06月09日 一年的第161天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:傳01-03章
第01章主要在講:「世代與智慧都是虛空」。
大衛的兒子傳道者所羅門王說:虛空的虛空,虛空的虛空,凡事都是虛空。
一.人勞錄改變環境是無益的。在日光之下,一代過去,一代又來,地卻永遠長存。2-4
二.人的知識是有限的。萬事令人厭煩,人不能說盡。眼看,看不飽;耳聽,聽不足。5-8
三.日光之下並無新事。,新事在以前的世代早已有了,已過的世代,無人記念。9-11
四.知神叫世人所經練的是極重的勞苦,彎曲的不能變直,缺少的不能足數。我作過王專心用智慧尋求。12-16
五.多有智慧,就多有愁煩。加增知識的,就加增憂傷,乃知這也是捕風。
◎心得分享:最頂尖最有智慧的人,在他一生終結的時候,精華的話到底是什麼呢?只有兩個字,那就是「虛空」,無論這人是多麼偉大與有智慧,終究會發現人是非常有限,所謂「人定勝天」,最後就只剩下這四個字寫在石碑上,靜靜的躺在乾旱的溪床上,述說著人類的無知與狂妄,「一代過去,一代又來,地卻永遠長存」,無論人是如何努力想改變事情,最後的結果是「彎曲的不能變直,缺少的不能足數」,會感嘆的說:「多有智慧,就多有愁煩」。
第02章主要在講:「王位與政績都是虛空」。
一.我以喜樂享福,如何用酒使我肉體舒暢!誰知,這也是虛空。1-3
二.我為自己動工程造房屋種葡萄園,積蓄金銀和君王的財寶,勞碌所成的功都是虛空,4-11
三.我在日光之下的勞碌,得來的必留給我以後的人。那人是智慧是愚昧,誰能知道?他竟要管理我勞碌所得的,這也是虛空。12-18
四.神喜悅誰,就給誰智慧、知識,和喜樂;惟有罪人,神使他勞苦,叫他將所收聚的、所堆積的歸給神所喜悅的人。這也是虛空,也是捕風。19-26
◎心得分享:這一章述說著,人的努力與政績,最後也是「虛空、捕風」一場,在日光之下的勞碌,得來的必留給我以後的人。那人是智慧是愚昧,誰能知道?他竟要管理我勞碌所得的,這也是虛空,有時「三代的努力,一代就發光了」,這是多麼悲哀的事,重點是「神喜悅誰,就給誰智慧、知識,和喜樂」,也就是說要緊的是,我們要追求,神給我們智慧、知識,和喜樂,一味的追求豐功偉業,偉大政績,事工的成效,也是虛空,也是捕風,求神幫助我們成為神所喜悅的人,擁有神的賜的智慧、知識,和喜樂。
第03章主要在講:「凡事定時人歸土虛空」。
一.凡事都有定期,天下萬務都有定時。生有時、死有時,神叫世人勞苦,使他們在其中受經練。1-10
二.神造萬物,各按其時成為美好,又將永生安置在世人心裏。然而 神從始至終的作為,人不能參透。11-18
三.為世人的緣故,是神要試驗他們,使他們覺得自己不過像獸一樣。人不能強於獸,都是虛空。都歸一處,都是出於塵土,也都歸於塵土。19-22
◎心得分享:有人說:「高處不勝寒」,在低處的人們,總是努力的想往上爬,希望能在有生之年,能爬到「金字塔」的頂端,大聲呼喊著:「 I am king.」,對已經達到「世界之頂」的所羅門王來說,他告訴我們「頂端」的感想,發現覺得自己不過像獸一樣,人不能強於獸,都是虛空。都歸一處,都是出於塵土,也都歸於塵土,而凡事有定期,生命是有定時的,人生是受盡勞苦,人要追求的不是「日光之下」的事,更要緊的是追求「日光之上永生」的事,因為神將永生安置在世人心裏,我們在地上的是客旅的,寄居的,這世界非我家。
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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。