Manna issue 83 - Moses Returns to Egypt (II) 摩西回到埃及 (II)
What does it mean to be a son
of God?
成為神子的意思到底為何？
Adapted from sermons
by Aun-Quek Chin—Singapore
節錄自新加坡 陳恩國傳道講道
MY SON, MY FIRSTBORN 我的兒子，我的長子
We know God’s fearsome command
to Moses before he left for Egypt to
free his Hebrew brothers:
我們都知道，在摩西離開往埃及地，
去釋放自已希伯來民族的弟兄之前，
這是神給摩西大而可畏的命令：
“When you go back to Egypt, see
that you do all those wonders before
Pharaoh which I have put in your
hand. But I will harden his heart, so
that he will not let the people go.
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus
says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My
firstborn. So I say to you, let My son
go that he may serve Me. But if you
refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill
your son, your firstborn.”’”
(Ex 4:21–23)
21耶和華對摩西說：你回到埃及的時候，
要留意將我指示你的一切奇事行在法老面前。
但我要使（或作：任憑；下同）他的心剛硬，他必不容百姓去。
22你要對法老說：耶和華這樣說：
以色列是我的兒子，我的長子。
23我對你說過：容我的兒子去，好事奉我。
你還是不肯容他去。看哪，我要殺你的長子。
(出 4：21-23)
These words, solemn and
threatening as they are, are strangely
comforting. They show a Father
willing to do anything to rescue a
cherished child, willing even to trade
life for life. With this, we come to the
main theme of what we can learn from
the story of Moses as he journeyed
back to the land of his youth in order
to redeem and restore God’s chosen
people: sonship.
這些話就其本身而言，很嚴肅，很具威脅性，
奇怪的是很讓人安慰
這些話表示，父親願意付出任何代價，
拯救自已疼愛的小孩，
甚至願意一命換一命。
因為這裡的故事，接下來所要討論的主題，
就是我們要從摩西的故事中，來學習其中的教訓，
就是他回歸年少時期之地，
為要拯救神的選民，讓他們從新恢復：兒子的名份。
Sonship is a major theme in
Christianity. Jesus is the Son of God
(Mt 3:17), and so are we. From the
moment we rise, new and restored,
the waters of our baptism still fresh
on our skins, God becomes our
Father and we join a global family
of brothers and sisters. A family, true
and eternal, awaits us at the doors
of our redemption. With this comes
certain things that we must always
remember—reminders that God also
saw fit to give to Moses just before
he departed to perform one of God’s
greatest works. Let us explore them.
在基督教中，兒子名份是一個主要的議題。
耶穌是神的兒子，
(太 3：17)
而且我們也是神的兒子。
我們從水底站起來的那時刻開始，
就已經是新造恢復的人，
而我們洗禮的活水，仍一直潔淨我們的表皮，
神成為我們的父親，
我們進入了一個全球弟兄姐妹的大家庭。
成為一家人之後，是真實的，是永遠的，
是我們得救之後，一開始就會得到的。
因為有這個恩典，
就有一些事情，我們一定要記得-
要提醒我們，在摩西正要離開，
執行神給她一個最偉大的任務之一之前，
神也認為給摩西這些事情，是很好的。
讓我們來探討這些：
BELIEVE IN YOUR SONSHIP 相信自已兒子的名份
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh,
‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My
son, My firstborn.”’” (Ex 4:22)
22你要對法老說：耶和華這樣說：以色列是我的兒子，我的長子。
(出 4：22)
This verse captures one of the
greatest moments in man’s history.
Here we have God, the Elohim, the
Alpha and the Omega, squaring off
against Pharaoh—in his time quite
possibly the most powerful man on
earth, with an army at his command
that could make the earth tremble
beneath them. And God is telling
the man who thought he could
have everything he wanted—who
was used to getting everything he
wanted—that some things he simply
cannot have. In this instance, he had
no claim over God’s children.
