神的异象
没有别的神
经文
出埃及记二十1-21
1神吩咐这一切的话说:
2我是耶和华你的神,曾将你从埃及地为奴之家领出来。
3除了我以外,你不可有别的神。
4不可为自己雕刻偶像,也不可作甚么形像仿佛上天、下地,和地底下、水中的百物。
5不可跪拜那些像,也不可事奉他,因为我耶和华你的神是忌邪的神。恨我的,我必追讨他的罪,自父及子,直到三四代;
6爱我、守我诫命的,我必向他们发慈爱,直到千代。
7不可妄称耶和华你神的名;因为妄称耶和华名的,耶和华必不以他为无罪。
8当记念安息日,守为圣日。
9六日要劳碌作你一切的工,
10但第七日是向耶和华你神当守的安息日。这一日你和你的儿女、仆婢、牲畜,并你城里寄居的客旅,无论何工都不可作;
11因为六日之内,耶和华造天、地、海,和其中的万物,第七日便安息,所以耶和华赐福与安息日,定为圣日。
12当孝敬父母,使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。
13不可杀人。
14不可奸淫。
15不可偷盗。
16不可作假见证陷害人。
17不可贪恋人的房屋;也不可贪恋人的妻子、仆婢、牛驴,并他一切所有的。
18众百姓见雷轰、闪电、角声、山上冒烟,就都发颤,远远的站立,
19对摩西说:求你和我们说话,我们必听;不要神和我们说话,恐怕我们死亡。
20摩西对百姓说:不要惧怕;因为神降临是要试验你们,叫你们时常敬畏他,不致犯罪。
21于是百姓远远地站立;摩西就挨近神所在的幽暗之中。
信息分享
今天让我们来继续过去两天思考的课题:神是我们最大的满足。今天我们要看十诫的第一句话。
为甚么神要说:「我是耶和华你的神……除了我以外,你不可有别的神」?当我们想用木头或石头、金或银、名誉或财富来制造自己的神的时候,为甚么祂总是以这话来提醒我们呢?原因是这世界确实没有别的神。我们只是在欺骗自己。我们可以将自己献给它们,但它们却不能将自己献给我们。相信我们当中很多人会发现(或许就在今天)这个世界的诸神事实上都不是神。当你将希望寄托在某些东西,用你敬拜神的精力去将自己献给它的时候,它却令你失望,这就是世界诸神所给予你的结果。
我记得梅厄夫人(Golda Meir)担任以色列总理时曾经说过:「犹太人跟摩西之间存在一个相当重要的问题,那就是摩西带领他们在旷野漂流了四十年,最后却把他们带到中东唯一一个没有石油的地方。」我听到她这样说的时候,心想:「这正是神所要做的,神要以色列人倚靠祂,不是倚靠地上的资源。」所以,让我再一次问你:你是否完全交托、仰望你的神?你是否认为神是你最大的满足?还是有的时候也寄望其他的假神?要记得这一个真理:这世界确实没有别的神。
「这个世界的神不是真神」
进深研究
出三1-21;创十五1-21
1. 神怎样回应摩西的第一个问题?
2. 神怎样回应摩西的第二个问题?
祈祷
神啊!当我从您那儿转向别神时,求您赦免我。只有您才是神,所有的生命,无论个别还是群体,最终都必须向您下跪。我现在以喜乐和乐意的心,跪在你面前。求您让我常常对你降服。奉主耶稣的名祈求,阿们。
The Vision of God
No other gods
Bible reading:
Exodus 20:1-21
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance
19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."
21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
Message
Continuing the thought we have been examining over the past two days that God wants to be our sufficiency - we look today at the opening statement of the Ten Commandments.
Why did God say: "I am the Lord your God...You shall have no other gods before me"? And why does He still challenge us with that word when we want to make our gods of wood or stone? Of silver and gold? Of fame or fortune? The reason is that there are no other gods. We are fooling ourselves. We can give ourselves to them but they can't give themselves to us. Many of you will have come to the point (perhaps even today) when you discovered that the gods of this world are no gods. You pinned your hopes on something, gave yourself to it with the same energy as you would in worship, but it has let you down. This is how it is with the gods of this world.
I remember hearing Golda Meir, when she was Prime Minister of Israel, say: "The Jews have a fundamental problem with Moses. He led them through the wilderness for forty years and then brought them to the only place in the Middle East where there is no oil." When I heard her make that remark I thought to myself: "That's exactly why God did that - He wanted the Israelites to be dependent on Him, not on the earth's natural resources." So I ask you again: Do you look to the Lord who promises to be your inheritance, your portion, and see Him as sufficient? Or do you sometimes look to other gods? Let this truth sink deep into your soul - there are no other gods.
"The gods of this world are no gods"
Prayer
O God, forgive me when I have turned from You to other gods. You alone are God, and all life, individual and corporate, must finally bow the knee to You. I do so now gladly and willingly. Keep me bowed before You - always. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Exodus 3:1-21
Genesis 15:1-21
1. What was God's response to Moses' first question?
2. What was God's response to Moses' second question?
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