列王紀上7:1-51

 

7:1 所羅門為自己建造宮室，十三年方才造成；
7:2 又建造黎巴嫩林宮，長一百肘，寬五十肘，高三十肘，有香柏木柱三（原文是四）行，柱上有香柏木柁樑。
7:3 其上以香柏木為蓋，每行柱子十五根，共有四十五根。
7:4 有窗戶三層，窗與窗相對。
7:5 所有的門框都是厚木見方的，有窗戶三層，窗與窗相對。
7:6 並建造有柱子的廊子，長五十肘，寬三十肘；在這廊前又有廊子，廊外有柱子和臺階。
7:7 又建造一廊，其中設立審判的座位，這廊從地到頂都用香柏木遮蔽。
7:8 廊後院內有所羅門住的宮室；工作與這工作相同。所羅門又為所娶法老的女兒建造一宮，做法與這廊子一樣。
7:9 建造這一切所用的石頭都是寶貴的，是按著尺寸鑿成的，是用鋸裡外鋸齊的；從根基直到檐石，從外頭直到大院，都是如此。
7:10 根基是寶貴的大石頭，有長十肘的，有長八肘的；
7:11 上面有香柏木和按著尺寸鑿成寶貴的石頭。
7:12 大院周圍有鑿成的石頭三層、香柏木一層，都照耶和華殿的內院和殿廊的樣式。
7:13 所羅門王差遣人往泰爾去，將戶蘭召了來。
7:14 他是拿弗他利支派中一個寡婦的兒子，他父親是泰爾人，作銅匠的。戶蘭滿有智慧、聰明、技能，善於各樣銅作。他來到所羅門王那裡，做王一切所要做的。
7:15 他製造兩根銅柱，每根高十八肘，圍十二肘；
7:16 又用銅鑄了兩個柱頂安在柱上，各高五肘。
7:17 柱頂上有裝修的網子和擰成的鍊索，每頂七個。
7:18 網子周圍有兩行石榴遮蓋柱頂，兩個柱頂都是如此。
7:19 廊子的柱頂徑四肘，刻著百合花。
7:20 兩柱頂的鼓肚上挨著網子，各有兩行石榴環繞，兩行共有二百。
7:21 他將兩根柱子立在殿廊前頭：右邊立一根，起名叫雅斤；左邊立一根，起名叫波阿斯。
7:22 在柱頂上刻著百合花。這樣，造柱子的工就完畢了。
7:23 他又鑄一個銅海，樣式是圓的，高五肘，徑十肘，圍三十肘。
7:24 在海邊之下，周圍有野瓜的樣式；每肘十瓜，共有兩行，是鑄海的時候鑄上的。
7:25 有十二隻銅牛馱海：三隻向北，三隻向西，三隻向南，三隻向東；海在牛上，牛尾都向內。
7:26 海厚一掌，邊如杯邊，又如百合花，可容二千罷特。
7:27 他用銅製造十個盆座，每座長四肘，寬四肘，高三肘。
7:28 座的造法是這樣：四面都有心子，心子在邊子當中，
7:29 心子上有獅子和牛，並基路伯；邊上有小座，獅子和牛以下有垂下的瓔珞。
7:30 每盆座有四個銅輪和銅軸。小座的四角上在盆以下，有鑄成的盆架，其旁都有瓔珞。
7:31 小座高一肘，口是圓的，彷彿座的樣式，徑一肘半，在口上有雕工，心子是方的，不是圓的。
7:32 四個輪子在心子以下，輪軸與座相連，每輪高一肘半。
7:33 輪的樣式如同車輪；軸、輞、輻、轂都是鑄的。
7:34 每座四角上都有盆架，是與座一同鑄成的。
7:35 座上有圓架，高半肘；座上有撐子和心子，是與座一同鑄的。
7:36 在撐子和心子上刻著基路伯、獅子，和棕樹，周圍有瓔珞。
7:37 十個盆座都是這樣，鑄法、尺寸、樣式相同。
7:38 又用銅製造十個盆，每盆可容四十罷特。盆徑四肘，在那十座上，每座安設一盆。
7:39 五個安在殿門的右邊，五個放在殿門的左邊；又將海放在殿門的右旁，就是南邊。
7:40 戶蘭又造了盆、鏟子，和盤子。這樣，他為所羅門王做完了耶和華殿的一切工。
7:41 所造的就是：兩根柱子和柱上兩個如球的頂；並兩個蓋柱頂的網子；
7:42 和四百石榴，安在兩個網子上，每網兩行，蓋著兩個柱上如球的頂；
7:43 十個座和其上的十個盆；
7:44 海和海下的十二隻牛；
7:45 盆、鏟子、盤子。這一切都是戶蘭給所羅門王用光亮的銅為耶和華的殿造成的，
7:46 是遵王命在約旦平原、疏割和撒拉但中間藉膠泥鑄成的。
7:47 這一切所羅門都沒有過秤；因為甚多，銅的輕重也無法可查。
7:48 所羅門又造耶和華殿裡的金壇和陳設餅的金桌子；
7:49 內殿前的精金燈臺：右邊五個，左邊五個，並其上的金花、燈盞、蠟剪，
7:50 與精金的杯、盤、鑷子、調羹、火鼎，以及至聖所、內殿的門樞，和外殿的門樞。
7:51 所羅門王做完了耶和華殿的一切工，就把他父大衛分別為聖的金銀和器皿都帶來放在耶和華殿的府庫裡。

