markvmax 的部落格

Manna issue 76 - Worship God According To His Will 依照神的旨意敬拜祂

Cherishing our status as God’s holy nation. 奠重身為神聖潔國度的身份
by Brian Lim

Adapted from a sermon by Brian Lim—Singapore

摘錄自新加坡 Brian Lim 講道真耶穌教會  

In the Old Testament, Solomon’s
temple was at the center of the
Israelite faith. It was where the
presence of God, represented by
the ark of the covenant, rested.
The temple may have been built by
Solomon, but its design was ordained
by God. Through the revelation of
the Spirit, David received detailed
plans for the building of the temple,
which he passed on to his son (1
Chr 28:18–19). Indeed, Solomon
followed these plans to the letter, and
when the building was completed,
fire descended from heaven to
consume the sacrifices, and the glory
of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chr
7:1). This act of God showed His
acceptance of the temple.

在舊約的時候，所羅門的聖殿是以色列民信仰的中心。
那是神臨在的地方，以神的約櫃代表神的存在，停放在至聖所。
聖殿或許是所羅多所建造的，但是聖殿的設計卻是神所命定的。
透過聖靈的啟示，大衛王領受了聖殿建造詳細的設計圖，然後他就傳給他的兒子(代上 28：18-19)。
是的， 所羅門王嚴格地遵守這些設計圖，當聖殿的建築完成之後，從天上降下火來，把祭物燒盡，並且神的榮光充滿了聖殿(代下 7：1)。
神的作為，顯示了祂接受這座聖殿。

The Old Testament records several
structures that were also constructed
according to God’s design. One of
these was Noah’s ark: because he
carefully followed the dimensions
given to him by God, the ark was able
to withstand the flood (Gen 6:14–
22). Later, Moses and the children
of Israel were just as fastidious when
building the tent of meeting and the
ark of the covenant according to
God’s pattern (Ex 25:9).

舊約記載了許多建物，也是跟據神的設計被建造的。
這些建物的其中一個，就是諾亞的方舟：因為他小心地遵守神給他的尺寸，這艘方舟就是夠抵洪水。(創 6：14-22)
後來，摩西和以色列的子民也是同樣小心，跟據神的樣式來建造會幕和約櫃(出 25：9)。

As children of God, it is important
that we do all things according to His
will. In fact, in God’s eyes, we are more
than children. He calls us “a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, His own special people” (1 Pet
2:9a). Therefore, we have a special
obligation to obey His commands.

身為神的子民，我們作任何事都遵造祂的旨意是很重要的。
事實上，在神的眼中，我們是比他的小孩更加珍貴。
祂稱呼我們是，"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"(彼前 2：9a)。
所以，我們有責任，要特別來遵守祂的命令。

At the dedication of the temple,
Solomon offered a prayer for the
people of Israel. Afterwards, God
appeared to assure him that his
prayer had been heard, and promised
to walk with him if he continued to
keep His statutes (1 Kgs 9:1–9; 2 Chr
7:12–22). God said:

獻殿的時候，所羅門為以色列百姓獻上禱告。
後來，神向他顯現，並且向他保証，他的禱告已經被垂聽了，若是他繼續遵行祂的法度，神就應許與他同 (王上 9：1-9；代下 7：12-22)。
神說：

[I]f My people who are called by
My name will humble themselves,
and pray and seek My face, and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will
hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin and heal their land. Now
My eyes will be open and My ears
attentive to prayer made in this
place.
(2 Chr 7:14–15)

14這稱為我名下的子民，若是自卑、禱告，尋求我的面，轉離他們的惡行，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的地。
15我必睜眼看、側耳聽在此處所獻的禱告。
(代下 7：14-15)

These words outline the attitude
with which God’s people should seek
Him: with humility, seeking His face
through prayer, and turning away
from wickedness. We will study
verse 14 more closely to learn how
to worship God according to His will.

