01月06日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:創世記16-19章
第16章主要在講:「夏甲生以實瑪利」。自從亞伯蘭進迦南神應許他的後裔要如塵沙,已經10年了沒有什麼事情發生,於是他的妻子撒萊建議,由使女「夏甲」藉腹生子,之後夏甲就懷孕,當夏甲懷孕以後,就小看撒萊,撒萊也就苦待了懷孕的夏甲,於是她逃出去,在書珥的水泉旁,遇到神的使者,使者勸她回到主母撒萊那裡,服在撒萊的手下,並應許她的後裔,繁多不可勝數,要給他取名叫「以實瑪利」,就在隔年就是亞伯蘭86歲時「以實瑪利」生。
◎心得分享:撒萊好心想幫上帝的忙,讓丈夫的心願能成就,但卻是幫了倒忙,其實上帝根本不希望她這樣作,現代「中東戰爭」的問題,就是因為這個倒忙的結果,「以實瑪利」就是回教的始祖。鳥撒因為牛失前蹄,想幫上帝,就伸手扶約櫃,就被神擊殺(撒下6:6-7),有人神呼召他當傳道人,但是他卻自作主張說:「他向上帝禱告,求神讓他賺更多錢,有了更多錢,就可以幫助教會」,結果他一直都在很貧窮的景況,因為他想幫上帝,但上帝沒有要他這樣作。這就讓我連想到,我們教會很大600多坪,會友雖不多,卻從來就沒缺錢過,於是就有人建議:「我們辦托兒所,可以替教會賺錢」,雖然我沒有想賺錢,但是我的私心,是希望能透過托兒所傳福音,10年下來,最後托兒所關門了,所有參與這個工作的人,每個人都受傷,當然也包括我,這就是用自己的想法,想幫上帝的結果。上帝根本不要我們幫祂,祂要我們順服祂,按祂的方式來作。
第17章主要在講:「應許明年生以撒」。自從夏甲懷孕之後,有14年上帝沒有向亞伯蘭說話,就在他99歲的時候,上帝原諒了他,再次向他顯現,1.應許他的後裔要繁多,2.並命令他們要行割禮,3.把亞伯蘭改名叫亞伯拉罕,撒萊改名叫撒拉,意思是多國之母,君王要從她出,4.她要生一個兒子,要起名叫以撒。於是以實瑪利13歲與亞伯拉罕與他一同受割禮。
◎心得分享:1.神的怒氣是一時,神的施恩是一生之久,我們縱然「失信」,但是祂仍然是可信的,因為祂不能背乎自己(提後2:13)。2.神的應許是不會改變,一定會成就的,神不厭其煩的常常提醒我們。3.我們要得著神的應許,我們一定割禮(是心靈的割禮),分別為聖歸給神,才能承受應許的祝福。
第18章主要在講:「亞伯拉罕接待天使」。在亞伯拉罕99歲的同一年,天氣正熱,有三個天使來,亞伯拉罕接待他們,1.拿水給他們洗腳.2.作餅給他們喫.3拿奶油和奶給他們喝4.殺了又嫩又好的牛犢給他們喫。之後天使向亞伯拉罕說:1.明年撒萊要生兒子.2.神要剿滅罪惡甚重的所多瑪城和蛾摩拉兩個城。於是亞伯拉罕替這二城求神,若是有義人,不要剿滅,從1.50個義人. 2.45個義人. 3.40個義人.4.30個義人. 5.20個義人. 6.10個義人,一直殺價,有六次殺價,天使說有10個義人,神就不剿滅那城。
◎心得分享:從這章我們學習到二件事:1.我們要熱心接待客旅,作在一個小子的身上,就是作在主耶穌的身上(來13:2)。2.我們應熱切的為人的得救禱告,神不一定全部聽我們的,但是我們所真正關心的,神會作,就像神因亞伯拉罕的緣故救了羅得。
第19章主要在講:「天使救了羅得」。有二個天使,到所多瑪城,要救羅得,告訴他神要毀滅這地方,他的女婿不相信,以為是戲言,於是羅得遲疑不走,二個天使因為上帝憐憫羅得的緣故,就一個天使拉羅得與天使,另一個拉羅得的兩個女兒跑出來,把他們安置在城外,叫他們往山上逃跑,不可回頭,他們就逃,當太陽已經出來時,神將硫磺與火從天上那裡,降與所多瑪和蛾瑪拉兩城,羅得的妻子,因為「回頭一看」,就變成一根「鹽柱」。當羅得在山上時,他的二個女兒為了替他「存留後代」,就趁著羅得酒醉,與他同寢,大女兒生了兒子,給他娶名「摩押」,就是摩押人始祖,小女兒生了兒子,給他娶名「亞捫」,就是亞捫人的始祖。
◎心得分享:「羅得的妻子」在提醒我們「手扶著犁,向後看的人,不配進神的國」,如果「我們愛世界,愛父的心就不在我們裡面了」,神對我們的要求,是絕對的忠誠,我們若按神的旨意行,神必然會賜福給我們,「先求神的國和神的義,這一切都會加給我們」。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。