 

 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. ² He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high,^[a] with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. ³ It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. ⁴ Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. ⁵ All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.^[b]

⁶ He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide.^[c] In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof.

⁷ He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.^{[d] 8} And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

⁹ All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces. ¹⁰ The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits^[e] and some eight.^{[f] 11} Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. ¹² The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.

¹³ King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,^{[g] 14} whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.

¹⁵ He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.^{[h] 16} He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits^[i] high. ¹⁷ A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. ¹⁸ He made pomegranates in two rows^[j] encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars.^[k] He did the same for each capital. ¹⁹ The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits^[l] high. ²⁰ On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. ²¹ He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin^[m] and the one to the north Boaz.^{[n] 22} The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed.

²³ He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits^[o] to measure around it. ²⁴ Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

²⁵ The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. ²⁶ It was a handbreadth^[p] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.^[q]

²⁷ He also made ten movable stands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.^{[r] 28} This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. ²⁹ On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim—and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. ³⁰ Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. ³¹ On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit^[s] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half.^[t] Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. ³² The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. ³³ The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal.

³⁴ Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. ³⁵ At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit^[u] deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. ³⁶ He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. ³⁷ This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

³⁸ He then made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths^[v] and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. ³⁹ He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. ⁴⁰ He also made the pots^[w] and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord:

⁴¹ the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

⁴² the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

⁴³ the ten stands with their ten basins;

⁴⁴ the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

⁴⁵ the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls.

All these objects that Huram made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze. ⁴⁶ The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan. ⁴⁷ Solomon left all these things unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.

⁴⁸ Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple:

the golden altar;

the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence;

⁴⁹ the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary);

the gold floral work and lamps and tongs;

⁵⁰ the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers;

and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

⁵¹ When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

 

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     所羅門建造王宮和聖殿。建造聖殿完全是照上帝的心意完成！

 

    但是這一切有帶給所羅門真正的幸福嗎？當然沒有！不然怎麼會有《傳道書》的寫作：「在耶路撒冷作王、大衛的兒子、傳道者的言語。傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。人一切的勞碌，就是他在日光之下的勞碌，有甚麼益處呢？」(1:1-3)

 

    然而使徒約翰受聖靈感動告訴我們：「這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行上帝旨意的，是永遠常存。」(約翰一書2:17)

 

    然而使徒彼得說了一句最重要的話：「主啊，你有永生之道，我們還歸從誰呢？我們已經信了，又知道你是上帝的聖者。」(約翰福音6:68-69)

