01月19日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:伯11-14章
第11章主要在講:「瑣法責備:你要除掉手裏罪孽,住在義的帳棚之中」v14。瑣法說:1.你多嘴多舌講話誇大,你不會覺得害羞嗎?v.2-3,2.你以為自己的道理都對,在上帝面前乾乾淨淨v2,願神開口攻擊你v3,用智慧指示你v4,3.上帝對你的懲罰還不及你所應得的v.6,4.你若心正向神禱告,遠離罪和不義,那時你就會A.仰起臉堅固無懼怕v15,B.忘記痛苦,雖有黑暗,卻像早晨v18,C.你躺臥無人驚嚇v19。
◎心得分享:認罪悔改是很蒙福的,但是問題是約伯根本不知道,他的最主要犯罪的原因是什麼,他要認什麼罪呢?整個對話讓我們看到,瑣法的責備,只讓約伯更生氣,因為「人的怒氣,不能成就神的義」(雅1:20),從這章我們可以思想的是,我們在跟人講話的時候,是不是常常帶著怒氣,使原本很好的想法,別人卻聽不進去呢!
第12章主要在講:「約伯反駁:我也有聰明,你們所說誰不知道」v3。約伯說:1.我這求告神,公義完全的人,竟受到朋友譏笑v4,2.平順的人想法藐視災禍;災禍卻時常準備要害失腳滑跌的。3.帳棚興旺的強盜人和激動上帝發怒的人,生活無慮,就以為自己是在崇拜的神v.5-6,4.誰不知道,萬物是神所造的v9,上帝有知慧和能力,謀略和知識v13-25。
◎心得分享:論年齡約伯沒有比他三個朋友老,但若論對上帝的認定、認識、認真,他不會比他們少,特別約伯說的一句話就是:「帳棚興旺的強盜人和激動上帝發怒的人,生活無慮,就以為自己是在崇拜的神。」,有時惡人在平順中,就以為他作的是對的,上帝很愛他,其實這不一定是劃上等號,而「人最大的問題」是把「環境平順與否」,來認定一個人是好人或是壞人。
第13章主要在講:「約伯罵人:你們是編造謊言,都是無用的醫生」v4。約伯說:1.你們所知道的,我並非不知道,我並非比不上你們v1,2.我要對神說話與祂理論,若是你們不出聲,就是有智慧v5,3.你們不用為上帝說話,為祂爭論,說A.不義的話、B.詭詐的話,4.你們不作聲,任憑我,讓我說話,結果我自己承當v13,5.求你叫我知道我的過犯與罪過,你為何掩面,拿我當仇敵v23。
◎心得分享:約伯有罪沒有,我們不知道,但是這一章我們就看到了,約伯其實是很「驕傲」的,在他三個朋友,定他的罪之後,他為自己辯護到,他看不起他三個朋友,他覺得他自己並不是比不上他們,他希望他朋友,多聽他一點,少講一點,這一章讓我們知道,有時「協談者」,真的要多聽少講。
第14章主要在講:「約伯表達:只知身上痛苦,與中心的悲哀」v22。約伯說:1.人生日子短、患難多v1,如花如影,不能存留v2,2.人的日子月歲、界限,被限定,人不能越過v5,3.樹若被砍下,還可指望發芽v.7,人若死亡躺下,就不再起來v11,4.我兒子得尊榮或降卑我不知道,我只知身上的疼痛和心中的悲哀v22。
◎心得分享:安慰的話,有時有效,有時卻是無效的,因為痛苦是在的,問題是在的,約伯真正需要的,不是人的安慰,而是神的安慰,而上帝一直是沈默,其實上帝從頭到尾,都是在當一位「好的協談者」,祂都沒有說話,讓約伯說話,這讓我們知道,有時我們聽不道上帝說話,並不是祂不在,而是祂常常專心聽我們講話,有時祂必須等到一定的時間,也就是到了我們可以聽的時候,祂才會出現向我們說話。
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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。