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Manna issue 79 - On the Front Line (III) Knowing and Serving Our Commander 站在前線 (I) - 認識主，服從指揮官

Here am I, send me! 我在這裡，請差遣我！


Adapted from lectures by Vuthy Nol-Mantia—Dallas, USA

節錄自美國達拉斯 Vuthy Nol-Mantia 傳導講道

There are several prerequisites we must have in order to fight effectively on the front line. First, we must clearly
understand and establish our identity as soldiers of Christ. Second, we need to understand the formidable enemy we
face. In this final installment, we focus on how we can better know and serve our mighty Commander.

為了在前線有效的爭戰，我們一定要具備某些預備。
第一，我們一定要了解，建立自已的認知，知道自已是基督精兵。
第二，我們一定要認識所面對的可怕敵人。
最後，我們集中在如何更了解及服從我們大能的指揮官

 
NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER 不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能

The simplistic storyline in many action
movies is about how the lone tough
and courageous hero ultimately
overcomes all odds and enemies,
almost single-handedly saving his
people and country. However, it
does not work this way in real life.
Overcoming difficulties and winning
battles often result from collective
effort. All the more, when we fight
on the spiritual front line, we do not
“wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of
this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places”
(Eph 6:12), it would be certain disaster
and death if we were to trust and rely
only on ourselves. The human fighting
spirit—no matter how valiant—does
not suffice; we must be filled with the
Spirit of God.

若是簡單來分析許多動作電線的故事鋪陳，
就是有一個堅忍又充滿勇氣的主角，獨自一人最後克服了許多困難和敵人，
幾乎是單槍匹馬就拯救了他的國民和國家。
然而，在真實生活中，並不是這樣子的。
能夠克服困難，得到勝利，時常時不斷累積努力的結果。
不僅如此，當我們在屬靈的前線爭戰的時候，
12因我們並不是與屬血氣的爭戰（原文作摔跤；下同），
乃是與那些執政的、掌權的、管轄這幽暗世界的，以及天空屬靈氣的惡魔爭戰。(弗 6：12)
若我們只信賴，並且只依靠自已，就會有某種程度的災難和死傷。
以人類的身軀來與屬靈的事物爭戰 - 不論我們是如何的英勇 - 都不足夠勝任；
我們一定要被神的聖靈所充滿。

However, even as we strive, Satan
is working tirelessly to deceive the
soldiers of Christ. In order to protect
ourselves from his deception, we
must have the mind of Christ. Try as
we may to have the mind of Christ,
setting ourselves resolutions to be
closer to God, Satan will do even more
to dissuade us. He will tempt us with
secular attractions and appointments,
occupying us so fully that we seem
to have little time left for God. For
example, immediately after a spiritual
convocation or church camp, when
we feel spiritually-recharged, we
enthusiastically set ourselves a target
of waking up early to pray for an hour.
However, when we want to actually
implement it, we find that things
crop up. Either we oversleep or we
get a call from friends to meet. Then
over time, the initial resolve to have
a longer and deeper communication
with God wanes and disappears.

然而，即使我們努力，撒旦仍然毫無厭倦地作工，想要欺騙基督精兵。
為了保護我們自已不要受到他的欺騙，我們一定要有基督的心志。
我們儘可能地要有基督的心志，立下決心要親近神，而撒旦則甚至會作更多的事情來阻止我們。
他會用世俗美好和約定來引誘我們，想辨法佔滿我們的一切，讓我們看起來好像很少有時間留給神。
例如，在靈恩會或教會的講習會之後立刻開始，當我們覺得靈性得到充電, 
我們很熱心地立下了目標，要早起禱告1小時。
然而，當我們真正要付諸實現這個計劃的時候，我們會發現事情會突然出現。
不是我們睡過頭，就是我們接到朋友要見面的電話。
然後一段時間之後，起初的決心要和神有更長久和更深入的交通，消退不見了。

UNDERSTANDING GOD THROUGH
A HUMAN LENS IS IMPOSSIBLE

用人的眼睛要了解神是不可能的

Another weakness of man that Satan
exploits is man’s desire to dissect God
and understand who He is in our
own limited ways. This is tantamount
to trying to bring God down from
heaven. The danger of adopting this
rationalist approach to our faith often
means that if we cannot understand
God, our faith falls apart.

魔鬼所運用另一個弱點，就是用人的慾望來分析神，用我們自已有限的方式來認識祂。
這就相當於想把神從天上帶下來。
採用這種理性主義者方法，來認識自已的信仰的危險，時常就代表了，若我們不能了解神，信仰就崩潰。

The Bible—God’s revelation of
Himself—is very clear about God’s
nature and His love. However,
with natural human curiosity and
logic, we can think of many other
questions about God which appear
unanswerable. The Scriptures remind
us that, “[the] secret things belong to
the LORD our God, but those things
which are revealed belong to us and
to our children forever, that we may
do all the words of this law” (Deut
29:29). This means there are things
about God that we will not be able
to understand because of our limited
human minds. Let us just consider
this: if we were indeed able to know
everything about God, would we not
be equal to or even superior to God?

