03月12日 一年的第072天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:書04-06章
第04章主要在講:「從約旦河取12塊石頭,放在住宿的地方」。
以色列人全都過了約旦河,1.神約書亞說:「要揀選12人,每支派1人,要從祭司腳站定的地方,取12塊石頭帶過去,放在今夜住宿的地方,這些石頭可作證據,日後可教導子孫」,他們就照著作,2.約書亞另外把十二塊石頭立在約但河中,祭司站立的地方。3.約旦河東二個半支派,約有四萬人,都準備打戰,神使約書亞在眾人眼前尊大,4.神說:抬法櫃祭司從約旦河上來,他們就上來,腳掌剛落旱地,河的水就流到原處,仍舊漲過兩岸,正月初十日,百姓從約但河來到耶利哥東邊吉甲安營,12塊石頭就立在吉甲,約書亞吩咐以色列人說:「日後你們子孫問這石頭是什麼意思,你們就要說這是過約旦河的証據,你們要敬畏耶和華神」。
◎心得分享:聖經常用「石頭」來代表神的選民,12塊大石頭,放在住在住宿地方,以便日後,來教導自己的子子孫孫,見證上帝曾經行過的神蹟見證,另外12塊大石頭,放在河中間,抬約櫃祭司站的位置,表明把「老我」,埋在約旦河,與基督同埋葬,也與基督同復活。
第05章主要在講:「行割禮、守逾越節,遇見耶和華的元帥」。
迦南人因以色列人的緣故就消化,不再有膽量,1.神吩咐約書亞製造火石刀,第二次給以色列人行割禮,約書亞就給他們行割禮,以色列人就住在營中等到痊癒,神對約書亞說:「我今日要把埃及的羞辱,從你們身上輥出去」,那地方就叫作吉甲。2.以色列在吉甲安營,正月14日守逾越節,第二日嗎哪就止住,那一年他們吃迦南地的出產,3.約書亞靠近耶利哥,看見耶和華軍隊的元帥,手裡有拔出來的刀,約書亞問:你是幫助我們的呢?或是幫助敵人呢?他回答:不是的,我來是作耶和華的元帥,約書亞就俯伏下拜,元帥就對約書亞說,把你腳下的鞋脫下來,你所站的地方是聖的,約書亞就照著行。
◎心得分享:「割禮」表明是分別為聖,是神選民的記號,當然正如保羅說,外面割禮不是真割禮,心裡的割禮,才是真割禮,行不行割禮不重要,重要的是作「新造的人」,對約書亞來說,他曾經給第一代的人行割禮,但是那些人都死在曠野,新一代的人,也用割禮來表明,分別為聖歸神為聖潔的選民,這在提醒我們,要常常問自己是不是,真的屬上帝,正如約書亞問耶和華軍隊元帥,是幫我們或是幫敵人,元帥回答,他不是來幫人的,而是幫上帝的,只要我們屬上帝,他就幫我們。
第06章主要在講:「繞耶利哥城,呼喊!城就倒塌,奪了那城」。
耶利哥城關得嚴緊,無人出入,一.神說:1.我把耶利哥城,交在你手中,2,你們要圍城,一日圍繞城一次,六日都要這樣,七個祭司拿七個羊角走在約櫃前,3.到第七日要繞城七次,祭司要吹角,角聲拖長,百姓就大聲呼喊,城牆就必塌陷,你們要往前直上」,二.約書亞照著神的吩咐作,並吩咐百姓1.要讓妓女喇合可以存活,2.不可取當滅的物,金子銀子銅鐵的器皿都歸耶和華為聖,三.百姓進城,將城奪取,將城中的人都用刀殺盡,派探子去救喇合全家出來,安置在以色列營中,眾人放火焚燒城,將金子銀子銅鐵器皿,都放在耶和華的庫中,四.當日約書亞叫眾人起誓說:有興起重修這耶利哥城的人,當在耶和華面前受咒詛,耶和華與約書亞同在,約書亞的聲名傳揚遍地。
◎心得分享:這是第一場戰役,靠的不是刀劍,而靠著的是上帝的話,不費吹費之力,只靠著繞城,呼喊,就奪了城,是上帝作的,用人的方式,是不可能得勝,因為城門是關得嚴緊,是攻不進去的,但是上帝作的方式,讓城牆倒塌,輕鬆得勝,求神幫助我們,完全來依靠祂,讓我們人生所遇到耶利哥城,都可以靠上帝得勝。
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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。