[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 出埃及記 Exodus 5-7]
5:1 後來，摩西和亞倫去對法老說：「耶和華—以色列的 神這樣說：『放我的百姓走，好讓他們在曠野向我守節。』」 2 法老說：「耶和華是誰，要我聽他的話，讓以色列人去？我不認識耶和華，也不放以色列人走！」
出埃及記 Exodus 5:1-2
5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”
以色列人在埃及為奴四百年後，上帝的子民終於有了一位領袖，帶領他們敢於挑戰法老對他們的控制。 摩西就是那個領袖，他直接訴求法老“放我的百姓走！” 對奴隸來說，挑戰當時世界上最強大的國王是不可想像的。 但摩西代表神說：“放我的百姓走！”，他說以色列人是神的子民，不是法老的子民。 上帝的子民要服事至高無上的上帝，而不是法老。
1776年，美國開國元勳之一班傑明富蘭克林根據以色列人出埃及的故事，為新國家設計印章。 美國國會任命的一個委員會推薦了富蘭克林設計的編輯版本，用於國徽的背面：
「法老坐在敞開的戰車上，頭上戴著王冠，手裡拿著劍，穿過紅海分水嶺追趕以色列人：雲中火柱發出的光芒，表達了神的存在和命令，摩西微笑著站在岸上，並將他的手伸向大海，使其淹沒法老王。座右銘：反抗暴君就是服從上帝。
我們的開國元勳們清楚地認為，美國的建立不僅僅是一場戰爭的偶然結束，而是上帝之手所實現的結果，就像祂將以色列人從埃及拯救出來一樣。
然而今天，美國誕生近 250 年後，許多人已經忘記了曾經大大祝福這片土地的上帝； 可悲的是，他們讓自己成為侍奉其它神的奴隸。 願新一代的“摩西”和“亞倫”站起來，向今天的“法老”呼喊：“放我的百姓走！” 並重申這句座右銘：“反抗暴君就是服從上帝。”
禱告：親愛的天父，請幫助我們今天作為美國人記住，這個國家是建立在祢的原則之上，是祢親手所建，並受到祢的祝福。 願我們，尤其是下一代，擺脫追隨那些控制我們的新神！讓我們離開「埃及」，轉而追隨那又真又活的神！ 奉耶穌的名，阿們！
After the people of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years, God’s people finally had a leader through whom they dared to challenge Pharaoh’s control over them. Moses was that leader, and he directly requested Pharaoh to “[l]et my people go!” It was unthinkable for slaves to challenge the most powerful king in the world at the time. But Moses was speaking on behalf of God when he said, “Let my people go!”, stating that the Israelites were God’s people, not Pharaoh’s people. God’s people were supposed to serve the Sovereign God, not Pharaoh.
In 1776, Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of America, proposed a seal for the new nation based on the account of the Israelites escaping from Egypt. An edited version of Franklin’s design was recommended by a committee appointed by the Congress of the United State for the reverse side of the Great Seal:
“Pharaoh sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his head and a Sword in his hand, passing through the divided Waters of the Red Sea in Pursuit of the Israelites: Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Cloud, expressive of the divine Presence and Command, beaming on Moses who stands on the shore and extending his hand over the Sea causes it to overwhelm Pharaoh. Motto: Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
Our Founding Fathers clearly viewed the founding of America not simply as a fortuitous ending to a war but as an outcome put into place by the hand of God, just as He had rescued the Israelites out of Egypt.
Today, however, almost 250 years after the birth of America, many have forgotten the God who has greatly blessed this land; sadly, they have allowed themselves to become slaves serving a different god. May a new generation of “Moses-es” and “Aarons” rise up and shout thus to today’s “Pharaoh(s)”: “Let My People Go!” and reclaim the motto: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please help us today as Americans to remember that this country was founded upon Your principles, established by the work of Your hand, and blessed by You. May we, and especially those of the next generation, be set free from following new gods which have taken a hold on us and rather turn to follow the true and living God, out of our “Egypt”! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
