旅程開始
雷克-喬納 Rick Joyner
翻譯：Kate 2022.5.6
轉載/轉寄 請註明出處：國度禱告網
我們看到保羅在《哥林多前書》10:1-11中描述了以色列的曠野之旅，與我們作為基督徒的旅程類似。他在這裡總結了他的洞察力。"他們遭遇這些事，都要作為鑑戒；並且寫在經上，正是警戒我們這末世的人。"（第11節）。以色列人離開埃及，穿越曠野，然後擁有應許之地的經歷，是我們在基督裡實現呼召的旅程步驟的先知性地圖。我們從被這個世界奴役開始，然後經歷訓練之處，在屬靈的曠野中學習主的方法，然後才準備好真正開始擁有我們的應許。
在我們的研究中，我們想深入地研究這個歷程，以此衡量我們個人在靈性成熟方面的進展。這些原則可以與我們個人、會眾，甚至是普世教會有關。我們可以看到教會在歷史上也遵循這個模式。這可以幫助我們瞭解我們在哪裡、去哪裡，以及下一步是什麼。它還可以給我們帶來信心，讓我們在試煉中迅速得勝，因為我們明白主想通過試煉在我們身上成就什麼。
我們必須理解的第一個原則是，作為基督徒，我們從一個靈性綑綁的地方開始旅程。摩西是為了釋放上帝子民得自由而來，他是基督的預表或聖經模型，祂來是為了讓我們得自由。我們可以在他們的生活中看到一些屬靈的相似之處。當摩西出生時，統治者試圖通過殺死所有男嬰來消滅他。當耶穌出生時，希律也做了同樣的事情。正如聖經所教導的，在最後將通過一個榮耀的教會來揭示主，我們再次看到今天的統治勢力試圖通過墮胎和其他邪惡的策略來殺害嬰孩。
摩西第一次向他的兄弟們揭示自己時，他們拒絕了他，就像基督第一次來時被拒絕一樣。當摩西回來時，是帶著大能釋放上帝子民得自由，並摧毀了埃及所有的神。當耶穌再來時，祂不會以受苦的羔羊身份再來，而是以得勝的國王身份再來。祂將釋放祂子民獲得自由，並在此過程中摧毀這個世界上所有的假神。
在這種情況下，埃及是現今世界的一個預表，法老是現今世界的統治者撒旦的類型。法老沒有讓以色列人不戰而逃，主也不希望他這樣做。主使他的心變硬，是為了使他成為撒旦更準確的預表，撒旦會盡其所能綑綁上帝子民。
當摩西第一次要求法老放走以色列人時，他不僅拒絕了，而且還增加上帝子民的重擔，正如我們在出埃及記5:9所寫："你們要把更重的工夫加在這些人身上，叫他們勞碌，不聽虛謊的言語。"。我們在這裡看到，撒旦讓我們相信上帝的應許是"虛謊的言語"的第一個策略是讓我們的負擔更重。當這種情況發生時，不要灰心，要有勇氣。就在我們即將被神的力量拯救之前，敵人總是把負擔堆積起來，試圖用這種方式讓我們懷疑神。神的話語是確定的，我們也可以站在祂在哥林多前書10:13的應許上：
你們所遇見的試探，無非是人所能受的。神是信實的，必不叫你們受試探過於所能受的；在受試探的時候，總要給你們開一條出路，叫你們能忍受得住。
既然我們知道祂永遠不會允許我們被誘惑超過我們所能承受的，我們就可以知道當我們被誘惑到那個地步時，我們的解救就在眼前。
我們可能會問，如果主有能力消滅撒旦，為什麼祂不這樣做，讓祂的子民更容易接受？主要原因是祂不想讓祂的子民輕鬆。祂想讓它變得艱難，祂想讓每一次經歷都給我們留下足夠的印象，這樣我們就會永遠記住罪的邪惡，以及祂通過我們的得救所展示的榮耀之路。
正如祂在出埃及記6:1所說："耶和華對摩西說：現在你必看見我向法老所行的事，使他因我大能的手容以色列人去，且把他們趕出他的地。"主想讓祂的子民永遠知道，他們不是因為法老（撒旦）的允許而得自由，而是因為祂的能力。這個世界的統治者絕不會心甘情願地讓我們離開，但祂會讓我們離開。能力來了。
當摩西開始通過他的杖展示上帝的能力時，法老讓他的術士複製這種能力，他們能夠在一定程度上複製。即將到來的是一場非常真實的能力交鋒。撒旦可以在一定程度上複製神的能力，但隨後甚至邪教也會開始像埃及的術士一樣說"......這是神的手指"（出埃及記8:19）。
即使神開始證明祂的能力比撒旦所能複製的要大得多，這也不會使撒旦放棄，就像法老仍然硬心一樣。這將使他採取更加狡猾，而且往往更加成功的策略，將神的子民置於他的枷鎖之下。我們在出埃及記8:25中看到他開始這樣做："法老召了摩西、亞倫來，說：你們去，在這地（埃及）祭祀你們的神吧！''。
一旦撒旦知道我們決心事奉主，牠的下一個策略將是讓我們妥協，以便我們試圖敬拜主，同時繼續受制於這個世界的方式。撒旦其實並不介意我們 "有宗教信仰"。牠所害怕的是一個個基督徒真正得自由。
