02月26日 一年的第057天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:民31-33章
第31章主要在講:「殺米甸人報以色列的仇」。
神對摩西說:「要在米甸人身上報以色列人人的仇,在你臨終前」。(這是因為米甸人,引誘以色列人行淫亂拜偶,那時遭瘟疫的有2萬4千人在民數記25章),摩西吩咐人帶兵器去攻擊米甸人,各支派打發1千人,共1萬2千人,由祭司帶著聖所器皿和號筒,殺了所有男丁,留下婦女活命 但是摩西發怒命令殺了所有已出嫁女子,沒出嫁可以存活,並且要潔淨自已7天,金、銀、銅、鐵、錫、鉛,都要經火潔淨。把擄來一半歸出去打仗的精兵,一半歸全會眾,出去打仗的,要取50取1作為貢物獻給耶和華,會眾要把50取1歸給看守帳幕的利未人,摩西收了千夫長、百夫長的金子,就帶進會幕作以色列人的紀念。
◎心得分享:這一章在告訴我們,從那裡跌倒,要從那裡站起來,以色列被米甸人設計,行淫亂拜偶像,上帝吩咐他們「要報仇」,對罪絕不能寛容與姑息,更不可給魔鬼留地步,以色列人只殺男人,婦女沒殺,摩西發怒了,因為致使以色列人犯罪的是這些婦女,因為這些婦女是引誘人行淫與拜偶像的,對我們現代人來說,比較具體的是要拒絕「色情的誘惑」。
第32章主要在講:「流便、迦得二支派求約旦河東」。
流便、迦得看到約旦河東可牧放牲畜,就不想要過約旦河東,摩西責備他們:「難道你們弟兄去打仗,你們竟坐在這裡嗎?你們為何使以色人灰心喪膽,不過去進入那地呢?」,兩支派的人說:「我們要為牲畜、婦女、孩子造城,我們要帶兵器行在以色人前頭,直等到以色列人各承受自己的產業」,摩西說:「你們口中所出的,只管去行」,並吩咐祭司如果那地被你們制服,要把基列(也就是約旦河東)地,給帶兵去打仗的人為產業。
◎心得分享:摩西生氣了,如果是我,我也會生氣,覺得流便、迦得二支派,有一點自私自利,可能因為長期流浪,妻子、兒子,需要「安定」下來,才作此決定,換句話說,這樣也比較可以讓男人去打仗,比較沒有後顧之憂,而且他們決定打仗的時候,是打頭陣,之後摩西也答應,雖然是「上上之策」,也勉強解決,彼此的衝突。
第33章主要在講:「歷史回顧」。
以色列出埃及後所行的路程,共有42站:第一程(5-10):1蘭塞;2疏割;3以倘;4比哈希錄;5瑪拉;6以琳;7紅海邊;第二程(11-17):8汛曠野;9脫加;10亞錄;11利非訂;12西乃曠野;13基博羅哈他瓦;14哈洗錄;第三程(18-24):15利提瑪;16臨門帕烈;17立拿;18勒撒;19基希拉他;20沙斐山;21哈拉大;第四程(25-31):22瑪吉希錄;23他哈;24他拉;25密加;26哈摩拿;27摩西錄;28比尼亞干;第五程(32-41):29曷哈及甲;30約巴他;31阿博拿;32以旬迦別;33加低斯;34何珥山,亞倫死在那裡,132歲;35撒摩拿;第六程(42-49):36普嫩;37阿伯;38以耶亞巴琳;39底本迦得;40亞門低比拉太音;41亞巴琳山;42摩押平原。神說:「進迦南地1.要趕出那地居民、毀壞偶像邱壇,住在其中,2.要按支派抽籤,人多,產業也要多,人少產業也少,3.如果你們不把當地居民趕走,那些留下的人會成為你們的禍患,就像你們眼睛裏的刺、肋旁的荊棘;他們要反擊你們、毀滅你們。
◎心得分享:這是歷史的回顧,也是數算神的恩典,42站,每一個站都有一個故事,也都有神的恩典,這樣的回顧,不禁讓人覺得「路徑都滴下脂油」的心境,我們也要常常想到過去上帝的帶領,也要鼓勵別人,勇敢去趕出生命的仇敵,面對超越仇敵的攻擊。
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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。