01月24日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:伯29-31章
第29章主要在講:「約伯回顧過去的日子:是蒙神眷顧,充滿上帝的祝福」。
約伯說:我從前是蒙上帝保守,1.我是行在上帝光明中,與上帝是蜜友的關係v1-4,2.我的兒女都圍繞在我身邊v5,3.我所到之處有飲用不盡的奶,連岩石也湧流橄欖油v5,4.我的地位是崇高的,老年人見我就站立,王子見我就閉口,首領見我靜默v6-10,5.我也作過「濟弱扶貧」v11-13、伸張正義的事v14-20,別人都在仰望我、等候我的指教v21-24,也為別人選擇道路v25。
◎心得分享:回憶風光的日子是美好甜蜜的,約伯曾經有蒙神眷顧風光的日子,他沒有忘記這一切,他也曾經因為「風光的日子」這麼說:「賞賜的是耶和華,收取的也是耶和華,耶和華的名是應當稱頌的」,過去風光的日子,是為了要舒緩「現在痛苦」的無奈,平衡一下現在痛苦的心情,但若是要在「過去的風光與現在的痛苦中找答案」,只會讓自己更加疑惑與痛苦,畢竟我們要了解,神使曲的,誰能變直,遇享通要喜樂,遭患難當思想(傳7:13-14)。
第30章主要在講:「約伯想到現在的日子:今非昔比,景況淒慘苦不堪言」v16-17。 約伯說:我過去作的都是對的,但是如今1.那些曾經被鞭打趕出境外,愚頑下賤人的兒女,作歌嘲笑我v1-9,吐唾沬在我臉上v10,攻擊我加增我的災v11-12,我的尊榮福錄如風如雲過去v13-15,2.困苦將我抓住,我心極其悲傷,夜間骨頭刺我,疼痛不止v16-19,3.主阿我呼求我,你不應允我,你向我變心,待我殘忍,致我於死地v20-23,別人仆倒我伸手、遭難我哭泣、窮乏我憂愁v24-25,4.我仰望得好處、災禍就到,等待光明、黑暗來到,我心裡煩擾不安v26-31。
◎心得分享:約伯的痛苦,是我們很難承受,對每一人來說,其實我們的痛苦,誰又能真的體會呢?但重點不是誰的受痛苦比較大,誰的比較小?重點是受苦是與我們有益的,雖然沒有一個人願意喜歡受苦,但是在受苦中,我們才會「成長」,上帝藉著苦難,把我們自私自利、驕傲、自以為是…等等的想法煉淨了。
第31章主要在講:「約伯提出自己答辯詞:我受苦是與罪無關,願神賜給我公正的判決」。
約伯說:1.我曾經嚴肅地保證,絕不用淫念的眼睛看女孩子,但是禍患災害卻臨到我v1-4,2.我若有玷污在我手上,願我所種的被拔出來v5-8,我若受迷惑起淫念,願我妻替別人燒飯,讓她去睡在別的男人的上v9-12,我若藐視不聽與我意見不同的僕人,願神也不聽我的回答v13-15,我若沒有扶助貧寒人、寡婦,願我的手臂折斷;願我的肩膀脫落v16-23,我絕對沒有只看重黃金與財物豐盛,喜歡恨我的遭報,沒有接待客旅,也沒有像亞當遮蓋自已的過犯,將罪藏在心中,更沒有別人說閒話,我就閉門不出,我發誓,我的話句句真實v24-34,3.願全能的上帝回答我!願控告我的人把罪狀寫下來,讓我親眼看見v35,我要得意地把狀詞掛在肩膀上,或當華冠戴在頭上v36,我要向上帝說明我所做的一切v37,4.如果我奪取過別人的田地,從合法業主手中搶來v38,如果我吃了那田地的產物,卻使耕種的人餓著肚子v39,就讓蒺藜野草長滿那地,不再有小麥,也沒有大麥。約伯的話說完了。v40
◎心得分享:我們也像約伯一樣,常常對上帝提出「自我答辯」,我是這麼好的人,為什麼要受苦呢?縱使我沒很完全,也沒有壞到要受到這麼嚴厲的懲罰,過於我能承受,有這個必要嗎?那些自私自利的人,為什麼都沒受到懲罰呢?話說回來,其實「壞人會受苦、好人也會受苦」,受苦是每一個必經的過程,在受苦中我們不該應是埋怨或是跟人比較,而是多想想,當我們立志行善受苦,知道將來的榮耀是何等大時,就在這時候,我們就大可不必太介意(羅8:19),受苦這件事。
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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。