13. Manna issue 64 - Joseph in Egypt 約瑟在埃及
Philip Shee—Dubai, United Arab Emirates 阿聯酋杜拜 Philip Shee
History has no shortage of inspirational stories of people
who overcame adversities to rise to power and of people
who overcame odds to transform from rags to riches.
While these stories are often quoted in leadership or business forums
to inspire listeners towards pursuing success,
they may not be directly relevant for Christians as faith is often not an element
or part of the equation of success.
For Christians, the Bible itself is a well of inspirational stories
that we can draw from to spur us in our life’s journey.
The story of Joseph in Egypt is
one from which Christians can trace his rise from slave to steward, from prisoner to governor.
What was his secret of success?
How did he cope with the ebb of his life?
How did he handle success?
歷史並不乏勵志人物的故事，
他們克服逆境平民上台掌權，
他們克服困難，從衣衫襤褸變成了富貴榮華。
雖然這些故事經常被領導階層，或是商業論壇所引用，
以激勵聽眾追求成功，
他們可能與基督徒沒有直接關係，因為信仰通常不是一個要素，
或是成功方程式的一部份。
對於基督徒來說，聖經本身就是一本鼓舞人心的故事書，
我們自已可以在人生旅程中，從中汲取靈感來鼓勵我們。
約瑟下埃及的故事就是，
一個基督徒可以從中追尋如何成功的故事，他從奴隸成為管家，從囚犯晉升為首相。
他成功的秘訣到底是什麼呢？
他是如何渡過自已人生的低潮呢？
他是如何應對成功的呢？
JOSEPH’S SECRET OF SUCCESS—GOD’S GRACE IN HIS LIFE 約瑟成功的密秘—他生命中神的恩典
Joseph’s life in Egypt started as slave in the house of Potiphar,
but he soon gained the trust and favor of his master.
Hence he very quickly became the overseer of Potiphar’s house
and was given charge over all that that he had.
While Joseph was undoubtedly a hardworking and responsible worker,
his success was driven primarily by one formula:
約瑟埃及的生活，始於波提乏家中的奴隸，
但他很快就得到了主人的信任和青睞。
因此他很快成為波提乏家裡的管家，
並且掌管他所有的一切。
雖然約瑟無疑是一個努力負責的工人，
他成功主要是由一個公式所推動的：
The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man;
and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
And his master saw that the Lord was with him and
that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.
So Joseph found favor in his sight and served him.
Then he made him overseer of his house
and all that he had he put under this authority.
(Gen 39:2-4)
2約瑟住在他主人埃及人的家中，耶和華與他同在，他就百事順利。
3他主人見耶和華與他同在，
又見耶和華使他手裡所辦的盡都順利，
4約瑟就在主人眼前蒙恩，伺候他主人，
並且主人派他管理家務，
把一切所有的都交在他手裡。
（創 39：2-4）
This same formula saw Joseph through his entire time in Egypt.
When he landed in prison in a twist of events,
“the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy,
and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison”
(Gen 39:21).
The keeper of the prison trusted Joseph
and gave him charge over the prisoners
and “the keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority,
because the Lord was with him;
and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper”
(Gen 39:23).
It became even clearer that the Lord was with Joseph
when He guided him to accurately interpret the dreams of the butler, the baker and,
more importantly, the Pharaoh.
The latter event catapulted Joseph to the position of governor over the land of Egypt,
second in rank only after the Pharaoh himself.
This was an incredible achievement as he was only thirty years old at that time
(Gen 41:40–46).
同樣的公式，貫穿了約瑟於埃及的全部時間。
當他因變故而入獄時，
“21但耶和華與約瑟同在，向他施恩，
使他在司獄的眼前蒙恩。”
（創 39：21）。
獄卒信任約瑟，
並讓他管理囚犯，
並且“23凡在約瑟手下的事，司獄一概不察，
因為耶和華與約瑟同在；
耶和華使他所做的盡都順利。”
（創 39：23）。
更明顯的是，主與約瑟同在，
當神引導他準確解釋管家的夢、膳長的夢和，
更重要的是，法老的夢。
後面的事件提拔約瑟夫成為埃及地的宰相，
排名第二，僅次於法老本人。
這是一種了不起的成就，當時他只有三十歲
（創 41：40-46）。
Many people starting their career in junior positions within an organization
would probably harbor the hope of rising through the ranks into senior positions in the shortest possible time.