聖經 - 是神祂自已的啟示 - 是非常明白說明祂的本性和祂付出的愛。
然而，用人類自然產生的好奇心和推理方式，我們可以想到許多有關神的其他問題，但卻又無法得到解釋。
聖經提醒我們，
"29隱祕的事是屬耶和華─我們神的；惟有明顯的事是永遠屬我們和我們子孫的，好叫我們遵行這律法上的一切話。"(申 29：29)
這裡的意思就是，有許多有關神的事情是我們所不能了解的，因為我們人類的頭腦是有限制的。
讓我們單單這麼想，若我們真的可以了解有關神的任何事，我們難道不會和神同等，或是更加優秀嗎？

To reiterate, God is not a specimen
that we can put under the microscope
and can understand with our human
intellect. For example, the Bible may
tell us that “God’s eyes are upon us”
(Ps 33:18) or that “the Lord regretted
[His actions]” (Gen 6:6). We should
not interpret the former literally as
evidence that God’s eyes function like
ours. Nor try to imagine or speculate
about what God’s eyes are like. In the
latter example, we should not infer
from God’s regret that He can make
mistakes, and is thus “imperfect.”
As another example, God describes
Himself as a jealous God (Ex 20:5,
34:14). It would be wrong to interpret
His feelings as the same type of
corrosive jealousy that human beings
feel.

再重申一次，神並不是一個樣本，讓我們可以放在顯微鏡下觀察，或是用我們人類有限的智慧可以了解的。
例如：聖經可能告訴我們："耶和華的眼目看顧敬畏他的人"(詩 33：18)，或是
"耶和華就後悔[祂的行為]"(創 6：6)。
我們不應該把前面一句造著字面解釋，認為這就是一種証據說神眼睛的功能就像我們的一樣。
也不要試著去想像，或推測有關神的眼睛是像什麼東西。
在後面的例子，我們不應該從神的後悔來推斷，祂也會犯錯，因此祂是"不完全的"。
又如同另一個例子，神形容祂自已是一個有忌妒心的神。(出 20：5，34：14)
去解釋說，祂的情感，就像人類情感一樣的類型，是有侵蝕性的忌妒心，這就是錯誤。

In essence, we need to have a
strong simple faith as our foundation.
We must thoroughly know our basic
beliefs and what we have to do in
order to be saved. It is good to also
be thoughtful and analytical about
our doctrines and know the Bible
very well. After all, the word of God
is a double-edged sword (Heb 4:12),
which can help us battle on the
evangelism front line. But do not fall
prey to Satan’s temptation to view
God through the human lens.

本質上，我們要有一個堅強又簡單的信心，成為我們的根基。
我們一定要完全認識我們的基本信條，我們一定要作什麼，才可以得救。
若是可以認真思考，或是分析了解我們的教義，學好聖經的知識也是好的。
畢竟，神的話是兩面的劍，(來 4：12)可以在福音工作的前線上幫助我們爭戰。
但是不要陷入撒旦的引誘，成為獵物，用人類的角度來看神。

UNDERSTANDING OUR
COMMANDER ON HIS TERMS

用他的角度來了解我們的指揮官

There are, however, several things that
our God does want us to understand
about Him.

然而，有許多事情是我們的神希望我們可以了解祂的事

He Is an Awesome God Who
Surpasses All Things

祂是可畏的神，超過萬事萬物

In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
high and lifted up, and the train of
His robe filled the temple. (Isa 6:1)
This verse depicts two contrasting
kings. One was King Uzziah—an
earthly king who died. The other was
the LORD, the glorious king who will
never die. This is the almighty God
we worship and serve today. He is the
Creator of the heavens and the earth,
whose throne is high and lifted up far
above puny man. Yet He is willing to
reveal Himself to us (Jn 14:9) and to
first love us. We are blessed indeed.

6當烏西雅王崩的那年，我見主坐在高高的寶座上。他的衣裳垂下，遮滿聖殿。(賽 6。1)
這個經節說明了二個對比非常大的君王。
其中一個王是烏西雅王 - 是一個地上的王，最後死去。
另一個王是救主，是一個很有榮耀的王，他永遠不會死去。
這就是我們今日敬拜和服事的神，祂滿有大能。
祂是天上和地下的造物主，祂的寶座高高在天，遠遠高過微不足道的人類。
然而，祂卻願意向我們顯明祂自已(約 14：9)，願意一開始就愛我們。
我們真的很受祝福。

If we want to know more about
Him, we must enter through the
door that He opens (Rev 4:1–2).
On four occasions listed in the Book
of Revelation, Elder John was in the
Spirit of the Lord. And each time, God
revealed great things to him. Hence,
the best way to know God is to be in
the Spirit, i.e., by praying and reading
His word.

若我們想要更了解祂，我們一定要進入祂所打開的門。(啟 4：1-2)
在啟示錄記載，約翰長老有四次機會，被主的靈所充滿。
而且每一次，神都向祂啟祂了很大的事情。
因此，認識神最好的方法，就是要被聖靈充滿，也就是說，要一直禱告，一直讀聖經。

Elder John also saw a throne set in
heaven, and One (the King), sat on
the throne, a throne of judgment. This
is a reminder to us to be careful and
always reverent towards our almighty
and awesome God. Importantly,
when we serve God in church, we do
not elevate ourselves to the throne.
There can only be ONE on the throne,
and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

約翰長老也看見一個設立在天上的寶座，並且有一個(君王)，坐在寶座之上，這是審判的寶座。
這就是對我們的一種提醒，要很小心，時常敬畏我們萬能的和令人可畏的神。
重要地是，當我們在教會服事神的時候，不要抬高自已到寶座上。
只能只有一位可以坐在寶座上，而那一位就是我們的主耶穌基督。

He Is a Just and Holy God 祂是一個公義聖潔的神

Many people like to believe that
God is love and thus He will save
everyone. Regrettably, these people
have overlooked the other aspects
of God, namely, that God is holy and
just. If God was not just, He could
have just declared Adam and Eve to
have been forgiven when they sinned.
However, because God is just, if man
wants to be forgiven, he needs to be
redeemed.

