01月10日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:創30-32章
第30章主要在講:「雅各要回家用策致富」。拉結把使女僻拉給丈夫當妾,僻拉生了但(意思:伸冤)、拿弗他利(意思:相爭),利亞也把使女悉帕給雅各當妾,悉帕生了迦得(意思:萬辛)、亞設(意思:有福),利亞用大兒子流便尋見的「風茄」,與拉結換取與雅各同寢,生了以撒迦(意思:價值)、西布倫(意思:同住)、底拿(女兒).。上帝顧念拉結,生了約瑟(意思:增添)。之後雅各向拉班提要回本家,並要求工價是有斑、有點的山羊,結果他用計得到有斑、有點的山羊都是肥壯的,另外也得到許多僕婢、駱駝、驢。
◎心得分享:上帝對待人是「很公平」的,常常給人是只有一好,就沒有兩好,拉結得到雅各的心,卻是長期受到不能生育羞辱的痛苦,雖然後來神顧念了他,讓他能生,但是長期來看,他並是最得意的人。利亞雖然得不到雅各的心,卻是為雅各生了最多兒女,6個兒子,1個女兒。這讓我們知道,當我們看到別人光鮮亮麗的一面,就像看到美麗的拉結一樣,也不用太羡慕她,其實她背後所要經歷的辛酸,可能是沒有一個人願意承受的,如果我們是醜的像利亞一樣,眼睛沒有神氣,也不要太難過,上帝在別的地方,也會補給我們,讓我們能抬起頭來的,雅各雖然享受齊人之福,但是他看他自己的一生時,卻覺得自己是很苦的比不上他的祖先(創47:9),只要我們看著神,順境逆境其實都有神美好帶領,不跟人比,回頭一看,就會發現,我們的一生,是路徑滴下脂油,我們的年歲都充滿上帝恩典的冠冕。
第31章主要在講:「雅各逃離拉班的家」。上帝對雅各說:「你要回到你父親那裏去,我必與你同在」,於是他對妻子拉結、利亞提到要回到自己的家鄉的想法,她們都同意,於是雅各就舉家逃跑,但是拉結偷了「家裡的神像」,拉班在第3天後才知道,於是就去追趕,在逃了第7天後的前一天夜裡上帝在夢中,對拉班說不可強迫雅各回來(說好說歹),拉班追上雅各責備他,暗暗偷跑,又偷神像,雅各說若在誰身上搜出來,誰就不能活,但是沒有搜到,雅各就發怒責備拉班:「廿年服事,受盡乾熱寒霜,十次被改工價,成為廉價勞工,是上帝看見了,昨夜責備你」,於是二人立約,拉班要求雅各,不能另娶,也不能苦待他的女兒,就以石堆和柱子作證據起誓,雅各獻祭請他們喫飯,他們就在山上住宿,隔天早上拉班就與他外孫和女兒親嘴,給他們祝福後,就回到自己的地方。
◎心得分享:雅各雖然得到上帝的指示要回到家,但是他沒有「大男人主義」,命令他的兩個妻子聽從他的話馬上去作,他反而是跟他的妻子商量,在二個妻子同意之下,就逃離拉班的家。在我廿多年的婚姻生活裡,也發現重大的決定,一定要跟妻子商量,這是一種祝福。當然我們不要學雅各的多妻,因為從他的家庭生活,就可以看出來,愛人多了,麻煩也就多了。
第32章主要在講:「雅各與天使摔跤」。雅各在路程中看見上帝的使者軍兵,就給那地方取名叫瑪哈念,他先打發人去他哥哥以掃那裡,了解他的情形,但是被打發的人回來告訴雅各說:「他哥哥帶了四百人迎著過來」,他就甚懼怕愁煩,1.把他的人、羊、驢、牛、僕婢你成二隊,心想若有一隊被擊殺,還有一隊可以逃避,2.禱告求上帝拯救他,3.預備了禮物要給他哥哥以掃,放在車隊的最前面,讓禮物先過去,他的人在最後邊。那一天晩上,他的妻子兒女都過雅博渡口,只剩下雅各一個人,天使來與他摔跤,在他的大腿窩摸了一把,他的大腿就瘸了,他要求天使給他祝福,天使就把他的名字改名,把雅各改成以色列,所以後來的以色列人都不喫大腿窩的筋。
◎心得分享:「雅各的懼怕」是我們可以理解,因為沒有人能像雅各這麼能夠,了解他的雙胞胎哥哥以掃的為人,這些經驗只是讓他更害怕,雖然他在路上,看見天使,但是他哥哥帶四百人過來,這是事實,根據他的經驗一定不懷好意,這樣的想法只會讓他害怕,當他在面對這種景況時,他禱告,也事先防備「沙盤推演」,隨時準備「逃跑」,他有萬全的準備,但是上帝藉天使,讓他瘸腿,結果他一切的準備,「全功盡棄」,如果以掃真的殺過來,他要逃也跑不掉,因為腳瘸了。這就提醒我們,當我們遇到危險,我們害怕,也禱告並想盡辦法來避免危險,但是到後來發現,所有方法都沒有用,只不過是「多此一舉」,最後還是只能乖乖順服去面對問題,才能勝過問題。
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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。