02月24日 一年的第055天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:民25-27章
第25章主要在講:「以色列在什亭行淫拜偶像」。
1.以色列人什亭與摩押的女子行起淫亂來,2.那些女人請他們參加摩押人所拜神明的祭筵。以色列人吃了祭物,3.他們拜了毗珥地方的神明巴力,4.耶和華的怒氣就向以色列人發作,他們就遭瘟疫,5.摩西按著神吩咐,命令審判官殺了拜巴力與行淫亂的人,在以色列人中瘟疫就止息,那時遭瘟疫死的,有2萬4千人。
◎心得分享:這一章在告訴我們,神對他百姓,是要求很嚴格的,不容許他們拜偶像,但是百姓卻被引誘行淫亂拜偶像犯罪,神就使他們遭瘟疫,而惟一止息瘟疫的方法,就是把犯罪的人殺了,就好像馬太福音5章30節說:「若是右手叫你跌倒,就砍下來丟掉,寧可失去百體中的一體,不叫全身下入地獄。」。也就是對罪要有「殘忍」的方式來處理,若我們容許小罪,那麼結果,就變成大罪,最後滅亡。
第26章主要在講:「第二次數點人數」。
瘟疫之後,神對摩西與以利亞撒說:計算以色列中,廿歲,能出去打仗的總數,1.流便支派是:4萬3千7百30名,2.西緬支派是:2萬2千2百名,3.迦得支派是:4萬5百名,4.猶大支派是:7萬6千5百名,5.以薩迦支派是:6萬4千3百名,6.西布倫支派是:6萬5百名,7.瑪拿西便支派是:5萬2千7百名,8.以法蓮支派是:3萬2千5百名,9.便雅憫支派是:4萬5千6百名,10.但支派是:6萬4千4百名,11.亞設支派是:5萬3千4百名,12.拿弗他利支派是:4萬5千4百名,以色列人共有:60萬1千7百30人,按著人名數目把地分配給他們作產業,這些人中間,沒有摩西和亞倫,第一次數點過的,都死在曠野,除了迦勒和約書亞以外,連一個也沒有剩下。
◎心得分享:民數記有二次數點,這是第二次數點,這一次數點只剩下,有信心的迦勒和約書亞,和新一代的人,這在提醒我們「沒有信心的人」,是沒有辦法得到上帝應許的祝福之地。
第27章主要在講:「西羅非哈女兒求產業,約書亞承接摩西職任」。
1.瑪拿西支派,西羅非哈的女兒,瑪拉、挪阿、曷拉、密迦、得撒,。她們前來站在會幕門口,說:「我們的父親死在曠野。他沒有與可拉同黨,是在自己罪中死的;他沒有兒子,求你們把我父親的產業分給我們,耶和華說:「西哈非羅女兒說的有理,要將她們父親的產業歸給她們,人若死沒有兒子,產業要歸給他的女兒,若沒有女兒,就要把他的產業給他的弟兄,若沒有弟兄,就要把產業給他族中最近的親屬,這是律例典章」。2.神對摩西說:「A.約書亞是心中有聖靈的;B.你將他領來,按手在他頭上,C.要在全會眾面前,囑咐他,將你的尊榮給他幾分,使以色列全會眾都聽從他,C.祭司要在耶和華面前為約書亞求問神,約書亞和以色列全會眾都要遵以利亞撒的命令出入。」,摩西照神的吩咐去作。
◎心得分享:西羅非哈的女兒,是一個孝順的兒女,勇敢的去力爭父親的產業,她們對摩西說的話,不是用埋怨的方式,而是提出理由,也提出要求,結果上帝說:他們說的有理,要將他們父親產業給他們,這在提醒我們,神給我們祝福,雖然許多「不可抗拒的因素」,導致我們失去原有的祝福,這時我們不是「偷偷的躲在綿被裡哭」,而是應該勇敢去向上帝要祝福。
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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。