許多人喜愛相信，神是愛，因此祂會拯救每個人。
令人婉惜地是，這些人已經忽略了神的其他面向，也就是說，神是同時聖潔又公義的。
若神不公義，當亞當和夏娃犯罪的時候，祂大可就宣佈繞恕他們就好。
然而，因為神是公義的，若人們想要得到赦免，他就需要被拯救。

In His love, He became the atoning
sacrifice for our sin. However, in
response to His initiative, we need
to demonstrate that action of
faith through our willingness to be
baptized for the forgiveness of sins,
and our resolution to lead a sanctified
life. Many Christians today have the
misconception that God is love and
everyone can be saved. They do not
or are not willing to see the other
side—God’s justice.

因為祂的愛，祂為了我們的罪，成了贖罪的祭品。
然而，為了對神自動自發的愛有所回應，我們要在信仰的行為上表現出來，
也就是透過願意接受洗禮而得到赦罪，並且以後決心要過著成聖的生活。
今日許多基督徒有這種誤解，認為神是愛，大家都可以被拯救。
他們不知道，也不願意去看神的另一面 - 神也有公義的一面。

In his vision, Elder John saw God
sitting on His throne of judgment.
But there was also a rainbow around
the throne (Rev 4:3); a sign of God’s
grace, mercy, and love (Gen 9:13–16).
Our God is loving and merciful but is
also just. Do not think that we can
keep sinning against God because the
loving Father will forgive us infinitely;
we will definitely have to bear the
punishment!

在他的異象中，約翰長老看見神坐在祂審判的寶座上。
但圍繞著寶座的四周又有彩虹；(啟 4：3)這彩虹是神恩典．慈愛和愛的符號及象徵。(創 9：13-16)
我們的神有愛心，好憐憫，但也是公義的。
不要去想，我們可以一直犯罪得到神，因為慈愛的天父會無限制地原諒我們；
我們一定會要承受處罰的！

If we have erred and are punished,
we ought to rejoice and praise God
because He chastises those whom He
loves. But if nothing bad happens to
us, perhaps God has already given
up on us and is just allowing us to
pursue our sinful desires. God forgave
David after he sinned, but God also
punished David. David’s four children
died, his kingdom was split, and he
had no peace in his old age. When we
have transgressed, let us quickly pray
for forgiveness and turn back.

若我們犯過錯，但已經受到了處罰，我們就應該高興，並且讚美神，因為祂會珍惜那些祂所愛的人。
但是若我們沒有發生任何壞事，或許神已經放棄了我們，所以才會允許我們去追逐自已罪惡的慾望。
神在大衛犯罪之後還原諒了他，但神也處罰大衛。
大衛有四個小孩死了，他的王國分崩離析，在他年老的時候他幾乎得不到安寧。
當我們犯錯的時候，讓我們立刻來禱告祈求神的赦免，並且轉頭回歸神。

BECOMING THE SOLDIER THAT
GOD WANTS US TO BE

成為一個神所要我們成為的士兵

Also I heard the voice of the Lord,
saying: “Whom shall I send, and
who will go for Us?” Then I said,
“Here am I! Send me. (Isa 6:8)

8我又聽見主的聲音說：我可以差遣誰呢？誰肯為我們去呢？我說：我在這裡，請差遣我！
(賽 6：8)

Good soldiers must strive to be
soldiers suitable for the Commander’s
deployment. The prophet Isaiah
was already serving God. But such a
question from God to him indicates
that Isaiah was not yet the soldier
God wanted. So what was still missing
from Isaiah’s service and service
attitude? What needed renewing?

好的士兵一定會努力成為一個讓指揮官很好指揮的精兵。
以賽亞先知已經在服事神了。
但是從神而來告訴祂的一個問題指出來說，以賽亞先知仍然不是一個神想要的士兵。
那麼先知以賽亞的服事和他的服事態度，到是仍缺乏什麼呢？
有什麼還需要再加以更新呢？

Know that Service to the Lord Is Eternal

知道服事主是永遠的

In Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah highlighted the
contrast between God and other,
earthly kings. On the one hand
was King Uzziah—an earthly king
who died. On the other hand is the
LORD—heavenly king, and the
almighty God who will never die.
Serving earthly masters well may earn
us recognition and benefit. However,
when these secular individuals or
institutions pass away, so would our
privileges; any glory from academic
and career excellence we enjoy today
is also transient.

