約書亞記 第16章 中英摘要

  在這章十節的經文中,記載約瑟的子孫瑪拿西和以法蓮在迦南所得產業的地界範圍。上帝所賜給以法蓮支派的地,是一塊有青草、河流和許多田地的地方,肥沃的土地非常適合耕種和牧羊,這是神所賜的應許;但以法蓮的子孫卻沒有完全按照神所吩咐的話把原本住在基色的迦南人趕出去,因這樣的不順從,沒有了解神的旨意,憑著只求自己的利益而忘記神的話,使著以法蓮後代的子孫因這一群迦南人,遇到許多生命中的難處和絆腳石。

  在《列王紀》中也提到,所羅門王時期,年輕的所羅門王因為懂得敬畏神,成為神良善重用的僕人;但當他得到權力,國家強盛之際,就完全忘記神的律例典章,除了大興土木,也隨從自己的意念娶了許多異族之女,受妻妾引誘遠離神。神親自在夢中警告所羅門,但他沒有聽從神的話。當他寫下箴言警戒自己的兒女時,卻沒有果效,因為身為父親的所羅門並沒有讓孩子們看見自己是敬畏神的子民,這對我們是很重要的提醒,如果身為父母不學習敬畏神,遵行神的話語,我們很難讓子女也遵行。

  我們常因不順服,用人有限的智慧,無知的想法,去判斷神所要做的事,祂是一位獨行奇事的神,要知道神在我們身上所成就的事都是與我們有益,我們不用因為想了解「為什麼」,就自行將神的吩咐多加了一點或減少了一些。就如以法蓮人自認比神慈愛,不將迦南人趕出基色,用人自以為的憐憫處裡神的事。

  《聖經》中提到「聽命勝於獻祭(撒上15:22)」,在教會中,與人的相處中,我們只是想當人前的好人呢?還是願意遵行神的吩咐,將神的話說的標準又正確,不是講給人聽的,而是講神要我們講的話,命令是要去執行而非商量。「我豈沒有吩咐你嗎?你當剛強壯膽!不要懼怕,也不要驚惶;因為你無論往那裡去,耶和華你的神必與你同在。」(約書亞記1:9)執行神的吩咐時,雖會害怕和驚惶,但神卻說「不要怕」因祂必與我們同在,引導我們向著祂的心意走在祂所預定的正軌上。

  凡事都要規規矩矩的按著次序行。(哥林多前書14:40)神也是一個看中規矩和次序的神,在教會中我們不能只講愛和聖靈的感動,而忽略規矩和次序,在《基督郵報》2015/06/15「平庸教會的12個標誌」一文中,提醒我們如何擺脫平庸,成為一個敬畏神而卓越的教會,和《約書亞記》16章呼應,使我們從以法蓮支派的軟弱中,學習看見神的心意。

2015/11/12  葉長老 風美小組信息/宜薰 摘錄整理

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Joshua 16

  In the 10 verses of this chapter, the boundaries of Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s inheritances in Canaan were defined. There were grass, river, and many fields in the land God gave to the tribe of Ephraim. It was a fertile land suitable for farming and shepherding. It was God’s blessing to the tribe, and yet the decedents of Ephraim did not follow exactly what God had commanded; they did not cast out all the Canaanites living in Gezer. Because of their failure to understand and obey God’s will, and because they forsook God’s command for their own benefit, the offspring of Ephraim encountered many difficulties and stumbling blocks due to the Canaanites they kept.

  It is written in Kings that Solomon became a good and important servant to God because he revered God. However, when his power grew, and his kingdom became stronger, he forgot the God’s decrees and laws. Solomon not only went into large-scale construction, but also married many gentiles by his own will. So, at the end, Solomon was led away from God by his wives and concubines. God warned Solomon in his dream, yet he did not heed God’s caution. Solomon wrote Proverbs to warn his children not to leave God, but it did not work; because, as a father, he did not show his children how he revered God. This is a very important lesson to us! If we, as parents, do not learn to love and revere God and follow His orders, it would be extremely difficult for us to ask our children to do so.

  We often judge what God does with our very limited wisdom and our ignorant way of thinking due to disobedience. God alone does marvelous deeds! We need to know that everything God does, He does it for OUR benefit! We should not add anything to, or cut down anything from, God’s command just because we need to know “why”; just like what the Ephraim did. They thought they are more loving and merciful than God by not casting out the Canaanites in Gezer; they handle God’s work with man’s self-defined mercy.

  It is written in the Bible, “To obey is better than sacrifice ” (1 Samuel 15:22). In our church and in our interactions with others, do we only want to be “good people” in front of others? Or are we willing to obey God’s command and convey God’s words exactly the way God had spoken them? We should not say what is preferable to the ears of others, but what God wants us to say. Orders are to be followed, not negotiated. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). When you carry out God’s order, you may be afraid or discouraged, but God said to you, “Do not be afraid.” God will be with us! He will guide us on the track He had set for us.

  ”But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Our God does care about what is fitting and orderly. We cannot just talk about love and the Holy Spirit in our church and ignore the rules and orders. There was an article titled “12 Signs of a Mediocre Church” in The Christian Post on 15, June, 2015. It instructs us to break away from and rise above mediocre as a church, and to become a church of excellence that truly reveres God. This is echoing what Joshua 16 teaches us. We must learn to see God’s will from the weakness of the Ephraim.

2015/11/12 Message by Elder Yeh