這些經文描繪出，身為神的子民，要用何種態度來尋求神：要用謙卑的態度，透過禱告來尋求祂的面，並且轉離所行的惡事。
我們將要更深入的研讀14節的經文，來學習要如何跟據神的旨意，來敬拜神。

MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME 用我的名來呼召我的子民

In the Old Testament, God chose the
Israelites to bear His name. As part of
this special relationship, they would
know God and commune with Him
through their worship.

舊約的時候，神選擇以色列民來承接祂的聖名。
由於有一部份是這份特別的關係，他們會認識神，透過敬拜來和他交通。

“For you are a holy people to the
LORD your God; the LORD your God
has chosen you to be a people for
Himself, a special treasure above
all the peoples on the face of the
earth. The LORD did not set His love
on you nor choose you because
you were more in number than
any other people, for you were the
least of all peoples; but because
the LORD loves you, and because
He would keep the oath which He
swore to your fathers, the LORD
has brought you out with a mighty
hand, and redeemed you from the
house of bondage, from the hand of
Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
(Deut 7:6–8)

6因為你歸耶和華─你神為聖潔的民；耶和華─你神從地上的萬民中揀選你，特作自己的子民。
7耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們的人數多於別民，原來你們的人數在萬民中是最少的。
8只因耶和華愛你們，又因要守他向你們列祖所起的誓，就用大能的手領你們出來，從為奴之家救贖你們脫離埃及王法老的手。
(申 7：6-8)

As the people of God, let us realize our holy status and know
that our Lord God is the only God whom we must serve. Let us
not take our special relationship with Him for granted. Instead,
let us respond with humility to our Lord.

身為神的子民，我們應該要了解，我們的身份是很尊貴的，並且知道，我們的神是唯一的真神，也才是我們應該服事的對象。
我們不應該把這一份和祂特別的關係，視作理所當然。
反過來，讓我們用謙卑的態度來回應我們的神。

These verses express just how
much God loved His people, and
how precious they were to Him. As
His “special treasure,” they were
priceless.

這些經節表示了，神是如何深深的愛祂的子民，對祂而言，祂的子民是如何的珍貴。
就是是祂"特別的珍寶"一樣，他們是無價之寶。

However, He also knew their
weaknesses. They were a small
nation compared to others. But
more significantly, they constantly
murmured against Him, despised the
prophets He sent to warn them, and
turned away from Him to worship
idols. They did not deserve His love.
But God is a loving God who keeps
His promises. Here, He reminded
the Israelites that they experienced
such grace because of His love and
faithfulness.

然而，祂也知道他們的軟弱。
和別人比起來，他們不過是一個小小的國家。
而更重要的是，他們常常向祂發怨言，並且輕視祂派來警告他們的先知，而且轉離祂的面，去敬拜偶像。
他們跟本不值得祂的愛。
但神是慈愛的神，祂會遵守祂的諾言。
在這裡，祂提醒以色列人，因為神對他們的愛，並且言而有信，他們才能體會這些恩典。

Today, we also belong to God
and are precious in His eyes. When
we were baptized, we became
spiritual Israelites, the seed of
Abraham and heirs according to the
promise, regardless of our ethnic or
cultural background (Gal 3:26–29).
Therefore, God sees us as a people
above all others on the face of the
earth. This does not mean we can
be arrogant about our status as
children of God; instead we should
see it as a blessing that comes with
the requirement to worship Him in
truth and spirit. As true worshippers
of God and recipients of His love, we
must also extend our love to those in
need. And we must keep ourselves
undefiled and separate from the
world in order to maintain our noble
status (Jas 1:27).