當法老看到摩西很堅決時，他提出了另一個妥協方案，正如我們在出埃及記8:28中看到的那樣，"法老說：我容你們去，在曠野祭祀耶和華─你們的神；只是不要走得很遠。求你們為我祈禱。" 幾乎每個新信徒都會聽到好心的朋友和親戚說："你現在有宗教信仰是好事--只是不要走得太遠。"意思是："星期天去教堂是好事，但你必須生活在這個世界上，所以不要變得太激進。" 我們也必須堅定地認為，我們要完全跟隨主，走到祂呼召我們去的地方。
在又經歷了幾次能力交鋒之後，法老提出了最後一次妥協，正如我們在出埃及記10:24中看到的那樣："法老就召摩西來，說：你們去事奉耶和華；只是你們的羊群牛群要留下；你們的婦人孩子可以和你們同去。" 每位信徒都要通過這個同樣的考驗。
如果撒旦看到我們決心走到上帝呼召我們去的地方，那麼牠就會試圖讓我們在牠的領地下留下什麼。牠非常清楚地知道：
"......因為你的財寶在哪裡，你的心也在那裡。"（馬太福音6:21），所以如果我們留下任何東西，沒有一直帶到神的應許之地，我們的心就會在某個時候轉回世界，最終回到束縛中去。因此，我們必須像摩西一樣，宣佈"......一蹄也不留！" （出埃及記10:26）從我們與主同行的一開始，我們就必須學會不與魔鬼妥協，這一點非常重要。
The Journey Begins
Rick Joyner
On Day Two we saw how Paul described the wilderness journey of Israel in I Corinthians 10:1-11 as a parallel of our journey as Christians. He concluded his insights here with: "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (verse 11). The experiences of Israel leaving Egypt, crossing the wilderness, and then possessing their promised land, are a step-by-step prophetic map of our journey toward the fulfillment of our calling in Christ. We start by being in bondage to this world, then we go through a place of training and learning the Lord's ways in a spiritual wilderness, before we are ready to actually start possessing our promises.
In our study, we want to examine this journey in increasing depth as a way to measure our own individual progress toward spiritual maturity. These principles can relate to us as individuals, as a congregation, or even to the universal church. We can see the church following this same pattern through history. This can help us to understand where we are, where we are going, and what the next step is. It can also give us confidence and speedy victories in our trials as we understand what the Lord is seeking to accomplish in us through them.
