帖撒羅尼迦前書3:6-13

3:6 但提摩太剛才從你們那裡回來，將你們信心和愛心的好消息報給我們，又說你們常常記念我們，切切地想見我們，如同我們想見你們一樣。
3:7 所以，弟兄們，我們在一切困苦患難之中，因著你們的信心就得了安慰。
3:8 你們若靠主站立得穩，我們就活了。
3:9 我們在上帝面前，因著你們甚是喜樂；為這一切喜樂，可用何等的感謝為你們報答上帝呢？
3:10 我們晝夜切切地祈求，要見你們的面，補滿你們信心的不足。
3:11 願上帝─我們的父和我們的主耶穌一直引領我們到你們那裡去。
3:12 又願主叫你們彼此相愛的心，並愛眾人的心都能增長，充足，如同我們愛你們一樣，
3:13 好使你們當我們主耶穌同他眾聖徒來的時候，在我們父上帝面前，心裡堅固，成為聖潔，無可責備。

⁶ But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. ⁷ Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

***************

    說到終末的狀態，在基督徒好像有兩種狀態，一種是基督未再來以前死亡的，另一種是基督再來仍然活著。所以保羅在這裡說到：「好使你們當我們主耶穌同他眾聖徒來的時候，在我們父上帝面前，心裡堅固，成為聖潔，無可責備。」

    可見耶穌基督的再來，不是單單是祂的再來，是與祂的眾聖徒再來，這事告訴我們兩件事：一是，聖徒若在基督再來以前死亡的，是回到主耶穌在天父那裡所預備的地方，也就是樂園裡；一是，聖徒若在主耶穌再來時還活著的，就要在空中與主耶穌和聖徒一起相遇。

    但是在預備主耶穌和眾聖徒再來的日子，保羅為帖撒羅尼迦的信徒禱告，求上帝堅固他們的心，並使他們彼此相愛的心，並愛眾人的心都能增長、充足，正如保羅愛他們一樣。如此才可以「成為聖潔，無可責備」。這一切都是牧者的禱告與上帝的做為，才可以成全的！

    因此，牧者當效法保羅，為自己的羊求上帝讓他們成為聖潔，是很重要的功課！

帖撒羅尼迦前書3章

          帖撒羅尼迦前書3:1-5   ,  帖撒羅尼迦前書3:3-4  ,

            帖撒羅尼迦前書3:6-13  , 帖撒羅尼迦前書3:7 ,

帖撒羅尼迦前書3:1-5

3:1 我們既不能再忍，就願意獨自等在雅典，
3:2 打發我們的兄弟在基督福音上作上帝執事的（作神執事的：有古卷是與神同工的）提摩太前去，堅固你們，並在你們所信的道上勸慰你們，
3:3 免得有人被諸般患難搖動。因為你們自己知道，我們受患難原是命定的。
3:4 我們在你們那裡的時候，預先告訴你們，我們必受患難，以後果然應驗了，你們也知道。
3:5 為此，我既不能再忍，就打發人去，要曉得你們的信心如何，恐怕那誘惑人的到底誘惑了你們，叫我們的勞苦歸於徒然。

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. ² We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. ⁴ In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

***************

    保羅知道基督徒在這個世界上必定會有患難，這些患難是無法避免的，因為這是從世界來的，甚至會磨耗我們的信心，使我們感受到軟弱與無力，因此需要牧者或弟兄姊妹彼此扶持與激勵。也因為這樣，保羅就派提摩太到帖撒羅尼迦教會。

    其實我們信主多年仍然感受到這些患難是很難應付，也要不斷的倚靠主來面對這些患難，也在這些患難中認識到自己的無能為力，沒有支援，沒有勢力，沒有背景可以承擔，只有仰望上帝，和弟兄姊妹的陪伴和鼓勵。