今日，我們也屬於神，在祂的眼中，也是很寶貴的。
當我們受洗的時候，我們變成屬靈的以色列人，亞伯拉罕的子孫，並且跟據應許也成為後裔，不管我們是什麼種族或是文化背景(加 3：26-29)。
所以，比起地面上的所有其他種族，神把我們看為寶貴。
但這並不代表，我們因為具有神兒子的身份，就可以變得非常自大；
相反地，我們應該把這件事當成一種祝福，會要求我們用真理和心靈來敬拜祂。
身為真正敬拜神的人，領受他的慈愛，我們也要把我們的愛加以延伸，讓那些有需要的人，也能感受到這份愛。
並且我們也一定要潔身自愛，不受沾染，與世界分別為聖，為了要讓我們能一直維持這個尊貴的身份。(雅 1：27)

As the people of God, let us realize
our holy status and know that our
Lord God is the only God whom
we must serve. Let us not take our
special relationship with Him for
granted. Instead, let us respond with
humility to our Lord.

身為神的子民，我們要知道自已聖潔的身份，明白我們的神才是唯一的真神，也才是我們要服事的對象。
我們不應該把這種和祂的特別關係，當作理所當然。
相反地，我們要用謙卑的態度來回應我們的主。

MY PEOPLE WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES 我的子民會自我謙卑

To worship God according to His
word, we must be humble. Humility
before God and man is a virtue that
all children of God ought to have (Tit
3:2; 1 Pet 5:5). But where humility
before man can be feigned, it is
impossible to worship God with false
humility, for He knows the intents of
our hearts. Therefore, we must offer
our Sovereign Lord the utmost honor
and respect, for we are but dust
before Him. Knowing our physical
weaknesses, He has provided us with
many instructions and warnings to
prevent us from falling into the snare
of the devil. Unfortunately, biblical
history shows that the children of
God were either too stubborn to
realize the goodness of God, or
refused to submit to His sovereignty.

依據神的話來敬拜神，我們一定要謙卑。
在神和人面前謙卑是一種美德，所以神的子民都應該具有這種態度(多 3：2；彼前 5：5)。
雖然在人的面前，可以假裝謙卑，若是要用虛偽的謙卑來敬拜神是不可能的，因為祂都知道我們內心的意念。
所以，我們一定要用最大的榮耀和敬畏，來獻給至高無上的救主，因為我們在祂面前，不過只是塵土而已。
祂知道我們在肉體上面，有很多軟弱，所以祂告訴我們許多教訓和警告，為的就是要防止我們，掉入魔鬼的陷井。
不幸的是，聖經的歷史告訴我們，神的子民不是太頑固，不能明白神的好意，不然就是會拒絕來順服祂至高無上的權威。

What about us today? Jesus said: 今日的我們又是怎麼樣呢？耶穌說：

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he
who hears My word and believes in
Him who sent Me has everlasting
life, and shall not come into
judgment, but has passed from
death into life.”
(Jn 5:24)

24我實實在在的告訴你們，那聽我話、又信差我來者的，就有永生；不至於定罪，是已經出死入生了。
(約 5：24)

Hearing and believing are not enough, we must also understand
and apply God’s word to our lives. His word is the living word,
which lies dormant on the page, but comes alive through
application.

僅僅聽道，或是相信，並不足夠，我們也一定要明白，並且在生活中，遵行神的話。
祂的話是具有生命力的，雖然書面上， 看起好像是靜止不動的，但我們去實行的時候，卻能帶來活力。

As children of God, we have
received amazing grace, for it is by
hearing and believing in His word
that we can pass from death into life.
But hearing and believing are not
enough, we must also understand
and apply His word to our lives.
God’s word—the commandments,
warnings and teachings in the Bible—
is the living word, which lies dormant
on the page, but comes alive through
application.

