害怕死去的麥子
你「死去」的日子
經文
創世紀二十二1-14
1這些事以後，神要試驗亞伯拉罕，就呼叫他說：亞伯拉罕！他說：我在這裡。
2神說：你帶著你的兒子，就是你獨生的兒子，你所愛的以撒，往摩利亞地去，在我所要指示你的山上，把他獻為燔祭。
3亞伯拉罕清早起來，備上驢，帶著兩個僕人和他兒子以撒，也劈好了燔祭的柴，就起身往神所指示他的地方去了。
4到了第三日，亞伯拉罕舉目遠遠的看見那地方。
5亞伯拉罕對他的僕人說：你們和驢在此等候，我與童子往那裡去拜一拜，就回到你們這裡來。
6亞伯拉罕把燔祭的柴放在他兒子以撒身上，自己手裡拿著火與刀；於是二人同行。
7以撒對他父親亞伯拉罕說：父親哪！亞伯拉罕說：我兒，我在這裡。以撒說：請看，火與柴都有了，但燔祭的羊羔在那裡呢？
8亞伯拉罕說：我兒，神必自己預備作燔祭的羊羔。於是二人同行。
9他們到了神所指示的地方，亞伯拉罕在那裡築壇，把柴擺好，捆綁他的兒子以撒，放在壇的柴上。
10亞伯拉罕就伸手拿刀，要殺他的兒子。
11耶和華的使者從天上呼叫他說：亞伯拉罕！亞伯拉罕！他說：我在這裡。
12天使說：你不可在這童子身上下手。一點不可害他！現在我知道你是敬畏神的了；因為你沒有將你的兒子，就是你獨生的兒子，留下不給我。
13亞伯拉罕舉目觀看，不料，有一隻公羊，兩角扣在稠密的小樹中，亞伯拉罕就取了那隻公羊來，獻為燔祭，代替他的兒子。
14亞伯拉罕給那地方起名叫耶和華以勒（意思就是耶和華必預備的意思），直到今日人還說：在耶和華的山上必有預備。
信息分享
這數天，我們研讀過神設置金錢的四個目的後，現在，我們可以反思一些問題：金錢在我們生命中扮演甚麼角色？它令我們親近神，還是遠離祂？我們的保障是在錢財，還是在救主耶穌哪裡？
我們大部分人都會說自己在事奉神，我們會強烈否認自己愛金錢多於愛主。不過，神知道有時這並非實情。所以祂需要令我們陷入財政困境，讓我們明白自己真正的保障在那裡。
亞伯拉罕和以撒的故事看似與我們的話題沒有關係，但我認為有某些地方是相似的。首先，神在亞伯拉罕的生命中選出他的最愛──他的獨生兒子。神往往以我們最愛的東西開始祂對我們品格的試驗。金錢是你最愛的東西之一嗎？如果是，現在就面對和承認吧。
第二，神將亞伯拉罕安放在一個特定的時間和地點。神處事的方法總涉及特定的時間和地點。在今天的經文第二節，耶和華神說：「在我所要指示你的山上，把他獻為燔祭」。就讓你現在坐著的地方成為你與神會面的地方吧。神要求亞伯拉罕獻他的獨子為祭。亞伯拉罕從沒有可能向自己的兒子舉起刀子，直到他向自己的感情「死」去。沒有這情感的割捨，獻祭就只是一種沒有意義的儀式。今天該是你向金錢的束縛「死去」的日子了。
「對金錢的情感依附必須中斷」
進深研究
太二十六1-13；路二十一4；徒四34-35
1. 對於那膏祂的女人，耶穌說甚麼？
2. 初期教會的態度是怎麼樣的？
祈禱
天父，您的時間是最完美無瑕的。我今天藉著信心，要讓自己對金錢的所有情感依附全都「死去」，將所有金錢上的束縛都放在您的祭壇上。天父，我把該做的都做了，我獲得自由了，求您幫助我能夠活出那自由。奉耶穌的名字祈求，阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
The day you "die"
Bible reading:
Genesis 22:1-14
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
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."
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
Message
Having seen God's four purposes for money, we are now ready to ask: What part does money play in our lives? Does it draw us closer to God, or drive us further away from Him? Is our security in silver - or in the Saviour?
Most of us would claim that we are serving God. We would strenuously deny that we have a greater love for money than we do for the Master. God, however, is aware that what we believe to be the situation is not always so. Sometimes He has to bring us into cramped financial circumstances so that we realise where our true security lies.
Although the story of Abraham and Isaac does not have a precise application to what we are saying here, there are certain similarities which I consider do apply. First, God singled out in Abraham's life the thing he most loved – his only son. God often starts His test of our character with the thing that we love the most. Is money one of your greatest loves? If so, recognise and acknowledge it right now.
Second, God pinned Abraham down to a fixed time and place. God's way of doing business always involves a specific time and place. "Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering" (v.2). Let the place where you are sitting now be your meeting place with God. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham could never have lifted the knife over his son unless he had "died" to him in his emotions. Without this emotional break, the offering is only a meaningless ritual. This must be the day on which you "die" to the bondage of money.
"Emotional attachments to money must be broken"
Prayer
O Father, Your timing is perfect. Today, by faith, I "die" to all emotional attachments to money, and lay every financial bondage on Your altar. Father, it's done - I'm free. Help me now to live out that freedom. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Matthew 26:1-13
Luke 21:4
Acts 4:34-35
1.What did Jesus say about the woman who anointed Him?
2. What was the attitude of the early Church?
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