於2022-03-11發佈


越來越光明 9 

主要求亞伯拉罕成為「信心之父」的第一件事即是離開他的本家,位在巴比倫人所在迦勒底的吾珥。正如希伯來書十一章8-10節告訴我們的:

亞伯拉罕因著信,蒙召的時候就遵命出去,往將來要得為業的地方去;出去的時候,還不知往哪裡去。祂因著信,就在所應許之地作客,好像在異地居住帳棚,與那同蒙一個應許的以撒、雅各一樣。因為祂等候那座有根基的城,就是神所經營所建造的。

亞伯拉罕必須離開他那時代似乎最棒的城市和文化,更不要說離開他所熟識的家人、每個人和每件事。他被要求離開時甚至不知道要往哪裡去;然而,他知道所要尋找的東西─神所建造的城,那是人類城市無法相比的。這仍是尋求上帝之城的真正客旅在生命中所要誇出的第一步。

對於亞伯拉罕和所有信心兒女的要求是:放下一切可能對神與其目的之愛和異象有所妥協的事物。放下我們所知道的一切並不容易;因此,我們所看見的一定比我們所知道的更好。亞伯拉罕在異象中所看見的上帝之城,比他肉眼所見的更真實。這是信心兒女的基本特性,他們用「心中的眼睛」所看見的比肉眼所見的更真實,他們是看見別人所看不見的。

想一想今日的城市,還有人類所成就的一切何等令人敬畏。現代人的成就和建築物不知比亞伯拉罕時代好上多少倍,這或許是何以最大的應許是賜給老底嘉教會的得勝者,這教會什麼都有,包括地上所需的一切富足。老底嘉教會是啟示錄提到的最後一個教會,代表著這世界末了的教會。

現在的世界可以提供的東西可能比以往任何時候都多,但人類所有最偉大的成就和世上的財富,都無法與上帝的國度或祂的永恆之城相比。亞伯拉罕所離開的迦勒底人是當時世界最偉大奇觀的管家,亞伯拉罕卻看見某個更偉大的事物,他看見比肉身家庭關係更大的事;他看見神在建造的城。

關於族長的一個值得注意的陳述是他們住在帳棚,這非常特別,他們富有到連君王都嫉妒,他們甚至可以建造當時最棒的皇宮。為什麼他們卻住在帳棚?那是因為他們看見了上帝之城,他們知道人最偉大的傑作與神在建造的城相比無足輕重,他們的心被祂的城所捕獲。

族長也知道這一生不過是過眼雲煙,他們不是為著今生所能擁有的而活,乃是為著永恆而活。這是每個看見神工程的真實客旅之本質,短暫的變得越來越黯淡,永恆的才是他們所活出的真實。

那才是何以亞伯拉罕能獻上神應許賜給他的兒子以撒,他已經看見主的日子並知道會有復活和永生。耶穌證實了此,祂在約翰福音八章56節說:你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕歡歡喜喜的仰望我的日子,既看見了就快樂。

亞伯拉罕看見主的日子,他看見耶穌釘在十字架,他知道以撒是彌賽亞將被釘十字架的先知性型態。他也看見復活並知道正如耶穌從死裡復活,他的兒子會死裡復活。這即是何以亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各和約瑟都要求葬在亞伯拉罕為埋葬他妻子撒拉而買的地,位在耶路撒冷南邊的希伯崙。當耶穌被釘十架時,發生了什麼事?

耶穌又大聲喊叫,氣就斷了。
忽然,殿裡的幔子從上到下裂為兩半,地也震動,磐石也崩裂,
墳墓也開了,已睡聖徒的身體多有起來的。
到耶穌復活以後,他們從墳墓裡出來,進了聖城,向許多人顯現
(馬太福音27:50-53) 

亞伯拉罕看見了主的日子,他不是將此告訴他的家人,就是他們自己也看見了,他們都定意要成為那日子首先復活的。他們不是為今生而活,乃是為復活而活。我們應該注意到,示拿人以自己的力量和智慧尋求一座通天的城市,一個地上最終會聚集所有人的種子城市,最後卻徒勞無功,而亞伯拉罕卻憑著信心從神領受這一切。       

