創世記15章13-16節
耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要的確知道，你的後裔必寄居別人的地，又服侍那地的人，那地的人要苦待他們四百年。並且他們所要服侍的那國，我要懲罰，後來他們必帶著許多財物從那裡出來。但你要享大壽數，平平安安地歸到你列祖那裡，被人埋葬。到了第四代，他們必回到此地，因為亞摩利人的罪孽還沒有滿盈。」
當亞伯蘭勇敢地擊敗米索波大米的四王，救回羅得之後，神再次向亞伯蘭顯現，重述祂的應許。這次亞伯蘭不再沉默，他說：「主耶和華啊，我既無子，祢還賜我什麼呢？並且要承受我家業的是大馬士革人以利以謝。」這是當時的風俗，因為以利以謝是他家最老的僕人。說完，又說：「你沒有給我兒子，那生在我家中的人就是我的後嗣。」他的意思是，這不是我的錯，錯在祢不給我兒子。
神沒有為自己辯護，只說：「這人必不成為你的後嗣，你本身所生的才成為你的後嗣。」然後領他到帳棚外看天上的星星，應許他的後裔要如天上的眾星之多，又應許將迦南地賜給他。從吾珥出來到迦南，經過那麼多年，亞伯蘭依然無子無地，他相信神，但是不知道事情要怎樣成就，只好問：「主耶和華啊，我怎能知道必得這地為業呢？」
創世記15章1節 這事以後，耶和華在異象中有話對亞伯蘭說：「亞伯蘭，你不要懼怕！我是你的盾牌，必大大地賞賜你。」
當你看到亞伯蘭因為怕死，而叫他的妻子說謊，以致於撒萊被帶到法老宮裡，差點成了法老的妃嬪；因為不想和羅得相爭，所以放棄了迦南的美地，任羅得選擇，以致於上好的地段都成了羅得的；你是否會覺得他是一個不折不扣的懦夫？今天要看的故事可能會讓你對他的印象改觀。
這事要從亞伯蘭那時的13年前說起，在示拿地有個四王聯盟，來自米所波大米區的下游，且同為閃族的後裔。老大是以攔王(伊朗)基大老瑪，其他三王是示拿王暗拉非、以拉撒王亞略、戈印王提達。他們結盟的目的是為了擴張領土，鞏固霸權。他們東征西討，行弱肉強食的生存之道。
Think about the thief on the cross who repented! We know little about him, but we know this: He made some bad mistakes in his life. But is he spending eternity reaping the fruit of all the bad choices he made? No, just the opposite. He is enjoying the fruit of the one good choice he made.
You may look back over your life and say, “If only. . .if only I could make up for those bad choices.” You can! One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth.
How could two thieves see the same Jesus and one choose to mock him and the other choose to pray to him? When one prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him. When the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him. He allowed him the choice. And He does the same for you.
創世記 13:11-13
於是羅得選擇約旦河的全平原，往東遷移。他們就彼此分離了。亞伯蘭住在迦南地，羅得住在平原的城邑，漸漸挪移帳篷，直到所多瑪。 所多瑪人在耶和華面前罪大惡極。
你搬過家嗎？可能很多人都有搬家的經驗。最近有個朋友分享他搬到一個土城的經歷。故名思義，土城就是比較鄉下的地方，舊城之意。他年記大了，不喜歡巿中心，他喜歡去與古蹟為伍，天天可以去那裡散步，緬懷先賢。他很喜歡那裡的環境，可是有些事情是要住下來才會發現的。
他喜歡古蹟，有不少人也喜歡古蹟，遊客更是來往不絕。人多沒關係，問題是垃圾桶跟不上大家丟垃圾的速度，因此附近的馬路經常到處是垃圾，讓他沒有想到的頭痛，有時自家門口也被人當成垃圾場。真是煩不勝煩。因此他在網上訴苦，沒想到竟有網友笑他選錯地方住。
In so many areas of life we have no choice. “It’s not fair,” we say. But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when God planted a tree in the Garden of Eden. All complaints were silenced when Adam and his descendants were given free will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next. Wouldn’t you agree?