這個經節，抓住了人類歷史中，
最偉大時刻的其中之一。
這裡我們看到了有神，Elohim神，
創始成終的救主，擺出戰鬥狀態對抗法老 -
在他的時代中， 很有可能法老是地上最有權力的人，
他有一隻軍隊隨時待命，可以讓他們腳下的地土顫抖。
而神告訴這個自認為可以擁有一切的人 -
過去通常他可以得到任何想要的東西 -
神告訴他一些他不能擁有的東西。
在這個事件中，他對神的百姓，是沒有任何所有權的。
Herein lies the first thing we can
learn from God’s words to Moses.
Being a son of God means that we
belong to no other. We are liberated
from worldly dominion and all the
fear, pressure and sinfulness that
come with it. We are, fully and
always, God’s children. Simple as this
is to understand, it can be difficult to
faithfully hold on to over time. This
conviction is tested by the numerous
problems that we constantly face in
our personal lives. How is it possible,
we ask bitterly, that the supposed
sons and daughters of the eternal
God could be suffering so harshly and
so unrelentingly? This may even cross
the mind of our unbelieving friends,
who watch with pity as we Christians
languish in our troubles while we
weep in our prayers, begging for
just a little reprieve. Fundamentally,
it can be hard to believe, much less
confidently declare to our unbelieving
neighbors, that we are the treasured
sons of God when it too often seems
that we have been left as orphans,
alone and defenseless in the vast
wilderness of the world. What does
the Bible have to say on this?
從神對摩西所說的話中，
這裡有我們可以學習的第一件事。
成為神的兒女，代表的意思就是，
我們不屬於任何人。
我們從世上的掌握之中，得到了釋放，
並且也從其中的恐懼，壓力和罪惡的事，得到釋放。
我們完完全全，永遠都是神的子女。
要了解這件事，是很簡單的，
但要有信心堅守一段時間，就可能很困難。
這樣堅定的信仰，會受到無數問題的考驗，
而這些問題卻是我們在平常生活中，時常會遇到的。
我們會很痛苦的問著，怎麼可能，
身為永生神的兒女，卻要忍受這麼嚴厲和無情的苦難？
甚至可能會讓那些我們未信主的友人，有過這個念頭，
而他們以同情的心看著我們基督徒在困難中受折磨，
而我們流著淚不斷禱告，求神給我們一點小小的休息。
基本上，這很難相信，
沒有辨法向未信的鄰舍佈道，向他們說，
我們是神寶貝的子女，
而大部份的時候，我們看起來就像是，
我們是被遺棄的孤兒，孤孤單單，毫無方法保護自已，
身處在世界的曠野中。
對於這一點，聖經有什麼要說的呢？
There is a pattern that recurs
throughout the Bible. In every story,
in every lesson and parable, there
is a sense that faith, worship and
sonship are all processes. And while
it may seem that God is faint and
inconspicuous in the midst of our
daily lives, the Bible tells us that we
can be sure that God will be there at
the end, waiting to receive us into a
greater glory. So reads Revelation
1:6–7: “[To Him who] has made
us kings and priests to His God and
Father, to Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He
is coming with clouds, and every eye
will see Him, even they who pierced
Him. And all the tribes of the earth
will mourn because of Him. Even so,
Amen.”
在聖經裡面，有一個模式一直循環。
在每一個故事，教訓，和比喻中，
有一種感覺，信心，敬拜和兒子的名份，不過是都是過程而已。
雖然看起來，神是在我們的日常生活中，是模模糊糊，一點也不明顯，
聖經告訴我們，神會同在直到最後，
等待著接我們進入極大的榮耀中。
所以，我們來看看啟示錄一章6-7節：
6又使我們成為國民，作他父神的祭司。
但願榮耀、權能歸給他，直到永永遠遠。阿們！
7看哪，他駕雲降臨！眾目要看見他，連刺他的人也要看見他；
地上的萬族都要因他哀哭。這話是真實的。阿們！
(啟 1：6-7)
From being sons and daughters
on earth, to kings and priests in
heaven—that is God’s promise to us.