    而成為牧者就是要常常為弟兄姊妹的患難禱告、陪伴、鼓勵、協助、…，雖然有限，但是仰望無限的上帝，就必得著心裡的力量，勇敢的面對患難，感受上帝極大的恩助。

路得記4:13-22

4:13 於是，波阿斯娶了路得為妻，與她同房。耶和華使她懷孕生了一個兒子。
4:14 婦人們對拿俄米說：「耶和華是應當稱頌的！因為今日沒有撇下你，使你無至近的親屬。願這孩子在以色列中得名聲。
4:15 他必提起你的精神，奉養你的老，因為是愛慕你的那兒婦所生的。有這兒婦比有七個兒子還好！」
4:16 拿俄米就把孩子抱在懷中，作他的養母。
4:17 鄰舍的婦人說：「拿俄米得孩子了！」就給孩子起名叫俄備得。這俄備得是耶西的父，耶西是大衛的父。
4:18 法勒斯的後代記在下面：法勒斯生希斯崙；
4:19 希斯崙生蘭；蘭生亞米拿達；
4:20 亞米拿達生拿順；拿順生撒門；
4:21 撒門生波阿斯；波阿斯生俄備得；
4:22 俄備得生耶西；耶西生大衛。

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

¹⁹ Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

²⁰ Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,^[d]

²¹ Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

²² Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

****************

    路得雖然是外邦女子，卻被列在王朝的族譜中。照這個族譜，她是大衛的曾祖母。而在主耶穌的族譜中也是有提到路得：「撒門從喇合氏生波阿斯；波阿斯從路得氏生俄備得；俄備得生耶西；」（馬太福音1:5）

    這也讓我們看見非常重是血統純正的猶太人，竟然也會讓家譜有外邦女子，也是很特別。不過這也要告訴我們，耶穌基督不只是猶太人的救主，也是外邦人的救主。

    因此，在基督裡不再分外邦人和猶太人，也不再受國籍、血緣、文化、…等等的限制了，因為耶穌基督是萬國萬民的救主！

路得記4章

       路得記4:1-12      , 

       路得記4:13-22 ,

 

 

 

路得記4:1-12

4:1 波阿斯到了城門，坐在那裡，恰巧波阿斯所說的那至近的親屬經過。波阿斯說：「某人哪，你來坐在這裡。」他就來坐下。
4:2 波阿斯又從本城的長老中揀選了十人，對他們說：「請你們坐在這裡。」他們就都坐下。
4:3 波阿斯對那至近的親屬說：「從摩押地回來的拿俄米，現在要賣我們族兄以利米勒的那塊地；
4:4 我想當贖那塊地的是你，其次是我，以外再沒有別人了。你可以在這裡的人面前和我本國的長老面前說明，你若肯贖就贖，若不肯贖就告訴我。」那人回答說：「我肯贖。」
4:5 波阿斯說：「你從拿俄米手中買這地的時候，也當娶（原文是買；十節同）死人的妻摩押女子路得，使死人在產業上存留他的名。」
4:6 那人說：「這樣我就不能贖了，恐怕於我的產業有礙。你可以贖我所當贖的，我不能贖了。」
4:7 從前，在以色列中要定奪甚麼事，或贖回，或交易，這人就脫鞋給那人。以色列人都以此為證據。
4:8 那人對波阿斯說：「你自己買吧！」於是將鞋脫下來了。
4:9 波阿斯對長老和眾民說：「你們今日作見證，凡屬以利米勒和基連、瑪倫的，我都從拿俄米手中置買了；
4:10 又娶了瑪倫的妻摩押女子路得為妻，好在死人的產業上存留他的名，免得他的名在本族本鄉滅沒。你們今日可以作見證。」
4:11 在城門坐著的眾民和長老都說：「我們作見證。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆得名聲。
4:12 願耶和華從這少年女子賜你後裔，使你的家像她瑪從猶大所生法勒斯的家一般。」

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer^[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. ³ Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. ⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.
⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the^[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. ¹² Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

****************

    波阿斯是一個辦事有次序的人，該怎樣進行就怎樣進行，尤其是財產的承接一點也不馬虎，把事情處理的有條有理。因為照猶太人的律法，取得土地也要娶過世兄弟的妻子，好使兄弟的財產不制失落。

    然而可以有第一順位承繼的人，不願意娶路得為妻，就失去了承繼的權利了。波阿斯願意娶路得為妻，就可以取得土地了！而這樣的舉動就蒙了長老的祝福：「我們作見證。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆得名聲。願耶和華從這少年女子賜你後裔，使你的家像她瑪從猶大所生法勒斯的家一般。」

    從這件事的過程，我們看見上帝賜福，在願意選擇遵行旨意的人身上。正如波阿斯，願意承擔起路得的事情，讓家族的土地得以完整，上帝就大大的賜福給波阿斯。