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人际关系之二

出埃及记20章15-17节     「不可偷盗。16 「不可作假见证陷害人。17 「不可贪恋人的房屋,也不可贪恋人的妻子、仆婢、牛驴并他一切所有的。」

在十诫中的第五诫到十诫里,耶稣用一句话就把它们概括了:「你们愿意人怎样待你们,你们也要怎样待人(路6:31)。」

你希望儿女孝敬你吗?那你就要有好榜样,先孝敬你和配偶的父母。你不想被杀吗?或是被人蔑视或看轻,那你就不要恨人,也不要随便骂人。你不想配偶背叛你,那么你就要做个忠实的配偶,做一个手洁心清的人,给对方有安全感。

第八诫:「不可偷盗」。你喜欢人家偷你的东西吗?若是不喜欢自己的东西被偷,那么自己就不要去偷别人的东西。因为:「你们愿意人怎样待你们,你们也要怎样待人。」

第九诫:「不可作假见证陷害人」。假见证除了说谎,还包括你知道却不说事实,或是把事情说一半,留一半不说,都是假见证,因为会误导人,间接陷害他人。所以不要以为沉默是金,在该说话时保持沉默,那就是犯了此诫。

人际关系之一

出埃及记20章12-14节「当孝敬父母,使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。13 「不可杀人。14 「不可奸淫。」

在十诫中,5-10诫是神教导人与人之间应当守的法则。我相信这几诫也是一个和平社会必须有的法则。假如人人在社会里可以遵守这几诫,那么人人都可以道不拾遗,夜不闭户了。当然,许多人在表面上都可以达到这些要求,好像我没杀过人,你一定也没杀过人,他也没杀过人,要找出杀过人的人并不是随手可以指出。因为想杀人的,不会在脸上写:「我要去杀人了。」或是,「我杀过人。」小偷也不会告诉你,他是小偷,要偷你的东西了。做假见证的更是口口声声说他说的都是真的,等到对质时,才笑你是大傻瓜。所以我们来看看这六诫里的内容。

第五诫:「当孝敬父母,使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。」孝敬有时很引起争议,因为不信耶稣的父母最不想孩子信耶稣,害怕死后没人烧香或烧纸钱,或是用一些鸡鸭水果拜他们,以致他们在阴间没得吃,他们觉得这就是不孝。但是基督徒强调孝敬父母是要在父母还在人间时,好好地服侍他们,使他们快乐。

Grace is Personal

Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but he endured the anger of God.

God didn’t just overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn’t punish you, lest he destroy you. Instead he found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner. Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you credit for Jesus’ perfection.

As long as the cross is God’s gift to the world, it will touch you but it will not change you. Precious as it is to proclaim, “Christ died for the world,” even sweeter it is to whisper, “Christ died for me.” For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame, he spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day grace happened to you.

What Just Happened?

We are incarcerated by our past. Our low road choices, our high minded pride. We have been found guilty. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting our final moment. We don’t look up as he opens the door; we know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins!”

But we hear something else. “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open and the guard barks, “Get out!” And we find ourselves shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, what just happened?

Well, grace just happened. Christ took away your sins. Romans chapter 3 explains that God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. What happened? Grace happened!

在西乃山下

出埃及记19章16-20节     到了第三天早晨,在山上有雷轰、闪电和密云,并且角声甚大,营中的百姓尽都发颤。摩西率领百姓出营迎接神,都站在山下。西奈全山冒烟,因为耶和华在火中降于山上。山的烟气上腾,如烧窑一般,遍山大大地震动。角声渐渐地高而又高,摩西就说话,神有声音答应他。耶和华降临在西奈山顶上,耶和华召摩西上山顶,摩西就上去。

这是第一次,以色列全会众一起朝见神的奇妙时刻。那天早晨,在西乃山上有雷轰、闪电和密云,山下的百姓听到雷轰,看到闪电和密云,换了是你,会有怎样的感觉?我在家里听到雷轰,都会想躲到棉被里,亲身在那种场合,一定是种很震撼的感觉。神在山上,那是神的家吗?神的圣地是不可因为起好奇心而去偷窥的,那是死罪。因此神叫摩西下山去警诫百姓。

耶和华对摩西说:「你下去嘱咐百姓,不可闯过来到我面前观看,恐怕他们有多人死亡。 又叫亲近我的祭司自洁,恐怕我忽然出来击杀他们。」摩西对耶和华说:「百姓不能上西奈山,因为你已经嘱咐我们说:『要在山的四围定界限,叫山成圣。』」耶和华对他说:「下去吧,你要和亚伦一同上来,只是祭司和百姓不可闯过来上到我面前,恐怕我忽然出来击杀他们。」于是摩西下到百姓那里告诉他们。(出19:20-25)

看完这段经文,我很佩服摩西,一下子上山,一下子下山。上山或下山对一个年过八十的人而言,是不是不容易啊?但是神要使用摩西,神就给他有这样神奇的体力,看神在吩咐摩西上下山时,不要以为那里有电梯。在温哥华有许多爬山的机会,我看过有一些年轻人用跑的上山,也有人背着小孩或婴儿上山,也有一些长者体力很好,面不改、气不喘地上山,我是属于那种心有余而力不足的爬山族。

