loves nothing which necessitates the obedience of his heart to God.

Many throng the outer courts of religious observance who shun the holy place of repentance, faith, and consecration.

III. THE PARTICULAR DOCTRINE THAT HEART-RENDING IS BETTER THAN ANY EXTERNAL ACT OF PIETY.

1. Heart-rending should be understood. It is—

  • To have the heart broken, contrite, tender, sensitive.
  • To have the heart grieving over past evils.
  • To have the heart rent away from sin, as by holy violence.
  • To have the heart torn with holy horror and indignation in the presence of temptation. The sight of sin should rend the heart, especially when it is seen by the light of the cross.

2. Heart-rending is to be preferred to external observances, for—

  • These are not commanded for their own sakes.
  • They are good or evil as the heart may be.
  • Their observance may co-exist with sin, even with great sin.
  • Outward signs may even be Antichrists keeping us from Christ.
  • They can never supply the place of Jesus himself.

3. Heart-rending should be practiced. "Rend your hearts."

  • This would need a great tug. Can a man rend himself?
  • This drives us to look to a higher power.
  • This is met only by Jesus. Looking to him whom we have pierced, our hearts are rent.
  • This, when fully done, leaves us at his feet, who alone "heareth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

Ad Rem

An old Hebrew, story tells how a poor creature came one day to the Temple, from a sick bed, on tottering limbs. He was ashamed to come, for he was very poor, and he had no sacrifice to offer; but as he drew near he heard the choir chanting, "Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Other worshippers came, pressed before him, and offered their sacrifices; but he had none. At length he prostrated himself before the priest, who said, "What wilt thou, my son? Hast thou no offering?" And he replied, "No, my father, for last night a poor widow and her children came to me, and I had nothing to offer them but the two pigeons which were ready for the sacrifice." "Bring, then," said the priest, "an ephah of fine flour." "Nay, but, my father," said the old man, "this day my sickness and poverty have left only enough for my own starving children; I have not even an ephah of flour." "Why, then, art thou come to me?" said the priest. "Because I heard them singing, 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.' Will not God accept my sacrifice if I say, 'Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner'?" Then the priest lifted the old man from the ground, and he said, "Yes, thou art blessed, my son; it is the offering which is better than thousands of rivers of oil." — "The World of Proverb and Parable," by E. Paxton Hood

If this hypocrisy, this resting in outward performances, was so odious to God under the law, a religion full of shadows and ceremonies, certainly it will be much more odious under the gospel, a religion of much more simplicity, and exacting so much the more sincerity of heart, even because it disburdens the outward man of the performances of legal rights and observances. And therefore, if we now, under the gospel, shall think to delude God Almighty, as Michal did Saul, with an idol handsomely dressed instead of the true David, we shall one day find that we have not mocked God, but ourselves; and that our portion among hypocrites shall be greater than theirs. — William Chillingworth

As garments to a body, so are ceremonies to religion. Garments on a living body preserve the natural warmth; put them on a dead body and they will never fetch life. Ceremonies help to increase devotion; but in a dead heart they cannot breed it. These garments of religion upon a holy man are like Christ's garments on his own holy body; but joined with a profane heart, they are like Christ's garments on his crucifying murderers. — Ralph Brownrig

Rending the clothes was a common and very ancient mode of expressing grief, indignation, or concern; and as such is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures .... It is said that the upper garment only was rent for a brother, sister, son, daughter, or wife, but all the garments for a father or mother. Maimonides says that the rents were not stitched up again till after thirty days, and were never sewed up well. There is no law which enjoins the Jews to rend their clothes; yet in general they so far think it requisite to comply with this old custom as to make a slight rent for the sake of form. — Pictorial Bible

Charles Hadden Spurgeon

106. 內在重於外在

「你們要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服；歸向耶和華你們的神。」——約珥書 2:13 (13你們要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服。歸向耶和華－你們的神；因為他有恩典，有憐憫，不輕易發怒，有豐盛的慈愛，並且後悔不降所說的災。)
先說明撕裂衣服的東方習俗。當災禍臨到，例如本處所提及的蝗蟲吞噬莊稼，或任何其他審判威脅之時，人們很樂意表現出外在的哀慟記號。
然而，他們在向主哀慟與向那施行管教的杖獻上屬靈的敬拜這兩方面都失敗了。因此，經文才有這樣的責備語氣。
讓我們在心中反覆思想——

一、總論：真正的宗教是內在的，多於外在的

「要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服」這句話，對僅僅停留在外表的敬虔帶著某種責備與輕視。

