害怕死去的麦子
你「死去」的日子
经文
创世纪二十二1-14
1这些事以后，神要试验亚伯拉罕，就呼叫他说：亚伯拉罕！他说：我在这里。
2神说：你带着你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，你所爱的以撒，往摩利亚地去，在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭。
3亚伯拉罕清早起来，备上驴，带着两个仆人和他儿子以撒，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，亚伯拉罕举目远远的看见那地方。
5亚伯拉罕对他的仆人说：你们和驴在此等候，我与童子往那里去拜一拜，就回到你们这里来。
6亚伯拉罕把燔祭的柴放在他儿子以撒身上，自己手里拿着火与刀；于是二人同行。
7以撒对他父亲亚伯拉罕说：父亲哪！亚伯拉罕说：我儿，我在这里。以撒说：请看，火与柴都有了，但燔祭的羊羔在那里呢？
8亚伯拉罕说：我儿，神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。于是二人同行。
9他们到了神所指示的地方，亚伯拉罕在那里筑坛，把柴摆好，捆绑他的儿子以撒，放在坛的柴上。
10亚伯拉罕就伸手拿刀，要杀他的儿子。
11耶和华的使者从天上呼叫他说：亚伯拉罕！亚伯拉罕！他说：我在这里。
12天使说：你不可在这童子身上下手。一点不可害他！现在我知道你是敬畏神的了；因为你没有将你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，留下不给我。
13亚伯拉罕举目观看，不料，有一只公羊，两角扣在稠密的小树中，亚伯拉罕就取了那只公羊来，献为燔祭，代替他的儿子。
14亚伯拉罕给那地方起名叫耶和华以勒（意思就是耶和华必预备的意思），直到今日人还说：在耶和华的山上必有预备。
信息分享
这数天，我们研读过神设置金钱的四个目的后，现在，我们可以反思一些问题：金钱在我们生命中扮演甚么角色？它令我们亲近神，还是远离祂？我们的保障是在钱财，还是在救主耶稣哪里？
我们大部分人都会说自己在事奉神，我们会强烈否认自己爱金钱多于爱主。不过，神知道有时这并非实情。所以祂需要令我们陷入财政困境，让我们明白自己真正的保障在那里。
亚伯拉罕和以撒的故事看似与我们的话题没有关系，但我认为有某些地方是相似的。首先，神在亚伯拉罕的生命中选出他的最爱──他的独生儿子。神往往以我们最爱的东西开始祂对我们品格的试验。金钱是你最爱的东西之一吗？如果是，现在就面对和承认吧。
第二，神将亚伯拉罕安放在一个特定的时间和地点。神处事的方法总涉及特定的时间和地点。在今天的经文第二节，耶和华神说：「在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭」。就让你现在坐着的地方成为你与神会面的地方吧。神要求亚伯拉罕献他的独子为祭。亚伯拉罕从没有可能向自己的儿子举起刀子，直到他向自己的感情「死」去。没有这情感的割舍，献祭就只是一种没有意义的仪式。今天该是你向金钱的束缚「死去」的日子了。
「对金钱的情感依附必须中断」
进深研究
太二十六1-13；路二十一4；徒四34-35
1. 对于那膏祂的女人，耶稣说甚么？
2. 初期教会的态度是怎么样的？
祈祷
天父，您的时间是最完美无瑕的。我今天借着信心，要让自己对金钱的所有情感依附全都「死去」，将所有金钱上的束缚都放在您的祭坛上。天父，我把该做的都做了，我获得自由了，求您帮助我能够活出那自由。奉耶稣的名字祈求，阿们。
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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