我們客旅生活的成功將取決於我們把自己放在神永恆目的之程度,而不是今生的短暫事物。那即是何以使徒保羅在以弗所書一章17-19節寫著:

求我們主耶穌基督的神,榮耀的父,將那賜人智慧和啟示的靈賞給你們,使你們真知道祂,
並且照明你們心中的眼睛,使你們知道祂的恩召有何等指望,祂在聖徒中得的基業有何等豐盛的榮耀;並知道祂向我們這信的人所顯的能力是何等浩大。 

 (摘自喬納word for the week, Week 9, 2022)
 

Increasing Light, Part 9

The first thing the Lord required of Abraham to become the “father of faith” was to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees, the Babylonians. As we are told in Hebrews 11:8-10:

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

       Abraham had to leave what seems to have been the greatest city and culture of his time, not to mention his family, everyone, and everything he knew. He was required to leave even when he did not know where he was going. However, he did know what he was looking for—the city God was building to which no city of man could compare. This remains the first step in the life of a true sojourner who is seeking the city of God.

       Leaving behind what may compromise our vision and love for God and His purposes was required of Abraham and is required of all true children in the faith. Leaving all we know is difficult. Therefore, what we are seeing must be greater than what we have known. What Abraham saw in his vision of God’s city was more real to him than anything he saw with his natural eyes. This is a basic characteristic of the sons and daughters of faith; what they see with “the eyes of their heart” is more real to them than what they see with their natural eyes. They see what others cannot see.

       Consider how awesome the cities are today, and all man has accomplished. The accomplishments and buildings of men are now many times greater than what they were in Abraham’s time. Perhaps that is why the greatest promises are given to the overcomers of the church of Laodicea, the church that had everything and all the wealth it needed in the natural. This church, being the last addressed by the Lord in Revelation, represents the church at the end of this age.

       The world may now have more than ever to offer, but all of man’s greatest achievements and earthly treasure cannot compare to the least in God’s kingdom, or His city that is eternal.

        The Chaldeans that Abraham left behind were the stewards of the greatest wonders of the world in that time, but Abraham saw something greater. He saw something greater than his natural family relationships; he saw the city God is building.

        One of the noteworthy statements about the patriarchs is that they lived in tents. This is extraordinary. They were so wealthy they made kings jealous, and they could have built some of the greatest palaces of the time. Why did they live in tents? It was because they had seen God’s city. They knew the greatest works of man were insignificant compared to what God was building, and their hearts were captured by His city.

        The patriarchs also knew this life is but a vapor. They were not living for what they could have in this life, but for eternity. That’s the nature of every true sojourner who has seen the works of God. The temporary grows increasingly dimmer, and the eternal is the reality in which they live.

         That is why Abraham was able to offer his son, Isaac, God’s very promise to him. He had seen the Lord’s Day and knew there would be a resurrection and eternal life. Jesus confirmed this when He said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

        Having seen the Lord’s Day, Abraham saw the crucifixion and knew Isaac was a prophetic type of the coming crucifixion of the Messiah. He also saw the resurrection and knew, just as Jesus was raised from the dead, his son Isaac would be raised. This is why Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all demanded to be buried at the site Abraham had purchased for burying his wife, Sarah. It was in what would become Hebron, just south of Jerusalem. What happened there when Jesus was crucified?

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many (Matthew 27:50-53).

        Abraham had seen the Lord’s Day, and had either conveyed this to his family, or they had their own vision of it, but they all resolved to be a part of that first resurrection on that day and were. They were living for the resurrection, not this life. We should note that Abraham received from God by faith all that the men of Shinar had vainly sought in their own strength and wisdom—a city, access to heaven, and a seed in the earth that would ultimately gather all men.

         The success of our sojourn will depend on the degree to which we give ourselves to the eternal purposes of God rather than the temporary affairs of this life. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:18-19:

       I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

       and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.