This idea of there being a process, an
evolution, to our Christianity and this
assurance of our vindication means
one important thing. It means that we
have to do more than merely possess
our sonship, we have to believe in
it and work at it. When God chose
to call the people of Israel His sons,
He was telling Moses, Pharaoh, and
all the Israelites who would hear of
this that slavery was not their true
calling, Egypt not their true home,
and Pharaoh not their true lord. God
was telling them that they were only
pilgrims, that there was somewhere
else they needed to be, and there was
work to be done to get there. The
same is true for us today. We are not
promised a quiet and uninterrupted
life in the Egypts and Babylons of the
world. We are promised hardship and
toil. For we are pilgrims, making our
long and arduous way to the promised
land, where our Father stands ready
to greet us as sons and heirs.
從地上的兒女，變成天國的君王和祭司 -
這就是神對我們的應許。
但這個想法，卻有一個過程，
對我們所信的基督教，還有我們被赦免的確信，
就是一種進化，也是一件重要的事。
這表示，我們要付出的更多，而不是單單具有兒子的名份而已，
我們要深深相信基督教，並且把所有基督教的要求實行出來。
當神要揀選以色列百姓成為自已的子女時，
祂告訴了摩西，法老和所有有聽到的以色列人，
以色列人受到呼召並不是要成為奴隸，
埃及也不是以色列人真正的家鄉，
法老不是以色列人真正的主人。
神告訴他們，以色列人不過是旅行者，
他們要去某個地方，要去那裡，需要作一些工作。
對今日的我們而言，這也是真的。
我們被應許的，不是一種安安靜靜，不用解說的生活，
就存活在世界的埃及和巴比倫之中。
我們得到的應許，是艱難和勞苦。
因為我們只是過客，要走過漫長費力的旅程到應許之地，
在那裡，天父已經站好了，
要面對兒子及繼承人的方式，來招呼我們。
TO SIGH AND WANDER 神蹟奇事
On the topic of the Christian son
and his trials, we can learn another
valuable lesson from God’s counsel to
Moses.
一討論到基督教兒子名份，
及基督教會遇到試煉的主題，
我們可以從神對摩西的勸告中，
可以學到另一個珍貴的課程。
We read in Exodus 4:21 of God’s
famous guarantee to Moses that He
would “harden [Pharaoh’s] heart, so
that he will not let the people go.”
This passage continues to puzzle
many first-time, and even veteran,
readers. Why, if God truly wanted to
free His people through Moses, would
He deliberately sabotage Moses’
efforts? While there are various and
meaningful answers to this question,
we will look at one of them which
sheds light on what it means to be a
son of God today.
我們在出埃及記四章21節讀到，
這是神很出名，對摩西的保証，
21但我要使（或作：任憑；下同）他的心剛硬，他必不容百姓去。
(出 4：21)
這段經節繼續為難許多第一次的讀者，
而且甚至老手也會覺得很困難。
為什麼這麼說呢？
若神真的要透過摩西的手，來釋放祂的百姓，
難道祂會故意破壞摩西的努力？
雖然對於這個問題，有許多各式各樣，很有意義的回應，
我們就要來探討其中一個有意義的回應，
而這個回應，對於今日神的子女所代表的真正意義，真正顯明出來。
God allowed Pharaoh’s heart to
harden because He wanted Moses
and the Israelites to understand that
being sons of God did not entail
a trouble-free life. Under God’s
direction, Moses would perform a
whole slew of miracles, but even until
the very end, these were not enough
to sway Pharaoh’s will. God told them
that Pharaoh would be stubborn and
difficult, but the sons of God are not
apathetic and lazy. The ten plagues
were impressive, yes, but the Israelites
also had to fight off despair at every
turn and preserve an inner optimism
that was quickly losing faith in itself,
and worse, God. Armies of locusts and
streams of blood filled the streets of
Egypt, but one of the most significant
battles was waged by the will of every
Israelite, who had to stand behind
Moses as he did the will of the Lord.
