01月31日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:出11-13章
第11章主要在講:「第10災擊殺埃及長子的驚告」。
上帝對摩西說:「我再行使一災,臨到埃及,他們必催逼你們離開這地,你要吩咐百姓叫他們各人向鄰舍要金器銀器」,摩西對法老說:「約到半夜神必出去巡行埃及地,所有長子和頭生的牲畜都必死,你的臣僕都要俯伏求我和以色列人都出去,然後我要出去」,摩西講完話,氣忿忿的離開法老出去,神對摩西說:「法老必不聽你的,我要行奇事」。
◎心得分享:上帝吩咐以色列人在離開之前,向埃及的鄰舍要金器銀器衣裳,而埃及人也乖乖的給他們,這些東西是「以色列人在埃及作苦工的工價」,所有的災,都是法老答應了又反悔不肯,但是第10災的痛苦太大了,埃及人一時反應不過來,就「催逼」以色列人離開,當然事後法老又反悔,帶兵追趕,最後葬身在紅海,這在提醒我們,神寬容不是以有罪的為無罪,最後上帝會審判作惡的人。
第12章主要在講:「守逾越節、神擊殺埃及長子、以色列人出埃及」。
神對摩西亞倫說:「你要以正月,為一年之首,正月10日要取無殘疾的羊羔,在正月14日,黃昏時把羊羔宰了,各家要取點血塗在喫羊羔的房屋左右門框上和門楣上,14日夜要喫1.用火烤羊羔的肉,2.無酵餅、3.苦喫苦菜。肉不可生喫,也不可用水煮的,要帶著五臟用火烤,不可剩下,剩下的要用火燒,喫羊羔要腰間束帶,腳上穿鞋,手中拿杖,趕緊的吃。夜間上帝要擊殺埃及一切頭生的,看見房屋有血,就越過去,要喫無酵餅7日,從1月14日晚上,到1月21日晚上,各人要喫以外,無論何工,都不可作」。神怎樣吩咐,摩西亞倫以色列人就怎樣行,到了半夜神殺了埃及人所有長子,埃及人就催促以色列人離開,以色列人向埃及人要金器、銀器、和衣裳,就把埃及人的財物奪去了。以色列人起行,男人有六十萬,以色列人在埃及430年,滿了430年那一天,神的軍隊,從埃及出來。神吩咐以色列人要守逾越節,外邦人不可喫羊羔,受了割禮的人,就可以喫。神怎樣吩咐,他們就怎樣行。
◎心得分享:上帝要祂的百姓,守節紀念數算祂的作為,因為人是「健忘的動物」,而且很容易受到世界的影響,之後就遠離神的命令,但是透過儀式守節聚會,人的心再一次被拉到上帝面前,這對神的百姓是很重要,希伯來書也提醒我們,不可停止聚會,像停止慣了人一樣,因為主的日子臨近,上帝突然來了,而我們仍然在罪惡中,那就非常可怕的,所以我們不可灰心,要常常聚會親近上帝。
第13章主要在講:「在曠野白天雲柱、夜間火柱,上帝的帶領」。
神吩咐摩西說:凡頭生的,無論是人是牲畜都要分別為聖歸上帝,將來進迦南地以後,要在這月守這禮,吃無酵餅7天,第7天要守節。這逾越節的目的:是紀念上帝從埃及為奴之家領出來,要在手上作記號,在額上作經文,要走紅海的路,並把約瑟的骸骨帶回迦南地,以色列人從疏割起行,在曠野邊安營,日間神在雲柱中領他們的路,夜間在火柱中光照他們,神總不離開百姓面前。
◎心得分享:上帝的恩典是夠我們用,曠野是炎熱的,所以白天有雲柱,像一把大的遮陽傘,讓以色列人不會曬黑,晚上氣溫比較低,上帝用很大的火柱,像是大型的火爐,溫暖他們,而且每個夜晚,都是營火晚會,這章很美的一句話是:「上帝總不離開百姓面前」,是的,信靠神的人,神總不離開我們面前。
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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。