2019年2月18日星期一

Remember Your Creator While Young


Ecclesiastes 11:9 - 12:8
Qohelet Talking to the Young Man
A segment in the Old Testament is known as the Wisdom Literature. It largely comprises the book of Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is a Greek translation of Hebrew word - ‘qohelet’, which means the Teacher.
This book contains ‘experience talk’ of a veteran or an elder who has gone through a lot in life and penned wisdom in words.
Interestingly, the climax of Ecclesiastes is a section that addresses to ‘young man’, found in 11:9 – 12:1-8. ‘Young man’ here denotes youth not children. So in today’s context, they refer to people between 15 to 45 years old.
We shall look into the literary structure of the texts, because it can help us to interpret the text rightfully and meaningfully.
The preceding text, 11:8 ends with ‘All that comes is vanity’, and 12:8 ends with, ‘Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.’ So the word ‘vanity’ forms an inclusio (11:8 and 12:8)— a frame for this section of 11:9 to 12:8.
“Vanity” in the context of Ecclesiastes means ‘vapor; breath; cannot be grasped; impermanent; uncertainty; ridiculous’. The NIV bible “painfully” translates vanity as ‘meaningless’.
God Will Bring You into Judgment
This section is further divided into two parts. There are six imperatives in this section and five in the first part: 
v9:     Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.  
                       Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.
                                 But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.     
V10:                Remove vexation from your heart, and
         put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life a vanity.
Qohelet is saying, ‘O young men, life is short and you will grow to old age very soon, an age of sorrows, frailty and you will die one day. This is vanity! So now, rejoice, have fun, enjoy life, be happy, don't worry, do what your heart and eyes feel good!’
I think our youth today need not be reminded or taught to enjoy life. ‘To enjoy life’ is not the core intent of Qoheleth. His real core intent is found in the middle of the chiasm structure, that is, ‘but know that, for all these things God will bring you into judgment.’
This is consistent with the undertone throughout the book of Ecclesiastes:  
3:17, ‘I said to myself, God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.’
At the end of the book, 12:14, the preacher restates ‘For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.’
Remember Your Creator While Young
In the second part, there is one imperative which is also the core of message, found in 12:1,
V1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’.
‘Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth’. What did the Creator do to you?
Genesis 2:7, ‘Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’
Man is created by God from the dust. God digs into the soil and dirtied His hands to create man. Dust is worthless and insignificant material. So human beings have a humble beginning, but human is not worthless as dust. It is because God bends down again and breathes breath into the man. That turns the lifeless human person into a living soul.
Man is God’s precious workmanship, who is able to share life with God, communes with God, representing God to rule the world as God's agent, for he has the image of God. So remember, God is our source of life. We will be ‘vapor’ vanish, dead, if God withdraw this breath of life from us.
The biblical imagery also pictures the humankind as made of clay by a potter. God is the potter; we are the clay.
Jeremiah 18:6, He said, ‘can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does? Like Clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.’
Isaiah 64:8, ‘Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay; you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.’
But at times ‘clay’ also protests to the potters, ‘Why you make me like this? I don’t like it. I want to go on my own way!’
Isaiah 45:9, ‘Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground.  Does the clay say to the potter, “what are you making?” Does your work say, “The potter has no hands’?
Romans 9:20-21, ‘But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common uses?’
O young man, while you are at your young age, ‘remember’ also your Creator who is the potter, and you are the clay! Don’t wait until you become old, frail and sorrowful; only then starting to ‘remember’ the Lord your creator.
In Hebrew, ‘remember’ is not about memory state of mind, but it is about ‘acting’ accordingly! When God sees, it means God provides. When Israel hears, that means Israel obeys! 
So ‘remember your creator’, means you have to surrender your life to God, saying ‘have Thine own way Lord, I am the clay, you are the potter. You can shape me the way you think best for me. You can bring the best out of me.’