神讓法老的心變得剛硬，
因為祂要摩西和以色列人了解，
身為神的子女，並沒有包含沒有問題的生活。
在神的指引之下，摩西會執行神蹟的整體紐轉，
但是甚至到最後的時候，
這樣的力道卻不足以動搖法老的意志。
神告訴他們，法老會很頑固，很難處理，
但是神的子女卻不是冷漠又懶惰。
是的，十大災禍讓人特別印象深刻，
但是，以色列人也要打倒處處所出現的絕望，
保守自已內心的樂觀，雖然這種樂觀本身就很容易失去信心，
更糟的是，失去了神。
蝗蟲軍隊和血河，遍佈了埃及了街道，
但是其中一個最重要的戰役，就是由每個以色列人的意志所發起的，
他們要站在摩西的身後，而摩西正在實行神的旨意。
God wants the true church to
understand the same thing. Sonship,
as with many things, guarantees
privilege but not always pleasure.
Similar to the Israelites, salvation and
freedom lies patiently at the door, and
it is for us to reach out and take it. We
have been blessed with this promise
and privilege. But Jesus has disclosed
that the Christian would sigh and
wander in his life, just as much as he
hopes for signs and wonders. Our
problems will be as persistent and
stubborn as Pharaoh, and it is likely
that no army of frogs and locusts will
come to our rescue. But the battle
that truly wins the war against sin is
the battle the Israelites first won as
they made their exodus from Egypt. It
is the spiritual battle within.
神要真教會了解相同的事情。
兒子的名份，就像其他很多的事情一樣，
保証我們有神兒女的特權，
但卻不保証我們總是有快樂。
對以色列人也是一樣，
拯救和自由很耐心的在門口等候，
而拯救和自由也等我們去伸出手來取得。
我們已經得到祝福，有這個應許和特權。
但是耶穌已經揭露出來，
基督徒的一生，會有嘆息，並且四處游蕩，
就好像基督徒一生之中，會希望得到同樣多數量的神蹟奇事。
我們的問題，也像是法老一樣的長久及頑固，
就好像，遇到一群青蛙和蝗蟲的災禍時，
沒有人可以來得及解救一樣。
但是真正勝過罪惡的戰役，
就是以色列人出埃及，
他們第一次勝利的戰鬥。
這裡面，有屬靈的戰鬥在其中。
THE SPIRIT AND THE SON 靈與兒子
And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of His Son
into your hearts, crying out, “Abba,
Father!” Therefore you are no longer
a slave but a son, and if a son, then
an heir of God through Christ.
(Gal 4:6–7)
6你們既為兒子，神就差他兒子的靈進入你們
（原文作我們）的心，呼叫：阿爸！父！
7可見，從此以後，你不是奴僕，乃是兒子了；
既是兒子，就靠著神為後嗣。
(加 4：6-7)
We have been made sons of God
by His grace. Sin had rendered us
orphans, but by grace Jesus came
to die that we may once more be
restored as sons of God.
我們因為神的恩典，而成為神的兒子。
罪導致了我們成孤兒，
但因著神的恩典，耶穌來到世上為大家而死，
因此，我們可以再一次恢復神兒子的身份。
There are three things we can learn
about the grace of our sonship.
從得到兒子名份的恩典中，
我們可以學到三件事。
Firstly, this means that we have to
pray earnestly and repentantly for the
Holy Spirit to be with us, and in us.
第一，這代表，我們要迫切悔改禱告，
求聖靈和我們同在，住在我們內心。
God has made us His sons—
“adopted” us, as the apostle Paul
puts it (Rom 8:15–17)—so we are
His heirs, made manifest by the Holy
Spirit who testifies of His presence
in us and of Jesus who reconciled us
to our Father. The Holy Spirit is an
indispensable part of our spiritual
sonship. He not only testifies of our
salvation (Eph 1:13–14), but also
serves as a powerful daily reminder
that we are blessed beneficiaries of an
undeserved and boundless grace.
