03月14日 一年的第074天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:書10-12章 往南部攻打
第10章主要在講:「與南部五王、亞摩利人作戰」。
1.耶路撒冷王、希伯崙王、耶末王、拉吉王、伊磯倫王,聯合起來要攻打「基遍」,因為「基遍」是一座大城,比艾城大,城內都是勇士,基遍人就來請求約書亞來幫助,神對約書亞說:「不要怕!無一人能在你面前站立」,約書亞在基遍大大殺敗他們,他們逃跑往下坡時,神從天上降大冰雹,打死他們,被冰雹打死的,比被用刀殺死的還多,2.在與亞摩利人爭戰時,約書亞禱告;「日頭停留、月亮止住,直等到戰勝」,神聽約書亞禱告,日頭停住,有一日之久,耶和華為以色列爭戰,五王逃跑,躲在瑪基大洞,約書亞把五王殺死,掛在五棵樹上,直掛到晚上,從樹上取下丟在洞口,用大塊石頭放在洞口,3.奪了瑪基大城、立拿城、拉吉城、伊基倫城、希伯崙城、底壁城、迦薩、歌珊全地,因為耶和華為以色列爭戰。
◎心得分享:五王聽見約書亞奪了艾城,又聽見「基遍」城,與以色列人立好了合約,就覺得要打倒以色列人,要先把基遍城奪過來,於是先進攻「基遍」城,基遍人請求約書亞的幫助,約書亞聽從了神的話,殺敗了仇敵在基遍地,之後在與亞摩利人戰爭,約書亞是一位不輕言放棄,堅持到底要打勝戰的人,他向神禱告,多給他一天,使他可以戰勝,神也聽他的禱告,日頭停住,多麼不可思議,求神也把像約書亞這樣,作事堅持到底的決心,放在我們心中。
第11章主要在講:「與北部夏瑣王作戰」。
1.在北部夏瑣王聯合瑪頓王、伸崙王、山崗諸王,眾軍都出來,多如海沙,有許多馬匹車輛,安營要與以色列人爭戰,2.耶和華對約書亞說:「不要因他們懼怕,我必將他們交付你們全然殺了」,3.約書亞率領一切兵丁,在水邊突然向前攻打他們,擊殺他們沒有留下一個,耶和華怎樣吩咐約書亞,約書亞就照樣行,沒有一件懈怠不行的,4.約書亞奪了全地,除了基遍以外,沒有一城與以色列人講和,都是以色列人爭戰奪來的,就按支派分地給他們為業,國中太平沒有爭戰。
◎心得分享:這一章讓我們看,敵人雖多如海沙、又有馬匹車輛,以色列人的人數比不上他們,武器也沒有仇敵好,仇敵有許多馬匹車輛,但是神的同在,讓他們不可能打勝戰的事,變成可能,而且把敵人全殺了,這在提醒我們,得勝不在人多,也不在馬多,而是只要有神的支持,任何戰役我們都可以勝。
第12章主要在講:「戰績回顧報告」。
一.以色列人在約旦河東擊殺亞摩利人的王、巴珊王二個王,把地賜給流便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派為業,二.以色列人在約旦河西擊殺三十一個王:1.耶利哥王,2.艾城王,3.耶路撒冷王,4.希伯崙王,5.耶末王,6.拉吉王,7.伊磯倫王,8.基色王,9.底璧王,10.基德王,11.何珥瑪王,12.亞拉得王,13.立拿王,14.亞杜蘭王,15.瑪基大王,16.伯特利王,17.他普亞王,18希弗王,19.亞弗王,20.拉沙崙王,21.瑪頓王,22.是夏瑣王,23.伸崙米崙王,24.押煞王,25.他納王,26.米吉多王,27.基低斯王,28.約念王,29.多珥王,30.戈印王,31.得撒王。
◎心得分享:這一章分兩個部份,一部分是約旦河東,那是摩西在的時候所奪,另一部分是摩西不在,約書亞帶兵爭戰奪來,戰勝31位王,這在提醒我們,依靠主的人,是可以得勝,而且一代比一代更蒙福,當然沒有摩西開拓的局面,就沒有約書亞的輝煌戰績,上帝總是與依靠祂的同在,因為尋找就尋見、祈求就得著、叩門就給他開門。
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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。