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雲柱火柱的帶領

出埃及記13章20-22節   他們從疏割起行,在曠野邊的以倘安營。日間耶和華在雲柱中領他們的路,夜間在火柱中光照他們,使他們日夜都可以行走。日間雲柱,夜間火柱,總不離開百姓的面前。

當以色列人扶老攜幼地出埃及時,他們會不會覺得在作夢呢?摩西和亞倫會不會感動到流淚呢?終於告別四百年的奴隸生涯,神的應許是那樣的真實。〈希伯來書〉11章1節說:「信就是所望之事的實底,是未見之事的確據。」他們曾經不相信摩西,抱怨生活中的苦楚,沒想到原來神的計劃是如此美好,早知如此,多挨幾鞭又算什麼?因為自由在望了。能夠憑著信心看到所望之事的實底,見到未見之事的確據,我們就不會常常埋怨了。

但是一個得救的經驗之喜樂,能夠維持多久呢?逾越節和基督教的受難日很相似,只不過在後者,神以祂的愛子代替了羊羔,親自死在十字架上,承受了世人的罪。接受了耶穌這救贖之恩的人,就好像得救的以色列人出埃及,不再是撒旦的奴隸,在基督裡得到了真正的自由。但是這就夠了嗎?要到迦南地,神的應許之地,還有一段遙遠的路,他們的信心能撐多久?我們的信心又能撐多久?

耶和華的夜

出埃及記11章1-3節   耶和華對摩西說:「我再使一樣的災殃臨到法老和埃及,然後他必容你們離開這地。他容你們去的時候,總要催逼你們都從這地出去。你要傳於百姓的耳中,叫他們男女各人向鄰舍要金器銀器。」耶和華叫百姓在埃及人眼前蒙恩,並且摩西在埃及地、法老臣僕和百姓的眼中看為極大。

那是一個奇異的夜晚,在歌珊地的以色列人,家家戶戶都在烤羊羔。吃晚餐的時候,他們腰間束帶,腳上穿鞋,手中拿杖,努力地吃羊羔。空氣中瀰漫一種詭異的氣氛,有的人低聲地傳著:「我們今晚當真要離開埃及了嗎?」有的人點頭,有的人微笑,有的人聳肩,沒有人真正知道什麼,只覺得有大事要發生了。

法老在宮裡沉默地坐著,不知在等待什麼。他有點擔心,有些害怕,可是他不知道該做些什麼。突然,好像聽到了第一聲哀嚎劃破寂靜的黑夜,第二聲緊接著又起,好像在回應似地,忽然之間,埃及充滿了哭嚎。僕人匆忙來見法老,不等僕人開口,法老已經心知發生何事。

Christ Stands Up for Us

The voices in our world and the voices in our head. Who is this morality patrolman who issues a citation at every stumble? Does he ever shut up? No. Because Satan never shuts up.

Revelation 12:10 (NLT) says, “For the accuser has been thrown down to earth, the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.” Satan is relentless, tireless. The accuser makes a career out of accusing, but he will not have the last word. Jesus has acted on our behalf.

He stooped. Low enough to be spat upon, nailed, and speared. Low, low enough to be buried. And then he stood. He stood up. Romans 8:34 promises that he is in the presence of God at this very moment standing up for us. So we have a clean conscience. We have a clean record. Free from condemnation, a new life in Christ! Grace.

我使他的心剛硬

出埃及記十章1-2節 耶和華對摩西說:「你進去見法老。我使他和他臣僕的心剛硬,為要在他們中間顯我這些神蹟,並要叫你將我向埃及人所做的事,和在他們中間所行的神蹟,傳於你兒子和你孫子的耳中,好叫你們知道我是耶和華。」

在神呼召摩西時,神就再三告訴摩西,神要使法老的心剛硬,這樣神才能按著祂的計劃行許多神蹟,好叫他們知道祂是耶和華。我們經常會覺得神是不是太不公平,祂使法老的心剛硬,又不是法老自己剛硬的。事實上,法老只是一個世人的鏡子,法老代表世界上的人,寧可到處亂拜,拜偶像拜假神,信八卦找算命的,就是不懂得要拜真神。所以神使法老的心剛硬,其實是很大的憐憫,神用每一樣災來對應埃及的十個假神,為了喚醒他們的靈,來認識創造宇宙的真神,實在用心良苦。

What You Need

She was only five years old when you took the photo. Cheeks freckled by the summer sun, hair in pigtails. That was twenty years ago. Three marriages ago. A million flight miles and e-mails ago. Today she walks down the aisle on the arm of another father. You left your family bobbing in the wake of your high-speed career. Now that you have what you wanted, you don’t want it at all. Oh, to have a second chance.