 

    讓我們透過耶穌基督享受永生之福，就比所羅門王更有榮耀了！

 

 

 

羅馬書8章14-17節

 

8:14 因為凡被神的靈引導的，都是神的兒子。

8:15 你們所受的，不是奴僕的心，仍舊害怕，所受的乃是兒子的心，因此我們呼叫：「阿爸！父！」

8:16 聖靈與我們的心同證，我們是神的兒女；

8:17 既是兒女，便是後嗣，就是神的後嗣，和基督同作後嗣。如果我們和他一同受苦，也必和他一同得榮耀。

 

¹⁴because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

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    很多時候，察覺到許多基督徒以靈修時的感覺來判斷自己與上帝的關係，所以認為藉由某些方式來操練，才蒙上帝之喜悅。其實這不是很好，因為我們與上帝之關係是建立在耶穌基督的拯救，是堅定穩固的，不是建立在方法與感覺。

 

    也有許多基督徒，認為只要有耶穌基督是他們的好朋友，甚麼事情單單向耶穌禱告就好。其實這樣做也有些偏差，甚至讓人覺得把耶穌當成「偶像」取代上帝之感覺，這好像天主教徒呼求聖母馬利亞一樣。

 

    其實照聖經之教導，我們是要與三位一體之上帝有信靠之關係。正如這裡所訴說，是受聖靈引導，接受耶穌基督之救恩，被上帝接納成為兒女，不僅是兒女，更是後嗣，就是上帝的後嗣，和基督同作後嗣。既然有這關係，就是在受苦中也有盼望，因為上帝應許：『如果我們和他一同受苦，也必和他一同得榮耀。』

 

    所以上帝因著道成肉身的耶穌基督之受苦，也體貼我們所受之苦，並以將來之榮耀來激勵與安慰我們。所以，與上帝的關係，不在我們的感覺，是在「聖靈之引導，耶穌基督的獻上，與父神之信實與憐憫」。

 

    讓我們為此歡呼歌頌，將榮耀歸給上帝，到永永遠遠，阿們！

 

歌羅西書 3:1-11

3:1 所以，你們若真與基督一同復活，就當求在上面的事；那裡有基督坐在上帝的右邊。
3:2 你們要思念上面的事，不要思念地上的事。
3:3 因為你們已經死了，你們的生命與基督一同藏在上帝裡面。
3:4 基督是我們的生命，他顯現的時候，你們也要與他一同顯現在榮耀裡。
3:5 所以，要治死你們在地上的肢體，就如淫亂、污穢、邪情、惡慾，和貪婪（貪婪就與拜偶像一樣）。
3:6 因這些事，上帝的忿怒必臨到那悖逆之子。
3:7 當你們在這些事中活著的時候，也曾這樣行過。
3:8 但現在你們要棄絕這一切的事，以及惱恨、忿怒、惡毒（或譯：陰毒）、毀謗，並口中污穢的言語。
3:9 不要彼此說謊；因你們已經脫去舊人和舊人的行為，
3:10 穿上了新人。這新人在知識上漸漸更新，正如造他主的形像。
3:11 在此並不分希臘人、猶太人，受割禮的、未受割禮的，化外人、西古提人，為奴的、自主的，惟有基督是包括一切，又住在各人之內。

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

 

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    基督徒和非基督徒都一樣是人，卻有不相同之生活態度。因為基督徒是『已經跟基督一起死了，你們的生命跟他一同藏在上帝裏面。基督是你們的真生命；當他顯現的時候，你們也要跟他一起顯現，分享他的榮耀。』

 

    是的，我們屬乎基督的人，要不段提醒自己，我們是與基督同釘死於十字架上，對這個世界而言，我們是已經死了的人。死了的人是不受世界的法則影響，所以保羅說：『不要被這世界同化，要讓上帝改造你們，更新你們的心思意念，好明察甚麼是他的旨意，知道甚麼是良善、完全，可蒙悅納的。』（羅馬書12章2節）

