不要忘记:神爱罪人
诗篇一三九篇13至24节
13我的肺腑是你所造的;我在母腹中,你已覆庇我。
14我要称谢你,因我受造,奇妙可畏;你的作为奇妙,这是我心深知道的。
15我在暗中受造,在地的深处被联络;那时,我的形体并不向你隐藏。
16我未成形的体质,你的眼早已看见了;你所定的日子,我尚未度一日(或译:我被造的肢体尚未有其一),你都写在你的册上了。
17神啊,你的意念向我何等宝贵!其数何等众多!
18我若数点,比海沙更多;我睡醒的时候,仍和你同在。
19神啊,你必要杀戮恶人;所以,你们好流人血的,离开我去罢!
20因为他们说恶言顶撞你;你的仇敌也妄称你的名。
21耶和华啊,恨恶你的,我岂不恨恶他们么?攻击你的,我岂不憎嫌他们么?
22我切切地恨恶他们,以他们为仇敌。
23神啊,求你鉴察我,知道我的心思,试炼我,知道我的意念,
24看在我里面有甚么恶行没有,引导我走永生的道路。
信息分享
在这之前,诗人正惊叹神如何在母腹之中造人的微妙身体──对那些一直认为神并不重视胎儿生命的人,这篇诗正提出了强而有力的反驳,因为是神亲自使胎儿身体的每一部分得以协调地成形和成长。
当诗人想到这一切,便不禁联想到另一个更宝贵和更深激励他的真理,就是神一直与他同在,而他也永远与神在一起。于是,他突然有感而发地高呼:「主啊,当我想到你是那么的奇妙和圣洁,我就对于怎么有人会不爱你而感到震惊。主啊,照我认为,你对付这些恶人的最佳方法,就是把他们统统杀掉。」
他这种想法有甚么错误?他已逐渐认识到神的伟大和神的圣洁,然而,却未曾明白神爱罪人。彼得后书三章9节怎样说:「主不愿有一人沉沦,乃愿人人都悔改。」
来到结尾,诗人的思想再次回到自己身上,他说:「主啊,我错了。我刚才说的话,正显出我的内心充满了恶念,我何等需要你每天指出我的错处。主啊,求你鉴察我的心思意念,我将会接受你的指正和引导。」我们每天同样都需要神的鉴察和引导。
神永不改变;祂仍然是那位奇妙而伟大的神,祂仍然深爱着每个罪人。我们有没有向那些未认识神的人,分享神的爱?今天,有没有人正极需我们向他分享这爱?愿我们都能亲尝加略山的爱,以致我们能将这爱与其他未认识主的人分享。
DON'T FORGET - GOD LOVES THE SINNER
Psalm 139: 13 - 24
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Message
There are some beautiful thoughts here on how God forms the body of the tiny baby before it is born into this world. It is an answer to those who think that an unborn child is not of any interest to God. It is God himself who forms or weaves every part of the tiny growing body together.
All of this makes the writer remember the wonderful truth that God is always with him and he is always with God, a most encouraging and comforting truth. But suddenly he bursts out 'Lord when I think how wonderful and how holy you are, I am staggered to think there are people who don't love you, Lord I'll tell you what is the best way to handle them - shoot the lot of them.'
What was wrong with his thinking? He had come to realise the greatness of God and the holiness of God but did not understand the love of God for sinners. What does 2 Peter 3:9 say? 'God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.'
Finally the writer turns to himself again and says 'Lord I'm wrong. It just shows how sinful my heart is and how much I need you to show me where I am wrong, day by day and week by week. I'll trust you to do this Lord and will accept whatever you say to me.' That is also the place for us day by day.
God hasn't changed. He is still the same great and wonderful God and he still loves the sinner. Do we share anything of that love he has for those who don't know him? Is that one of the real needs of our hearts today? If he searched our hearts, would this love be what he would find? Can we ask him today to give us something of Calvary love for those who don't know him as we do?