1. 這首先針對人所設計的形式與儀式

這些形式數量繁多，卻是虛空的。在這種情況下，「不撕裂衣服」這句話幾乎可以用最強烈的方式來理解。隨己意的敬拜乃是罪。

2. 這句話同樣適用於神自己所設立的聖禮與制度

若人在其中沒有恩典，只是照行，並且把它們本身當作有效、可以倚靠的事物，那麼這些制度同樣失去價值。
在一些本來良善，卻可能變得無益的事之中，我們可以提到：

  • 規律地出入敬拜的場所
  • 在家中實行家庭禱告
  • 閱讀聖經
  • 持守正統的信仰告白
  • 私下的禱告生活
  • 參與並領受聖禮

這一切美善的事，都應在我們的生命中佔有地位；然而，它們並不能證明一個人是聖徒，因為一個罪人也可能在某種程度上實行這一切。若缺少真實的心，它們全然徒然。

二、進一步的教義：人更傾向外在遵行，而非內在實際

因此，人根本不需要被勸勉去撕裂衣服；即便在某些情況下，那樣的行為本可成為深刻悔改與對罪之聖潔恐懼的合宜表現。
人之所以偏愛外在表現，是因為——

  1. 人按本性不是屬靈的，而是屬肉體的
  2. 內在的事比外在的事困難得多，需要思想、勤奮、謹慎、謙卑等
  3. 人愛自己的罪:他可以撕裂衣服，因為那不是他自己；但要撕裂並除掉他所愛的罪，卻如同剜出自己的眼睛
  4. 人不願意順服神:律法與福音對他而言都令人厭惡；凡是要求他的心向神降服的事，他都不喜愛

因此，許多人擁擠在宗教的外院，卻刻意逃避悔改、信心與奉獻的聖所。

三、具體的教義：撕裂心腸勝過一切外在敬虔行為

1. 何謂「撕裂心腸」

它包括——

  • 心被打碎、痛悔、柔軟、敏感
  • 心為過去的罪惡憂傷
  • 心被聖潔的力量從罪中撕開，如同聖潔的暴力
  • 在試探面前，心被聖潔的恐懼與義憤撕裂——尤其當人在十字架的光中看見罪時，罪的景象更應撕裂人的心

2. 為何撕裂心腸優於外在遵行

因為——

  • 外在行為並非為自身而被命定
  • 它們的善惡取決於人的內心
  • 它們可以與罪並存，甚至與大罪並存
  • 外在標誌甚至可能成為「敵基督」，攔阻人親近基督
  • 它們永遠無法取代耶穌基督自己

3. 撕裂心腸必須實行

「你們要撕裂心腸。」這需要極大的拉扯。人怎能撕裂自己？

  • 這迫使我們仰望一個更高的能力
  • 這唯有在耶穌基督裡才能實現
  • 當我們仰望「我們所扎的那一位」，我們的心就被撕裂
  • 當這完全成就時，我們便俯伏在祂腳前；因為唯有祂「醫好傷心的人，裹好他們的傷處。」

附例（Ad Rem）

一則古老的希伯來故事記載：有一天，一位貧窮的老人，拖著病後搖搖欲墜的身體來到聖殿。他為自己的貧窮感到羞愧，因為他沒有任何祭物可以獻上。正當他走近時，聽見詩班唱道：
「你本不喜愛祭物，若喜愛，我就獻上；燔祭你也不喜悅。神所要的祭，就是憂傷的靈；神啊，憂傷痛悔的心，你必不輕看。」其他敬拜者接連而來，在他前面獻上祭物；但他卻一無所有。最後，他俯伏在祭司面前。祭司問他說：「我兒，你要什麼？你沒有供物嗎？」他回答說：「沒有，父親。昨夜有一位貧窮的寡婦和她的孩子來到我這裡，我除了原本要獻祭的兩隻斑鳩之外，已無他物，只能把那兩隻給了他們。」祭司說：「那就帶來一伊法的細麵吧。」老人說：「不行，父親。今日我的疾病與貧窮，使我只剩下足夠給我自己快要餓死的孩子；我連一伊法的麵也沒有。」祭司問：「那你為何來到我這裡？」他回答說：「因為我聽見他們唱：『神所要的祭，就是憂傷的靈。』若我說：『主啊，可憐我這個罪人』，神豈不接納我的祭嗎？」
於是祭司扶起老人，說：「是的，我兒，你是有福的；這樣的供物，勝過千千萬萬的油河。」
——摘自 E. Paxton Hood《諺語與比喻的世界》

若在律法之下——一個充滿影兒與儀式的宗教——這樣倚靠外在行為的虛假敬虔已經為神所憎惡；那麼在福音之下——一個更加簡單、卻更加要求內心真誠的宗教——這種虛偽就必更加可憎。因此，若我們今日在福音之下，仍想像米甲欺騙掃羅那樣，用一個裝扮得體的偶像代替真正的大衛來欺哄全能的神，終有一日我們會發現，我們欺騙的不是神，而是自己；並且我們在假冒為善之人中的結局，將比他們更為嚴重。-——威廉．齊靈渥斯（William Chillingworth）

禮儀之於宗教，如同衣服之於身體。衣服穿在活著的身體上，能保暖；穿在死屍上，卻不能賜生命。禮儀能幫助敬虔增長；但在死去的心中，永不能產生敬虔。宗教的外衣穿在聖潔的人身上，如同基督的衣服穿在祂聖潔的身體上；但若與褻瀆的心相連，便如同基督的衣服穿在釘祂十字架的兇手身上。-——拉爾夫．布朗里奇（Ralph Brownrig）

撕裂衣服是表達悲痛、憤慨或憂慮的一種極其古老且普遍的方式，因此在聖經中屢次被提及。據說，為兄弟、姊妹、兒女或妻子，只撕裂外袍；為父母，則撕裂全身衣服。邁蒙尼德指出，裂口三十天內不可縫補，即便縫補，也不可縫得完整。雖然律法並未命令猶太人必須撕裂衣服，但他們普遍認為仍需象徵性地撕裂一點，以符合這項古老的習俗。-——《圖解聖經》（Pictorial Bible）

查爾斯．哈登．司布真
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