 

    對基督徒而言，不僅與基督同死，也與基督同復活。『如果我們跟基督合而為一，經歷了他的死，我們同樣也要經歷他的復活。』（羅馬書6章5節）

 

    而我們既然『已經跟基督一起復活』，保羅在此勸勉我們：『必須追求天上的事』。這是非常重要的，地上的事因著人類犯罪而得罪上帝，就變的敗壞且是短暫的。因為，全地已遭上帝咒詛。『主上帝對那男人說：「你既然聽從妻子的話，吃了我禁止你吃的果子，土地要因你違背命令而受詛咒。你要終生辛勞才能生產足夠的糧食。土地要長出荊棘雜草，而你要吃田間的野菜。你要汗流滿面才吃得飽。你要工作，直到你死，歸於塵土；因為你是用塵土造的，你要還原歸土。」』（創世記3章17-19節）

 

    然而「天上」是上帝寶座之所在。保羅更進一步說：『但是，上帝有豐盛的憐憫；他對我們的愛浩大無窮。我們的靈性在違命的罪中死了的時候，他使我們跟基督一同復活；是他的恩典救了你們的。上帝已經使我們在基督耶穌的生命裏跟基督一同復活，一同在天上掌權。他這樣做是要向世世代代表明他極大的恩典，就是他從基督耶穌向我們顯示出來的慈愛。』（以弗所書2章4-7節）

 

    保羅在此勸勉我們：『現在你們必須根絕這些事：不可再有忿怒、暴戾，和仇恨；不可說毀謗、污穢的話。不可彼此欺騙，因為你們已經脫掉舊我和舊習慣，換上了新我。這新我，由創造主上帝按照自己的形像不斷地加以更新，能夠完全地認識他。』

 

    由保羅之教導基督徒要認清一件事實：人必須有基督在我們心中做主和做王，才有能力「行善」。如" 韋斯敏斯德信條 第十六章　論善行  "所述：

 

　一、只有神在聖經中所吩咐的那些事才是善行，沒有聖經的根據，專憑人盲目的熱心，或以善良意圖為口實而設計出來的事，並非善行。

　　二、這些因遵守神之誡命而有的善行，乃是真而活信心的果實與證據：信徒藉以表示他們的感恩，堅固得救的確信，造就弟兄的德行，美飾所承認的福音，堵往敵人的口，而歸榮耀與神。因為他們乃是神的工作，在基督耶穌裏造成的：既結出成聖的果子，結局就得永生。

　　三、信徒行善的能力絕不是出於自己，乃完全由於基督的靈。信徒為要達到行善的地步，在已經領受的諸般恩典之外，還需要此同一聖靈的實際影響在他們裏頭活動，叫他們立志行事，成就他的美意。然而他們不可因此疏懈，以為除非受聖靈的特別感動，就無需盡任何本分；反倒應當殷勤，激發神在他們裏面的恩典。

　　四、那些今生在順服上能達到最高階段的人，所有的善行絕不能超過神所要求的，而作出比那更分外的事，因為他們在許多所應盡的本分上都有所虧欠。

　　五、我們不能憑著善行從神的手中賺得赦罪，或永生，因為在善行與未來的榮耀之間有極度的不均衡，而且在我們與神之間又有無限的距離，我們既不能憑善行叫神得益處，又不能補償我們以往的罪債；我們盡力而為，我們只不過是盡我們當盡的本分，乃是無用的僕人；因為凡是善良的行為都是出於神的靈：凡是我們所作的，都有玷污攙雜許多軟弱和不完全，所以經不起神嚴格的審判。

　　六、然而，信徒的人格既藉基督蒙悅納，他們的善行也在他裏面蒙悅納。這並不是說，他們今生在神眼中毫無暇疵，無可指摘：乃是說，因為神在他兒子裏看那些善行，這些善行雖有許多弱點和不完全，但出於至誠，他就喜歡接納並加以報答。