To realize this dream,
some may go many extra miles beyond hard work and good work ethics
to enhance their chances of success.
This may involve excessively stretching themselves in endless pursuit of upgrading courses,
indulgence in additional social activities after work with colleagues and superiors,
which are often spent in pubs, or weekends on golf courses
in hope of rubbing shoulders with movers and shakers.
While these methods may indeed be the secret of success for some,
they will inevitably distract Christians in their faith
and gradually turn them away from God.
On the other hand, Joseph in Egypt offers Christians an alternative solution
and points to the real source of success, which is God Himself.
許多人從組織內的初級職位，開始他們的職業生涯，
可能會懷有希望，期待在最短的時間內晉升到高級職位。
為了實現這個夢想，
有些人可能除了努力工作，和良好的職業道德之外，付出更多努力
來增加他們成功的機會。
這可能涉及在無休止地追求升級的課程中，過度伸展自己，
與同事和上司下班之後，沉迷於額外的社交活動，
經常在流連於酒吧，或是週末高爾夫球場度過，
希望與有權有勢的人混在一起。
雖然這些方法可能確實是某些人成功的秘訣，
他們不可避免會分散基督徒的信仰，
並且逐漸使他們遠離神。
另一方面，埃及的約瑟為基督徒提供了另一種選擇方案，
並指出成功的真正源頭，就是神本身。
JOSEPH’S VIRTUES—TENACITY AND UNCOMPROMISING ADHERENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDMENTS
約瑟的美德—堅韌不拔遵守神的誡命
God had a reason to remain with Joseph and to bless him throughout his life
—Joseph had many virtues that we can learn from.
If we were to experience similar trials as Joseph did,
we would probably end up as cynics questioning God’s love and justice.
Joseph, however, maintained his integrity and uncompromising adherence to God’s commandments,
although he had yet to understand why God had allowed him to be sold to Egypt.
When tempted by Potiphar’s wife,
he firmly rejected her advances with the remark,
“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
(Gen 39:9).
His tenacity was further displayed as the temptation continued:
“So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her,
to lie with her or to be with her”
(Gen 39:10).
Joseph’s determination to preserve his holiness was remarkable,
as he could have easily made use of the situation.
He could have played along with Potiphar’s wife behind his back and gained her favor,
thereby further consolidating his status in Potiphar’s house.
Ironically, his choice to hold fast to what was right landed him in prison instead,
as Potiphar’s wife framed him in her wrath.
神有理由與約瑟同在，並祝福他一生
—約瑟有許多值得我們學習的美德。
如果我們像約瑟一樣，經歷相似的試煉，
我們可能最後會變得憤世嫉俗，質疑神的慈愛和公義。
然而，約瑟保持著他的正直，毫不妥協遵守神的誡命，
儘管他還不明白，為什麼神允許他被賣到埃及。
當遇到波提乏妻子的誘惑時，
他回覆堅定拒絕了她的求愛，
“9我怎能作這大惡，得罪神呢？”
（創 39：9）。
隨著試探繼續發生，他的執著更加顯明：
“10後來他天天和約瑟說，約瑟卻不聽從他，
不與他同寢，也不和他在一處。”
（創 39：10）。
約瑟決心保持聖潔，是很出色的，
因為他可以很容易利用這種情勢。
他本可以背著波提乏，與其妻子調情，博取她的歡心，
從而更進一步，鞏固他在波提乏家中的地位。
諷刺的是，他堅守正確的選擇，反而讓他進了監獄，
波提乏的妻子盛怒之下噬陷他。
We may sometimes face scenarios in our career that put us in similar dilemmas,
where sticking to Christian principles may be unfavorable to us,
while yielding to temptations may very well provide a springboard for immediate benefits.
For example, dealing with integrity
as opposed to cutting corners in business may sometimes yield us less profit.
Telling our boss what he needs to hear as opposed to what he wants to hear
may leave a negative impression with our boss.
Rejecting the invitation of our boss or colleagues
to party through the night may leave us excluded from the inner circle in the office.
When faced with these crossroads,
we can draw inspiration from Joseph to hold fast to our Christian principles.
