01月09日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:創世記27-29章
第27章主要在講:「雅各騙父親祝福」。以撒年老,眼睛昏花,看不見,擔心自己不知道那天死,於是就叫以掃,往田野打獵作成美味,好給他祝福,以掃就出去了,利百加知道後,就叫雅各到羊群裡拿兩隻肥山羊羔,作成美味羊肉爐,給他父親以撒喫,並用山羊羔的皮把在手上和頸項的光滑處,去接受他父親的祝福,若有什麼咒詛利百加說都算在她身上,於是雅各就按照這樣,去行騙過他的父親以撒,得到他的祝福,以掃回來要得祝福已經沒有了,就放聲大哭,心中充滿怨恨想要殺雅各,有人來告訴利百加,利百加知道以後就叫雅各逃到他舅舅拉班那裡。
第27章◎心得分享:利百加不喜歡以掃的原因,是因為「以掃」娶了二個迦南的女子為妻,讓她真的不想活(27:46),這提醒我們基督的弟兄,如果娶到「惡劣」的外邦人為妻子,而且是多妻,這不但造成家庭不和,更造成失去上帝的祝福。所以要娶愛主,並且順從父母的女子為妻,這是最好的。
第28章主要在講:「雅各逃往舅舅家」。在利百加叫雅各逃到母舅拉班之後,以撒也叫雅各來,給雅各祝福,叫他不要娶迦南女子為妻,要他往他母舅拉班女兒中娶一女為妻,以上帝賜福亞伯拉罕的應許賜福給他,於是打發他出去,以掃曉得他父親看不中他娶的迦南女子,就離開他二妻,到以實瑪利那裡娶他的女兒為妻。雅各到了哈蘭,太陽下山 他就在那裏住宿,拿起一個石頭當枕頭,躺臥睡了,夢見天梯,天使在梯子上去下來,並告訴他神要祝福他不要怕,他睡醒就說這是神的殿,也是天的門,用枕頭的石頭立作柱子,澆油在上,給那地方取名叫伯特利,原先名叫路斯,並許願說,若上帝讓他平安回他父親家,就必將十分之一獻給神,與神立約。
第28章◎心得分享:「雅各看重上帝的祝福」,雖然他的手段是錯誤的,但是當他有愛上帝的心時,其實上帝都已經知道了,當然犯錯的人,是要在苦難中才能學會智慧,但是因為他愛上帝,所以上帝也愛他,在他受苦的時候,向他顯現安慰他的心。這讓我們看見,我們愛上帝,在剛開始時,這種愛並不是很公義與正直,當中隱含著有很多詭詐,但是神已經悅納了,我們這種「有瑕疵的愛」,於是上帝透過苦難環境的洗滌,讓這「有瑕疵的愛」,慢慢就成為「無瑕疵的愛」。
第29章主要在講:「雅各娶深愛拉結」。雅各到了東方人的地,看見一口井,井上有大石頭,牧人要先把石頭移開,羊才能喝水,雅各向牧人打聽「拉班」,就在這個時候,牧人對雅各說:「看拉班的女兒拉結來了」,雅各就主動上前把大石頭從井上轉離,讓拉班的羊喝水,就在當下雅各親了拉結的嘴,拉結就放聲大哭,雅各告訴拉結,他是他父親的外甥,利百加的兒子,拉結就回去告訴她父親,拉班對雅各說:若要娶拉結,就要服事七年,雅各因為愛拉結就看七年如同幾天,期滿了,拉班欺哄雅各把眼睛沒有神氣的大女兒利亞同房,雅各為了要娶拉結又服事七年,最後娶到拉結,利亞能生育,拉結不能生育。利亞生了四個孩子,流便(有兒子)、西緬(聽見)、利未(讚美)、猶大(讚美)。
第29章◎心得分享:1.「騙人者人恆騙之」,雅各用計騙了哥哥以掃,騙了父親以撒,但是他沒想到「一山還有一山高」,結果他也被他舅舅拉班騙了。2.從另一方面來看,「雅各的愛」其實可以讓我們學習a.真愛是值得等待,b.他願意為他所愛的付代價,c.雖然他有不得己的苦衷有二妻二妾並生了許多孩子,但是我們看見,他「至始至終」只愛拉結,希望大家也能有這種愛,用這種「無可取代的摯愛」去愛自己的配偶。
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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。