　　七、未重生之人所行的事，按事體的本身來說，雖然是神所吩咐的，對己對人都有益處，但並非出自信仰所潔淨的心，也不是按照正當的方法，即根據神的話所行的，沒有榮耀神的正當目的；所以這些行為是罪惡的，不能討神的喜悅，也不能叫人有從神領受恩典的資格。然而他們若忽視善行便更為有罪，不討神的喜悅。

 

    說到此我們要有一個體認：『這世界和一切屬世的慾望都正在消逝；但是，實行上帝旨意的人要永遠生存。』（約翰一書2章17節）

 

    是的，要追求天上的事，也就是「實行上帝旨意」，也唯有靠著基督才能成全，因為『基督就是一切，基督貫徹一切。』

 

 

 

 

詩篇59:9

 

我的力量啊，我必仰望你，因為神是我的高臺。

O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress.

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

    說到「仰望」就想到民數記中說到，被火蛇咬到的人，仰望銅蛇就得醫治。同樣，今日仰望「真正的銅蛇」－－耶穌基督的人，也必得救、得醫治。如以弗所書3章16-21節所說：『求他按著他豐盛的榮耀，藉著他的靈，叫你們心裏的力量剛強起來，使基督因你們的信，住在你們心裏，叫你們的愛心有根有基，能以和眾聖徒一同明白基督的愛是何等長闊高深，並知道這愛是過於人所能測度的，便叫上帝一切所充滿的，充滿了你們。上帝能照著運行在我們心裏的大力充充足足地成就一切，超過我們所求所想的。但願他在教會中，並在基督耶穌裏，得著榮耀，直到世世代代，永永遠遠。阿們！』

 

 

馬太福音2:13-15

  

2:13 他們去後，有主的使者向約瑟夢中顯現，說：「起來！帶著小孩子同他母親逃往埃及，住在那裡，等我吩咐你；因為希律必尋找小孩子，要除滅他。」
2:14 約瑟就起來，夜間帶著小孩子和他母親往埃及去，
2:15 住在那裡，直到希律死了。這是要應驗主藉先知所說的話，說：「我從埃及召出我的兒子來。」

 

 

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

 

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

 

**********

 

    上帝的愛子耶穌基督降生在這個世界，也是充滿著危險！因為希律王怕真正的彌賽亞降生會使他的王位不保，想尋找到以後要將祂除滅，這樣就不會影響他的地位。這些，上帝都早已經知道了，因為祂是全知全能的上帝，所以上帝是有所作為的！她懷了孕，在生產的艱難中疼痛呼叫。天上又現出異象來：有一條大紅龍，七頭十角；七頭上戴著七個冠冕。牠的尾巴拖拉著天上星辰的三分之一，摔在地上。龍就站在那將要生產的婦人面前，等她生產之後，要吞吃她的孩子。

 

    而希律王想殺害主耶穌的事在《啟示錄》也有說道：「天上現出大異象來：有一個婦人身披日頭，腳踏月亮，頭戴十二星的冠冕。她懷了孕，在生產的艱難中疼痛呼叫。天上又現出異象來：有一條大紅龍，七頭十角；七頭上戴著七個冠冕。牠的尾巴拖拉著天上星辰的三分之一，摔在地上。龍就站在那將要生產的婦人面前，等她生產之後，要吞吃她的孩子。婦人生了一個男孩子，是將來要用鐵杖轄管（轄管：原文是牧）萬國的；她的孩子被提到上帝寶座那裡去了。婦人就逃到曠野，在那裡有上帝給她預備的地方，使她被養活一千二百六十天。」(12:1-6)

 

    總之，上帝為了保存人類的救主耶穌基督，祂就差遣使者向約瑟夢中顯現，說：「起來！帶著小孩子同他母親逃往埃及，住在那裡，等我吩咐你；因為希律必尋找小孩子，要除滅他。」

 