If we go on ways as pleasing to ourselves, as we have planned or as conditioned by the society expectation, we can only draw a small picture of our life, but if we allow God to shape us, we will live to the fullest potential, drawing a bigger picture of life.
Without God being the center in our lives, we still can become affluent professionals, yuppies but caught up in the rat-race and hustling and bustling of life, living a life with emptiness and will fade away like vapor, and contributes nothing to the Kingdom of God.
Still worse, we could fall into the devil's temptation, caught up in vices and crimes, and eventually fall into the judgment of God.
The Lord is our Creator like a potter. He has a great plan for each individual. He is shaping us to fit in this great plan.
So let God be our vision today, in that we no longer insist on ‘my vision, my dream, my desire’, but allow God to shape our dreams and empower us to actualize the dreams, or else our dreams will remain as fantasy; Allow God to shape our desires, or else our desires are just product of carnal motives, and eventually lead us to destruction.
Let us surrender ourselves to the sovereign hands of God, the Potter. For every decision we make, let us first ask, ‘is this beneficial to the kingdom? Is this doing good to God’s plan? Is this glorifying God?’
When we put focus on God, difficulties and uncertainties of life and the setbacks will not be able to sway us from realizing God’s plan in our lives. We will become ‘alternative yuppies or professionals’, who will take up our profession as ‘vocation’ or ‘ministry’ that will channel blessings to the world, to the nation, to the society, to the circle of our influences, to our families and eventually to our very own self.
Conclusion
Life is short, the youthful years even shorter! When the Lord calls us back to the heavenly home one day, He will not ask you, ‘how much money have you earned? How many properties do you own?
But he will ask you, ‘how much have you done for the Kingdom? How many people are blessed by your ministry?’
O young men! ‘Know that for all these things God will bring you in judgment.’
