01月11日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:創33-36章
第33章主要在講:「雅各與以掃兄弟相認」。雅各兵分兩路,最前面是使女,後是利亞,最後是拉結和他,但是當他看到以掃來了,1.他主動的跑到最前頭,2.一連七次俯伏在地,靠近他的哥哥,3.他哥哥跑來抱住他,摟著他的頸項,與他親嘴,二人就哭了,4.雅各要給以撒禮物,以掃說:我的已經夠了,你的仍歸你的,雅各再三求,於是他就收下禮物,5.因為雅各人口眾多,行路比較慢,於是叫以掃先回去,以掃就先走。雅各回到迦南的示劍,在那買了地,築了壇,壇名叫伊利羅伊以色列(意思:上帝是以色列的上帝)。
◎心得分享:「雅各的不逃避面對問題」的勇氣,讓我們學習到,許多的時候,我們過度擔心,其實是多餘的,勇敢面對問題,才能戰勝問題。原本雅各想要「逃」,他也作好了「逃亡」計劃,但是當他看到他哥哥的時候,他就主動的跑到前頭,向他哥哥賠罪,結果他哥哥沒有殺他,反而原諒了他,與他和好。☆最勇敢的人,不是不會作錯事的人,而是作錯了勇於認錯、悔改、面對錯誤☆。
第34章主要在講:「雅各之子用計殺示劍族」。雅各在示劍城東的時候,他的女兒底拿,出去要認識那地的女子們,結果被那地主人的兒子「示劍」行淫玷辱,雅各閉口不言,他的兒子們十分忿恨惱怒,示劍愛底拿請他父親哈抹來提親,任何聘金禮物都願意給。雅各的兒子們用詭計「要求若要娶底拿」就要「行割禮」,於是哈抹要求從城門出入的人,都要受割禮,到了第三天眾人疼痛的時候,雅各的兒子西緬和利未用刀殺了全城的男丁,並奪了羊牛驢和田間所有並孩子婦女都擄去,雅各對他兩個兒子說:「你們連累我,使我有臭名,我們人少,他們必聚集來擊殺我和全家」,他們卻說:「他豈可待我們的妹妹,如同妓女」。
◎心得分享:雅各雖然有一點詭詐,在這一章中,我們也發現了其實他的兒子,也不輸給「雅各的詭詐」,別人固然有錯在先,玷污了他們的妹妹,但是也沒有必要嚴重到「把全城的男丁都殺了」,雅各知道這是錯的,他責備了他的兒子,但是他們卻不以為這是錯的。這讓我們看到雅各是真正經歷上帝改變的人,他的價值觀,就跟他的二個兒子不同。
第35章主要在講:「雅各歸家,愛妻與父親相繼死亡」。雅各正在擔心害怕示劍城外的人殺他們的時候,上帝對雅各說:要上伯特利住,1.你們要除掉外邦神,自潔更換衣裳,2.在那裡築一座壇給上帝,(就是雅各看見天梯天使的地方)。於是他們把外邦人的神像和正朵上的環子,交給雅各後,他把這些藏在示劍的橡樹底下,就往伯特利去,上帝使那周圍城邑的人都甚驚懼,不追趕雅各眾子。雅各到了伯特利就築壇給神,神又向他顯現,1.對他說:從今以後你不再叫雅各,要叫以色列,2.我要賜福給你,將會有君王從你而出。雅各就再一次給那地名起名叫伯特利。他們離開那裏在靠近以法他的路程,拉結難產生了兒子,取名便俄尼(意思:愁苦),就死了,雅各給他兒子取名叫便雅憫,葬在以法他,就是伯利恆。流便與他父親的妾辟拉同寢,雅各聽見了。雅各回到他父親那裏希伯崙居住,以撒就在180歲就死了,以掃和雅各把他埋葬了。
◎心得分享:1.雅各回到以前他跟上帝立約的地方伯特利,按神的吩咐築壇,自潔除掉偶像更換衣裳,原本害怕的他就變成剛強,而原本要追殺他們的人,就從剛強變成懼怕。2.流便原本是長子,他的亂倫,導致他長子的名份不見了,這再次讓我們看見犯罪是很可怕的,我們要求神保守我們不要犯罪。
第36章主要在講:「以掃的後代」。以掃就是以東,他娶了三個妻子,二個是迦南人,分別是亞大、阿何利巴瑪,因為他的父母不喜歡二個媳婦,於是他就又娶了「以實瑪利」的女兒巴實抹。因為上帝祝福雅各和以掃兩兄弟財物甚多,不能相容,於是以掃就住在西珥山的山裏,以掃是西珥山裏,以東人的始祖。
◎心得分享:雖然以掃是「屬肉體」的人,但是如果我們從他的一生來看,雖然他很看重實際的現實面,但其實他也是一個很憨厚的人,他原諒了他的弟弟對他的欺騙,雖然上帝也很祝福他在平地的生活,但是他生性是喜愛「打獵」,所以最後選擇「西珥」的山地生活,所謂「良禽擇木而居」,有時我們為了「理想」,要跟人一較高下,而放棄了我們自已原先的「喜愛」,到後來我們才發現,原來☆「選擇合適我們自己的生活方式,比出人頭地打敗群雄,卻是天天不快樂的生活,更為重要」,這就是「良禽擇木而居」。
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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。