    而約瑟也遵行了上帝的命令，夜間帶著小孩子和他母親往埃及去，住在那裡，直到希律死了。這事上帝早在舊約時代就藉先知說過：「我從埃及召出我的兒子來。」並透過帶領以色列人出埃及來預表上帝要帶領祂的兒子將來要出埃及！

 

    從這樣的記載，讓我們感受到耶穌基督的降生，不是「平安夜裡真平安」，而是充滿著殺氣！正如主耶穌說：「你們不要想我來是叫地上太平；我來並不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上動刀兵。」(馬太福音10:34)

 

    也因為這樣，我們要有心理準備，因為我們為主的名在這世上必定受到逼迫，正如主耶穌所說的：「世人若恨你們，你們知道（或譯：該知道），恨你們以先已經恨我了。你們若屬世界，世界必愛屬自己的；只因你們不屬世界，乃是我從世界中揀選了你們，所以世界就恨你們。」(約翰福音15:18-19)

 

    為此，我們要靠主剛強，來面對從世界來的逼迫，因為我們是屬於主耶穌的，是與世界為仇敵的！世界是被罪惡影響而抵擋上帝的，所以我們不可以受世界的影響，要過敬畏上帝的生活，正如保羅所說：「不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為上帝的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。」(羅馬書12:2)

 

 

列王紀上6章

    列王紀上6:1-38  ,

列王紀上6:1-38

 

6:1 以色列人出埃及地後四百八十年，所羅門作以色列王第四年西弗月，就是二月，開工建造耶和華的殿。
6:2 所羅門王為耶和華所建的殿，長六十肘，寬二十肘，高三十肘。
6:3 殿前的廊子長二十肘，與殿的寬窄一樣，闊十肘；
6:4 又為殿做了嚴緊的窗櫺。
6:5 靠著殿牆，圍著外殿內殿，造了三層旁屋；
6:6 下層寬五肘，中層寬六肘，上層寬七肘。殿外旁屋的樑木擱在殿牆坎上，免得插入殿牆。
6:7 建殿是用山中鑿成的石頭。建殿的時候，鎚子、斧子，和別樣鐵器的響聲都沒有聽見。
6:8 在殿右邊當中的旁屋有門，門內有旋螺的樓梯，可以上到第二層，從第二層可以上到第三層。
6:9 所羅門建殿，安置香柏木的棟樑，又用香柏木板遮蓋。
6:10 靠著殿所造的旁屋，每層高五肘，香柏木的棟樑擱在殿牆坎上。
6:11 耶和華的話臨到所羅門說：
6:12 「論到你所建的這殿，你若遵行我的律例，謹守我的典章，遵從我的一切誡命，我必向你應驗我所應許你父親大衛的話。
6:13 我必住在以色列人中間，並不丟棄我民以色列。」
6:14 所羅門建造殿宇。
6:15 殿裡面用香柏木板貼牆，從地到棚頂都用木板遮蔽，又用松木板鋪地。
6:16 內殿，就是至聖所，長二十肘，從地到棚頂用香柏木板遮蔽（或譯：隔斷）。
6:17 內殿前的外殿，長四十肘。
6:18 殿裡一點石頭都不顯露，一概用香柏木遮蔽；上面刻著野瓜和初開的花。
6:19 殿裡預備了內殿，好安放耶和華的約櫃。
6:20 內殿長二十肘，寬二十肘，高二十肘，牆面都貼上精金；又用香柏木做壇，包上精金。
6:21 所羅門用精金貼了殿內的牆，又用金鍊子掛在內殿前門扇，用金包裹。
6:22 全殿都貼上金子，直到貼完；內殿前的壇，也都用金包裹。
6:23 他用橄欖木做兩個基路伯，各高十肘，安在內殿。
6:24 這一個基路伯有兩個翅膀，各長五肘，從這翅膀尖到那翅膀尖共有十肘；
6:25 那一個基路伯的兩個翅膀也是十肘，兩個基路伯的尺寸、形像都是一樣。
6:26 這基路伯高十肘，那基路伯也是如此。
6:27 他將兩個基路伯安在內殿裡；基路伯的翅膀是張開的，這基路伯的一個翅膀挨著這邊的牆，那基路伯的一個翅膀挨著那邊的牆，裡邊的兩個翅膀在殿中間彼此相接；
6:28 又用金子包裹二基路伯。
6:29 內殿、外殿周圍的牆上都刻著基路伯、棕樹，和初開的花。
6:30 內殿、外殿的地板都貼上金子。
6:31 又用橄欖木製造內殿的門扇、門楣、門框；門口有牆的五分之一。
6:32 在橄欖木做的兩門扇上刻著基路伯、棕樹，和初開的花，都貼上金子。
6:33 又用橄欖木製造外殿的門框，門口有牆的四分之一。
6:34 用松木做門兩扇。這扇分兩扇，是摺疊的；那扇分兩扇，也是摺疊的。
6:35 上面刻著基路伯、棕樹，和初開的花，都用金子貼了。
6:36 他又用鑿成的石頭三層、香柏木一層建築內院。
6:37 所羅門在位第四年西弗月，立了耶和華殿的根基。
6:38 到十一年布勒月，就是八月，殿和一切屬殿的都按著樣式造成。他建殿的工夫共有七年。