有時我們職場中，可能會陷入類似困境的情況，
堅持基督徒的原則可能會對我們不利，
而屈服於引誘，很可能會得到立竿見影的跳板。
例如，正直作生意，
反對事業上偷機取巧，有時可能會減少我們的利潤。
告訴自已的老闆他要聽的事，而不是他想聽的報告，
可能會給老闆留下負面的印象。
拒絕老闆同事的邀請，
去徹夜狂歡，可能會讓我們被排除在辦公室的核心圈子之外。
面對這些十字路口之時，
我們可以從約瑟身上汲取靈感，堅守自已基督徒的原則。
JOSEPH’S FAITH—IN ADVERSITY AND IN SUCCESS
約瑟的信心—逆境和成功時
As we trace Joseph’s encounters in life,
we cannot but admire him for his steadfast faith in God.
A bystander in his time observing his life would probably struggle to make any sense of it.
For a start, he did not understand what he had done to deserve slavery in Egypt.
And just as God seemed to intervene and lift him up from slavery to stewardship in Potiphar’s house,
he was framed by his mistress and thrown into prison.
A glimmer of hope then surfaced when he accurately interpreted the butler’s dream,
but even this little hope was dashed
when the butler forgot about Joseph for two whole years after his reinstatement.
當我們追溯約瑟生活的遭遇時，
我們不得不敬佩他，對神有堅定的信仰。
若是同時代的旁觀者來觀察他的生活，可能很難理解它的意義。
一開始，他不明白自己做了什麼，才導致送去埃及成為奴僕。
就正在神似乎介入，並且提升他成為波提乏家中的管家時，
他被女主人陷害入獄。
當他準確解讀管家的夢境之後，有一絲希望浮現，
但甚至這個小小的希望也破滅了，
而管家復職後，整整兩年都忘記了約瑟。
If we went through similar experiences, would our faith be shattered?
Would we still believe that God is in control?
Would we rely on Him to overcome our difficulties?
Would we continue to give glory to Him?
Throughout his adversities, Joseph did not murmur.
On the contrary, he continued to trust and glorify God every step of the way.
When tempted by Potiphar’s wife,
the overarching factor that prevented Joseph from crossing the line was his fear of God
(Gen 39:9).
When presented with the butler’s dream,
Joseph’s response was,
“Do not interpretations belong to God?”
(Gen 40:8).
And when brought before the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams,
his response was,
“It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace”
(Gen 41:16).
Once he had heard Pharaoh’s dream,
Joseph explained to him that the interpretation was not due to his own ability,
but that “God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do”
(Gen 41:25).
Joseph overcame each challenge he encountered by putting God at the center of his life.
He consistently attributed success and glory to God alone.
如果我們遇過類似的經歷，我們的信仰會不會動搖呢？
我們是否還會相信神掌管一切嗎？
我們是否會依靠祂，來克服自已的困難嗎？
我們是否會繼續歸榮耀給神呢？
約瑟身處逆境中，並沒有抱怨。
相反的，在每一步上，他繼續都信靠神和榮耀神。
當遇到波提乏妻子的誘惑時，
阻止約瑟越線的首要因素，是他敬畏神
（創 39：9）。
當呈現管家的夢想時，
約瑟夫的回答是，
“8解夢不是出於神麼？”
（創 40：8）。
當被帶到法老面前為他解夢時，
他的回答是，
“16這不在乎我，神必將平安的話回答法老。”
（創 41：16）。
當他聽到法老的夢境時，
約瑟向法老解釋說，解釋夢境不是他自己的能力，
而是“25神已將所要做的事指示法老了。”
（創 41：25）。
約瑟把神作為自已生活的中心，克服所遇到的每一次挑戰。
從頭到毛，他都只把成功和榮耀歸給神。
After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph’s life finally turned the corner
as he regained his freedom and was made governor of the land.
For some, such sudden achievement of success may overwhelm them
to the extent that they start to trust themselves more than they trust God.
Others may abuse their position to seek vengeance against those
who have wronged them previously.
Joseph, however, maintained his faith as before,
putting God at the center of his life,
attributing the key events in his life to God.
When two sons were born to Joseph, he named the firstborn Manasseh,
“for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house”
(Gen 41:51),
and the second son Ephraim,
“for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction”
(Gen 41:52).
God was clearly still in the heart and mind of Joseph even in such moments of success.