Did you know God will give you one? 1 John 4:15 says, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” God repurposes bad decisions and squalid choices. To be saved by grace is to be saved by God, who placed a term limit on sin, and his son Jesus Christ, who danced a victory jig in the graveyard. God can do something with the mess of your life, and Grace is what you need.

這是神的手段

出埃及記8章18-19節     行法術的也用邪術要生出蝨子來,卻是不能。於是在人身上和牲畜身上都有了蝨子。行法術的就對法老說:「這是神的手段。」法老心裡剛硬,不肯聽摩西、亞倫,正如耶和華所說的。

出埃及記8章18-19節     行法術的也用邪術要生出蝨子來,卻是不能。於是在人身上和牲畜身上都有了蝨子。行法術的就對法老說:「這是神的手段。」法老心裡剛硬,不肯聽摩西、亞倫,正如耶和華所說的。

對法老而言,摩西和亞倫所施的奇事,只是一場又一場的法術比賽,法老的術士們也做得到。但是妥拉坊的鍾鹽光老師對這些奇事,有一套很好的解說:「每一組災難都有一個耶和華神要向法老證明的命題。每個命題,在『每一組的第一災』要發生時就已先預告和佈達,並且,這命題的範圍會隨著法老的心理剛硬而不斷加大、其等級也會不斷上升。」這是法老所沒有想到或預料到的。

Occupied by Christ

When grace happens, Christ enters. Christ in you, the hope of glory! For many years, I missed this truth. I believed all the other prepositions: Christ for me, Christ with me, Christ ahead of me. But I never imagined that Christ was in me.

I can’t blame my deficiency on Scripture. Paul refers to the indwelling of Christ 216 times. John mentions his presence 26. No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers. Muhammad does not indwell Muslims. Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists. Influence? Instruct? Yes. But occupy? No!

The mystery of Christianity is summarized in Colossians 1:27: “Christ is in you!” Little by little a new image emerges, all because of God’s grace.

Grace Gets Us

Your dad makes you come to church, but he can’t make you listen. At least that’s what you’ve always muttered to yourself. But this morning you listen because the preacher speaks of a God who loves prodigals, and you feel like the worst sort of one.

You can’t keep the pregnancy a secret any longer. Soon your parents will know. The preacher will know. And the preacher says God already knows and you wonder what God thinks.

Could you use some grace? You know, grace is God’s best idea. Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change. Do we clean up so he can accept us? No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up. What a difference this makes! Can’t forgive your past? Christ can, and he is on the move, aggressively budging you from graceless to grace-shaped living. A forgiven person who forgives others. This is grace. Grace is everything Jesus!

十災背後的靈界之役

出埃及記七章3-5節  我要使法老的心剛硬,也要在埃及地多行神蹟奇事。 但法老必不聽你們,我要伸手重重地刑罰埃及,將我的軍隊以色列民從埃及地領出來。 我伸手攻擊埃及,將以色列人從他們中間領出來的時候,埃及人就要知道我是耶和華。

經文段落:出埃及記 6:2–9:35

十災的結構是一堂給法老必修的「上帝存在論證」的哲學課。用上帝的存在和埃及的各樣邪靈之對抗,來顯明誰才是宇宙的主宰。

十災的發生與啟動,乃因耶和華欲回應法老在兩件事上的「強烈否認」與「強硬拒絕」:

第一、耶和華是神。
第二、以色列作為父神耶和華「長子」的身分。(出埃及記4:22-23)

所以,耶和華要給法老,上一門非常「實際而具體」的哲學課,一堂關於「上帝存在論證」的必修課。

猶太人讀十災,發現到十災有一個「精心設計」、「別具匠心」的工整結構。

God’s Best Idea is Grace

Your dad makes you come to church, but he can’t make you listen. At least that’s what you’ve always muttered to yourself. But this morning you listen because the preacher speaks of a God who loves prodigals, and you feel like the worst sort of one.

You can’t keep the pregnancy a secret any longer. Soon your parents will know. The preacher will know. And the preacher says God already knows and you wonder what God thinks.

Could you use some grace? You know, grace is God’s best idea. Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change. Do we clean up so he can accept us? No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up. What a difference this makes! Can’t forgive your past? Christ can, and he is on the move, aggressively budging you from graceless to grace-shaped living. A forgiven person who forgives others. This is grace. Grace is everything Jesus!