02月01日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:出14-17章
第14章主要在講:「法老與軍兵葬身在紅海」。
上帝對摩西說:「你不要繼續往東,要往北走,轉回安營靠近海邊,法老必說以色列人在曠野迷路,他會心裡剛硬,追趕你們,我要在法老和他全家身上得榮耀,埃及人就知道我是神」,以色列人就這樣行,法老王聽到以色列人逃跑,就帶著軍兵、特選600馬匹、車輛追趕,埃及軍隊靠近的時候,以色列人就害怕,對摩西發怨言,摩西說:「不要害怕只管站住,看上帝施行救恩,神必為你們爭戰,只管靜默不要作聲」,在埃及營和以色列營中間有雲柱,一邊暗一邊亮,彼此不能相近,摩西舉手向海伸仗,大東風使海水一夜退去,海成了乾地,以色列人下海中乾地,水成了牆垣,埃及人跟著下到海中,到了2-6點晨更,神使埃及軍兵混亂,車輪脫落,摩西向海伸杖,天亮時海水復原,淹沒了埃及車輛全軍,以色列人看見,就敬畏神,信了神和摩西。
◎心得分享:「上帝要在法老全家身上得榮耀」,得榮耀的意思,以法老來說:1.上帝的寬容,不是懦弱,而是恩典,終有一天上帝會審判臨到,而且確實臨到,2.不聽上帝的話,抵擋上帝的人,最後的結果是非常可怕的。對信靠神的人來說:1.神的榮耀,是神把我們推向極端可怕、仇敵追殺的景況裡,2.這時候我們不得不向神禱告,等候不出聲,讓上帝自己來作事,我們只要順服,3.神的榮耀是除滅仇敵的一切作為。
第15章主要在講:「摩西唱歌米利暗跳舞讚美、百姓沒水發怨言」。
以色列人過紅海,法老軍兵葬在紅海,摩西就歌唱讚美:「神是我的力量、我的詩歌,我的拯救」,米利暗拿著鼓跳舞。摩西帶領以色列人,在「書珥」曠野3天找不到水,到了「瑪拉」,那地水苦,百姓就發怨言,神指示摩西把樹枝丟到水裡,水就變甜,他們到了「以琳」,有12股水泉,70棵棕樹,在水邊安營。
◎心得分享:這一章都談到「水」,1.水為以色列人分開成牆垣,2.水把法老和埃及軍兵滅了,3.水苦以色列人就發怨言,3.上帝行神蹟,水就由苦變成甜的,4.以琳的水泉讓以色列人在水邊安營。水是我們生活必需品,問題不在於水,而是在於上帝與信靠祂的人,不信的人,水就成為人的埋怨,信的人就必有神蹟隨著,苦水就變甜水。
第16章主要在講:「會眾餓了發怨言,上帝賜下嗎哪」。
以色列人到了「汛」的曠野,糧食吃完了餓了,全會眾向摩西亞倫發怨言,在早晨有露水,露水上升,上帝就賜給他們嗎哪,樣子像芫荽的種子,白色,吃起來味道像用蜜作的薄餅,每個人每早晨的飯量,是一俄梅珥,多收沒有餘,少收沒有缺,按著自己飯量收取,不能留到隔天早上,他們有人不聽,留到隔天早晨,就生蟲變臭,摩西就向他們發怒。每日只收取當日飯量,到了第6天,要收雙倍,因為隔天是安息日,第6天收雙倍,留到隔天早晨,不臭也沒有蟲子,摩西對亞倫說:「要拿一俄梅耳的嗎哪,放在罐子,放在神面前,留在世世代代,放在法櫃前留著」。以色列吃嗎哪,共40年。
◎心得分享:「嗎哪」代表著上帝的供應,神會供應我們需要的食物,所以1.我們要天天仰望上帝的供應,2.不用害怕自己餓到,就忘了上帝和祂的吩咐,拼命努力賺錢,努力存錢,因為多收沒有餘,少收的也沒有有缺,3.嗎哪世世代是放在約櫃前的,也就是說我們來到上帝面禱告的時候,要常常記得,數算神曾經供應我們的恩典。
第17章主要在講:「摩西擊打磐石水流出來,戰勝亞瑪力人」。
以色列人在「利非定」安營,沒有水喝,就與摩西爭鬧,幾乎要拿石頭打死他,摩西向神禱告,神對摩要說:「帶領幾位長老,從百姓面前走過去,站在何烈磐石上,擊打磐石,磐水就有水流出來。亞瑪力人來到「利非定」,要與以色列人爭戰,摩西派約書亞去爭戰,他手裡拿著杖,站在山頂禱告,摩西舉手以色列人就得勝,垂手亞瑪力人就得勝,摩西手發沈,亞倫與戶珥就搬石頭,放在他的手下,站在兩邊扶著他的手,直到日落,約書亞用刀殺了亞瑪力王和他的百姓,摩西就築了一座壇,起名叫耶和華尼西,意思是「耶和華是我旌旗」。
◎心得分享:這一章讓我們發現「發洩心中的不滿,發怒埋怨」,其實不能解決問題,只會讓一個人,變本加利,變得更壞,以色列沒有水發怨言,這不是第一次,而這一次是比較嚴重的,百姓幾乎要拿石頭要打死摩西,所以發洩埋怨,會變成一種習慣,只會越來越差,不會越來越來越好。摩西藉著禱告,來處理他心中的埋怨,也藉著禱告,勝過亞瑪力人仇敵的攻擊,所以我們要常常禱告。
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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。