解譯了法老的夢，約瑟的人生終於迎來轉機，
因為他重獲自由，並被任命為這片土地的總督。
對有些人而言，這種突然的成功，可能會讓他們不知所措，
以至於他們開始相信自己，勝過相信神。
有此人則可能濫用職權，報復那些
以前曾經冤枉過他們的人。
然而，約瑟夫如前保持著他的信仰，
把神放在自已生命的中心，
將自已生命中的重大事件，交給神。
約瑟生了兩個兒子，給長子起名叫瑪拿西，
“51神使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家。”
（創 41：51），
起名次子以法蓮，
“52神使我在受苦的地方昌盛。”
（創 41：52）。
即使身處這樣成功的時刻，約瑟夫的心裡和頭腦中，仍然很清楚有神。
When his brothers came to buy grain in Egypt,
Joseph’s interaction with them again showed God to be at the center of his life.
Joseph clearly stated that he feared God
(Gen 42:18).
When he finally revealed his identity to his brothers,
he was quick to comfort them
that it was God and not them who really sent him to Egypt.
He recognized that God had done this to preserve and deliver them from the famine in the land
(Gen 45:5–8).
Upon Jacob’s death, his brothers were again concerned that
Joseph would take revenge against them.
However, he did not abuse his position or success to seek revenge.
On the contrary, he responded,
當他的兄弟來埃及糴糧時，
約瑟與他們的互動，再次顯明神是他生活的中心。
約瑟明確表示自已敬畏神
（創世記 42：18）。
當他最後向兄弟透露自己的身份時，
他很快安慰他們，
說這是神，而不真是他們送他去埃及的。
他認知到，神這樣做，是為了保守拯救他們，免於當地的飢荒
（創 45：5-8）。
直到雅各死後，他的兄弟再次擔心，
怕約瑟會報復他們。
然而，他並沒有濫用自己的地位或成功來報復。
相反的，他回應說，
“Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
But as for you, you meant evil against me;
but God meant it for good,
in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
(Gen 50:19–20)
“19約瑟對他們說：不要害怕，我豈能代替神呢？
20從前你們的意思是要害我，
但神的意思原是好的，
要保全許多人的性命，成就今日的光景。”
（創 50:19-20）
Joseph did not waver in his faith, neither in adversity nor in success.
Even at the very end of his life, his faith was clearly seen as he told his brethren,
that God would surely bring them out of the land of Egypt and back to the Promised Land
(Gen 50:24).
In addition, he took an oath from the children of Israel
to carry his bones out of Egypt when they departed.
無論是逆境，還是成功，約瑟都沒有動搖他的信心。
即使是他生命的最後一刻，當他告訴自已的弟兄時，他的信心亦清晰可見，
就是神一定會把他們帶離埃及地，回到應許之地
（創 50：24）。
此外，他還接受以色列人發誓，
當他們離開時，會將他的骸骨帶出埃及。
GOD’S GLORY—MANIFESTED IN THE LIFE OF JOSEPH
神的榮耀—彰顯在約瑟的生活中
Although Joseph had to face many setbacks in his life,
God’s work and glory were very clearly manifested in him.
Potiphar saw that
“the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand”
(Gen 39:3).
When Joseph was put into prison in a twist of events,
he gained the favor of the prison keeper
because he witnessed that
“the Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper”
(Gen 39:23).
To Pharaoh, Joseph was only a foreign prisoner.
Yet, Pharaoh could see clearly that God’s glory and power were manifested in Joseph
(Gen 41:37–42).
雖然約瑟的一生要遭遇許多挫折，
神的工作和榮耀在他身上展現。
波提乏看見，
“3耶和華與他同在，又見耶和華使他手裡所辦的盡都順利，”
（創 39：3）。
當約瑟因為事件扭曲而入獄時，
他得到了獄卒的好感，
因為他親眼目睹了
“23耶和華與約瑟同在；耶和華使他所做的盡都順利。”
（創 39：23）。
對法老來說，約瑟只是一個外族囚犯。
然而，法老看得很清楚，神的榮耀和能力在約瑟身上彰顯出來
（創 41：37-42）。
God was with Joseph
because he faithfully held on to His words and principles,
put Him into the center of his life
and always attributed his success to God with a humble and thankful heart.
神與約瑟同在
因為他忠心堅持自已的話語和原則，
並且把神放在生活的中心，
並始終以謙卑和感恩的心，將自己的成功歸功於神。
For this reason,
Joseph’s life in Egypt provides us with a wonderful example
of how to be both a successful employee and a successful Christian.
為此，
約瑟埃及的生活，給我們提供了一個很好的榜樣，
如何成為一名成功的員工和一名成功的基督徒。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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