01月08日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:創世記23-26章
第23章主要在講:「亞伯拉罕妻子撒拉的死和埋葬」。撒拉活了127歲就死,亞伯拉罕為她哀慟哭號,要向赫人買「麥比拉的洞和田」作為墳地,當時赫人以弗倫說:「要把麥比拉洞和田送給他」,亞伯拉罕堅持要給田價,於是以弗崙從亞伯拉罕面前收了「四百舍客勒」的銀子作為墳地的買價,於亞伯拉罕在赫人與城門出入的人面前辦理買妥那地。
◎心得分享:「空口無憑」為避免日後的糾紛,有時公開的買賣,有證人,甚至有契約書更是重要,時代在變遷,「以後的事」實在很難說,亞伯拉罕不貪「小便宜」,不免費得到別人的送禮,而是正直的用合宜的錢買墳地,以當時法律方式來買墳地。讓我們看見「屬靈」很重要,但是「屬世合法的買賣」方式,更是不可避免,這是屬靈的人應該學習的。
第24章主要在講:「亞伯拉罕為兒子娶妻」。亞伯拉罕年紀老邁,派他的老僕人「以利以謝」1.起誓不能讓他兒子娶迦南女子為娶.2.要他往本族本家(拿鶴家族)為以撒娶妻.3.老僕人到了米所波大米拿鶴城,看見容貌極其俊全的處女、對老人有心、又勤勞為老人家的駱駝打水,知道這是神預備要給以撒的妻子利百加.4.於是進入利百加的家向他的哥哥拉班提親,拉班答應了.5.老僕人帶著利百加與利百加的的乳母還有利百加的使女,三個人回到以撒的家,在黃昏的時候,利百加先看見了在田間默想的以撒,就問老僕人那是誰?僕人告訴他是主人以撒,她就拿帕子蒙上臉,僕人把利百加以撒,以撒就帶利百加進入他母親的帳棚娶她為妻愛她,從他母親不在之後,這時他才得安慰。
◎心得分享:老僕人順利達成任務,讓我們看見「困難、不可能達成」的任務,只要我們願意忠心並且努力順服去行,上帝必然把許多「不可能」的事變成「可能」。
第25章主要在講:「亞伯拉罕死,以撒生以掃與雅各」。撒拉死了以後,亞伯拉罕又娶了「基土拉」為妻,生了六個孩子,後來亞伯拉罕把所有的給以撒,把財物分給他剛出生的眾子,趁著他還在世的時候,打發他們離開往以撒的東邊,於是亞伯拉罕在175歲就死了,兩個兒子以撒和以實瑪利把他在麥比拉洞與撒拉葬在一起,以實瑪利作了十二族長,死的時候是137歲。以撒40歲時,為他不生育的妻利百加禱告,就在以撒60歲,神就讓利百加生了以掃和雅各,以掃善於打獵,雅各常在田野,以掃累昏了,因為一碗「紅豆湯和餅」賣了他長子的名份。
◎心得分享:「以撒為他妻子不能生育」禱告,經過多久呢?有廿年之後才成就,有時禱告是馬上可以成就的,有時卻是要「長時間」的忍耐等候,不住的禱告,才能看見結果,只要禱告,神有祂的時間,這是神兒女應作的事。
第26章主要在講:「以撒的挖井」。在亞伯拉罕還具有影響力的時候,那地饑荒以撒就往非利士地,神在異象中向他顯現,要他不要往埃及去,並應許要賜福給他和他的後裔,於是他就住在基拉耳,學他父親說他的妻子是他的妹子,亞比米勒看見他們夫妻在戲玩,找了他來並責備他說他說謊,命令所有人如果沾這人與他妻子,必治死。以撒種地,耶和華賜福給他,一年有百倍的收成,非利士人把亞伯拉罕在世所挖的井,用土填滿,亞比米勒就叫以撒離開,於是以撒離開那個地方支帳帳棚,並且就把被塞住的井,從新挖出來得了活水井,並且照他父親取的井名稱井,當地的牧人跟以撒的牧人爭競,以撒不跟他們競爭,離開那裏,到別的地方又挖了井,神向他顯現應許賜福,他就在裡築壇求告神的名,並且支搭帳棚。後來亞比米勒主動要與以撒彼此起誓彼此立約、結盟起誓「互不侵犯」條約,以掃娶了兩個妻子,讓以撒和利百加愁煩。
◎心得分享:「以撒」看起來是軟弱、失敗、退讓,但是神是與謙卑的人同在,祝福這樣的人,因神抵擋驕傲的人,以撒能力不像他父親那麼強,但是他抓住上帝給他的吩咐與應許,雖然他也曾經犯錯,說他妻子是妹子,懦弱的被亞比米勒責備,但是他繼續忍耐順服上帝的帶領,最後敵人亞比米勒怕到了,主動的要與他簽訂「友好」約定。
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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。