01月16日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:伯01-03章
第01章主要在講:「約伯受到撒但加害」。約伯是一位正直、敬畏神、遠離惡事的人,住在烏斯地,有10個兒女,7個兒子、3個女兒,家產僕婢很多,在當地是最富有的人,在他們每次筵席後,約伯因怕兒子犯罪,棄掉上帝,就在清早,叫他們獻燔祭給神,他常常是這樣。有一天撒但在走來走去之後,就到上帝面前,上帝就對撒但說:「我的僕人約伯沒有人像他這樣好」,撒但說:「他之所以這樣,是因為你賜福給他,如果你毀了他一切所有的,他必當面棄掉你」。有一天約伯正在他哥哥家裡喫飯,有人來向他報告:1.牲畜被擄僕人被殺v15,2.天上降火燒滅群羊和僕人.v16,3.駱駝被擄僕人被刀殺v17,4.狂風颳來、房屋倒塌,他的兒女都死了.v19,約伯就撕裂衣服,剃頭伏在地上說:賞賜的是神,收取的也是神,神的名是應當稱頌,在這件事上,約伯沒有犯罪埋怨上帝。
◎心得分享:人生的際遇實在很難說,起起伏伏,有人說:「人生像浮雲」,也有人說:「人生像一場戲」,更有人說:「人生像戰場」,但若是當中幅度 range 太大,一般都可能會導致整個人就崩潰,在舊約人物中,似乎找不到有人像約伯一生所承受幅度 range 那麼大,上帝就好像把約伯推向一種「極限運動」的競技場,隨時可能被判出局,但是約伯撐下去了,他沒有讓上帝失望,最後勝利歸給他,榮耀歸給神,羞愧歸給撒但,希望我們在百般試煉中,也要大喜樂,甚至求神幫助我們能得勝有餘。
第02章主要在講:「朋友陪他7天7夜」。又有一天撒但在走來走去之後,就到上帝面前,上帝就對撒但說:「你雖攻擊我的僕人約伯,他仍然持守他的忠誠」,撒但說:「如果你傷了他的骨頭和身體,他必當面咒罵你」。上帝說:「他在你的手中,只是不許你殺他」,撒但攻擊約伯,使他從頭到腳長了毒瘡,他在垃圾堆用瓦片刮自己身上的毒瘡,他的妻子說:「你到現在還對上帝忠誠,不如你去咒上帝,然後去死罷」,約伯說:「難道上帝可以賜福給我們,就不可以降禍給我們嗎?無論是福、是禍,我們都應該稱頌神的名」,在這事上約伯沒有犯罪,約伯的三個朋友以利法、比勒達、瑣法,來看他卻認不出他來,他們就大哭,並且陪他7天7夜,坐在地上。
◎心得分享:約伯對信仰的看法是,上帝可以賜福給我們,祂也可以降禍給我們,神無論作任何決定,我們都應該讚美祂,祂有自主權來決定我們的一生,我們不能當神賜福給我們,我們就快樂相信祂,祂降禍我們就忿怒不相信祂,這樣想法對神來說是「不公平」的,因為福與禍就是人生的必經過程。約伯的信心,讓我們看到信心是富貴不能淫、貧賤不能移,患難不離開信靠神。
第03章主要在講:「約伯咒詛自己生日」。他希望他的生日那天是被咒詛,如果他沒有出生,就沒有患難愁苦臨到,他現在最大的痛苦是在患難中:1.他求死卻是不得死v20,2.他害怕的事,一直不斷發生v25,3.他得不到放鬆,4.他得不到安靜,5.他得不到休息。
◎心得分享:「人生不如意十之八九」,約伯遇到極大的患難,他沒有埋怨上帝,他只是把他內心的渴望與痛苦說出來,他想如果要是他沒有出生,就不會現在有極大的患難,所以他咒詛他自己的生日,也說出自己的痛苦。受苦是與我們有益的,在受苦中我們真亞省思我們信仰的真與假。
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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。