以賽亞書六章1節，以賽亞強調神和其他地上君王的最大差別。
在一邊是烏西雅王 - 是一個地上的君王最後死去。
而另一邊是主，天上的王，這個萬能的神祂永遠不會死去。
好好服事地上的主人或許會讓我們得到認同和利益。
然而，當這些世上的個體或是團體消逝的時候，同樣的情況，我們的好處特權也會跟著消失；
任何今日我們想喜歡的學術榮耀，職場上的成就，也都會過去。

In contrast, God is eternal. His
surpassing glory fills the heavens and
the earth (Isa 6:1, 3; Hab 3). Not only
is it an unmitigated honor to serve
Him, any service we render to Him,
even the smallest or most menial, has
eternal value. In the busyness of our
lives in this world, we must always
remember who our true and most
worthy Master is and what work is
most needful and deserving of priority.
Remembering this will compel us to
volunteer boldly for the front line.

相反地，神才是永恆的。
祂超凡的榮耀，充滿天上和地上。(賽 6：1，3；)
服事祂不只是一種非常燦爛的榮耀，任何我們對祂的服事，甚至是很小的事，或是最卑微的事，都有其永恆的價值。
在我們世上生活中的各種事務，我們總要記得，誰才是我們真正，且值得我們事奉的主人，什麼工作才需要去作，值得我們給予最高的優先順序。
記得這些原則，會迫使我們在前線上，勇敢的自動奉獻。

Motivated by the Love of God 被神的愛感動

Recognizing what an extreme
privilege it is to be called to serve
the Lord God is the first step. Just as
important is keeping the flame of such
zeal to serve alive. During a war, there
may be soldiers who lose motivation;
they end up deserting the army.
Understanding how much our Savior
loves us will drive us to courageously
fight, and faithfully remain, for Him
on the front line. In fact, such burning
zeal for Him will give us extraordinary
courage.

可以認知到，被呼召來服事主耶穌，是一種終極的特權和榮耀，就是開始走出第一步了。
可以繼續這種熱心的火力來活著事奉，也是很重要的。
在戰爭期間，或許有士兵失去作戰的動機；他們最後逃兵。
了解到我們的救主有多愛我們，會驅使我們大膽地去爭戰，從始至終保持忠誠，為了祂勇敢站在前線上。
事慣上，這種為祂不斷燃繞的熱心，會賜給我們特殊的勇氣。

After God gave the Ten
Commandments to His chosen
people, He also gave them the law
concerning servants. A Hebrew
servant who is bought has to serve
six years; his master then has to freely
release him in the seventh (Ex 21:2).
However, this servant has the option
of remaining with his master (Ex
21:5) if he realizes how wonderful his
master is.

神在頒佈了十誡給祂的選民之後，祂也把有關僕人的律法賜給他們。
一個被買來的希伯來僕人，要服事主人六年；然後他的主人要在第七年的時候釋放他自由。(出 21：2)
然而，這個僕人也可以選擇繼續來服事他的主人(出 21：5)，若是他認為他的主人是很棒的主人。

The Old Testament servant who
chose to remain with his master
had to undertake a physical and
permanent commitment. His ear was
pierced as the sign of the agreement,
the covenant, between him and his
master (Ex 21:6). The Lord Jesus left
us an excellent example in this respect.
Knowing that obedience pleased His
Father more than sacrifice, Jesus was
determined to do His Father’s will and
keep the latter’s law within His heart
(Ps 40:6–8; Lk 2:49; Jn 4:34, 6:38).

舊約裡面的僕人，若選擇要繼續要跟著主人，就是在肉體上留下一個永恆的印記和承諾。
會穿他的耳洞當成是，在他和主人之間有這個協議的象徵和約定。(出 21：6)
在這一方面，主耶穌也留給我們一個很好的例子。
因為他知道，順服會比犧牲更能夠讓祂的父親更高興，耶穌就決心要遵從祂父的旨意，在祂的內心裡遵守著後面的律法。
(詩 40：6-8；路 2：49；約 4：34，6：38)

When we were baptized, we made
a covenant with the Lord Jesus.
We pierced our hearts and made a
commitment to serve Him for life.
We were willing to make such a
commitment because we know that
He first loved us (2 Cor 5:14–15).
Although He is the almighty Creator
and we are far beneath Him, He
loved us enough to come to this
world, suffer and finally die for
us. Remembering this always will
motivate us to love Him in return and
give us strength to continue battling
on the front line. If we try to serve
God without truly loving Him, we will
not have the strength to persevere
through adversity.

當我們受洗之後，我們和主耶穌有了約定。
我們會刺穿自已的內心，並且許下諾言要終身來服事祂。
我們會願意作這種的承諾，是因為我們知道祂首先愛我們。(林後 5：14-15)
雖然祂是有大能的創造主，並且我們是遠遠的比祂更加微小，祂因為很愛我們，所以來到這個世界，為我們受苦，最後為了我們而死。
可以記得這些事，總會激勵我們可以用愛來回報祂，讓我們更加有力量在前線上，來繼續爭戰。
若我們想要服事神，但卻沒有真的愛祂，我們就不會有力量，在遇到患難的時候，可以堅持下去。

Emulate the Seraphim 仿效撒拉弗(天使)

Above it stood seraphim; each one
had six wings: with two he covered
his face, with two he covered his
feet, and with two he flew. (Isa 6:2)

2其上有撒拉弗侍立，各有六個翅膀：用兩個翅膀遮臉，兩個翅膀遮腳，兩個翅膀飛翔；(賽 6：2)

Cover Faces with Wings 用雙翼遮住臉

As humans, we like appreciation,
especially when we have put in a lot
of effort. Hence, on occasion, when
we are working hard for God, we may
be tempted to want others to know
about our effort. At these moments,
we must emulate the seraphim. Their
faces would have been glorious and
beautiful. But even so, they covered
their faces. They neither promoted
themselves nor their work. Their
service was completely God-centric.

