瑣法責約伯自義

〈約伯記〉11:12 空虛的人卻毫無知識,人生在世好像野驢的駒子。

閱讀經文:〈約伯記〉11 章

有一餐廳,開始擺出來的菜並不好吃,

但是,如果嫌菜難吃,轉身離開,就可惜了,

後來端上來的菜,較為可口,原來好吃的在後頭。

「嘿,夥計,你們這家餐廳怎麼如此上菜?

難吃的擺前面,好吃的放後頭。」

「噢,客倌,請不要生氣,

我們店裡的大廚脾氣不好的時候,上菜差,脾氣好的時候,上菜好。」

「那他什麼時刻,脾氣會由不好變成好?」

「當他想到上帝時。」夥計如此答道。

瑣法在提到人時,口舌犀利的很,罵人罵的凶。到了第二段,他提到上帝,口氣就緩和下來,所講的內容就很有深度,他說:「你考察就能測透上帝嗎?你豈能盡情 測透全能者嗎?祂的智慧高於天,你還能做甚麼?深於陰間,你還能知道甚麼?其量比地長,比海寬。」(約伯記十一:7-9)。瑣法這個大廚子,開始在上好菜 了。上帝所在的天有多高?陰間是全然黑暗,毫不透光的所在,那有多深啊?瑣法在問「量度」的問題。

約伯求神示以譴責之故

〈約伯記〉10:2 (約伯)對神說:不要定我有罪,要指示我,祢為何與我爭辯。

閱讀經文:〈約伯記〉10 章

約伯覺得神在欺負他,並且以欺負他為美。他認為他沒有罪惡,只是因為他是被造者,所以受苦也沒有辦法。他在控訴神不公。但最後還是哀求神,至少在他死前,可以寬容他,使他稍得暢快。約伯的子女死了,財產沒了,那些都是身外物,但是他的肉體之煎熬,使他厭煩他的性命。你可曾聽朋友說:“煩死了,天天吵,不如死了算了,來得清靜”。有的說:“活著有什麼意思呢?不如死了算了!”這些話都有個前題:只要不吵,我不煩,就可以活得開心;只要活得有意思,還是要活下去。但有的什麼都不說,就自殺了,那是真的想不開,而不想活的人。

所以口說煩死了,想要死的人,一般都還要活,只是對目前活的狀況不滿意;若是環境有改善,他還是要活的。所以約伯對神說,反正我終歸要死,你就不能讓我在死前快活一下嗎?這是他話裡的意思。“求祢停手寬容我,叫我在往而不返之先,可以稍得暢快”。因為“那地甚是幽暗,是死蔭混沌之地,那裡的光好像幽暗”,所以只要神改善一下,他就要繼續活,因為死蔭混沌之地想起來還挺可怕的。

當我們讀著〈約伯記〉時,你會覺得約伯對神沒有不敢說的話,這是一種何等信賴的關係。他相信神聽得到,他相信他可以控訴神而不得罪神。因為他要求的是公義的審判:“不要定我有罪,要指示我,祢為何與我爭辯”。I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; Show me why You contend with me. Contend在這裡用“爭辯”似乎有點怪,若是用“鬥”,好像比較能表示它的意思。好像神的使者終夜與雅各摔跤,要把雅各打敗一樣。從約伯的感覺來看,一樣接著一樣的打擊,就彷彿神用各樣的方法來打敗他這個人似的。當然,我們知道是撒旦,但是約伯那時不知道。就好像有人患上絕症時,會覺得為何神要這樣對他?他究竟犯了什麼大罪?現在我們曉得,苦難有時不一定是罪的緣故。

It’s All About Jesus

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 40:1-16.  Let’s go! 

Exodus 40:1-9 (NIV)
1  Then the LORD said to Moses:
2  “Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month.
3  Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain.
4  Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.
5  Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6  “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting;
7  place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it.
8  Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9  “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.
10  Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy.
11  Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

On verses 1-11:  This past Sunday at THRIVE Church Online we looked at this passage together.  In a message called “He’s There For You: Finding Jesus in Exodus”, I tried to show you that the seven “I am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John are reflected in Exodus 40:4-9 in the exact order that they appear in the Gospel of John.

