箴言26:3

鞭子是為打馬，轡頭是為勒驢；刑杖是為打愚昧人的背。

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

    and a rod for the backs of fools!

***********

    人和動物或畜生不一樣的地方是人會思考與自覺，但是動物或畜生是不會的！就像馬和驢需要邊子和轡頭，作為動力和指引。可是「愚昧人」，不知敬畏耶和華上帝，就像畜生一般，需要刑杖來作動力與指引。

    敬畏耶和華的人，就是受聖靈引導的人，心中會有指引與動力，就不需要靠刑杖來完成。不僅如此，詩篇16篇11節還說：「你必將生命的道路指示我。在你面前有滿足的喜樂；在你右手中有永遠的福樂。」

    所以，敬畏上帝的人，必定會得著「滿足的喜樂」和「永遠的福樂」！也惟有上帝可以讓我們活出人該有的尊嚴，在聖靈的引導下，心中喜樂與滿足，型在恩典與蒙福的路上！

創世記42章

                  創世記42:1-38     ,

創世記42:1-38

42:1 雅各見埃及有糧，就對兒子們說：「你們為甚麼彼此觀望呢？
42:2 我聽見埃及有糧，你們可以下去，從那裡為我們糴些來，使我們可以存活，不至於死。」
42:3 於是，約瑟的十個哥哥都下埃及糴糧去了。
42:4 但約瑟的兄弟便雅憫，雅各沒有打發他和哥哥們同去，因為雅各說：「恐怕他遭害。」
42:5 來糴糧的人中有以色列的兒子們，因為迦南地也有饑荒。
42:6 當時治理埃及地的是約瑟；糶糧給那地眾民的就是他。約瑟的哥哥們來了，臉伏於地，向他下拜。
42:7 約瑟看見他哥哥們，就認得他們，卻裝作生人，向他們說些嚴厲話，問他們說：「你們從哪裡來？」他們說：「我們從迦南地來糴糧。」
42:8 約瑟認得他哥哥們，他們卻不認得他。
42:9 約瑟想起從前所做的那兩個夢，就對他們說：「你們是奸細，來窺探這地的虛實。」
42:10 他們對他說：「我主啊，不是的。僕人們是糴糧來的。
42:11 我們都是一個人的兒子，是誠實人；僕人們並不是奸細。」
42:12 約瑟說：「不然，你們必是窺探這地的虛實來的。」
42:13 他們說：「僕人們本是弟兄十二人，是迦南地一個人的兒子，頂小的現今在我們的父親那裡，有一個沒有了。」
42:14 約瑟說：「我才說你們是奸細，這話實在不錯。
42:15 我指著法老的性命起誓，若是你們的小兄弟不到這裡來，你們就不得出這地方，從此就可以把你們證驗出來了。
42:16 須要打發你們中間一個人去，把你們的兄弟帶來。至於你們，都要囚在這裡，好證驗你們的話真不真，若不真，我指著法老的性命起誓，你們一定是奸細。」
42:17 於是約瑟把他們都下在監裡三天。
42:18 到第三天，約瑟對他們說：「我是敬畏上帝的；你們照我的話行就可以存活。
42:19 你們如果是誠實人，可以留你們中間的一個人囚在監裡，但你們可以帶著糧食回去，救你們家裡的饑荒。
42:20 把你們的小兄弟帶到我這裡來，如此，你們的話便有證據，你們也不至於死。」他們就照樣而行。
42:21 他們彼此說：「我們在兄弟身上實在有罪。他哀求我們的時候，我們見他心裡的愁苦，卻不肯聽，所以這場苦難臨到我們身上。」
42:22 流便說：「我豈不是對你們說過，不可傷害那孩子嗎？只是你們不肯聽，所以流他血的罪向我們追討。」
42:23 他們不知道約瑟聽得出來，因為在他們中間用通事傳話。
42:24 約瑟轉身退去，哭了一場，又回來對他們說話，就從他們中間挑出西緬來，在他們眼前把他捆綁。
42:25 約瑟吩咐人把糧食裝滿他們的器具，把各人的銀子歸還在各人的口袋裡，又給他們路上用的食物，人就照他的話辦了。
42:26 他們就把糧食馱在驢上，離開那裡去了。
42:27 到了住宿的地方，他們中間有一個人打開口袋，要拿料餵驢，才看見自己的銀子仍在口袋裡，
42:28 就對弟兄們說：「我的銀子歸還了，看哪，仍在我口袋裡！」他們就提心吊膽，戰戰兢兢地彼此說：「這是上帝向我們做甚麼呢？」
42:29 他們來到迦南地、他們的父親雅各那裡，將所遭遇的事都告訴他，說：
42:30 「那地的主對我們說嚴厲的話，把我們當作窺探那地的奸細。
42:31 我們對他說：『我們是誠實人，並不是奸細。
42:32 我們本是弟兄十二人，都是一個父親的兒子，有一個沒有了，頂小的如今同我們的父親在迦南地。』
42:33 那地的主對我們說：『若要我知道你們是誠實人，可以留下你們中間的一個人在我這裡，你們可以帶著糧食回去，救你們家裡的饑荒。
42:34 把你們的小兄弟帶到我這裡來，我便知道你們不是奸細，乃是誠實人。這樣，我就把你們的弟兄交給你們，你們也可以在這地做買賣。』」
42:35 後來他們倒口袋，不料，各人的銀包都在口袋裡；他們和父親看見銀包就都害怕。
42:36 他們的父親雅各對他們說：「你們使我喪失我的兒子：「約瑟沒有了，西緬也沒有了，你們又要將便雅憫帶去；這些事都歸到我身上了。」
42:37 流便對他父親說：「我若不帶他回來交給你，你可以殺我的兩個兒子。只管把他交在我手裡，我必帶他回來交給你。」
42:38 雅各說：「我的兒子不可與你們一同下去；他哥哥死了，只剩下他，他若在你們所行的路上遭害，那便是你們使我白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地下陰間去了。」

