2019年2月28日 星期四

創世記22:20-24


22:20 這事以後,有人告訴亞伯拉罕說:「密迦給你兄弟拿鶴生了幾個兒子,
22:21
長子是烏斯,他的兄弟是布斯和亞蘭的父親基母利,
22:22
並基薛、哈瑣、必達、益拉、彼土利(彼土利生利百加)。」
22:23
這八個人都是密迦給亞伯拉罕的兄弟拿鶴生的。
22:24
拿鶴的妾名叫流瑪,生了提八、迦含、他轄,和瑪迦。

20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

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    我們或許會對這段記載覺得沒有意義,為什麼要說到「密迦給你兄弟拿鶴生了幾個兒子」?這對我們有什麼影響呢?沒有啊!也因為這樣,第一次讀的時候,就隨隨便便的過去,不理它!

    但是再細讀的時候,發現這裡面有一個特別的名字,就是「利百加」!她是誰呢?就是以撒的太太!這樣你有沒有眼睛一亮了?感受到上帝的其妙呢?他透過這樣的一個述說,把我們的焦點引到以撒的婚姻的事情了!

    婚姻是上帝所設立的,是為了人能建立家庭來延續生命!不僅如此,婚姻各是讓人聯想到「基督與教會」,這更是有關於救恩的事情!尤其是教會預備基督在來的時候,更是要清楚自己要效忠得是基督,不是世界的王或強權!



創世記22:1-19


22:1 這些事以後,上帝要試驗亞伯拉罕,就呼叫他說:「亞伯拉罕!」他說:「我在這裡。」
22:2
上帝說:「你帶著你的兒子,就是你獨生的兒子,你所愛的以撒,往摩利亞地去,在我所要指示你的山上,把他獻為燔祭。」
22:3
亞伯拉罕清早起來,備上驢,帶著兩個僕人和他兒子以撒,也劈好了燔祭的柴,就起身往上帝所指示他的地方去了。
22:4
到了第三日,亞伯拉罕舉目遠遠地看見那地方。
22:5
亞伯拉罕對他的僕人說:「你們和驢在此等候,我與童子往那裡去拜一拜,就回到你們這裡來。」
22:6
亞伯拉罕把燔祭的柴放在他兒子以撒身上,自己手裡拿著火與刀;於是二人同行。
22:7
以撒對他父親亞伯拉罕說:「父親哪!」亞伯拉罕說:「我兒,我在這裡。」以撒說:「請看,火與柴都有了,但燔祭的羊羔在哪裡呢?」
22:8
亞伯拉罕說:「我兒,上帝必自己預備作燔祭的羊羔。」於是二人同行。
22:9
他們到了上帝所指示的地方,亞伯拉罕在那裡築壇,把柴擺好,捆綁他的兒子以撒,放在壇的柴上。
22:10
亞伯拉罕就伸手拿刀,要殺他的兒子。
22:11
耶和華的使者從天上呼叫他說:「亞伯拉罕!亞伯拉罕!」他說:「我在這裡。」
22:12
天使說:「你不可在這童子身上下手。一點不可害他!現在我知道你是敬畏上帝的了;因為你沒有將你的兒子,就是你獨生的兒子,留下不給我。」
22:13
亞伯拉罕舉目觀看,不料,有一隻公羊,兩角扣在稠密的小樹中。亞伯拉罕就取了那隻公羊來,獻為燔祭,代替他的兒子。
22:14
亞伯拉罕給那地方起名叫「耶和華以勒」(就是耶和華必預備的意思),直到今日人還說:「在耶和華的山上必有預備。」
22:15
耶和華的使者第二次從天上呼叫亞伯拉罕說:
22:16
「耶和華說:『你既行了這事,不留下你的兒子,就是你獨生的兒子,我便指著自己起誓說:
22:17
論福,我必賜大福給你;論子孫,我必叫你的子孫多起來,如同天上的星,海邊的沙。你子孫必得著仇敵的城門,
22:18
並且地上萬國都必因你的後裔得福,因為你聽從了我的話。』」
22:19
於是亞伯拉罕回到他僕人那裡,他們一同起身往別是巴去,亞伯拉罕就住在別是巴。

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

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    上帝為了讓亞伯拉罕知道:他要以上帝為最重要,甚至超過他最喜愛的兒子以撒。所以,要亞伯拉罕但以撒到摩利亞地的山上去,要亞伯拉罕在那裡將已薩如祭物獻上!