神已經讓我們成為祂的子女 -
"接納收養"我們，
就如同使徒保羅這麼說 -
(羅 8：15-17)
所以我們成為神的繼承人，
由聖靈顯明出來，
聖靈會作見証，神和我們同在，
也為耶穌作見証，耶穌讓我們與天父和好。
聖靈是我們屬靈兒子名份，不可或缺的一部份。
聖靈不僅作見証，我們會得拯救，
(弗 1：13-14)
而且聖靈也作為每天提醒我們的角色，
我們受祝福，是這個本來不應得，廣大無邊恩典的受益者。
While this sounds very pleasing in
theory, the less glamorous part dawns
upon us when it comes to actually
praying for the Holy Spirit. For most
of us, receiving the Holy Spirit was
a long and, sometimes, wearying
struggle. Long nights, swollen knees,
clammy palms and parched throats—
many of us have experienced these in
the process. Beyond the body, what is
the best spirit to have when we pray
for the Holy Spirit? When we pray
for the Spirit, we should pray as more
than a believer, a Christian, or church
member. We should pray as a son—a
son of God. We must believe in God’s
promise, and its fulfillment, as the
birthright of the children of God.
Above all, we must never forget that
God wants us to receive His Spirit.
With this knowledge, we can be
confident when we bend our knees
and bow our heads, knowing that
we are sons reaching out to grasp an
inheritance that is already ours.
理論上來看，這聽起來很有趣，
當我們要真求聖靈的時候，
我們就會遇到那些不那麼讓人興奮的部份。
對我們大部份的人而言，
求聖靈，是一條又漫長，又疲累的爭鬥之路。
漫長的夜晚，跪到腫起來的膝蓋，
流滿了手汗的雙手，乾渴的喉嚨 -
在求聖靈的過程，我們許多人都有同樣的經驗。
除了肉體上的準備之外，
當我們要求聖靈的時候，
要保持什麼樣子的心態才是最好的呢？
當我們求聖靈的時候，
不是以一個信徒，基督徒，或教會成員的態度來禱告而已，
而是要以更深入的心態和認知來禱告。
我們要以兒子的身份來禱告 - 是神的兒子。
我們一定要相信神的應許，並且相信應許以後會成就，
就像是我們得到神兒子名份一樣的相信。
畢竟，我們一定不能忘記，
神希望我們得到聖靈。
有了這樣的認知，
當我們彎下膝蓋，低下頭的時候，就會有信心，
因為知道我們都是神的兒女，
要伸出手來抓住那一份已經屬於我們的資產。
FIRSTBORN 長子
Interestingly, God does not just
declare Israel His son. He goes on
to emphasize to Moses that Israel
is His firstborn. From this, we learn
the second point about the grace
of sonship: God greatly esteems His
people, and while most of us True
Jesus Church (TJC) Christians might
not be of the original chosen, we are
now, by God’s grace, His spiritual sons
and are each of utmost importance to
Him. The elder Peter describes us as
those “who once were not a people
but are now the people of God, who
had not obtained mercy but now have
obtained mercy” (1 Pet 2:10).
有趣的是，神不只宣佈以色列人是祂的兒女。
祂繼續向摩西強調，以色列人是祂的長子。
從這一點來看，我們可以從兒子名份這個主題中，
學習到第二點：
神大大的敬重自已的百姓，
然而我們大部份真耶穌教會的基督徒，
並不是原本就被神揀選的，但現在我們已經被神揀選了，
因著神的恩典，成為祂屬靈的兒女，
我們每一個人，都對神是最重要的。
彼得長老描寫我們，就像是，
10你們從前算不得子民，現在卻作了神的子民；從前未曾蒙憐恤，現在卻蒙了憐恤。
(彼前 2：10)
We were once orphans. A long time
ago, humanity had turned away from
God through unrepentant sin. We
had disqualified ourselves from God’s
goodness. Peter’s simple before and-
after formulation tersely drives
the message home: because, and
only because, God’s mercy and love
for us could cover all our sins, we
Gentile believers have the chance to
participate in His great salvation plan.