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” ² He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

³ Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. ⁵ So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.
⁶ Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”
⁸ Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. ⁹ Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
¹⁰ “No, my lord,” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
¹² “No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
¹³ But they replied, “Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
¹⁴ Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies! ¹⁵ And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶ Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” ¹⁷ And he put them all in custody for three days.
¹⁸ On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: ¹⁹ If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. ²⁰ But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
²¹ They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”
²² Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” ²³ They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.
²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.
²⁵ Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man’s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, ²⁶ they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
²⁷ At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. ²⁸ “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
²⁹ When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, ³⁰ “The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. ³¹ But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. ³² We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’
³³ “Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. ³⁴ But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade^[a] in the land.’”
³⁵ As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. ³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
³⁷ Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”
³⁸ But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”

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

    約瑟的夢境真的實現了，就是他的哥哥們為了糧食來向他下拜。然而在這樣的狀況可以說是恩怨交加，對約瑟而言是一個需要用智慧處理的狀況，既要為自己討回公道，又不可以傷害自己得手足！

    基督徒在處理教會的事情也是如此，惡的人需要懲治，但是又不能失去基督對人的慈愛與拯救！人常常喜歡用權柄懲治人，卻忘記自己也是罪人，蒙上帝的拯救！所以，我們要以馬丁路德說的「蒙恩的罪人」之角度來對自己和別人，不要自以為義！

    面對社會上許多有罪和軟弱的人，我們要像耶穌基督一樣來愛護他們，成為他們的朋友，不是他們的敵人！也因為這樣，法利賽人無法接納耶穌基督，反而與基督為敵！今天教會也有一股充滿自義的勢力，使得教會無法轉化世界被罪惡轄制的人卻不自知。更可怕的是，不聽勸以為自己沒有問題！求主的聖靈快快讓教會看清楚自己的危機，讓教會能更新與改變，可以像基督一樣愛人恨惡罪惡！

箴言26:2

麻雀往來，燕子翻飛；這樣，無故的咒詛也必不臨到。

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

***********

許多時候我們很容易受到人的話語得攪擾，因為我們怕得罪人，不受人的注意，就是一心想討人的喜歡！之所以會如此，完全是罪性造成的，因為我們得罪了上帝之後，心中有一份虛空和疏離感，希望從別人那裡得著些什麼，不管是財物或是尊重都好！