身為人類，我們都喜歡自已的事可以得到別人的欣賞，
特別是當我們很用力的投入許多力氣的時候。
因此有時候，當我們努力為主工作的時候，我們或許會被引誘，想要別人也知道我們的努力。
遇到像這樣的時刻時，我們就一定要效法撒拉弗。
他們的臉上一直以來，都充滿了榮耀，並且很漂亮。
但即使是這樣，他們還是遮住了自已的臉。
他們即沒有想要提升自已的榮耀，也沒有想要讓人認為他們的工作很重要。
他們服事神是完全以主為中心。

Satan was a stark contrast (Ezek
28:11–13). He was so beautiful that
God said he had the seal of perfection.
But he did not cover his face. The
word “I” featured prominently
in his existence and service; his
overweening pride in his attributes
and achievements ultimately led to his
downfall (Isa 14:12–15).

撒旦正好是完全相反。(結 28：11-13)
他是很美麗的，甚至神說他是完美的典範。
但是他並沒有遮住自已的臉。
在描述到他的存在和事奉的時候，"我"這個字特別很明顯的被用到，
他品格中，那種唯我獨尊的驕傲，以及他的成就，最終導致他的墮落。(賽 14：12-15)

As workers of God, we must be
ever careful not to let God’s abidance
with us lead us to pride. Imagine we
had performed miracles such as Peter
and Paul had—our shadows and the
handkerchief we use could heal the
sick. Imagine that—like Elijah —our
prayer had brought down fire from
heaven. Would we be able to avoid
feeling that small sense of satisfaction
that we did it? As ministers, when we
lay hands and scores (if not hundreds)
of people receive the Holy Spirit, are
we tempted to feel vindicated that
God has chosen to perform such
mighty works through us? Do the
visions that we see make us feel that
we are an elite group to whom God
gives special gifts and revelation?

身為神的工人，我們一定女永遠很小心，不要因為有神的同在，而導致我們產生的驕傲。
假設若我們可以行為大神蹟，就像彼得和保羅以前所行的一樣 - 我們的影子或用過的手帕，可以醫治病人。
假設就像以利亞一樣 - 我們的禱告會讓天空降下火來。
我們是不是可以避免因我們所作的事，而不感覺到一點點滿意的成就感。
身為傳道工人，當我們在執行按首的時候，或是破記錄(即使不是好幾百人)，讓許多人得到聖靈，
我們是不是被引誘，會感覺到自已得到証明，神已經選擇我們來執行這樣大能的工作？
我們所看到的異象，會讓我們感覺到我們是屬於精英的團體，神給了我們特別的恩賜和啟示？

To avoid Satan’s folly and fate, we
must have the mind of Christ (Phil
2:7–10). Jesus was God Himself. But
He made Himself a weak and lowly
man. Despite being in the flesh, He
overcame the temptations that Satan
dangled before Him: the lust of the
eye, the lust of the flesh, and the
pride of life. In particular, He humbled
Himself to the point of His death on
the cross.

為了避免像撒旦一樣的愚蠢，並且走向一樣的命運，我們一定要有基督的心志。(腓 2：7-10)
耶穌就是神本身。
祂把自已降身在世上成為一個又軟弱，又卑微的人類。
雖然成為了肉身，祂克服了撒旦懸掛在祂面前的引誘：眼目的情慾，肉體的情慾，今生的驕傲。
特別是，祂謙卑自已，到最後死在十字架上的這種程度。

Before we go to the front line and
even as we battle there, cover up our
faces.

在我們往前線去之前，或甚至我們要在那裡爭戰，要掩蓋住自已的臉。

Cover Feet with Wings 用雙翼遮住腳

The seraphim covered their feet with
another two wings. In fact, angels do
not have feet (nor faces) as they are
spiritual beings. But God wanted to
emphasize to Isaiah what He wanted
to see in His servants.

撒拉弗用另外兩隻翅膀掩蓋他們的腳。
事實上，天使沒有腳(也沒有臉)，因為他們是屬靈的活物。
但神要向以賽亞強調，什麼才是祂想要從示僕人身上，看見的特質。

Bare feet leave footprints. Good
servants serve quietly and leave no
mark of their presence behind (Lk
17:7–10). Paul was gifted in so many
areas and labored tirelessly since the
day he was called to service by the
Lord, yet let us see what he says of
himself.

