[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 創世記 Genesis 22-24]
12 天使說：「不可在這孩子身上下手！一點也不可傷害他！現在我知道你是敬畏 神的人了，因為你沒有把你的兒子，就是你的獨子，留下不給我。」… 15 耶和華的使者第二次從天上呼喚亞伯拉罕， 16 說：「耶和華說：『你既行了這事，沒有留下你的兒子，就是你的獨子，我指着自己起誓： 17 我必多多賜福給你，我必使你的後裔大大增多，如同天上的星、海邊的沙。你的後裔必得仇敵的城門， 18 並且地上的萬國都必因你的後裔得福，因為你聽從了我的話。』」12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”… 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
創世記 genesis 22:12;15-18
神呼召亞伯拉罕跟隨他，並在亞伯拉罕年老時賜福給他一個兒子。但後來他需要通過一個考驗：上帝要求他犧牲他唯一的兒子以撒。亞伯拉罕可以有很多理由與神爭論或違背神，但他沒有爭論或悖逆；相反，他順服上帝。藉著亞伯拉罕，因著他通過了神的考驗，神對萬國的祝福就得以應驗。
我們許多人沒有意識到我們沒有通過上帝的考驗。 我們是否忙著在教會中事奉神，卻把我們的孩子奉獻給世界，而不是把他們獻給上帝？有一次我在教會講完道後，一位長老無耐地對我說，他從小到大去教堂的兒子不再是信徒了，但隨後他的眼睛ㄧ亮，自豪地告訴我他的兒子在職場中是如何的成功。 我們是因我們的孩子不再與主同行而感到悲傷，還是我們因我們的孩子在世界上成功而感到自豪？
「教會的長椅上擠滿了父母，他們正在經歷深深的痛苦——因為他們的兒子或女兒（或兩者）不再為基督而活而感到痛苦。……如果我們要看到千禧一代的重大轉變，他們需要首先看到父母的改變。 ~ 被遺棄的信仰
通過上帝考驗的關鍵是我們不保留任何事物，這包括我們的孩子。今天你我面臨的考驗是什麼？願我們效法信仰之父亞伯拉罕的榜樣，願意放棄我們所擁有的一切，特別是我們最珍惜的人（或事物），以便神的祝福可以透過我們流向許多人！
禱告：親愛的神，請幫助我們不向祢保留任何事物，而是全心全意地相信祢，使我們成為將祢的祝福傳遞給他人的管道。奉耶穌的名，阿們！
God called Abraham to follow Him and, in Abraham’s old age, blessed him with a son. But later there was a test that he needed to pass: God asked him to sacrifice his ONLY son Issac. Abraham could have many reasons to argue with God or to disobey God, but he did not argue or disobey; instead, he acted in obedience to God. Through Abraham, as a result of his passing of God’s test, God’s blessing to the nations can be fulfilled.
Many of us do not realize that we fail God’s test. Are we busy serving God in the church but sacrificing our children to the world, instead of presenting them to God? Once at a church after my message, an elder said to me with sadness that his son who had grown up going to church was no longer a believer, but then his face brightened as he went on to tell me with pride how his son was excelling in his career. Are we sad that our children are no longer walking with the Lord, or we are proud that our children are very successful in the world?
“Church pews are filled with parents experiencing deep pain—pain over the fact that their son or daughter (or both) is no longer living for Christ. … if we are going to see a major turnaround among millennials, they need to see change first in moms and dads.” ~ Abandoned Faith
The key to passing God’s test is for us to withhold nothing, and that includes our children. What are the tests that you and I are facing today? May we follow the example of Abraham – the father of our faith – willing to give up all we have, including the ones (or the things) we treasure the most, so God’s blessing can flow through us to many!
Prayer: Dear God, help us to withhold nothing from you and rather to trust You wholeheartedly so we can be a channel of Your blessings to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
希伯來語單字 Hebrew words:
- נָסָה nāsâ (v) = to test 試驗
- עֹלָה ʿōlâ = burnt offering 燔祭
- חָשַׂךְ ḥāśeḵ (v) = to withhold 保留