Not just that, we need to embody the
grace we have been given and spread
the good news of our salvation, for we
are not merely members, but active
emissaries, warriors, and ministers of
God and His kingdom. Which is why
Peter declares: “But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, His own special people, that
you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). We
were once lost stragglers on earth,
but God’s grace has made us pilgrims
on our way to heaven.
我們曾經是孤兒。
很久以前，因為沒有對自已的罪有所悔改，
人類已經離開了神。
我們自已已經失去的資格，不能得到神的良善。
彼得對於這個前後關係的簡單公式，
充份簡潔的表達了這個想法：
因為，只因為，神對我們的憐憫和慈愛，
可以遮掩一切的罪惡，
我們外邦人才有機會，來加入神偉大的救贖計劃。
不只是這樣，我們需要把自已得到的恩典，再具體化出來，
把我們得到拯救的福音傳揚出去，
因為我們不只有信徒的身份而已，
而是神和天國的使者，戰士，和事奉的僕人。
這也是為何彼得會大聲宣揚：
9惟有你們是被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭司，
是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民，
要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
(彼前 2：9)
我們在地上，曾經是一個迷失的局外人，
但神的恩典已經讓我們成為一個，
有資格走向天國的朝聖者。
Although we should be proud of our
Christian status, God does not want
us to merely luxuriate in our salvation,
but rather obey our noble commission
to be world-changers—to preach the
gospel, fight for the weak, and be an
example to others that they might see
the beauty of what it means to be a
son of God.
雖然我們應該要以自已基督徒的身份，感到驕傲，
神不希望我們得到拯救之後，卻只是沉溺在奢華之中，
反而要順服自已高尚的責任，成為一個改變世界的人 -
去傳揚福音，幫助軟弱的人，成為別人的榜樣，
使別人可以看見，成為神子女的意義為何，
看到身為神兒女的華美。
RIGHTEOUS GRACE 公義的恩典
“So I say to you, let My son go that
he may serve Me. But if you refuse
to let him go, indeed I will kill your
son, your firstborn.” (Ex 4:23)
23我對你說過：容我的兒子去，好事奉我。
你還是不肯容他去。看哪，我要殺你的長子。
(出 4：23)
This message for Pharaoh was
delivered matter-of-factly by God.
God, the Creator and Sustainer of life,
does not treat the lives of His creation
carelessly. The stakes here must have
indeed been very high. While this is
again further evidence of the great
depth of God’s love for His son Israel,
we learn from this the third lesson
about the grace of our sonship: God’s
grace, and by extension our sonship,
is not a free pass to do whatever
we want in this lifetime. Just as
we understand that grace is not a
panacea for all our problems, we must
see also that grace does not exempt
us from the consequences of God’s
righteousness.
這個訊息，實際上是神要傳給法老的。
神，祂是生命的創造者，以及維持生命的神，
不會隨意對待祂所創造出來的生命。
這裡所面對的風險，一定真的很大。
而再一次，這是更進一步，
証明了神對祂的兒子，以色列人的疼愛，是有多麼的高深，
從這裡，我們可以學到，得到兒子名份這個恩典的第三個教訓：
神的恩典，藉由兒子名份的擴大，
不是在今生，我們就可以為所欲為的免死金牌。
就如同我們所了解的，
恩典並不是我們一切問題，解決方法的靈丹妙藥，
我們對一定要了解，就算了神的恩典，
也不能讓我們免除，面對神公義的後續動作。
Pharaoh certainly learned this
lesson firsthand. The Egyptian ruler
faced the full measure of God’s
wrath, motivated by the fullness of
God’s love for His people, as well as
His abhorrence of evil. People might
fall for the illusion that, as baptized
believers of God, their sins might be
judged more leniently than those
of the arrogant tyrant of a heathen
land. Nothing is further from the
truth: this myth mistakes leniency for
love. It is precisely because we have
been faithful church-going hearers
and practitioners of the word that
God holds us to a higher standard.
Blessed with the truth of salvation,
the presence of the Holy Spirit, and
the guidance of the true church, TJC
Christians are, to borrow from Paul,
“without excuse” (Rom 1:20).
