01月22日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:伯22-24章 (第三回合辯論)
第22章主要在講:「以利法定罪:你為富不仁,強取弟兄物、剝去窮人衣、沒有幫助困乏人」v6。以利法說:1.上帝不是責備你對祂的公義敬畏而審判你v2-4,而是你對人的罪,A.你為著要兄弟還清欠款,你剝光了他的衣服,使他赤身露體v6,B.口渴的人你沒給他水喝;飢餓的人你沒給他飯吃v7,C.你利用你的勢力和地位佔有了所有的土地v8,D.因此你被陷阱、恐懼包圍v9-11,2.你要依從惡人所行的結果,末到死期,忽然被除滅嗎v12-20,3.你要認識神v21、領受教訓v22、歸向神除去不義v23-25、以全能為喜樂v26、要禱告也要還願v27、定意作事v28、你使你降卑,你仍說必升高,神必然拯救v29-30
◎心得分享:以利法一直想要在約伯的受苦中,找到原因,但是在找不到的情形下,就用「想像的」來定約伯的罪,大概約伯是為富不仁、覇佔別人的東西..等等,其實這都「子虛烏有」、「憑空捏造」,實際上講的都是錯的,沒有這回事,從這當中讓我們學習到沒有實際的證據,只憑著推論與想像說的話,有時真的非常離譜。
第23章主要在講:「約伯表達:希望到神面前,案件陳明,滿口辯白」。1.我哀聲嘆氣,因為神重重責罰我,我希望找到神,陳述案情,為我自己申訴v4,祂必聽我的申訴v5-6,2.我可以跟神理論;祂會作成定案,宣判我無罪v7,3.我向東西南北尋找神,卻找不到,如果他考驗我,就會知道我純潔v8-10,我緊跟著神的步伐、跟隨他的道路,不敢偏差v11,時時刻刻遵守他的命令,跟從他的旨意,不從自己的慾望v12,神曾經成就許多計劃,在我身上v13-14,4.我思想這些事就懼怕,我懼怕的不是黑暗,而是懼怕全能的神v15-17
◎心得分享:約伯有太多委屈,這並不是說他自認為完全沒有罪,他的委屈是因為,他自己覺得若是他有罪,他所受到神的懲罰,超過於他所作的錯是幾萬倍,實在是不公平,他想找神理論,就在他回想過去上帝的祝福,現在上帝的懲罰,心裡就懼怕神,懼怕的原因是他覺得「上帝翻臉好像翻書一樣」,約伯對上帝有不解與埋怨,但是神的意念真的高過我們的意念,這一章不是故事的結局,而是故事中的片斷,這在提醒我們,我們雖有痛苦,也對神有許多不滿,但這只是過程,不是終點,雖然在過程中,我們有許多痛苦,但是我們要看到終點,終點是「得到加倍的祝福與榮耀」。
第24章主要在講:「約伯表達:上帝為什麼不用《現世報》,使惡人受到懲處呢?」v1。約伯說:1.上帝不理會惡人的愚妄:A.窮人地界被挪移、群畜被搶奪、靠著野地兒女餬口v5,B.窮人終夜赤身無衣遮蓋,在葡萄園,摘取別人剩下的葡萄v6,C.惡人是殺人、偷盗、姦夫,不善待寡婦v7-21,2.上帝用祂的能力,保守有勢力的惡人v22-23,他們被除滅的時候,與眾人一樣v24,3.誰能證實我說謊,證明我的話沒有根據v25。
◎心得分享:常常我們的想法跟約伯一樣,上帝為什麼不馬上讓壞人受到懲罰,上帝好像是在縱橫壞人,我們常常很容易憑著我們的直覺,這個人是好人,他應該受到獎賞,那個人是壞人,他應該受到懲罰,但問題是誰知道誰是好人?誰是壞人?我們以為這個人是好人,結果過一段時間,那個人變成壞人,所以上帝有祂自己的作法,就是用「路遙知馬力,日久見人心」的作法,上帝總是等到最後才分開「麥子與稗子」的差異,這就在提醒我們,惟有「忍耐到底」的人,才能得救蒙福。
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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。