‘Remember also your Creator.’

我們會更好的


创世记二十一8-21
撒拉将夏甲和以实马利赶出家门
亚伯拉罕的大儿子是从夏甲而出,名叫以实马利,而小儿子名叫以撒,是从正室撒拉而出。以实马利十多岁时候,以撒长大到三岁。古代的艰难环境下,孩子长大到三岁也不容易,因此亚伯拉罕为以撒大摆筵席,庆祝他断奶。
在最高兴的时刻,叫人难过事情发生,喜剧变成悲剧收场。撒拉看见以实马利在筵席上『嬉戏或戏弄』以撒,就惧怕以撒的地位受到威胁。她感到担忧,就要求亚伯拉罕:『把这婢女和她的儿子赶出去,因为这婢女的儿子不能和我的儿子以撒一同承受产业。』(10节)
伯拉罕惧怕失去以实马利,也担心母子二人的安危。亚伯拉罕为此感到左右为难之际,神介入,吩咐他说:『不要为这男孩与你的使女在你眼里忧伤,所有撒拉向你说的,听从她的声音!因为从以撒生的,才要称为你的种。至于使女的儿子,我会使他成为一国,因为他也是你的种。』(二十一12-13
神赞同让夏甲和儿子离开家园,是因为神所拣选的立约之子是以撒,不是以实马利,虽然两者都是亚伯拉罕的后裔『种』。以撒成长了的那天,以实马利必须被驱走,避免威胁到神的拣选和赐福。然而,神的恩典依然紧随着以实马利。
神恩待以实马利,就好像恩待我们这些外邦人。两千年前,耶稣基督降临,开启了弥赛亚的救赎万邦的模式。他讲过一个天国的比喻,指到天父在摆设救恩的筵席,打发仆人去到城里大街小巷,把贫穷的、残废的、瞎眼的、瘸腿的,都领到筵席里(路十四21)。这些被领来的人,是神与以色列立约之外的人。
然而,耶稣基督以自己血,立了新约,但凡悔改相信耶稣的人,就好像浪子回家那样,被天父拥抱,并且带进入家里的筵席领受救恩,得到神的产业。至此,万国透过亚伯拉罕的『种』耶稣基督,得到救赎,实现了神给予亚伯拉罕的应许,万国必因他得福(创十二1-3)。
确保成功的人生下半场
十多年前,亚伯拉罕犯错误在先,听从撒拉的提议娶了婢女夏甲。夏甲怀孕之后就轻看主母撒拉。撒拉反过来苦待夏甲,家庭纠纷就此爆发。当时亚伯拉罕对夏甲绝情绝义,任由撒拉摆布。夏甲无法忍受主母的苦待,就在怀孕时候也毅然出走。神眷顾夏甲。神在旷野遇见她,吩咐她回去撒拉那里。神应许保守她和怀中的儿子。
这次夏甲的儿子以实马利长大了,家庭纠纷重现。撒拉驱逐夏甲和她的儿子,离开家园。亚伯拉罕这次的反应很不同。他不再软弱无能。他违抗撒拉的意思。他从以前的失败中学到教训,人成长了。
我们看见许多人不会从失败中学习,让自己成长,原因是每当遇见困难,犯了错误之后,就选择逃避,拒绝面对错误带来的后果,也不采取行动去纠正错误。这种人生必然一错再错,一生人都溃败。还有一些人是受到挫败,行动失误之后,就很沮丧,放弃所有,把自己关闭起来,不要与人来往。这是怪罪自己,还是怪罪别人呢?这是缺乏自信,还是不相信别人呢?
无论如何,上述这些表现都是消极的。其实人生就好象一场球赛,永远有上下场。如果球员在上半场失误,还可以在下半场连连进球,扳回之前的失误。亚伯拉罕就是这样的球员。
求神帮助我们,透过反省和细心观察,找出本身生命的问题所在,立志改过。我们可以犯错,但是不可掩饰错误,也不应该一度犯同样的错。我们要承担后果和想办法补救错误。
我们应当继续与人交往,特别是在教会里服侍和参加团契生命,这样我们的生命会得到磨练而成长。我们在人生上半场错过服侍神,为福音事工出钱出力,现在就赶快做主工,不要继续沉浸在怨天尤人,自私自利的生活方式!
神要帮助我们,叫我们的生命得到转化,从上半场的冷漠、冲突和误解,转移到下半场的爱心、接纳和谅解。福音的大能不单医治身体的疾病,也是可以医治关系的破裂与人生的失败,更以可以帮助我们突破人生的局限,使我们打出一场漂亮的下半场!
在苦难中呼求神、顺服神,经历神奇妙的供应
亚伯拉罕清早起来,拿饼和一皮袋水,给了夏甲。他把皮袋水放在夏甲的肩膀上,又把孩子交给她,就打发她离开。夏甲一手拖着以实马利,另一只手拿着饼,一路往南方走。夏甲或许计划带以实马利回埃及她的娘家。然而,她在别是巴的旷野迷了路。
人生来到了迷惑时刻,失去方向,不知往哪里走好,怎么办呢?以后要做什么,如何生存,照顾孩子呢?不要怕,神保护并供应在旷野被放逐之人!
夏甲感到心力交瘁,失去了前行的意志,况且皮袋里的水用尽了。她就把孩子撇在一棵小树底。孩子在小树下面,感觉为较阴凉,有助忍受口渴。夏甲自己却走开,在离开约有一箭之远的地方,相对而坐。她不忍心亲眼看见孩子死去。她接着放声大哭。她透过泪水和哭泣声,把积压已久的冤屈抒发出来。
这时候,神介入,因他听见孩子的声音。以实马利,就是神听见的意思!神的使者从天上呼叫夏甲,说:『夏甲啊,你为何这样呢?不要怕,神已经听见孩子的声音了,从他所在的地方。』(17节)
今天我们向神呼求,不管是在哪里,在工作的地方,在开车,在内心地处,在人多的地方,或在无人的地方,神就在“那个地方”听见我们的哭声。我们也许感到无人听见我们心里的哭声,但神听见。神很清楚知道我们所经历的难处。
除了呼求神,人应该如何去配合神的介入呢? 
