从迷惘到信靠
罪没有将来
经文
民数记三十二20-33
20摩西对他们说:你们若这样行,在耶和华面前带着兵器出去打仗,
21所有带兵器的人都要在耶和华面前过约但河,等他赶出他的仇敌,
22那地被耶和华制伏了,然后你们可以回来,向耶和华和以色列才为无罪,这地也必在耶和华面前归你们为业。
23倘若你们不这样行,就得罪耶和华,要知道你们的罪必追上你们。
24如今你们口中所出的,只管去行,为你们的妇人孩子造城,为你们的羊群垒圈。
25迦得子孙和流便子孙对摩西说:仆人要照我主所吩咐的去行。
26我们的妻子、孩子、羊群,和所有的牲畜都要留在基列的各城。
27但你的仆人,凡带兵器的,都要照我主所说的话,在耶和华面前过去打仗。
28于是,摩西为他们嘱咐祭司以利亚撒和嫩的儿子约书亚,并以色列众支派的族长,说:
29迦得子孙和流便子孙,凡带兵器在耶和华面前去打仗的,若与你们一同过约但河,那地被你们制伏了,你们就要把基列地给他们为业。
30倘若他们不带兵器和你们一同过去,就要在迦南地你们中间得产业。
31迦得子孙和流便子孙回答说:耶和华怎样吩咐仆人,仆人就怎样行。
32我们要带兵器,在耶和华面前过去,进入迦南地,只是约但河这边、我们所得为业之地仍归我们。
33摩西将亚摩利王西宏的国和巴珊王噩的国,连那地和周围的城邑,都给了迦得子孙和流便子孙,并约瑟的儿子玛拿西半个支派。
信息分享
只要你仔细阅读神向迦勒底人宣告的五个祸患,便一定会得到「罪没有将来」这个结论。莫发特圣经译本(Moffatt Translation)将阿摩司书二章13节翻译为:「我会令你的脚步闪失。」这是事实吗?这的确是事实。邪恶越是向前,牠的「脚步越是闪失」。
列王纪上二十一章21节也有同一个思想:「因为你没有目的地出卖自己,行耶和华眼中看为恶的事」(莫发特圣经译本)。请留意「没有目的」这几个字。从事神不允许的事情都是没有好结果的吗?一切都是「没有目的」吗?绝对是的。请看另一段经文:「所定的灾已经发出。罪已经开花,骄傲已经发芽」(以西结书七10,莫发特圣经译本)。我们要留意罪怎么已经开花,骄傲已经发芽,而果子是什么呢?是毁灭!
让我们来多看一处经文:「那先前有如今没有的兽」(启示录十七11,莫发特圣经译本)。请留意「先前有如今没有」这几个字,意思是邪恶有过去,但没有将来。牠「先前有」,但将来不会再有。无论那兽的英文字“Beast”的“B”是不是大写,牠最终都会衰败,因为牠是在这种「罪必毁灭」的法则底下。我们应该给邪恶足够的绳索,好让牠去把自己吊死。如果我们一味对邪恶良善,反而会使牠蓬勃滋长,要是牠没有良善的围绕,便会逐渐粉碎。所有邪恶都是良善的寄生虫,你必须将充分的良善抛给邪恶,牠才能继续下去。如果牠完全是「兽」,牠便完全是破坏。罪没有将来。牠现在也许能够逃脱,但却无可避免最后的灭亡,因为牠是怀着让自己毁灭的种子。
「给邪恶足够的绳索,好让牠去把自己吊死」
进深研究
林前四1-5;伯二十27;传十二14;路十二2
1. 神会显明什么?
2. 这一页开头的经文说什么?
祈祷
仁慈的天父,我们所经过的世代一直注目于邪恶。求您扭转人们的目光,让人懂得注目于您。求您帮助他们看到邪恶只是幻象,而神却是亮光。阿们。
From Confusion to Confidence
Sin has no future
Bible reading:
Numbers 32:20-33
20 Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle
21 and if all of you who are armed cross over the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies out before him—
22 then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.
23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.
24 Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."
25 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We your servants will do as our lord commands.
26 Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead.
27 But your servants, every man who is armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says."
28 Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes.
29 He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, you must give them the land of Gilead as their possession.
30 But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan."
31 The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the Lord has said.
32 We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan."
33 Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.
Message
No one can read the five woes which God pronounced upon the Chaldeans without coming to the conclusion that sin has no future. The Moffatt translation of Amos 2:13 says: "I will make your steps collapse." Is this fact or fiction? It is fact. The more evil advances the more its "steps collapse".
The same thought comes across in 1 Kings 21:21: "Because you have sold yourself to no purpose in doing what is evil in the sight of the Eternal" (Moffatt). Note the phrase, "to no purpose". Does the doing of what God cannot approve always end in futility? Is it all "to no purpose"? Most certainly. Take another text: "Your doom appears; your sin has blossomed, your pride has budded" (Ezek. 7:10, Moffatt). Notice how sin blossomed and pride budded - and the fruit? Doom!
Look with me at one more Scripture: "The Beast which was and is not" (Rev. 17:11, Moffatt). Note the words, "was and is not": evil has a past, but it has no future. It "was", but it will not be. No matter if "the Beast" is spelled with a capital "B": it will shrivel; it is under the law of decay. Give evil enough rope and it will hang itself. If it is not being constantly bolstered up by the surrounding good, it will go to pieces. All evil is a parasite upon good. You have to throw enough good around evil to keep it going. When it is total "Beast", it is total blight. Sin has no future. It may get away with things at the moment, but inevitably it is doomed. The seeds of its own destruction are carried within its bosom.
"Give evil enough and it rope will hang itself"
Prayer
Gracious Father, this age through which we are passing has looked upon evil until its eyes are tired. Turn people's gaze in the direction of Yourself, I pray. Help them see that evil is the great illusion and God the great Illumination. Amen.
Further study
1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Job 20:27
Ecclesiastes 12:14
Luke 12:2
1. What will God bring to light?
2. What does the verse at the top of the page actually say?
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