03月13日 一年的第073天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:書07-09章
第07章主要在講:「艾城敗戰,亞干認罪」。亞干犯罪,取當滅的物,神的怒氣向以色列人發作。
1.約書亞派探子去窺探艾城,他們說:眾民不必都上去,只要二三千人上去就攻艾城,因為那裡人少,2.民中約有三千人去,竟在艾城人面前逃跑,有36人被擊殺,3.約書亞向神禱告,神說:以色人犯罪,取了當滅的物,放在家具裡,因此仇敵面前逃跑,你們若不把當滅的物除掉,我必不再與你們同在,4.約書亞清早,按支派抽出來是亞干犯罪取了當滅的物:衣服、銀子、金子,5.約書亞命令眾人用石頭打死他,將石頭堆在他身上,用火焚燒他所有的,那地叫「亞割」是連累的意思。
◎心得分享:上帝看他們的罪,是一人就等於是眾人,1.亞干的罪,導致以色列人,2.過度輕敵,「大言不慚」的說,只要三千人就夠了,3.最後就被擊敗,死了36人,這在提醒我們,人一旦有「罪」,判斷力就容易錯誤,也不會想要求問神,他們看起來很有信心,說只要3千人就夠了,誇口憑感覺說的話,其實不是信心,真正的信心是從神的話來。
第08章主要在講:「再戰艾城,《引蛇出洞》奪了艾城」。
一.耶和華對約書亞說;1.不要懼怕,率一切兵丁上艾城去,2.城內財物牲畜可取為自己的擄物,3.你要在城後設下伏兵。約書亞聽神的吩咐,派了三萬勇士,夜間前往在城後埋伏,派五千人埋伏在山谷,約書亞進入谷中,約書亞和以色列人,在他們面前裝敗,他們就被引誘離開,約書亞聽從神的話,向艾城伸出手裡的短槍,伏兵就出來奪了,殺了全城男女共有1萬2千人,將艾城王掛在樹上,直到晚上日落的時候,把屍首取下丟在城門,堆上石頭。二.約書亞為神築一座壇,獻燔祭、平安祭,將律法抄在石頭,將律法所寫的向全會眾,宣讀一遍。
◎心得分享:艾城的擄物,是可以取為自己的,耶利哥城的擄物,是不可取為自己的,原因可能是耶利哥城是第一次戰役,戰果是要歸上帝,從另一方面來說:耶利城以色列人根本沒有付出什麼努力就得勝,所以不能有任何擄物,而艾城是他們聽從了神的話,付上了辛苦的代價,從失敗中站起來,所以神說:「艾城的擄物,是可以取為自己的」。
第09章主要在講:「被基遍人騙,與他們講和立約」。
1.基遍人設詭計,假充使者,拿舊口袋、舊皮酒袋、穿補過的舊鞋、舊衣服,帶乾的、長霉的餅,說自己是從很遠的地方來的,要與他們立約,2.以色列人受了他們食物,並沒有求問耶和華,於是約書亞與他們立約講和,3.立約三天後才聽見他們是近鄰,不能擊殺他們,全會眾就向首領發怨言,4.基遍人要在以色列人中間作奴僕,劈柴挑水。
◎心得分享:「被騙、被設計」是人之常情,被騙之後,常覺得非常後悔,而他們被騙的原因:是因為「沒有求問耶和華」,特別是別人「灌一些迷湯,稱讚你一下」,人常常就「忘了自己是誰」?最後就「被騙」,求神幫助我們,在得意的時候,千萬不要「忘形」,遇到問題,要懂得來到上帝面前求問上帝。
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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。