光著腳會留下足跡。
好的僕人會安安靜靜地服事主人，並且在其身後並不會留下任何他曾經存在的痕跡。(路 17：7-10)
保羅在許多方面都得到很多恩賜，自從他被主呼召來服事神的那一天開始，他就毫無厭倦地努力工作著，
然而讓我們來看看他是怎麼談到他自已的。

Not that I have already attained, or
am already perfected; but I press on,
that I may lay hold of that for which
Christ Jesus has also laid hold of
me. Brethren, I do not count myself
to have apprehended; but one thing
I do, forgetting those things which
are behind and reaching forward to
those things which are ahead, I press
toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Phil 3:12–14)

12這不是說我已經得著了，已經完全了；我乃是竭力追求，或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的（或作：所要我得的）。
13弟兄們，我不是以為自己已經得著了；我只有一件事，就是忘記背後，努力面前的，
14向著標竿直跑，要得神在基督耶穌裡從上面召我來得的獎賞。
(腓 3：12-14)

He does not rest on his laurels.
Despite having travelled far and wide
for the sake of the gospel, established
churches and trained future workers,
he was not complacent. He was
determined to strive forward still to
attain the crown of righteousness.

他並沒有完全依目前他所得到的成績或工作成果的榮耀。
雖然為了福音的原故，他的旅行又遠又廣，建立了許多教會，訓練了不少未來的教會工人，但是他並沒有自得意滿。
他仍然決定要往前努力來得到公義的冠冕。

For those of us who have believed
in and have served God for many
years, we have doubtless left many
footprints behind us. Let us cover
these and take every day as a new
day. We are unworthy servants whom
the Master has favored. We love
because He first loved us. We serve
because He gives us opportunities.
If we have been a good and faithful
servant and have done many things
for our Lord Jesus Christ, let it be
stored up in heaven.

對我們當中的這些人而言，我們已經信主且服事神多年了，毫無疑問地，在我們身後已經留下了不少的足跡。
讓我們把這一切的遮蓋起來，並且把每一天都是新的一天來努力。
我們不過是一個不配的僕人，只不過是剛好得到了主人的喜愛。
我們會愛，只因為祂先愛我們。
我們能夠服事，只因為祂給我們這樣好的機會。
若我們一直都是一個又良善又忠心的僕人，為了我們的主耶穌基督作了許多的事情，
就讓這些事情的功蹟存留在天上就好。

If we keep looking back and admiring
our own beautiful footprints, we will
not be aware of the dangers that may
lie ahead of us. And if having served
God faithfully for thirty years, we fall
on the thirtieth year, all our past labor
would have been in vain. The end of
a matter is better than its beginning
(Eccl 7:8). Thus, let us cover our feet
and erase our footprints.

若是我們不斷地回頭看，自顧自地欣賞自已美麗的足跡，
我們將不會留意到，可能正在我們面前的危險。
而且若我們已經忠心的服事主已經三十年了，卻在這第三十年的時候跌倒了，過去我們一切的努力都將變成白費。
事情的終局強如事情的起頭。(傳 7：8)
因此，讓我們蓋住自已的腳，擦去自已的足跡。

Covering our feet applies not only
to the good things that we do, but
also the bad things that we have
done. It is easy to be spiritually minded
in spiritual convocations.
These Bible camps and training
seminars provide good opportunities
for us to repent before God. Without
access to television, secular music or
the Internet, our minds and hearts
are clear and purely focused on God
and God’s word. But when we return
to our daily lives in the world, we
face the onslaught of the world and
its pernicious influences. We must
then ensure that all the bad things
we discarded during the spiritual
convocation stay in the trash.

遮住自已的足蹟，不只適用於我們所作好的好事，而且也適用於過去我們所作的壞事。
在靈恩會的時候，要在屬靈上專心一致是很容易的。
這些聖經研習營和講習會，對我們都是好機會，可以在神面前悔改。
沒有機會來接觸到電視，世界上的音樂，或是網際網路，我們的想法和內心都很清潔，並且全然集中精神在神的事和神的話語。
但是當我們回到世上的日常生活的時候，我們來自世上的攻擊，及其所帶來有害的影響。
然後，我們一定要確認，在靈恩會期間我們所丟棄一切的垃圾及不好的東西，以後都一直留在垃圾桶內。

Every day that we are able to live,
is one extra day to fight for our Lord
Jesus Christ. But we must guard our
steps very carefully. Our feet may
leave many and deep tracks behind.
If these are good deeds, let us not rest
on our laurels and be proud. If these
are bad deeds, quickly repent. Do not
sin against God to the point that we
cannot continue to walk.

每一天我們可以繼續活下去，就是多出一天來為我們的主耶穌基督來爭戰。
但我們一定要非常小心謹慎自已的腳步。
我們的雙腳可能會在身後，留下許多很深的腳印。
若這些都是好的行為，讓我們不會依賴自已過去這些好行為的榮耀，而且變得驕傲。
若這些都是壞的行為，請立刻悔改。
不會得罪神，到那種我們不能繼續走下去的程度。

A reason that we fall prey to pride is
because of our tendency to compare
ourselves to the things and people of
the world. We feel we are doing well
spiritually because the latter appear
to be worse than we. Inadvertently,
we fall into the Pharisaic trap of pride
and self-righteousness (Lk 18:9–14).
However, if we compared ourselves
to servants such as Moses in the
Old Testament and Paul in the New
Testament who felt they were nothing
compared to the almighty God, how
much more undeserving we are!

