03月15日 一年的第075天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:書13-15章
第13章主要在講:「約旦河東,二個半支派的產業」。
一.約書亞老邁,耶和華對他說:「你年紀老邁,還有許多未得之地,就是:非利士人全境、基述人、迦南人全地,你只管照我所吩咐將地抽籤分給以色列人九個半支派為業」,二,約旦河東:1.以色列人沒有趕逐基述人、瑪迦人,2.流便支派:用力殺了術士巴蘭,3.迦得支派的地,4.瑪拿西支派的地:得到巴珊六十座城、基列二座城,利未支派沒有產業。
◎心得分享:耶和華對約書亞說:「你年紀老邁,還有許多未得之地」,看到真的有一點可惜,歲月總是不留人、歲月總是催人老,在約書亞的身上,我們也是看到這種歲月的無耐,但是根本的問題,不是「神所興起的僕人」,而是「神的子民」是不是能學習像神的僕人一樣,否則再多「神的僕人」的興起,最後的結果,就是被殺害,求神幫助我們不只是成為神的選民而以,而是成為神所重用的「僕人」。
第14章主要在講:「約旦河西,迦勒得希伯崙為業」。約書亞把約旦河西分給九個半支派,利未支派沒有產業,但他們可以在城邑的郊野牧養牲畜、安置財物。一.迦勒來見約書亞說:「1.我四十歲作探子,專心跟從耶和華,2.神的應許使我存活45年,我現今85歲,卻還是強壯,像45年以前一樣,無論是爭戰出入,我的力量還一樣,3.求你把神應許給我,最寬大堅固亞衲族的城的山地賜給我,我就把他們趕出去。」,二.約書亞祝福迦勒,將希伯崙給他為業,他專心跟從耶和華,於是國中太平,沒有爭戰。
◎心得分享:迦勒不是位大有信心的勇士,而且也是一位「老當益壯」的戰士,他向約書亞要求的地方,是迦南地中最困難攻佔的地,但是他是個有信心的人,不選擇容易不用爭戰的地,約書亞也答應他,求神把迦勒的「信心與勇氣」給我們,讓我們能到85歲,身體強壯的像是40歲的人。
第15章主要在講:「猶大支派,所得之地」。1.猶大支派所得的地:最南到以東的交界、最北是利乏音谷的邊界、最西的交界就是大海。2.約書亞把猶大地中的「基列亞巴」地給迦勒,迦勒就從那裡趕出亞衲族的三個族長,迦勒說:「誰能攻打基列西弗城,就可娶我女兒」,俄陀耳奪取那城,並聽從妻子建議,跟他岳父要水泉,他就得到上泉、下泉,3.猶大支派不能趕出住在耶路撒冷的耶布斯人,於是耶布斯人與猶大支派的人同住。
◎心得分享:迦得經過約書亞同意,去攻打「亞衲族」巨人,把三個族長都趕出去,而且呼召了像他一樣的勇士俄陀聶,攻打「基列西弗」城,而且奪取了城,求神幫助我們,讓我們不只有「信心與勇氣」,也讓我實實在在得到「上帝所應許」的祝福。
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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。