01月21日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:伯18-21章
第18章主要在講:「比勒達責備:惡人的光要熄滅v5,住處變黑暗v6,這是因他不認識神v22」。比勒達說:1.你胡亂的話可以少說一點,安靜下來想一想,我們才能跟你說話v1,2.你以為我們像牲畜、禽獸一樣蠢嗎?v2,3.難道宇宙的秩序會因約伯你的憤怒而變更麼?4.約伯你的命運就像是惡人的命運:A.光要熄滅v5-6,B.跌倒在網羅上v7-9,C.驚嚇害怕v10-16,D.名字不被記念,無子無孫v17-20,E.不認識神的人v21。
◎心得分享:從這章我們看到,我們就像是比勒達一樣,常常看到別人眼中的刺,卻看不見自己眼中的樑木,不先把自己的樑木除掉,卻是過度熱心,想幫別人把他眼中的刺去掉之前,其實我們比較要緊的是「要先幫幫自己」,求神幫我們除去我們眼中的「樑木」。
第19章主要在講:「約伯表達:他知道他救贖主活著,以後他必站立在地上v25」。約伯說:1.你們10次攪擾、壓碎、羞辱、苦待我,卻不會覺得不好意思v2-3,2.如果我有錯,那也是我的錯,跟你們根本沒關係v4,3.我知道上帝傾覆攻擊我v5-12,使我好朋友、妻子、僕人都厭棄、忘記、嘲笑我v6-19,我只剩下骨頭和一口氣而已v20,4.我的朋友們阿!,上帝攻擊我,我已經很可憐,你們為什麼好像上帝再次逼迫我,你們加給我的痛苦還不夠重嗎?v21-22,5.我講的話都要記錄下來,刻在磐石上,存到永遠v23-24,上帝是永活的,我要上帝為我伸冤,我活著上帝沒為我伸冤,死了以後,上帝也會為我伸冤,我警告你們,是會有報應在你們身上v25-29。
◎心得分享:約伯痛到一個地方,拒絕他朋友的好意,向他朋友們說,如果我有錯,那也是我的錯,跟你們根本沒關係,這種話真的很傷人,雖然朋友加的傷痕,出於忠誠,但是所有的答案,只有在救贖主的身上,才能找到,因為我知道我的救贖主活著。
第20章主要在講:「瑣法責備:上帝發怒,惡人的產業都要消滅v29」。瑣法說:1.聽你那羞辱、責備我的話,我的心就急躁起來,我的理智忍不住要回答你v2-3,2.你當然會知道,惡人得意都是會很短暫v4-9,3.惡人的兒女要向窮人求乞;他要親手把剝削得來的財物交還v10,4.惡人勞錄得來的,不得享用,上帝的忿怒在他身上,他必恐懼所抓住v11-25,5. 惡人的財寶被火燒滅v26,家產必然過去都被消滅v27-29。
◎心得分享:瑣法認為:約伯「現在悽慘」的結果,和惡人「受報應的結果」是一樣的情形,所以結論:約伯一定是個「惡人」,其實這樣的推論是有問題的,這提醒我們:「主觀就容易產生偏差,偏差就容易產生錯誤」。
第21章主要在講:「約伯反問:惡人為何存活享大壽數,勢力強盛呢?」。約伯說:你們仔細聽我的話,給我一個說話的機會,這是你們所能給我惟一的安慰,等我說完,你們再嘲笑不遲v2-3,1. 你們看一看我,難道你們不會驚駭發呆嚇得啞口無言嗎?我一想到我的遭遇就驚惶,禁不住渾身戰慄,v4-6,2.惡人享大壽數享通強盛v7-13,3.惡人拒絕上帝,不尋求神的旨意,主張成功全靠自己的力量;惡人這種想法,是跟我想法不一樣v14-16,4.惡人燈沒熄、沒患難、沒災禍v18,你們說,會報應在惡人的兒女v19,我認為比不上「現世報」來得實際v20-25,好人惡人最後都一樣是塵土v26,5.你們會問我,要我提出惡人沒有惡報的證據,v27-28,你們問過路的人,他們就會給你證據v29,你們的對答都是錯誤,又怎麼能安慰我呢v30-34?
◎心得分享:辯論的結果,不是「真理越辯越明」,辯論的結果,反而常常是「信者越發恆信,不信者越發不信」,對固執已見的人來說,讓他改變的不是話語,而是愛心與憐憫,就好比我們傳福音一樣,不是「辯贏就會贏」,真實嚴格來說,辯論的結果有二個,1.「辯贏就是輸」,因為失去友誼,2.「辯輸還是輸」。就像夫妻相處也是一樣,夫妻是「不能講道理」,無論你是「講贏或是講輸,都是輸」,夫妻相處是講「愛與憐憫」。
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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。