神的使者夏甲说,『起来,扶起孩子,尽力保护她;因为我要使他成为大国。』(18节)
神吩咐夏甲起身,不要坐在那里沮丧、等死。夏甲不但自己要站起来,还要拖以实马利起来,用手扶着。夏甲就按照神的吩咐,扶起儿子时,就看见最需要的东西,一口水井。她去将皮袋盛满了水,就给童子喝。(19节)
夏甲听从神的吩咐行动—“起来,扶起儿子,就立刻看见拯救来到!
当人处在无助和悲伤时,往往自己沉溺在其中,听不进任何人的安慰和鼓励话。一些人为情自杀,甚至为获得不理想的成绩而自杀,就是这个原因。然而,神发出命令,那些顺服他吩咐的人就能够经历到转变。
今天我们也能够从困境中突围,经历的供应,如果我们是听从神的吩咐行事。我们现在来向神祈求帮助,服从神的指引,将自己的人生交托在他的手中。神透过不同的途径向人说话,问题是,你愿意打开你的心去聆听与实行神的命令吗?
神关注母子二人当前的需要,为他们提供水喝。他们渴求一点水,解决燃眉之急。出乎意料的,神供应他们母子两人一口水井,远超过他们所要所求(19节)。神保守他们,使到他们从『干渴』到『有水喝』,甚至到了『拥有一口水井』。
神没有让他们死在旷野,而是赐给他们新生命,还有远大的未来!神的恩典和能力够夏甲与以实马利用。
夏甲独力撑起母亲和父亲的责任,抚养孩子长大。这好比今天的单亲家庭。亚伯拉罕不能尽父亲的责任,神却补足,与孩子童子,成为孩子的父亲。夏甲和儿子被放逐离家,好象无依无靠,但是这遭遇也令他们母子从此得自由,不再做奴隶。
以实马利虽然成长在单亲家庭,但是他身体健康和强壮,成了一名弓箭手。他还娶埃及女子为妻,成为十二个支派的族长,日后被喻为亚拉伯人的先祖。
以实马利被逐离家,使他晋身英雄的行列,例如:摩西、约瑟、雅各、大卫和以斯帖。这些人都曾经失去家庭温暖。然而,他们的坎坷经历塑造了他们英雄的气概。相反的,以撒在家里得到父母亲的宠爱,长大后成了沉默寡言,非常被动的小男人。人生的际遇和结局,真是叫人始料不及!
今天我们不必受到目前的苦难所困扰,对神失去信心。我们当抱着信心和盼望,求神帮助我们面对困境。那些信靠神的人,在苦难中仍然顺服神吩咐的人,可以经历神奇妙的福气,远超过自己所能想象的。

在改變和失控中經歷神


创世记十六1-16
夏甲怀孕,撒莱苦待
在《创世记》十二1-3,神对亚伯兰(亚伯拉罕)说:『你要离开本地、本族、父家,往我所要指示你的地去。我必叫你成为大国。我必赐福给你,叫你的名为大;你也要叫别人得福。为你祝福的,我必赐福与他;那咒诅你的,我必咒诅他。地上的万族都要因你得福。』
神应许给亚伯兰后裔众多,将会成为大国、蒙福、得土地,以及地上万族都必因他蒙福。现在亚伯拉兰和妻子撒莱(撒拉),在迦南住了10年,衣食无忧。亚伯兰85岁,而撒莱75岁了,仍然不孕,怎么好呢?神应许亚伯拉罕后裔众多,受到极大拦阻。
耶稣基督是从亚伯拉罕而出的后裔。他在十字架上舍命拯救罪人,叫万族得福。这是神的救恩计划。如果亚伯拉罕没有后裔,神的救恩计划就无法实现,而我们也不会得救了。
撒拉等不及了,就顺应当时风俗习惯,把使女夏甲给丈夫为妾,以便她能够代替自己生儿子(3节)。撒拉的行动与夏娃犯罪吃禁果的行动是平行的。夏娃拿了那树上的果子,吃了,又给亚当。亚当也吃了。
圣经作者暗示撒拉仓促的行事,乃是违背神的心意。他们随自己的血气意愿行事,也是受到社会风俗的影响。神的子民应当小心,社会人士认同的做法不一定是合乎神的旨意。那么亚伯拉罕赞同撒拉的意思吗?