我們容易成為一種驕傲獵物的理由，是因為我們很容易去和世上的人與事來作比較。
我們感覺到自已屬靈上作的很好，因為其他人看起來作得沒有我們好。
無意之間，我們就掉入了像法利賽人的陷阱一樣，又驕傲又自義。(路 18：9-14)
然而，若我們和聖經裡面許多神的僕人來比較，例如：
舊約裡面的摩西，新約的保羅，他們都覺得，若是和神比較，自已是微不足道的，那麼我們自已在主前面，是更加多麼的不配。

God chose Moses to lead two
million people. By Moses’ hand, God
performed great miracles. Moses
could easily have let that get to his
head. But he did not. Instead, quite
often, we see him falling flat on his
face. Even when a group spoke
against him, he fell flat on his face
(Num 16:4). For most of those forty
years Moses led the Israelites, Moses
was flat on his face, in humility and in
prayer to God. Little wonder God said
that he was the most humble man
on the face of the earth. Therefore,
Moses was a successful soldier on the
front line. He covered his face and
covered his footprints. He thoroughly
understood that he was nothing
compared to God.

神揀選摩西來帶領二百萬人。
藉著摩西的手，神執行了大神蹟。
摩西很容易就讓神蹟行奇發生在他的手上。
但他沒有這麼作。
相反地，很多時候，我們看到他是面無表情的。
即使有一群人在批評他，他仍然是面無表情的。(民 16：4)
摩西帶領以色列人四十年的大部份時間裡，摩西都面無表情，很謙卑，並且常常向神禱告。
很少人會想，為什麼神這麼說，摩西是地上最謙卑的人。
所以，摩西是一位站在前線上，非常成功的士兵。
他遮掩了自已的表情，也擦去他的腳蹤。
他完全了解到，比起神來，他是微不足道的。

Fly with Wings 用雙翼飛翔

Besides humility and continual
striving towards the finishing line, it is
important for God’s good soldiers to
have wings that can fly. This means
that our minds have to be kept in
heaven. And spiritually, we always
have to be above the things of this
world.

除了謙卑和一直努力通往終點線之外，對神的軍兵而言，要有雙翼能夠飛翔是很重要的。
這就代表了，我們心思要集中在天國的事情之上。
若是有關屬靈的事情，我們總一定要超越今世的事情。

Isaiah saw the seraphim using two
wings to fly. In addition, he heard the
seraphim proclaim: “Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth
is full of His glory!” (Isa 6:3). The
prophet’s response was immediate—
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because
I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean
lips; for my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of hosts” (Isa 6:5).

以賽亞看到撒拉弗用雙翼飛翔。
除了這樣之外，他聽到撒拉弗大聲宣佈：
聖哉！聖哉！聖哉！萬軍之耶和華；他的榮光充滿全地！(賽 6：3)
先知也立刻來回應 - 
禍哉！我滅亡了！因為我是嘴唇不潔的人，又住在嘴唇不潔的民中，又因我眼見大君王─萬軍之耶和華。(賽 6：5)

The Bible used the word “holy”
three times. This reiterates its critical
importance. Our God’s primary
attribute is His holiness, and He wants
His people, His servants, and His
soldiers to be holy (Lev 11:44, 19:2;
1 Pet 1:13–16). For us to battle at the
front line and enjoy having God in our
midst, our linen must be white and
clean.

聖經的用字是使用"聖哉"三次。
這裡一再重申其重要性。
我們神最主要的本質，就是祂的聖潔，而祂要祂的子民，僕人和軍兵也可以聖潔。(利 11：44，19：2；彼前 1：13-16)
若我們想要在前線爭戰，並且享有神在我們中間與我們同在，我們的細麻衣就要維持潔白和清潔。

When Isaiah saw the seraphim
cover the latter’s face, he considered
his own face and realized the
uncleanness of his lips. Next, he saw
the seraphim cover his two feet. The
prophet looked at his own feet and
realized that he had been dwelling
in the midst of a people who were
sinning against God. Although we
appear to be doing better in terms of
our holiness compared to our peers,
if we truly examine our lives in detail,
there are many areas in which we are
unclean in the eyes of God.

當以賽亞看見撒拉弗遮住自已的臉，他就認為自已的臉，了解到他嘴唇是多麼的不潔淨。
接下來，他看見撒拉弗遮住雙腳。
先知就看著自已的腳，並且了解到，一直以來他是住在一群會得罪神的人群中間。
雖然，看起來我們在聖潔上，比起我們的同伴作得更好，
若我們真的好好詳細地檢查我們的生活情況，
我們就會發現，在神的眼中，我們有許多地方是不潔淨的。

In these modern times, swearing,
cursing or inappropriate dressing have
become commonplace. If we voice
our shock at or objection to this, we
may be mocked as old school. Yet,
these are the small areas in which
we must strive to match up to God’s
expected standard of holiness. We
are the chosen people of God. We
must be holy. Even though we dwell
in the midst of a people who practice
perversion, we must be holy.

在現今的現在社會中，亂發誓，亂罵，不合宜的穿著，已經變得很平常了。
若我們對這種事情感到很驚訝，或是反對這些事情，就會被別人嘲笑為很老派。
然而就是這些小地方，我們一定要來努力達成神對聖潔所期待的水準。
我們是神的選民。
我們一定要聖潔。
即使我們住在會作變態壞事的人群之中，我們一定要聖潔。

After Isaiah had seen the seraphim,
he lifted up his eyes and saw the glory
of the Lord. This is what we must do
as well. In God’s church, He is above
all and over all. We are mere servants
and have no right to lord it over other
brethren. The irony is that if we puff
ourselves up and consider that our
service or our status has made us
superior to others, we have not used
our two wings to fly. We do not see
God’s glory.