我如鹰将你们背在翅膀上

出埃及记19章4-6节    我向埃及人所行的事,你们都看见了;且看见我如鹰将你们背在翅膀上,带来归我。如今你们若实在听从我的话,遵守我的约,就要在万民中做属我的子民,因为全地都是我的。你们要归我做祭司的国度,为圣洁的国民。

在利非订时,摩西的岳父叶忒罗带着摩西的家小来和他团聚。原来摩西己经有两个儿子了,可能在埃及时,摩西觉得太凶险了,万一法老拿他家人做人质,他就很为难,因此把他们送回岳父家里。叶忒罗可能听闻以色列人己经出埃及,不用再顾忌,所以就带了他们来见摩西。

当年约瑟离开迦南地,在埃及生了两个儿子,一个叫玛拿西,一个叫以法莲;前者之意是「神使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家。」,后者之意是「神使我在受苦的地方昌盛。」

摩西的两个儿子,一个名叫革舜,因为摩西说:「我在外邦做了寄居的」;一个名叫以利以谢,因为他说:「我父亲的神帮助了我,救我脱离法老的刀」。

耶和华尼西

出埃及记17章14-16节   耶和华对摩西说:「我要将亚玛力的名号从天下全然涂抹了,你要将这话写在书上做纪念,又念给约书亚听。」 摩西筑了一座坛,起名叫耶和华尼西,又说:「耶和华已经起了誓,必世世代代和亚玛力人争战。」

汛的旷野位于以琳和西乃中间,是埃及一个主要的防卫站,防范从东边经巴勒斯坦进侵的敌人。神在此赐下吗哪和鹌鹑给以色列人,解决他们缺乏粮食的大问题,也借着吗哪教导他们要听从神的话。神的恩赐使以色列人心里舒畅,那时以色列全会众都遵耶和华的吩咐,按著站口从汛的旷野往前行,在利非订安营。

神满足了他们的要求,他们就都遵耶和华的吩咐,继续前行,来到利非订(Rephidim)。利非订的意思是「休息地」,位于汛的旷野和西奈山之间。再一次,他们碰到了没有水的问题。这己经不是第一次碰到吃喝的问题了,第一次在玛拉,第二次在汛的旷野,现在到了利非订还是有类似的问题。以色列人有没有变得聪明一些,有更好的心态来面对困境呢?

Jesus, Your Righteous Advocate

Not all guilt is bad. God uses appropriate doses of guilt to awaken us to sin. God’s guilt brings enough regret to change us. Satan’s guilt, on the other hand, brings enough regret to enslave us. Don’t let Satan lock his shackles on you. Colossians 3:3 (NIV) says, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

You see, when God looks at you, he sees Jesus first. In the Chinese language the word for “righteousness” is a combination of two characters: the figure of a lamb and a person. The lamb is on top, covering the person. Whenever God looks down on you, this is what he sees. The perfect Lamb of God covering you.

It boils down to this choice: Do you trust your Advocate, Jesus, or your Accuser, Satan? Give no heed to Satan’s voice. You have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous.

天赐之粮吗哪

出埃及记16章4-5节      耶和华对摩西说:「我要将粮食从天降给你们。百姓可以出去,每天收每天的份,我好试验他们遵不遵我的法度。到第六天,他们要把所收进来的预备好了,比每天所收的多一倍。」

当日,耶和华拯救以色列人脱离埃及人的手,以色列人在海中走干地,水在他们的左右做了墙垣;水却回流,淹没了那些跟着以色列人下海的法老全军,连一个也没有剩下。以色列人看见埃及人的死尸都在海边,看见耶和华向埃及人所行的大事,就敬畏耶和华,又信服祂和他的仆人摩西。

摩西和米利暗带领以色列百姓赞美耶和华。但是,现实的生活需要摆在眼前。以色列人在旷野走了三天,到了书珥的旷野,找不着水喝。再走到玛拉,有水了,可是水很苦,喝不了。百姓就开始向摩西发怨言了。他们己经忘了行奇事的神与他们同在,虽然天天都看得到云柱和火柱,他们却不懂得向神求,而是用怒气来发泄不满,说:「我们喝什么呢?」

Jesus Has Risen to Your Defense

Satan’s condemnation brings no repentance or resolve, just regret. Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy. To steal your peace, to kill your dreams, to destroy your future. Satan has deputized people to peddle his poison. Friends dredge up your past, preachers proclaim all guilt and no grace, and parents—oh your parents! They own a travel agency that specializes in guilt trips. “Why can’t you grow up?” they say. “When are you going to make me proud?” they say.

But your accusers will not have the last word. Jesus has acted on your behalf. Jesus has risen to your defense. Hebrews 10:22 (NCV) says, “Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience.” Not just for our past mistakes, but also for our future ones.