01月28日讀經 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
經文:出01-04章
第01章主要在講:「法老王下令殺以色列小男嬰」。
雅各全家下埃及,共有七十人,約瑟並那一代的人都死了,以色列人生養眾人、極其強盛,有不認識約瑟的新的埃及王,起來治理埃及,這個王說:以色列民比我們多又強盛,將來可能背叛我們,不如1.我們派督工轄制,加重擔苦待他們,叫他們建造比東、蘭塞兩座城,2.吩咐接生婆,凡是以色列婦人要接生的時候,若是男孩就趁機殺了,女孩就留下存口。3.若是在接生以前就生下,男孩丟在河裡,女孩要存留生命。以色列人因作苦工覺得命苦,收生婆敬畏上帝,不照埃及王的吩咐,上帝厚待收生婆,以色列人多起來,極其強盛。
◎心得分享:人與人的關係,是很容易生變,約瑟對埃及的貢獻,隨著時代改變,就被人遺忘,一旦遺忘,接著就是懷疑害怕,最後就是轄制傷害,就像新埃及王對待以色列人一樣,這提醒我們,人關係破裂是從遺忘,再到懷疑,最後就是趕盡殺絕,雖然人對人的逼迫傷害,是正常的,但是我們在受試探時,上帝總是為我們開路,使我們從被追殺中,變得極其強盛,就像以色列人一樣。
第02章主要在講:「摩西的出生與逃亡」。 摩西是利未人的家族,他母親生了他,把他葳了三個月,後來不能再藏,就那他放在「蒲草箱」裡面,外面抹上石漆和石油,放在河邊的蘆荻中間,並叫摩西的姐姐,遠遠看著那箱子,法老的女兒在河邊洗澡,發現箱子,打開箱子,看見孩子哭,就可憐這小孩子,摩西的姐姐對法老的女兒說,可以叫一個奶媽,為你餵這孩子,法老女兒說:可以,法老女兒對摩西母親說,把孩子抱去,為我奶他,我必給你工價,摩西漸長,就帶去法老女兒那裏,摩西的名字是法老女兒娶的,摩西四十歲看見埃及人打以色列人,他見沒有人,就把埃及人打死,藏在沙土裡,第二天見兩個以色列人爭吵,就對他們說:你們同族人,為什麼爭吵,那人說:你要殺我,像殺埃及人嗎?摩西知道懼怕,法老聽見就想殺摩西,摩西逃往米甸,娶了米甸祭司女兒「西坡拉」為娶,生了一個兒子取名「革舜」。以色列人因作苦工,就歎息哀求,上帝聽見了,就紀念看顧以色列人,知道他們的苦情。 第03章主要在講:「摩西在荊棘火焰中,遇到上帝」。 摩西在野外牧羊,到了上帝的山,就是何烈山,神的使者,從荊棘火焰中向摩西顯現,摩西要過去,上帝從荊棘呼叫摩西,不要近前來,當把你腳上的鞋脫下來,因為你所站的是聖地。神說:我的百姓受的困苦,我看見了,我下來要拯救他們脫離埃及人的手,領他們到流奶與蜜之地,所以我要打發你去見法老,將以色列人領上來,我必與你同在,我是「自有永有」的神,你要去招聚以色列的長老,帶他們見法老說:容我們三天往曠野,祭祀耶和華我們的神,我知道埃及王必不容你們去,我必伸手行奇事,攻擊那地,然後他們才會容你們去,你們會把埃及人的金器、銀器、衣裳、財物奪去。
◎心得分享:人會忘記人,但是神卻不會忘記,上帝記念他與亞伯拉罕立的約,聽見、知道、看顧,這就是神的的恩典,只要我們在受苦中,呼求神,神必會拯救我們。
◎心得分享:上帝的拯救,是透過人的行動來成就,上帝知道摩西有願意幫助同胞的心,但是人的努力拼命,如果沒有上帝的幫助,最後的結果,只留下孤獨的曠野陪伴,但是摩西「願意的心」,上帝沒有忘記,經過挫敗與省思後,上帝呼招摩西,去完成上帝與摩西的心願。
第04章主要在講:「摩西告別岳父葉忒羅,回到以色列人當中」。
摩西對神說:他們必不信我,於是神對摩西說:1.你把杖放地上,杖就變成蛇,摩西拿住蛇的尾巴,蛇就變為杖,2.叫摩西把手放在懷裡,抽出來,手就長大痲瘋,再把手放在懷裡,再抽出,手已經復原,3.如果他們仍不信,就從河裡取水,倒在旱地,水在地上變成血,摩西推辭說:我是拙口笨舌,你打發別人,上帝向摩西發怒,說:「我會打發亞倫與你同去」,於是摩西告別岳父,帶著妻子和兩個兒子回埃及,在路上神要殺他,摩西的妻子,就為兒子行割禮,之後神指示亞倫去迎接摩西,亞倫就帶摩西去見以色列眾長老,並在百姓面前行神蹟,百姓就信了,因聽見神眷顧他們,就低頭敬拜神。
◎心得分享:上帝打發我們去作事,一定會有神蹟奇事伴隨著,就像祂叫摩西去一樣,因為人總是「不信」,所以要有看得見的神蹟,人才願意信,所以我們不用怕,人要不要信上帝,要知道這是神的工作,神要先作工行神蹟後,人才願意聽我們講神的話。
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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。