以賽亞看過撒拉弗之後，他就抬起眼來，並且看到主的榮耀。
這也是我們一定要作的事。
在神的教會中，祂超越萬有之後，也住在萬有之中。
我們只不過是僕人而已，我們並沒有權利來統管其他的弟兄姐妹。
諷刺的是，若是我們自我膨脹，並且認為自已的服事，或是自已的地會是比別人更加優越，那麼我們就沒有用自已的雙翼來飛翔。
我們並沒有看見神的榮耀。

Be Purified by Fire 用火來潔爭

Then one of the seraphim flew to
me, having in his hand a live coal
which he had taken with the tongs
from the altar. And he touched my
mouth with it, and said: “Behold,
this has touched your lips; your
iniquity is taken away, and your sin
purged.” (Isa 6:6–7)

6有一撒拉弗飛到我跟前，手裡拿著紅炭，是用火剪從壇上取下來的，
7將炭沾我的口，說：看哪，這炭沾了你的嘴，你的罪孽便除掉，你的罪惡就赦免了。
(賽 6：6-7)

The name “seraphim” means
“burning ones” or “fiery ones.” If this
were literally true, why did one of the
seraphim have to grab the coal with
a tong? This is because the fire from
the coal was a consuming fire, i.e., the
Spirit of God. In other words, when
we know that we are unclean, we
must pray to God, and ask God to fill
us with His Spirit. On Isaiah’s prompt,
positive, and repentant response to
the call for workers, God sent a seraph
to burn and cleanse his lips. We may
not yet be perfect and up to God’s
mark, but if we are willing, recognize
our weaknesses and are prepared to
be purified, God can use us.

"撒拉弗"名字的意思是，"燃燒的形體"或是"熾熱的形體"。
若這個字義是正確的話，那麼為什麼一個撒拉弗要用鉗子來夾起木炭呢？
這是因為，木炭上的火會消滅一切，也就是神的靈。
換句話說，當我們知道自已是不聖潔的時候，我們一定要向神禱告，求神用聖靈來充滿我們。
當以賽亞迅速，正面，並且帶著悔改，對神對工人呼召的回應，神就派了一位撒拉弗來燒掉且潔淨他的嘴唇。
我們或許還沒有達到完美，達到神所要求的標準，但若我們願意，承認自已的軟弱，並且自已準備好被潔淨，神就會來使用我們。

CONCLUSION 結論

God has already told us that we
belong to the army of heaven. Given
their crucial role in safeguarding
their nation, no soldier can afford to
be idle—the army is engaged in an
intense and crucial battle.

神已經告訴我們，我們是屬於天國的軍隊。
被賦予了保衛自已國家的重要任務，沒有任何士兵可以偷懶 - 
因為軍隊的任務就是要從事很緊張，很重要的戰鬥任務。

If we want God to use us on the
front line, we need to be prepared and
equipped for service. Just as Isaiah
was burned by the seraph, we too
have to have our hearts burned and
set on fire. We need to feel and be
compelled by the love of God. Hence
in the same positive manner by which
Isaiah responded to God’s calling,
we too have to respond eagerly and
with repentance, “Here am I, send
me.” It is important that we have the
motivation stemming from our desire
to repay the love of God, since it is
God’s love that gives us strength to
live, a strength that we can bring with
us and draw upon at the front line to
help us survive.

若我們要神在前線能夠使用我們，我們要好好準備，為了服事神穿好一切的裝備。
就像以賽亞被撒拉弗用火來潔淨一樣，我們也一樣要讓內心被火燒過，燒淨，並且燃起一把熱心的火。
我們要能感受到神的大愛，因著神愛的感動不得不來服事主。
因此，我們也要像以賽亞正面回應神呼召的態度一樣，
我們也要用一顆悔改心的，熱切來回應神，"我在這裡，請差遣我。"
很重要的是，我們要有一種動機，而其根源於來自我們想要回報神大愛的希望，
就因為是神愛的原故，讓我們有力量來活下去，讓我們可以帶著這種的力量，讓我們在前線的時候可以利用這樣的力量，來幫助我們生存下去。

The seraphim—the fiery ones—
were burning with zeal, but there
are six wings always attached to
them. They know how important it
is for them to have those six wings.
Besides being zealous with hearts
burning to serve God, we must cover
our faces, ensure we do not leave big
footprints behind us, fly above the
world, and be constantly purified.
So when God says, “Who will go for
Us? Whom shall I send?” We can say,
“Here am I! Send me.”

撒拉弗 - 燃燒的形體 - 是有一顆火熱的心在燃燒者，但總有六個肢膀在他們身上。
他們知道，有這六個肢膀對他們而言是有多麼重要。
除了非常的熱心，燃燒著動力要來服事神之外，我們一定要遮住自已的臉，
確定自已沒有在身後留下深刻的腳印，超越世上的事而飛翔著，並且一直維持聖潔。
所當神這麼說的時候，"誰會願意為我們而去？我應該差遣誰呢？"
我們就能說，"我在這裡！請差遣我。"

小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com