    相信這對亞伯拉罕是一個重大的考驗,但是亞伯拉罕明白上帝的心意,義無反顧的將以撒帶出去,就往摩利亞地的山上去。而以撒也不是笨蛋,他是聰明的小孩,在路上的時候他也覺得奇怪,去獻祭給耶和華,為何沒有帶祭牲呢?所以問亞伯拉罕,而亞伯拉罕為了讓上帝的旨意成就,只好回答:「我兒,上帝必自己預備作燔祭的羊羔。」

    說到這裡,許多時候我們期盼為上帝做什麼,可是面對的卻是艱難重重,總是不盡人意,卻不知上帝要如何?這個時候,我們要向亞伯拉罕一樣,要存著盼望向前,因為「在耶和華的山上必有預備」。今生雖然短暫,不盡人意,但在永生上帝親自成為我們的福樂!

2019年2月27日 星期三

箴言24:3-4


24:3 房屋因智慧建造,又因聰明立穩;
24:4
其中因知識充滿各樣美好寶貴的財物。

By wisdom a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled

    with rare and beautiful treasures.

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    智慧」、「聰明」和「知識」,是上帝給屬乎祂的兒女的美物,我們要因這些來感謝上帝,不要拒絕上帝這些美好的恩賜!尤其是在人世間的生活,上帝更是藉著這些來引導我們。雖然我們不是靠著這些得救,但是得救之後,我們需要這些來維持我們在得救的狀態,這是從聖靈來的引導,而且還可以傳承給其他的弟兄姊妹!

    這如在這裡的寫作與分享,在講台上的傳講,都是需要「智慧」、「聰明」和「知識」!惟有透過「智慧」、「聰明」和「知識」,才能上帝的道活起來,使人讀了和聽了得益處,使人的生命被挑旺起來,成為「榮耀上帝、以上帝為樂」的真實生命!

    因此,教會不可以反對「智慧」、「聰明」和「知識」,只要是為主所用,就是好的,就是美的!我們不要被虛假的靜虔主義影響,要人不去認識真理,不要有知識和聰明,這都是與上帝的心意違背!「分別善惡樹」不是「知識樹」,兩者意義差太多了!

    真正的「智慧」、「聰明」和「知識」是從上帝來的,人不可以禁止,禁止就是悖逆與褻瀆上帝了,侵犯了上帝的主權,否定耶穌基督得拯救,因為耶穌基督所拯救的是充滿「智慧」、「聰明」和「知識」的!



箴言24章

             箴言24:1-2   ,
     
             箴言24:3-4   ,

             箴言24:5-6  ,

             箴言24:7   ,

             箴言24:8-9  , 箴言24: 9  ,

             箴言24:10-12  ,

             箴言24:13-14  ,

             箴言24:15-16  ,

              箴言24:17-18  ,

              箴言24:19-20   ,

              箴言24:21-22    ,

              箴言24:23-34  ,


箴言24:1-2


24:1 你不要嫉妒惡人,也不要起意與他們相處;
24:2
因為,他們的心圖謀強暴,他們的口談論奸惡。

Do not envy the wicked,
    do not desire their company;
for their hearts plot violence,
    and their lips talk about making trouble.

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    人通常喜歡結交比自己強的朋友,並且以這樣的人為學習的對象。然而這樣的人,在世上雖然有成就,讓人覺得尊敬其實這樣的人心中驕傲,甚至悖逆上帝,這是我們要小心面對,尤其是我們認為自己是耶穌基督的門徒,更不可以被世上的成就沖昏頭,要回想上帝在這裡的警告!

    的確,我們不要羨慕這樣的人到忌妒的程度,也不要刻意要和他們相處。要小心他們的心,因為他們的心以豪奪為目的,有還要更多,不思念別人的需要。要小心他們的談話,都是用詭詐的言語來使喚人與利用人!

    所以,我們為了保全自己在基督裡,必須小心與這樣的人交往,尤其是有企圖要帶領祂們信主之時,更是要求聖靈幫助,讓他們看見且知道:「上帝的愚拙總比人智慧,上帝的軟弱總比人強壯。」(哥林多前書1:25

    更要感謝上帝揀選我們這樣愚拙與軟弱的人,正如保羅說:「上帝卻揀選了世上愚拙的,叫有智慧的羞愧;又揀選了世上軟弱的,叫那強壯的羞愧。上帝也揀選了世上卑賤的,被人厭惡的,以及那無有的,為要廢掉那有的,使一切有血氣的,在上帝面前一個也不能自誇。」(哥林多前書1:27-29