創世記33:1-15

33:1 雅各舉目觀看，見以掃來了，後頭跟著四百人，他就把孩子們分開交給利亞、拉結，和兩個使女，
33:2 並且叫兩個使女和她們的孩子在前頭，利亞和她的孩子在後頭，拉結和約瑟在儘後頭。
33:3 他自己在他們前頭過去，一連七次俯伏在地才就近他哥哥。
33:4 以掃跑來迎接他，將他抱住，又摟著他的頸項，與他親嘴，兩個人就哭了。
33:5 以掃舉目看見婦人孩子，就說：「這些和你同行的是誰呢？」雅各說：「這些孩子是上帝施恩給你的僕人的。」
33:6 於是兩個使女和她們的孩子前來下拜；
33:7 利亞和她的孩子也前來下拜；隨後約瑟和拉結也前來下拜。
33:8 以掃說：「我所遇見的這些群畜是甚麼意思呢？」雅各說：「是要在我主面前蒙恩的。」
33:9 以掃說：「兄弟啊，我的已經夠了，你的仍歸你吧！」
33:10 雅各說：「不然，我若在你眼前蒙恩，就求你從我手裡收下這禮物；因為我見了你的面，如同見了上帝的面，並且你容納了我。
33:11 求你收下我帶來給你的禮物；因為上帝恩待我，使我充足。」雅各再三地求他，他才收下了。
33:12 以掃說：「我們可以起身前往，我在你前頭走。」
33:13 雅各對他說：「我主知道孩子們年幼嬌嫩，牛羊也正在乳養的時候，若是催趕一天，群畜都必死了。
33:14 求我主在僕人前頭走，我要量著在我面前群畜和孩子的力量慢慢地前行，直走到西珥我主那裡。」
33:15 以掃說：「容我把跟隨我的人留幾個在你這裡。」雅各說：「何必呢？只要在我主眼前蒙恩就是了。」

 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. ² He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. ³ He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

⁴ But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. ⁵ Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
⁶ Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. ⁷ Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
⁸ Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.
⁹ But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. ¹¹ Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
¹² Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
¹³ But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. ¹⁴ So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
¹⁵ Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

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    雅各和以掃的復和讓我們看見人和人之間的正確合宜的關係，這對雅各是非常重要的，因為錯的人是他不是以掃。然而以掃竟然沒有記恨，早就原諒雅各了，並且還帶400人，為了保乎雅各和他的家人。

    然而雅各也沒有表現失禮，因為他看見雅各的時候，「一連七次俯伏在地」！這是面對君王的時候，所行的大禮。不僅如此，還送以掃非常豐盛的禮物。以掃客氣不收，他還是要他收下。

    聖經在這方面的教導和榜樣，讓我們看見要用豐盛的厚禮對待人，是非常重要的！因為人是有必要受到尊榮，尊榮人就是尊榮上帝！因為人是按著上帝得形象被造的，是被上帝所寶貴與看重的！

箴言25:11-12

25:11 一句話說得合宜，就如金蘋果在銀網子裡。
25:12 智慧人的勸戒，在順從的人耳中，好像金耳環和精金的妝飾。

¹¹ Like apples^[b] of gold in settings of silver
    is a ruling rightly given.
¹² Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
    is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

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    《現代中文譯本》把這段經文意成：「一句話表達得合宜，就像金蘋果放在銀盤中。經驗豐富的人所提出的警告，對願意領受的人來說，比金耳環和純金製成的飾物更有價值。」

    作者用金和銀來形容說話說的合宜，這是非常中要的！尤其是我們要使用話語來傳揚福音的人，我們更是要倚靠主說合宜的話，使人感動而將心門打開接受耶穌基督成為他們的救主。

    所以，我們當求聖靈幫助，保羅曾說：「因為上帝的國不在乎言語，乃在乎權能。」（林前4:20）這也告訴我們，全能才能使言與發生效力，使我們所說的成為主所用的言語，才能建立弟兄姊妹的信心！

箴言25:9-10

25:9 你與鄰舍爭訟，要與他一人辯論，不可洩漏人的密事，
25:10 恐怕聽見的人罵你，你的臭名就難以脫離。

⁹ If you take your neighbor to court,
    do not betray another’s confidence,
¹⁰ or the one who hears it may shame you
    and the charge against you will stand.

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    《現代中文譯本》把這段經文意成：「你跟鄰舍有甚麼糾紛，就得私下和解。不可洩露別人的祕密；否則，你將被視為不能守祕密的人，且無法擺脫這種羞辱。」

    這是告訴我們要做一個能保密的人，這是被稱為可靠的人之中要條件之一。這是非常重要的，尤其是有專業訓練的人，更是需要有這樣的素養，因為這比專業能力更是重要！

    而一個人隨便洩漏別人的秘密，不僅不能保護自己，反而傷害別人！這樣的做為不會有好下場，甚至被當事人所厭惡與羞辱，導致身敗名裂！因此，我們要靠主做一個保密與可靠的人。

創世記32:22-32

32:22 他夜間起來，帶著兩個妻子，兩個使女，並十一個兒子，都過了雅博渡口，
32:23 先打發他們過河，又打發所有的都過去，
32:24 只剩下雅各一人。有一個人來和他摔跤，直到黎明。
32:25 那人見自己勝不過他，就將他的大腿窩摸了一把，雅各的大腿窩正在摔跤的時候就扭了。
32:26 那人說：「天黎明了，容我去吧！」雅各說：「你不給我祝福，我就不容你去。」
32:27 那人說：「你名叫甚麼？」他說：「我名叫雅各。」
32:28 那人說：「你的名不要再叫雅各，要叫以色列；因為你與上帝與人較力，都得了勝。」
32:29 雅各問他說：「請將你的名告訴我。」那人說：「何必問我的名？」於是在那裡給雅各祝福。
32:30 雅各便給那地方起名叫毘努伊勒（就是上帝之面的意思），意思說：「我面對面見了上帝，我的性命仍得保全。」
32:31 日頭剛出來的時候，雅各經過毘努伊勒，他的大腿就瘸了。
32:32 故此，以色列人不吃大腿窩的筋，直到今日，因為那人摸了雅各大腿窩的筋。

 ²² That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. ²⁴ So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
²⁷ The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,^[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
²⁹ Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel,^[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,^[h] and he was limping because of his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

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    上帝和人摔跤，人當然是無法勝過上帝，但是上帝樂意扶持祂所愛的人，故意輸給他，就像上帝在這裡故意輸給雅各。所以，贏的還是上帝，並不是雅各！這是出上帝無比的愛！

    正如上帝愛世上的人，故意讓祂的愛子耶穌基督為世人的罪死在十字架上，使世人可以得拯救與祂和好，滅去人和上帝之間的冤仇。而主耶穌也明白上帝的心意，所以沒有行神蹟從十字架上下來，情願死在十字架上，好完成上帝的旨意，使世人可以得救！

    所以，我們不能以小小的腦袋來明白上帝在基督裡對世人的愛，我們當存感謝的心，來跟隨主耶穌，因為耶穌基督不僅死在十字架上，更是在第三日後，從墳墓中復活，使人肯定祂是上帝的義，並且要將這個義賜給我們！