法老一開始就學到這個教訓了。
這個埃及的統治者，要面對神滿滿的憤怒，
而這樣的怒氣，是神對祂兒女滿滿的疼愛所激發出來的，
就如同神非常的憎惡邪惡的事一樣。
或許有人會陷入一種幻覺，
認為只受洗成為神的信徒，
比起那些異教之地自大的暴君，
信徒犯罪就可以受到比較寬大的審判。
如果你這樣想，那就大錯特錯了：
因為這個迷失，讓人錯誤認為有愛，就一定寬大為懷。
這正是因為，我們一直以來，
都是有信心，會去教會聽道的人，
會忠實遵行，神給我們這一套更高標準的聖經。
能聽到拯救真理的人有福了，
有聖靈同在的人有福了，
有真教會帶領的人有福了，
但若藉用保羅所說的話，
真耶穌教會的基督徒，是"沒有任何藉口的"。
(羅 1：20)
Have we repented? This question
has nagged at and irritated many
a conscience-pricked Christian. But
it is a question worth repeating
because our response matters. God
is not looking for perfect sons who
live perfect lives. He knows we were
once orphans, unsure of where we
belonged, or where we were headed.
And God knows that even after we
have come to Him, some of us might
still be searching. What God seeks,
therefore, are sons who, although
human and bound to stray, know
deep in their hearts that in God they
have a Father, and in the church and
heaven, a home. God has given us
time to find our spiritual rest. We
must seize it before that time, along
with our salvation, passes us by.
我們有悔改嗎？
這個問題一直煩惱著良心不安的基督徒，
有很多人更是覺得很生氣。
但是這個問題卻值得一再重覆提出來，
而且因為我們怎麼回應這個問題，是關重大。
神要的不是已經很完美的兒女，
他們已經過著完美的生活了。
神知道我們曾經是孤兒，不確定自已的歸屬，
也不知道自已要往那裡去。
而神知道，甚至在我們已經來到祂身旁之後，
我們有些人或許仍然在尋找。
所以，雖然人類一定會走偏，
但神所要尋找的兒女，在他們的內心深知，
在神的國度中，他們有一位父親，
在教會和天國裡，有他們的家。
神一直給我們時間，來找到自已屬靈的歸宿。
當我們得到拯救的時候，在那時間經過我們之前，
好好抓住它。
HUSBAND OF BLOOD 血郎
After Moses set off for Egypt, it was
not long before drama found him
again. This remarkable incident spans
only three verses (Ex 4:24–26), but it
tells us the final lesson we ought to
know about our sonship. God does
not treat promises lightly—just as
He keeps all His covenants, so does
He expect His children to be faithful
to the promise of our election and
salvation.
當摩西出發往埃及去之後，
不久之後，他又發生了事情。
這個非常著名的事件，前後經節只用了3個經節。
(出 4：24-26)
但是這個經節告訴我們，最後一個教訓，
我們都應該認知到自已有兒子的名份。
神並不會輕易的對待祂的應許 -
就如同祂會遵守自已一切的約定，
同樣的，祂也希望自已的子女，
會忠於所得到揀選和拯救的應許。
Many things must have weighed
heavy on Moses’ mind. It seemed
like the fate of an entire nation
rested on his shoulders, and what
stood between him and his mission
was one of the mightiest kings and
his armies. Moses’ wife, Zipporah,
similarly, had her plate full. An abrupt
departure to embark on an uncertain
journey to a strange land must have
been challenging, to say the least. Is
it possible, then, to pardon these two
unsettled parents for not circumcising
their child? No, was God’s fearsome
reply. The Bible draws a stark picture:
God wanted to “kill” Moses for his
negligence. Why?
