10月05日 一年的第279天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:拉08-10章
第10章主要在講:「眾民哭立約按律法行」。
一.以斯拉禱告,認罪,哭泣,俯伏在神殿前的時候,有以色列中的男女孩童聚集到以斯拉那裏,成了大會,眾民無不痛哭。拉10:1
二.屬以攔的子孫、耶歇的兒子示迦尼對以斯拉說:「我們在此地娶了外邦女子為妻,干犯了我們的神,然而以色列人還有指望。拉10:2
1.現在當與我們的神立約,休這一切的妻,離絕他們所生的,照著我主和那因神命令戰兢之人所議定的,按律法而行。拉10:3
2.你起來,這是你當辦的事,我們必幫助你,你當奮勉而行。」拉10:4
三.以斯拉便起來,使祭司長和利未人,並以色列眾人起誓說,必照這話去行;他們就起了誓。拉10:5
1.以斯拉從神殿前起來,進入以利亞實的兒子約哈難的屋裏,到了那裏不喫飯,也不喝水;因為被擄歸回之人所犯的罪,心裏悲傷。拉10:6
2.他們通告猶大和耶路撒冷被擄歸回的人,叫他們在耶路撒冷聚集。拉10:7
A.凡不遵首領和長老所議定、三日之內不來的,就必抄他的家,使他離開被擄歸回之人的會。拉10:8
B.於是,猶大和便雅憫眾人,三日之內都聚集在耶路撒冷。那日正是九月二十日,眾人都坐在神殿前的寬闊處;因這事,又因下大雨,就都戰兢。拉10:9
3.祭司以斯拉站起來,對他們說:「你們有罪了;因你們娶了外邦的女子為妻,增添以色列人的罪惡。拉10:10
A.現在當向耶和華你們列祖的神認罪,遵行他的旨意,離絕這些國的民和外邦的女子。」拉10:11
B.會眾都大聲回答說:「我們必照著你的話行,拉10:12
C.只是百姓眾多,又逢大雨的時令,我們不能站在外頭,這也不是一兩天辦完的事,因我們在這事上犯了大罪;拉10:13
D.不如為全會眾派首領辦理。凡我們城邑中娶外邦女子為妻的,當按所定的日期,同著本城的長老和士師而來,直到辦完這事,神的烈怒就轉離我們了。」拉10:14
E.惟有亞撒黑的兒子約拿單,特瓦的兒子雅哈謝阻擋(或作:總辦)這事,並有米書蘭和利未人沙比太幫助他們。拉10:15
4.被擄歸回的人如此而行。祭司以斯拉和些族長按著宗族都指名見派;在十月初一日,一同在座查辦這事,拉10:16
四.到正月初一日,纔查清娶外邦女子的人數。拉10:17
1.在祭司中查出娶外邦女子為妻的,就是耶書亞的子孫約薩達的兒子,和他弟兄瑪西雅、以利以謝、雅立、基大利;拉10:18
2.他們便應許必休他們的妻。他們因有罪,就獻群中的一隻公綿羊贖罪。拉10:19
3.音麥的子孫中,有哈拿尼、西巴第雅。拉10:20
A.哈琳的子孫中,有瑪西雅、以利雅、示瑪雅、耶歇、烏西雅。拉10:21
B.巴施戶珥的子孫中,有以利約乃、瑪西雅、以實瑪利、拿坦業、約撒拔、以利亞撒。拉10:22
C.利未人中,有約撒拔、示每、基拉雅(基拉雅就是基利他),還有毗他希雅、猶大、以利以謝。拉10:23
D.歌唱的人中有以利亞實。守門的人中,有沙龍、提聯、烏利。拉10:24
E.以色列人巴錄的子孫中,有拉米、耶西雅、瑪基雅、米雅民、以利亞撒、瑪基雅、比拿雅。拉10:25
F.以攔的子孫中,有瑪他尼、撒迦利亞、耶歇、押底、耶利末、以利雅。拉10:26
G.薩土的子孫中,有以利約乃、以利亞實、瑪他尼、耶利末、撒拔、亞西撒。拉10:27
H.比拜的子孫中,有約哈難、哈拿尼雅、薩拜、亞勒。拉10:28
I.巴尼的子孫中,有米書蘭、瑪鹿、亞大雅、雅述、示押、耶利末。拉10:29
J.巴哈摩押的子孫中,有阿底拿、基拉、比拿雅、瑪西雅、瑪他尼、比撒列、賓內、瑪拿西。拉10:30
K.哈琳的子孫中,有以利以謝、伊示雅、瑪基雅、示瑪雅、西緬、拉10:31
L.便雅憫、瑪鹿、示瑪利雅。拉10:32
M.哈順的子孫中,有瑪特乃、瑪達他、撒拔、以利法列、耶利買、瑪拿西、示每。拉10:33
N.巴尼的子孫中,有瑪玳、暗蘭、烏益、拉10:34
O.比拿雅、比底雅、基祿、拉10:35
P.瓦尼雅、米利末、以利亞實、拉10:36
Q.瑪他尼、瑪特乃、雅掃、拉10:37
R.巴尼、賓內、示每、拉10:38
S.示利米雅、拿單、亞大雅、拉10:39
T.瑪拿底拜、沙賽、沙賴、拉10:40
U.亞薩利、示利米雅、示瑪利雅、拉10:41
V.沙龍、亞瑪利雅、約瑟。拉10:42
W.尼波的子孫中,有耶利、瑪他提雅、撒拔、西比拿、雅玳、約珥、比拿雅。拉10:43
4.這些人都娶了外邦女子為妻,其中也有生了兒女的。拉10:44
◎心得分享:領袖以斯拉的悔改,帶來百姓的悔改,辨理離絕這些外邦的女子,並且在神的面前,獻祭為自己來贖罪。「分別為聖」的信仰生活,是非常重要,如果我們要討神的喜悅,我們一定不要為了自己喜愛的外邦女子,而出賣了我們的上帝,導致我們遠離上帝,失去上帝的祝福。
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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。