成為神的子民，我們已經領受了奇妙的恩典，因為藉著聽到和相信祂的話，所以我們才能走過死亡的幽谷，進入永生。
但是只有聽道和相信是不足夠的，我們也一定要了解道理，把神的話應用在我們的生活中。
神的話-就是聖經裡面的誡命，警告和教導 - 是帶有生命力的文字，
雖然在書頁上是靜止不動的，但是透過在生活中的應用上，就帶有活力。

God is the Author of all things and
He is omnipotent and omniscient.
On the other hand, as humans, we
do not know what will happen to us
in the next minute. For this reason,
Peter writes: “Therefore humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of
God, that He may exalt you in due
time” (1 Pet 5:6). Before making any
decisions, we must pray for God’s
guidance. And when we receive His
guidance, we should humbly submit
ourselves to His will, even though it
may not be according to our liking. If
we do so, He will exalt us in due time
and bless us in whatever we do.

神是萬物的創造者，祂是無所不能，而且也無所不知。
另一方面，我們身為人，不知道下一分鐘會發生什麼事。
因為這個理由，彼得寫下："6所以，你們要自卑，服在神大能的手下，到了時候他必叫你們升高。"(彼前 5：6)
在作任何決定之前，我們一定要向神禱告，祈求神的引導。
當我們得到祂的引導，應該要自已謙卑順服祂的旨意，即使這樣的情況也不是我們喜歡的情況。
假如我們這麼作，祂會在合適的時間來提昇我們，並且在任何我們所作的事上，祝福我們。

Every believer must have this same
humility, or the whole church will
face divisions and cracks will arise
for the devil to take advantage of. If
there are heresies or disagreements
in the church, we should deal with
them with love, as Paul said:

每一個信徒都要有這種謙卑，不然整個教會就會有意見不合，並且造成裂縫，成為魔鬼可以利用的機會。
若是在教會有異端或是意見不合的時候，我們應該用愛來處理，就像保羅說的：

“But as for you, brethren, do not
grow weary in doing good. And if
anyone does not obey our word in
this epistle, note that person and do
not keep company with him, that he
may be ashamed. Yet do not count
him as an enemy, but admonish him
as a brother.”
(2 Thess 3:13–15)

13弟兄們，你們行善不可喪志。
14若有人不聽從我們這信上的話，要記下他，不和他交往，叫他自覺羞愧。
15但不要以他為仇人，要勸他如弟兄。
(帖後 3：13-15)

We may meet with objections
and opposition when we try to be
peacemakers, but we should “not
grow weary in doing good.” The
church of God is made up of human
beings who are imperfect. Disputes
may be difficult to settle, but the
answer is for all parties to be guided
by humility. If there is anyone who
disobeys the word of God, we ought
to gently admonish him with love,
and he will be more likely to respond
positively. And if we are on the other
side of the equation, as the one who
is corrected by a brother, then we
should accept it with humility of mind
to keep the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).
If one refuses to be corrected after
repeated admonishment, allowing
divisions to persist, action must be
taken to prevent more from being
led astray. In fact, verse 14 says that
we should “not keep company” with
such people.

當我們要成為一個能夠調解糾紛的人的時候，可能會遇見反對和阻礙，
但是我們在作正確的好事時，不可以就因此變得軟弱。
神的教會是由人所組成的，而人也不是完美的。
雖然很難平息爭端，但是大家所能處理的方式，就是以謙卑的態度來處理。
若是有人不遵守神的話，我們應該用愛的態度溫和的勸戒他，才可更有可能以正面的態度來回應。
若是我們正好是在這個情況的另一面，就是當我們成為一個被其他弟兄來勸戒的人，
那麼我們就應該用謙卑的態度，來接受別人的勸導，竭力保守和平連絡的心。(弗 4：3)
若有人在經過多次的勸戒之後，仍然拒絕接受別人的勸戒，讓意見不合的情況繼續下去，
就要採取行動，來防止更多人被引偏離真道。
事實上，14節說，我們和這種人，"不該和他們在一起"。

MY PEOPLE WILL PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE 我的子民會向我祈禱，並且尋求我的面

In our life of worship, prayer is the
most direct form of worshipping
God. In prayer, we are able to praise
God and make our requests known
to Him. Although He already knows
what is in our hearts, when we
kneel in prayer, we are humbling
ourselves before Him. We speak
to the invisible God, and it requires
faith for us to believe He is listening.
It also demonstrates that we need
God. In prayers, we reflect upon our
lives, and whether we have sinned
against Him or our brethren. We also
meditate on the blessings we have
freely received, thus reminding us of
God’s presence in our lives. In short,
prayer helps us to cultivate our faith
and reliance on God.