 

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord.

² The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. ³ The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. ⁴ He made narrow windows high up in the temple walls. ⁵ Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. ⁶ The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls.

⁷ In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

⁸ The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. ⁹ So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. ¹⁰ And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.

¹¹ The word of the Lord came to Solomon: ¹² “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. ¹³ And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

¹⁴ So Solomon built the temple and completed it. ¹⁵ He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of juniper. ¹⁶ He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. ¹⁷ The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits^[i] long. ¹⁸ The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

¹⁹ He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there. ²⁰ The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. ²¹ Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. ²² So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

²³ For the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim out of olive wood, each ten cubits high. ²⁴ One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits—ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. ²⁵ The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. ²⁶ The height of each cherub was ten cubits. ²⁷ He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. ²⁸ He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

²⁹ On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. ³⁰ He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.

³¹ For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors out of olive wood that were one fifth of the width of the sanctuary. ³² And on the two olive-wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. ³³ In the same way, for the entrance to the main hall he made doorframes out of olive wood that were one fourth of the width of the hall. ³⁴ He also made two doors out of juniper wood, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. ³⁵ He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

³⁶ And he built the inner courtyard of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams.

³⁷ The foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. ³⁸ In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it.

 

********

 

    所羅門建殿的材料備齊，和經過確切的規畫後，他在擔任以色列王第四年西弗月，就是二月，開工建造耶和華的殿。完工的時候是，到十一年布勒月，就是八月，殿和一切屬殿的都按著樣式造成。他建殿的工夫共有七年

    然而他在建殿的時候，上帝向他啟示：「論到你所建的這殿，你若遵行我的律例，謹守我的典章，遵從我的一切誡命，我必向你應驗我所應許你父親大衛的話。我必住在以色列人中間，並不丟棄我民以色列。」

 

    因此，我們知道上帝不只要所羅門建造一個可以看得見的聖殿，更要所羅門王將以色列人帶到上帝面前！而是上帝要與以色列人同在的關鍵，就是在所羅門王本身，要「遵行上帝的律例，謹守上帝的典章，遵從上帝的一切誡命！」

 

    同樣今日在上帝的家也就是教會，不僅是一座建築物，而是上帝子民的集合，這一群人是上帝所揀選的，照一群人的使命就是「遵行上帝的律例，謹守上帝的典章，遵從上帝的一切誡命！」

 

    也因此主耶穌在升天以前宣告：「但聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地，和撒馬利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。」

 

    這也說明上帝要透過聖靈的工作，使教會是「遵行上帝的律例，謹守上帝的典章，遵從上帝的一切誡命」的群體，我們不可以忘記這樣的使命！