03月11日 一年的第071天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:書01-03章
第01章主要在講:「約書亞剛強壯膽預備進迦南地」。
摩西死了,一.耶和華對約書西說:1.你要起來,和眾百姓過約但河,往迦南地去,2.凡你腳掌之地,我都賜給你,3.你平生的日子,無一人能在你前面,站立得住,我與摩西同在,也必與你同在,4.你當剛強,大大壯膽,謹守律法書,晝夜思想,5.不要懼怕,也不要驚惶。二.約書亞吩咐官長,走遍營中預備食物,三日之內要過約旦河,三.對約旦河西二個半支派的流便、迦得、瑪拿西半支派人說:1.你們要追念,摩西所吩咐你們的話,2.你們妻子孩子留在約旦河東,你們的勇士,要帶著著兵器打前鋒,直到他們得享平安,才可回約旦河東,3.他們回答:我們怎樣聽從摩西,也必照樣聽從你,無論甚麼人違背你的命令,就必治死他,你只要剛強壯膽。
◎心得分享:這章讓我們看到「約書亞」的恐懼,來自三方面:1.他對未來的恐懼,2.他對上帝是否願意與他同在?3.這些約旦河西二個半支派的人,會不會戰前逃跑或是背叛?結果上帝回答他,也鼓勵他,約旦河西二個半支派,也承諾挺他打底,惟一沒有辦法解決的是「面對未來的恐懼」,因為這條路,他們向來沒有走過,而約書亞聽從了神的話,一天的憂慮一天擔當就夠了,「剛強不是不會害怕,而是在害怕中,仍然繼續往前」。
第02章主要在講:「派二個探子窺探耶利哥城」。
1.約書亞打發二個探子,去窺探那地,2.探子進了城牆邊上妓女喇合家的房子,耶利哥王派人要抓他們,女人將二人隱藏在房頂,並騙他們說:「天黑要關城門,他們就出去,你們快快去追,就必追他」,他們就出追趕他們,女人對二個探子說:「神已經把這地賜給你們,因你們這地居民心都消化,我恩待你們,你們也要拯救我們性命不死」,於是女人用繩子將二人從窗戶縋下,叫他們往山上隱藏三天,才可以走,二人對他她說:「我們來到這地,妳要把這條朱紅線繩繫在窗戶上,你全家要聚集在你家,凡在你家若有人下手害你們的,流血的罪就歸在我們頭上」,女人同意後,就打發他們去,把朱紅線繫在窗戶上,3.探子二人過約旦河回來,將所遭遇的事,神已將那全地交在我們手中的事,告訴約書亞,
◎心得分享:我們總以為「12個探子」,人多資訊多,應該是比較好,事實上並非如此,真正要找的人是有信心的,只要有信心兩個就夠了,人多反而礙事,裹足不前,失去信心,這兩個探子,不像那10個沒信心的探子,把自己的想法:「他們像巨人,我們像蚱蜢」,加在他們的報告裡,這兩個探子只把他們所遭遇的事,告訴約書亞,這在提醒我們,「人失敗或是成功的原因,不是在於觀察,而是在於背後對神有沒有信心」。
第03章主要在講:「抬約櫃過約旦河」。
約書亞和眾人離開什亭來到約旦河等過河,1.過了三天,官長吩咐百姓,看見約櫃離開就跟著約櫃去,要和約櫃相離二千肘,不可與約櫃相近,這條路你們向來沒有走過,2.約書亞吩咐百姓要自潔,祭司抬約櫃要在百姓前頭走,耶和華吩咐約書亞說:「我與摩西同在,也必照樣與你同在,你要吩咐抬約櫃的祭司到了約但河水邊上,就要在河水裡站住」,3.約書亞對以色列人說,約櫃要過約旦河,你們就知道永生上帝在你們中間,從各支派選12人,約旦河水,必然斷絕,立起成壘,4.百姓離開帳棚,要過約旦河,當時河水漲過兩岸,抬約櫃祭司,腳一入水,水就在極遠停住,立起成壘,全然斷絕,抬約櫃的祭司在約旦河中站定,眾人都從乾地上過去,全都過了約旦河。
◎心得分享:神照著向約書亞承諾所說的話,如何與摩西同在,也就照樣與約書亞同在,「摩西過紅海」,而「約書亞過約旦河」,事實上很難分別那個神蹟比較大或比較小,當然也不是我們去比看看,兩個神蹟的相似之處,在提醒我們,上帝不會特別袒護那一個人,只要是有信心的人,無論背景、個性、經驗..,,都可以一樣可以經歷到「上帝奇妙」作為。
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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。