也因為這樣，就希望被人稱讚與肯定，卻不願意被責罵或咒詛。也因為這樣，喜歡控制人的人，就抓住人性這樣的弱點。有求於人的時候，就說盡好話，好得人幫助；不喜歡人的時候，就咒詛與責罵，好就人害怕並且就範！

我們屬主的人，明白人生的目地是討上帝喜歡，不是討人的喜歡，我們就可以不吃這一套，也就不理會別人無裡的咒詛，就會認清這句箴言的意義，的確，「正如麻雀掠過，燕子飛過，無故的詛咒也不會臨到。」

創世記41:41-57

41:41 法老又對約瑟說：「我派你治理埃及全地。」
41:42 法老就摘下手上打印的戒指，戴在約瑟的手上，給他穿上細麻衣，把金鍊戴在他的頸項上，
41:43 又叫約瑟坐他的副車，喝道的在前呼叫說：「跪下。」這樣，法老派他治理埃及全地。
41:44 法老對約瑟說：「我是法老，在埃及全地，若沒有你的命令，不許人擅自辦事（原文是動手動腳）。」
41:45 法老賜名給約瑟，叫撒發那忒‧巴內亞，又將安城的祭司波提非拉的女兒亞西納給他為妻。約瑟就出去巡行埃及地。
41:46 約瑟見埃及王法老的時候年三十歲。他從法老面前出去，遍行埃及全地。
41:47 七個豐年之內，地的出產極豐極盛（原文是一把一把的），
41:48 約瑟聚斂埃及地七個豐年一切的糧食，把糧食積存在各城裡；各城周圍田地的糧食都積存在本城裡。
41:49 約瑟積蓄五穀甚多，如同海邊的沙，無法計算，因為穀不可勝數。
41:50 荒年未到以前，安城的祭司波提非拉的女兒亞西納給約瑟生了兩個兒子。
41:51 約瑟給長子起名叫瑪拿西（就是使之忘了的意思），因為他說：「上帝使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家。」
41:52 他給次子起名叫以法蓮（就是使之昌盛的意思），因為他說：「上帝使我在受苦的地方昌盛。」
41:53 埃及地的七個豐年一完，
41:54 七個荒年就來了。正如約瑟所說的，各地都有饑荒；惟獨埃及全地有糧食。
41:55 及至埃及全地有了饑荒，眾民向法老哀求糧食，法老對他們說：「你們往約瑟那裡去，凡他所說的，你們都要做。」
41:56 當時饑荒遍滿天下，約瑟開了各處的倉，糶糧給埃及人；在埃及地饑荒甚大。
41:57 各地的人都往埃及去，到約瑟那裡糴糧，因為天下的饑荒甚大。

⁴¹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,^[b] and people shouted before him, “Make way^[c]!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
⁴⁴ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” ⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,^[d] to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. ⁴⁸ Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. ⁴⁹ Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
⁵⁰ Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. ⁵¹ Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh^[e] and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” ⁵² The second son he named Ephraim^[f] and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
⁵³ The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, ⁵⁴ and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. ⁵⁵ When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”
⁵⁶ When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. ⁵⁷ And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

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

    上帝讓約瑟在埃及地越來越昌盛，相對於世上其他的人。因為上帝讓他在埃及得妻個豐年儲存了許多糧食，不怕將要來臨的七個荒年。因為上帝將未來要發生的事情啟示他，讓他早做準備，也因為如此，使他在荒年的時候，更顯明出他的光輝！

    其實，真正的蒙福就是這樣：也就是，在有的時候，要想到沒有的時候，好好的存留下一些，這樣就會不致於缺乏，甚至還可以拯救到別人，就像約瑟一樣！願上帝給我們這樣的恩典，使我們成為真正對人有益處的人！

    感謝上帝，祂藉著我們成為別人得福的管道，我們越是放下自己的想法，越是不要自以為義，越是以上帝的愛，來接納有罪與軟弱的人，補足別人的缺乏，讓上帝的豐盛和恩惠與世人同在！