在摩西的心中，一定要很多事情感覺很重要。
看起來，整個國家命運的重擔，都放在他的肩膀上，
在站在他與使命的中間，
就是其中一個最偉大的君王及他的眾多軍兵。
摩西的妻子，西坡拉，同樣地，
也有她自已滿滿的苦惱。
突然間就要離開家，去開始一個不確定的旅程，
到一個奇怪的土地去，退一步來看，這件事一定很有挑戰。
那麼，有沒有可能需要去原諒這二位不安的父母，
因為他們忘了去為自已的孩子行割禮呢？
不可能，就是神那另人大而可畏的回答。
聖經畫出了一張很清晰的畫面：
因為摩西的疏忽，神就想要"殺"了摩西。
為什麼呢？
The age of Abraham was a long
time ago. Circumcision, the mark of
God’s sons, was similarly ancient. But
God loved His sons and wanted them
to be a separate people, a holy people.
God would not allow the passage of
time to dilute His love for His people,
and their faithfulness to His word. In a
way, this was an act of assurance for
Moses. I have made you a promise,
God was telling Moses, and I keep my
promises—you will free My people
from Egypt and be their leader.
亞伯拉罕的年代，已經是很久遠之前了。
行割禮，是作為神兒女的記號，也同樣成為很古老的儀式。
但神很愛自已的兒女，想要他們成為獨居的民，聖潔的國度。
神並不允許，隨著時間的流逝，而沖淡了祂對自已百姓的疼愛，
且希望百姓可以完全遵守神的話。
在某種程度上，對摩西而言，這是一個確認的行動。
我已經給你應許了，
神這樣告訴摩西，
而且我們遵守我的承諾 -
你可以讓我們的百姓離開埃及，作他們的領導者。
To Christians today, the message
is the same. The Bible tells us again
and again that we are treasured sons
and heirs of God, destined for an
inheritance that surpasses all things.
We are told also that to qualify we
must truly believe in our Christian
convictions, and truly be, in our daily
lives, a son of God. God has shown
us, with Moses as an example, that
He cares very much about how we
live up to our titles as His sons. God
remembers His sons.
今日的基督徒，這個訊息是相同的。
聖經一次又一次的告訴我們，
我們是神寶貝的兒女，是天國產業的繼承人，
命運註定會擁有可以繼承一切，
而這個繼承會比一切都更好。
我們也被告知，為了能真正得到資格，
就一定要相信自已有確信基督徒的信念，
在我們的日常生活中，真正相信，自已是神的兒子。
神已經表明讓我們知道，
就像摩西這個例子一樣，
神很關心我們會如何活出自已身為神兒女的身份。
神都記得自已的兒女。
CONCLUSION 結論
Sometimes, it may be hard to see what
the fuss is all about. Sons, priests, the
chosen, the elect—so many titles, but
what do they all mean? Why are they
so important? Moses showed us. He
was an ordinary Hebrew, a shepherd,
a husband, and a father. He no
longer held any titles of significance.
But Moses learned what it meant to
be a son of God, even before God
created the appointment for us. Our
sonship is the Holy Spirit within us—
the Spirit of trust in God’s deliverance,
the Spirit of endurance, the Spirit of
faithfulness. Today, God welcomes
anyone willing to receive and be led
by this Spirit to be part of His glorious
family. He is calling for His sons. It is
time to respond.
有時候，或許很難可以看清，
這一切的忙亂到底是為了什麼。
身為神的子女，神的祭司，
是被揀選，是被選上的 - 有很多的頭銜，
但是這些頭銜到底是什麼意思？
為何這些頭銜是這麼的重要？
摩西的角色告訴我們。
祂是一個普通的希伯來人，一位牧羊人，
一個丈夫，一位父親的角色。
後來他不再保有任何重要頭銜。
但是摩西已經學會，成為神兒女真正的意思，
甚至在神給我們留下任何約定之前。
我們兒子的名份，就是聖靈住在我們心中 -
這是相信神會拯救的聖靈，
這是讓人有忍耐力的聖靈，
這是讓人會對神忠心的聖靈。
今日，神很歡迎任何會願意接受祂的人，
會願意讓聖靈來帶領的人，
讓這些人可以成為他榮耀家庭的一份子。
神正在呼召自已的子女。
現在就要大家要回應神的時刻了。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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