It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal. Would’ve been nice. But it didn’t happen. When it came to many details of your life on earth, you weren’t given a choice, a voice or a vote. But when it comes to life after death, you were! In my book that seems like a good deal. Wouldn’t you agree?
Much has been said about the prayer of the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus. But dare we forget the one who didn’t pray? He offered no request. He, too, could have requested mercy. He, too, could have asked Jesus to remember him in the new kingdom. But he didn’t. He offered no prayer of repentance. And Jesus didn’t demand one.
Jesus gave both criminals the same choice. One said, “Remember me.” The other said nothing. There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as he honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.
創世記 13章:14-18
14 羅得離別亞伯蘭以後，耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「從你所在的地方，你舉目向東西南北觀看， 15 凡你所看見的一切地，我都要賜給你和你的後裔，直到永遠。 16 我也要使你的後裔如同地上的塵沙那樣多，人若能數算地上的塵沙，才能數算你的後裔。 17 你起來，縱橫走遍這地，因為我必把這地賜給你。」 18 亞伯蘭就搬了帳篷，來到希伯崙幔利的橡樹那裡居住，在那裡為耶和華築了一座壇。
2020年5月13日的紐約每日新聞報導，說有位下班了的警員在長島的家外面和一位從小一起長大的好朋友發生爭執，開了五槍，把對方殺死了。從小一起長大，這樣的友誼不能說不堅固了，可是讓堅固的情誼受到挑戰的因素很多，其中有一個很大的因素便是利益衝突。
就像亞伯蘭和羅得這對伯侄，他們在一起很久了。羅得的父親過世了，所以他跟著亞伯蘭伯伯出吾珥，又跟著他到迦南。他們一起下埃及，又一起出埃及，在這數十年的時間裡，羅得也逐漸成長，可以獨當一面。他們各有自己的財產和僕人，各有自己的牲畜和需求。
當他們從埃及回到迦南地後，大家住在一起，伯侄相安，僕人卻時有爭執。同在一地共飲一井，誰的牲畜先喝水，誰的牛羊先到哪塊草地上吃草，大家都要搶先機，免得吃虧。日子一久，這些爭執就傳到了兩個伯侄的耳中。
創世記 12:10-20
10 那地遭遇饑荒。因饑荒甚大，亞伯蘭就下埃及去，要在那裡暫居。 11 將近埃及，就對他妻子撒萊說：「我知道你是容貌俊美的婦人， 12 埃及人看見你必說『這是他的妻子』，他們就要殺我，卻叫你存活。 13 求你說你是我的妹子，使我因你得平安，我的命也因你存活。」 14 及至亞伯蘭到了埃及，埃及人看見那婦人極其美貌。 15 法老的臣宰看見了她，就在法老面前誇獎她，那婦人就被帶進法老的宮去。 16 法老因這婦人就厚待亞伯蘭，亞伯蘭得了許多牛、羊、駱駝、公驢、母驢、僕婢。 17 耶和華因亞伯蘭妻子撒萊的緣故，降大災於法老和他的全家。
亞伯蘭在埃及說謊，25年後，亞伯拉罕在基拉耳說同樣的謊。很多人說這是他的軟弱，其實他真正的弱點跟所有人都一樣，要用自己的方法來保護自己。當危險來臨時，我們想到的一定是自保。所謂夫妻本是同林鳥，大限來時各自飛。但是當神不允許時，神就出手了。
亞伯蘭因饑荒下埃及，這是很不得己的做法，因為迦南地是神給他的祝福，一旦離開神給他的祝福之地，他就害怕了。
God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, cannot be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins hidden. “He has forgiven you all your sins: he has utterly wiped out the written evidence…and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 Phillips).
He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails.
The verdict behind the death was not decided by jealous Jews. With a flex of the biceps, Jesus could have resisted. No. Jesus himself chose the nails. He knew that the purpose of the nail was to place your sins where they could be hidden by his sacrifice—nailed to the cross, covered by his blood.
Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers press a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand, as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Think about the hand that received the nail. The fist doesn’t clench, the moment isn’t aborted.
A mallet drove a nail into the hand, not just of a carpenter, but into the hand of God. Fingers that formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into tablets felt the pain of crucifixion. The same hand that stilled the seas stilled your guilt. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.
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