The first principle that we must understand is that as Christians we begin our journey from a place of spiritual bondage. Moses, who came to set God's people free, was a type or biblical model of Christ, who came to set us free. We can see a number of spiritual parallels in their lives. When Moses was born, the ruling power sought to destroy him by killing all the male babies. When Jesus was born, Herod did the same thing. As the Scriptures teach that there will be a revealing of the Lord through a glorious church at the end, we again see the ruling powers today trying to destroy the infants through abortion and other diabolical strategies.
The first time that Moses revealed himself to his brothers they rejected him, just as they would Christ the first time He came. When Moses returned, it was with great power to set God's people free, and to destroy all of the gods of Egypt. When Jesus returns He will not come again as a suffering Lamb, but as the conquering King. He will set His people free and destroy all the gods of this world while doing it.
In this scenario, Egypt is a type of the present world, and Pharaoh is a type of Satan, the ruler of this present world. Pharaoh did not let Israel go without a fight, and the Lord did not want him to. The Lord hardened his heart in order to make him a more accurate type of Satan, who will do everything he can to keep God's people in bondage.
When Moses first demanded that Pharaoh let Israel go, he not only refused, but commanded his taskmasters to increase the burdens on God's people, as we see in Exodus 5:9, "Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it that they may pay no attention to false words." We see here that Satan's first strategy in getting us to believe that God's promises are "false words" is to make our burdens heavier. When this happens, do not be discouraged, but encouraged. Just before we are about to be delivered by the power of God, the enemy always heaps the burdens on trying to get us to doubt God in this same way. The Word of God is sure, and we can also stand on His promise in I Corinthians 10:13:
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man;
and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.
Since we know that He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, we can know our deliverance is near when it gets to that point.
We may ask, if the Lord has the power to destroy Satan, why doesn't He do it and make it easier for His people? The main reason is because He does not want to make it easy for His people. He wants to make it hard, and He wants every experience to be impressed upon us enough, so that for all of eternity we will remember the evils of sin, and His glorious ways as demonstrated through our deliverance.
As He said in Exodus 6:1, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he shall let them go, and under compulsion he shall drive them out of his land.'" The Lord wanted His people to know forever that they were not set free by the permission of Pharaoh (Satan), but by His power. The ruler of this world will never willingly let us go, but he will let us go. Power is coming.
When Moses began to demonstrate God's power through his staff, Pharaoh had his magicians duplicate this power, and they were able to up to a point. What is coming will be a very real power encounter. Satan can duplicate God's power up to a point, but then even the cults will begin to say like the magicians of Egypt "...This is the finger of God" (Exodus 8:19).
Even though God begins to demonstrate that His power is much greater than anything Satan can duplicate, this will not cause Satan to give up, just as Pharaoh remained stubborn. This will cause him to take an even more devious, and often more successful, strategy for keeping God's people under his yoke. We see him begin this in Exodus 8:25: "And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, 'Go, sacrifice to your God within the land"' (of Egypt).
Once Satan knows that we are determined to serve the Lord, his next strategy will be to get us to compromise so that we try to worship the Lord while remaining in bondage to the ways of this world. Satan really doesn't mind us "having religion." What scares him is a single Christian really becoming free.
When Pharaoh saw that Moses was resolute he proposed another compromise, as we see in Exodus 8:28, "And Pharaoh said, 'I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me.'" Almost every new believer will hear from well-meaning friends and relatives, "It is good you have religion now—just don't go too far with it," meaning, "It is good to go to church on Sundays, but you have to live in the world, so don't become too radical." We too must be resolute that we are going to follow the Lord fully, going as far as He has called us to go.
After a few more power encounters, Pharaoh proposed one last compromise, as we see in Exodus 10:24, "Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, 'Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.'" Every believer will have to pass this same test.
If Satan sees that we are determined to go as far as God has called us to go, he will then try to get us to leave something behind under his domain. He knows very well that
"…where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21), so if we leave anything behind that is not carried all the way to God's Promised Land, we will at some point turn in our hearts back to the world, and end up back in bondage. Therefore, we must, like Moses, declare that "…not a hoof will be left behind!" (Exodus 10:26) From the very beginning of our walk with the Lord, we must learn it is crucial to have no compromise with the devil.