神的异象
不能再掉头
经文
诗篇七十三1-28
1（亚萨的诗。）神实在恩待以色列那些清心的人！
2至于我，我的脚几乎失闪；我的脚险些滑跌。
3我见恶人和狂傲人享平安就心怀不平。
4他们死的时候没有疼痛；他们的力气却也壮实。
5他们不像别人受苦，也不像别人遭灾。
6所以，骄傲如链子戴在他们的项上；强暴像衣裳遮住他们的身体。
7他们的眼睛因体胖而凸出；他们所得的，过于心里所想的。
8他们讥笑人，凭恶意说欺压人的话；他们说话自高。
9他们的口亵渎上天；他们的舌毁谤全地。
10所以神的民归到这里，喝尽了满杯的苦水。
11他们说：神怎能晓得？至高者岂有知识呢？
12看哪，这就是恶人；他们既是常享安逸，财宝便加增。
13我实在徒然洁净了我的心，徒然洗手表明无辜。
14因为，我终日遭灾难；每早晨受惩治。
15我若说，我要这样讲，这就是以奸诈待你的众子。
16我思索怎能明白这事，眼看实系为难，
17等我进了神的圣所，思想他们的结局。
18你实在把他们安在滑地，使他们掉在沉沦之中。
19他们转眼之间成了何等的荒凉！他们被惊恐灭尽了。
20人睡醒了，怎样看梦；主啊，你醒了也必照样轻看他们的影像。
21因而，我心里发酸，肺腑被刺。
22我这样愚昧无知，在你面前如畜类一般。
23然而，我常与你同在；你搀着我的右手。
24你要以你的训言引导我，以后必接我到荣耀里。
25除你以外，在天上我有谁呢？除你以外，在地上我也没有所爱慕的。
26我的肉体和我的心肠衰残；但神是我心里的力量，又是我的福分，直到永远。
27远离你的，必要死亡；凡离弃你行邪淫的，你都灭绝了。
28但我亲近神是与我有益；我以主耶和华为我的避难所，好叫我述说你一切的作为。
信息分享
让我们在这里停下来总结一下我们到目前为止所说过的话。
教会现在最关键的需要是对神有新的异象。年青的以赛亚进入圣殿时得到的异象也应该成为我们的异象。那个异象改变以赛亚，也会改变我们。不过，很多基督徒来到圣经面前，不是要按神的本性发现神，而是要确定他们自己对神的看法。因此，他们紧抓对全能者完全错误的观念，对神也没有真知识，以致在生命中跌跌撞撞，而不是稳步前行。如果我们给神正确的位置──「高高在上」──我们便看到自己的正确地位，敬拜的时候便不会觉得是一种仪式，而是与我们的创造主深刻和丰富的相遇。
有一件妨碍我们按神的本性去认识神的事情，就是我们应该担心自己怎样对待神，而不该专注于别人怎样对待我们。历史显示那些真正认识神的人似乎都不大关心别人对他们做过甚么，因为他们都忙于聚焦在怎样更认识神的方面。我们每一个人都必须掌握一个事实：对神深入一点儿的认识，比对祂有很多知识上的认识有价值得多。因此，我们必须更进一步追求以赛亚在圣殿中所得到的异象。有一件事情我们应该肯定的是：今天来到这儿，我们应该对神的本性有了一个清楚的认识，所以不应该又再掉头走回自己以前对神的旧路。
「对神深入的认识比只在知识上认识神更重要」
进深研究
约六53-71；太十九21
1. 彼得怎样回应耶稣的问题？
2. 为甚么？
祈祷
神啊，我生命的门终于开始向外而不是向内打开。我开始懂得更多注目于您，而不是看我自己。我知道这才是正确的行为。我的天父啊，求您继续带领我，我要跟随您。奉耶稣的名求。阿们。
The Vision of God
Too far to turn back
Bible reading:
Psalm 73:1-28
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity[b]; their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, "How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?"
12 This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Message
We pause at this point to gather up some of the things we have been saying.
The most important need for the Church at this present time is a fresh vision of God. The vision which the young Isaiah received as he entered into the Temple must also become ours. It transformed him and it will also transform us too. Many Christians come to the Bible, however, not to discover God as He is, but to confirm their own view of Him. Thus they hold fast to a concept of the Almighty that is completely false, and so, lacking a true knowledge of God, they stumble through life rather than striding through it. When God is accorded His rightful place, "high and exalted", then we acknowledge our rightful place and worship becomes not a mere ritual but a deep and rich encounter with our Creator.
One of the things that prevents us from seeing God as He really is, is our preoccupation with how others behave toward us, when we should be worrying about the way we have behaved toward God. History shows that those who have really known God seem to have exhibited little concern about what others have done to them; they have been too busy focusing on how they could arrive at a better knowledge of Him. Every one of us must get hold of the fact that a little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about Him. Thus we must pursue the vision which Isaiah received in the Temple still further. One thing is certain, we have come too far to turn back now.
"Knowledge of God is worth more than knowledge about Him"
Prayer
O God, at last the doors of my life are beginning to turn outward instead of inward. I am beginning to focus more on You than on myself. This feels so right. Lead me on, my Father. I shall follow. In Christ's Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
John 6:53-71
Matthew 19:21
1. What did Peter respond to Jesus' question?
2. Why?
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