在我們敬拜的生活中，禱告就是敬拜神，最直接的形式。
在禱告中，我們可以讚美神，告訴祂我們的需要。
雖然祂已經知道，我們的心中在想什麼，當我們跪下來禱告的時候，我們就可以在祂面前謙卑下來。
我們向看不見的神，說話的時候，我們需要有信心，並且相信祂會垂聽。
這也表示我們需要神。
禱告時，我們可以反省自已的生活，是不是有犯了罪得罪到神，或是得罪了其他的弟兄姐妹。
我們也應該好好思考那些我們白白領受的祝福，這就可以提醒自已，在我們生活中，都會有神的同在。
簡短來說，禱告幫助我們，來建立自已的信心，並且依靠神。

Moreover, God delights in the
prayer of the upright (Prov 15:8).
As His children, let us talk to God
in prayer as often as we can, but
let us also strive to live a life of
righteousness. In this way, we can
pray according to His will.

更進一步來說，神喜愛正直人的禱告。(箴 15：8)
身為祂的兒女，我們要盡自已的可能，常常用禱告來向神說話，我們也要努力過著正直的生活。
這樣，我們才能依著祂的旨意來禱告。

Finally, God desires that we should
seek His face. To seek His face is to
pursue a deeper understanding of
Him. But why do we need to do this?

Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who
seek the LORD!
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works
which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of
His mouth.
(Ps 105:3–5)

3要以他的聖名誇耀！尋求耶和華的人，心中應當歡喜！
4要尋求耶和華與他的能力，時常尋求他的面。
5他僕人亞伯拉罕的後裔，他所揀選雅各的子孫哪，你們要記念他奇妙的作為和他的奇事，並他口中的判語。
(詩 105：3-5)

If we seek His face and constantly
remember His marvelous works and
power, we can receive strength from
Him. How do we seek His face? By
obeying His commandments. Yet at
the same time, we also need strength
to carry out His commandments, to
resist temptations and quench the
fiery darts of the devil. In fact, the
act of submitting to God’s will is itself
a source of strength, allowing us to
resist the ploys of the devil (Jas 4:7).
In seeking God’s face, we consciously
“turn from [our] wicked ways” (2
Chr 7:14); we turn from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan
to God (Acts 26:18). Only when we
have turned from sin, will our prayers
be heard and our sins healed (2
Chr 7:14; Acts 26:18). God will not
accept our worship if we continue
to persist in our wicked ways. This is
why we must go further to seek God
and His will.

若是我們尋求祂的面，繼續不斷記著祂奇妙的作為和能力，我們就能從祂那裡得到力量。
我們要如何尋求祂的面呢？
藉由遵守祂的誡命。
然而，在同樣的時間裡，我們也需要祂加添力量，來實行祂的誡命，讓我們能夠抵擋試探，並且消滅魔鬼的火箭。
事實上，順服神旨意的行動，本身就是力量的來源，讓我們能夠抵抗魔鬼的詭計(雅 4：7)。
為了尋求神的面，我們是有意識性的，"遠離罪惡的道路"(代下 7：14)；
我們會由黑暗走向光明，從撒旦的權下，走向神。(徒 26：18)
只有當我們遠離罪惡，我們的禱告才會被神聽見，我們的罪才會被赦免(代下 7：14；徒 26：18)。
若是我們繼續堅持在罪惡的道路中行走，神就不會接納我們的敬拜。
這就是為什麼，我們一定要更進一步，尋求神和祂的旨意。