人怎能在神面前稱義

〈約伯記〉9:4 他心裡有智慧,且大有能力,誰向神剛硬而得亨通呢?

閱讀經文:〈約伯記〉9 章

在〈約伯記〉裡,我們可以讀到很多精采的辯論,這些辯論和論述所使用的文句極為精美,光是約伯用來形容人生在世的短暫就有這樣多精采的比喻:我的日子比賽跑的更快,我的日子過去如快船,如急落抓食的鷹,我的生命不過是一口氣,我的日子比梭更快。再看約伯對神的形容,足可顯出他對神的認識:“但人在神面前怎能成為義呢?若願意與他爭辯,千中之一也不能回答。他心裡有智慧,且大有能力,誰向神剛硬而得亨通呢?”很多人在神面前自以為義,但是約伯知道,人在神的面前是無法稱義的。

因為人若想與神爭辯,千中之一也不能回答。 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand. 千中之一的意思是,即使有人想和神爭辯,給他一千個問題,他也回不了一個。這也是在後來發生的事情,神給約伯的每一個問題,約伯都無法回。你若不相信,我就給你一個簡單的:“誰為雨水分道?誰為雷電開路?山巖間的野山羊幾時生產,你知道嗎?母鹿下犢之期,你能察定嗎?”約伯一個問題也答不出來。我們自己以為可以滔滔不絕的理,到了神面前,什麼也不是。

接下來,約伯的形容你看看最有可能發生在何時?“祂發怒把山翻倒挪移,山並不知覺。祂使地震動離其本位,地的柱子就搖撼。祂吩咐日頭不出來,就不出來,又封閉眾星。祂獨自鋪張蒼天,步行在海浪之上。祂造北斗、參星、昴星,並南方的密宮。祂行大事不可測度,行奇事不可勝數。”神在何時發怒把山翻倒挪移呢?何時使地震離本位,使地的柱子搖撼?何吩咐日頭不出來又封閉眾星?何時獨自鋪張蒼天,步行在海浪之上?何時造北斗、參星、昴星,並南方的密宮?這裡彷彿給了我們一點〈創世記〉的影子。〈創世記〉第一章第一節第一節說:“起初,神創造天地。”緊接著第二節就是:“ 地是空虛混沌,淵面黑暗,神的靈運行在水面上”。接著,神就造出空氣,將空氣以下的水、空氣以上的水分開了。神稱空氣為天。然後,神造了兩個大光,大的管晝,小的管夜,又造眾星。約伯的形容開展了我們的視野,彷彿畫出神創造時的精采過程。

You’re Perfectly Blessed Because Jesus Perfectly Obeyed

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 39:22-43.  Let’s go! 

Exodus 39:22-31 (NIV)
22  They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth–the work of a weaver–
23  with an opening in the center of the robe like the opening of a collar, and a band around this opening, so that it would not tear.
24  They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe.
25  And they made bells of pure gold and attached them around the hem between the pomegranates.
26  The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the LORD commanded Moses.
27  For Aaron and his sons, they made tunics of fine linen–the work of a weaver–
28  and the turban of fine linen, the linen headbands and the undergarments of finely twisted linen.
29  The sash was of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn–the work of an embroiderer–as the LORD commanded Moses.
30  They made the plate, the sacred diadem, out of pure gold and engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.
31  Then they fastened a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban, as the LORD commanded Moses.

On verses 22-31:  As we saw with so many of the priestly clothes described in verses 1-21, notice that Aaron’s robe, tunic, and turban were made of fine material, done by a craftsman, and adorned with gold.  It all speaks of how highly God valued the office of the priest.  Since as believers in Jesus Christ, we too are priests in God’s kingdom, let it be a reminder not to take our role as priests lightly or for granted.  May we approach our calling as priests with reverence and respect, and give God service that is of high quality and high value too.