02月23日 一年的第054天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:民21-24章
第21章主要在講:「火蛇與銅蛇,擊敗二個王」。
1.以色列與迦南人爭戰,被擄幾個,他們就向神許願,神應允,他們就把迦南人盡行毀滅。2.以色列從何珥山,繞過以東地,A.百姓因路難行,心中煩燥,B.就說壞話攻擊上帝和摩西說:『你們為甚麼讓我們死在這曠野呢?這淡薄的食物,胃口都憎厭了,C.神使火蛇進入百姓咬死許多人,摩西向神禱告,D.神對摩西說:製造一條火蛇,挂在杆子上,凡被蛇咬,一望這蛇就活了,3.以色列人,要求亞摩利人的王西宏,讓他們只走大道,亞摩利人不肯,就攻擊以色列人,以色列人擊敗亞摩利人,接著往巴珊地去,巴珊王噩攻擊以色列人,以色列人就擊敗巴珊,殺了他們眾子眾民。
◎心得分享:「火蛇」代表「人對上帝苦毒埋怨的話」,這些話說出去,又反彈咬傷說苦毒埋怨的話的人,而「銅蛇」代表「耶穌基督」,凡被蛇咬,一望這蛇就活了,我們的罪,藉著仰望耶穌基督,就活了。
第22章主要在講:「摩押王巴勒召巴蘭咒詛以色列人」。
摩押人因以色列民甚多,就大大懼怕,1.招了巴蘭咒詛以色列v8,巴蘭第一次求問耶和華,神對他說:你不可同他去,也不可咒詛那民,巴蘭對他們說:耶和華不容我去,2.巴勒派尊貴使臣,答應給他極大的尊榮,巴蘭第二次求問神,神說:你起來同他們去,只要遵行我的話,巴蘭騎驢,耶和華使者,拿刀要殺巴蘭,驢子閃躲救了巴蘭,3.巴蘭對使者說:我有罪,你若不喜歡我就轉回,耶和華的使者說:你同這些人去,只要說我對你說的話,巴勒領巴蘭到巴力的高處,觀看以色列營的邊界。
◎心得分享:「巴蘭」在彼得後書2章15節,說到:「巴蘭就是那貪愛不義之工價的先知」,明明上帝就說不可以咒詛以色列人,他卻因為「意志不堅定,受到錢財的引誘」,一直問上帝,上帝就任憑他的想法,讓他去,卻藉著「驢子說話」提醒他,他若是讓「貪戀」的心影響他,最後神必殺他,到後來真的他被殺了。
第23章主要在講:「巴蘭的第一首、第二首詩歌」。
巴蘭對巴勒說:築7座壇、7隻公牛、7隻公羊,獻燔祭,巴蘭第三次求問神,神將話傳給巴蘭,巴勒叫巴蘭咒詛:巴蘭說:「神沒有咒詛,我焉能咒詛,誰能數點雅各的塵土,計算以色列的四分之一,願如義人之死,我願如義人之生」,巴勒就說:你為什麼祝福以色列,這是第1次祝福,巴勒領巴蘭到毘斯迦山,築7座壇獻燔,第四次求問神,神告訴他要祝福以色列人,巴蘭就祝福以色列人,說:「未曾見以色列有罪奸,斷沒有法術可以害雅各」,這是第2次祝福,巴勒又領巴蘭到可瞭望曠野的毘珥山山頂,築7座壇。
◎心得分享:巴蘭期待上帝能妥協,讓他能「咒詛以色列人」,好使他能拿到摩押人巴勒賄賂的錢財,但上帝都沒妥協,堅持要他祝福以色列,這一章的祝福有2個部份,1.是以色列人、土地,難以計算,2.在神的眼中,以色列人是無罪的,沒有任何法術可以害以色列人。
第24章主要在講:「巴蘭的第三首、第四首詩歌」。
巴蘭見神喜歡以色列人,就不去求法術, 神的靈臨到巴蘭,說:「以色列帳棚華美華麗,他的國必超過亞甲,必要振興」,這是第3次祝福以色列人。巴勒就向巴蘭生氣說:我召你來是要咒詛仇敵,不料你竟三次祝福,巴蘭要回本族,巴蘭說:「有星要出於雅各,有杖要興於以色列,必打破摩押的四角」,這是第四次祝福以色列人,巴蘭回他本地,巴勒也回去。
◎心得分享:巴蘭想要找機會咒詛以色列人,但是上帝難阻,使原本「要咒詛以色列,卻變成祝福以色列,要祝福摩押人,卻變成咒詛摩押人」,「巴蘭」這個人,可以說是「當代最有名的烏鴉嘴」,是每逢「開口咒詛人」,是都會說中的,但是這種對「神的百姓」是無效的,他想咒詛,卻變成祝福,這在告訴我們「信靠神的人」,不用害怕敵人的咒詛,上帝會把咒詛變成祝福。
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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。