神的異象
聆聽與觀看
經文
約伯記四十二1-17
1約伯回答耶和華說:
2我知道,你萬事都能作;你的旨意不能攔阻。
3誰用無知的言語使你的旨意隱藏呢?
我所說的是我不明白的;這些事太奇妙,是我不知道的。
4求你聽我,我要說話;我問你,求你指示我。
5我從前風聞有你,現在親眼看見你。
6因此我厭惡自己(或譯:我的言語),在塵土和爐灰中懊悔。
7耶和華對約伯說話以後,就對提幔人以利法說:我的怒氣向你和你兩個朋友發作,因為你們議論我不如我的僕人約伯說的是。
8現在你們要取七隻公牛,七隻公羊,到我僕人約伯那裡去,為自己獻上燔祭,我的僕人約伯就為你們祈禱。我因悅納他,就不按你們的愚妄辦你們。你們議論我,不如我的僕人約伯說的是。
9於是提幔人以利法、書亞人比勒達、拿瑪人瑣法照著耶和華所吩咐的去行;耶和華就悅納約伯。
10約伯為他的朋友祈禱。耶和華就使約伯從苦境(原文是擄掠)轉回,並且耶和華賜給他的比他從前所有的加倍。
11約伯的弟兄、姊妹,和以先所認識的人都來見他,在他家裡一同吃飯;又論到耶和華所降與他的一切災禍,都為他悲傷安慰他。每人也送他一塊銀子和一個金環。
12這樣,耶和華後來賜福給約伯比先前更多。他有一萬四千羊,六千駱駝,一千對牛,一千母驢。
13他也有七個兒子,三個女兒。
14他給長女起名叫耶米瑪,次女叫基洗亞,三女叫基連哈樸。
15在那全地的婦女中找不著像約伯的女兒那樣美貌。他們的父親使他們在弟兄中得產業。
16此後,約伯又活了一百四十年,得見他的兒孫,直到四代。
17這樣,約伯年紀老邁,日子滿足而死。
信息分享
也許對我們過去幾天來一直在討論「不明白神的公義」的這個問題,能夠作一個最清楚解釋的人,就是神的僕人約伯。
在承受撒但的折磨後,約伯相信生命整體都是不公平的。他在二十七章2節對神說:「神奪去我的理,全能者使我心中愁苦。我指著永生的神起誓……」神有甚麼回應?祂以這些話與約伯對質:「我立大地根基的時候,你在哪裡呢?你若有聰明,只管說吧!你若曉得就說,是誰定地的尺度?」(伯三十八4-5)。接著,在花了很長時間聆聽神講述祂的偉大和威嚴後,約伯以今天的經文那了不起的話回應神說:「我從前風聞有你,現在親眼看見你。」約伯開始明白,任何對抗神的公義的行為都是罪。想到自己是那麼不公地看全能者的時候,他便忘記了自己以前受到苦待這個問題了。
接著約伯為那些沒有怎樣幫上忙的朋友祈禱,當他將焦點從自己轉向別人的時候,他裡面發生了一些重大和美好的改變──他的叛逆消除了,他脫離了一切困難。約伯按神的本性,而不是他的喜好看神。讓我肯定地告訴你,如果我們要正確地崇拜和事奉神,我們必須領受同樣的啟示。
「約伯把焦點從自己轉向他人」
進深研究
詩十七1-15 ;詩三十四5;詩一二三1
1. 大衛要求神兌現甚麼承諾?
2. 大衛確信會有甚麼結果?
祈禱
天父啊,風聞有您實在美好,但親眼「看見您」更是無可比擬的喜樂。您把您的僕人約伯帶到甚麼地方去,求您也把我帶到那裡,不論中間會存在甚麼阻擋。奉主耶穌的名求。阿們。
The Vision of God
Hearing and seeing!
Bible reading:
Job 42:1-17
1 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.
8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has."
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job's prayer. 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver[a] and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.
13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters.
14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch.
15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
Message
Perhaps the person who best illustrates what we have been talking about over the past few days - a failure to understand God's justice - is God's servant Job.
Following his suffering received at the hands of Satan, Job came to believe that the whole of life was unfair. He makes this point to God in chapter 27 verse 2: "As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul..." What is God's response to this? He confronts Job with these words: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!" (Job 38:4-5). Then, after listening for a long time to God outlining His greatness and His majesty, Job responds with the marvellous words that form our text for today: "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you." Job begins to see that any movement against God's justice is sin. His previous problem of being mistreated is forgotten in the light of the greater problem that he had misjudged the Almighty.
Then came the moment when Job prayed for the friends who hadn't been much help to him, and as he turned the focus from himself to others something big and beautiful took place within him his rebellion dissolved and he was delivered from all his problems. Job came to see God as He is, not as he wanted Him to be, and with all the conviction of which I am capable I tell you that same revelation must come to us if we are to worship God and serve Him correctly.
"Job turned the focus from himself to others"
Prayer
O Father, to hear of You by car is indeed wonderful, but to "see" You is bliss beyond compare. Bring me to the same place You brought Your servant Job - no matter what lies in between. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 17:1-15; 34:5; 123:1
1. What was David asking God to honour?
2. What result was David convinced of?
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