To seek, or to search, requires time
and effort. It is not enough to only
know God through searching the
Bible. We still need to experience
God in our lives to perceive who
He really is. Look at Job, who went
through one of the worst ordeals in
history. His trials were so severe that
many believe he is a myth, or that
his trials were metaphorical. During
his ordeal, Job stood firm before
God. He was righteous in his own
eyes, but he knew God had the right
to do whatever He wanted to him.
Job’s strength to endure came from
His knowledge of God. But towards
the end of his ordeal, his endurance
began to wane. Just as he was about
to give up, God spoke to him out of
the whirlwind, and asked him a series
of rhetorical questions. This exchange
revealed the true scope of God’s
omnipotence (Job 38–41). After this,
Job proclaimed: “I have heard of You
by the hearing of the ear, but now
my eye sees You” (Job 42:5).

為了尋求，或是為了深入研究，需要花費一些時間和心力。
只用研究聖經，就想要來認識神，是完全不夠的。
我們仍然需要，在日常生活中來體驗神，來認識到底祂是一個怎麼樣的神。
看看約伯，他經歷過一次最糟糕的苦難，是歷史上所有最糟的其中之一。
他的試驗是這麼的嚴格，所以大部份的人認為祂只是一個神話人物，而他的試驗不過一個比諭而已。
在他的苦難中，約伯在神面神，站立穩固。
在他自已的眼中，他認為自已是正直的，但是他也知道，神有權利在他身作任何祂想要作的事。
約伯的忍耐的力量，來自於他對神的認識。
但是當他的苦難快要結束的時候，他的忍耐開始變得衰弱了。
就當他快要放棄的時候，神從旋風之中，向他說話，並且詢問他一連串誇張的問題。
這次的交流，顯示了神無所不能，祂真正偉大的知識和眼界。(伯 38-41)
經過這次之後，約伯就宣稱：
5我從前風聞有你，現在親眼看見你。(伯 42：5)

It is important for us to be familiar
with the Bible, but we cannot simply
rely on this to know God. We may
be able to quote the Scriptures and
know where to find certain passages
in the Bible, but if we do not live out
these teachings, such knowledge
alone is useless.
Nor can we fully know God
through what others tell us. Without
a personal relationship with God, our
faith means nothing. How can we be
motivated to wholeheartedly apply
what we have read and heard if we
do not love God and know Him on a
personal level?

對我們來說，熟悉聖經是很重要的，但是我們不能只有依靠聖經來認識神。
我們或許可以引用經文，也知道在聖經那裡可以找到那些經節，
但是若是我們不能把這些教導活出來，這些知識本身，還是一點用都沒有。
我們也不能透過別人所說的話，就因此這樣完全相信神。
若是和神，沒有建立好個人與神的連繫和良好的關係，我們的信心是一點價值也沒有的。
若是我們一點都不愛神，或是自已本身跟本就沒有清楚的認識祂，我們怎麼可能可以被感動，
並且能夠作到把我們所讀到或聽到的教導，實行出來呢？

CONCLUSION 結論

Since Old Testament times, God’s
instruction to His people concerning
their worship and service is clear.
And yet, we often fall short of God’s
standards and our status as a holy
nation. Therefore, let us seek God’s
will by drawing closer and closer to
Him in daily prayers, by meditating
on His words day and night, putting
them into practice, and turning away
from sin. As children of God, we
need to worship Him according to
His will—in humility, in prayer, and in
seeking Him in our life of worship.

自從舊約的時候，神給祂子民，有關崇拜和服事的教導，是很清楚的。
然而，我們時常虧欠了神的標準，並且不能保守自已聖潔的身份，成為一個聖潔的國度。
所以，我們要尋求神的旨意，藉著禱告，每天能夠越來越靠近祂，日夜思想祂的話語，
並且實行祂的教導，遠離罪惡。
身為神的兒女，我們要敬拜祂，並且遵照祂的旨意，在我們敬拜神的生活中，以謙卑的態度，在禱告中，來尋求神。

小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com