亚伯拉罕听从撒莱的话!他与夏甲亲近,夏甲顺利怀孕(2—4节)。夏甲因为有了身孕就骄傲,轻看主母撒拉。撒拉不但得到一子,也得到夏甲的轻视。这也是呼应亚当夏娃吃了禁果之后,不是什么都知道,却知道自己是赤身露体的。
撒拉对亚伯拉罕说:『我因你受委屈。我把我的婢女送到你的怀中,她见自己怀孕了就轻视我。愿耶和华在你我之间主持公道。』(5节)
撒拉把错误的后果推卸给别人,正是呼应亚当和夏娃犯罪之后也是推卸责任给别人。
亚伯拉罕却表现懦弱,置身度外。他对撒拉说:『你的婢女在你手中,你看怎样好,就怎样待她吧。』(6节)
于是撒拉虐待夏甲,夏甲忍受不住虐待,在身怀六甲下,逃离家门。亚伯拉罕的家庭顿时陷入家变,面临失控的状态!
夏甲走在路途上时,来到旷野的书珥的水泉旁边。有天使向她显现,对她说:『回到你主母那里去,服在她的手下。我必使你的后裔人丁兴旺,多到不可胜数。你要生一个儿子,你要给他起名叫以实马利,因为耶和华听见了你的苦情。他将来为人必像野驴。他的手要攻打人,人的手也要攻打他。他必住在众兄弟的东面。』(9-12节)
夏甲顺服神的吩咐回家去。不久后,她产下儿子,取名“以实马利”,就是神听见的意思。相传“以实马利是阿拉伯人的祖先。
于是夏甲给那对她说话的耶和华,起名叫你是看顾人的神,因为她说“在这里我不是也看见了那位看顾人的吗?”
因此那井名叫Beer-lahai-roi,是在加低斯和巴列之间(14节)。
今天我们每个人也会陷入改变与失控的状况,例如经历家变、公司变、教会变或国家变。在改变和失控中。神会看顾我们吗?我们应当怎么回应呢?
神会介入改变与失控的生命,使人蒙
夏甲只是在迦南地寄居的外邦使女,无依无靠,而且有身孕,行动不便。她无法忍受主母的苦待,才离家出走。从积极一面看,夏甲需要很大的勇气出走。这提示我们,如果在家庭里,教会里遭受到不公平迫害,身心灵受创伤,应当采取适当行动去面对,而不是盲目的忍受。我们可以寻求教会领袖和牧师的辅导和援助。
在夏甲出走途中,神真的主动找到她,使她蒙福。
从消极的一面看,发生争吵时候,我们首先要忍耐,不必作出太大反应,那会叫事情变得更加糟糕!我们当做个深呼吸,平静下来和祷告后,就有清醒的心思作出正确的抉择。退一步,海阔天空!
天使在旷野遇见夏甲后,吩咐她回到撒拉那里,叫她身陷苦境,回到危险的状况经历神的保守和赐福。这是苛刻的要求吗?
今天你的生命若出了状况,你说:『我要作出改变,我要离开了!』但是神说:『还不行,你要在目前的地方等待,忍耐,自我降卑和顺服上头掌权。我会祝福你,我的恩典够你用的。』
你接受神这样的答复吗?
夏甲顺服和相信神的应许,回到撒莱那里。这行动需要更大的勇气!夏甲的顺服和依靠神,而撒拉和亚伯拉罕却依靠自己的方法行事,两者成了鲜明的对比。夏甲顺服神,后果是得着神的赐福,孩子顺利诞生,而且后裔繁多。撒拉和亚伯拉罕依靠自己的方法行事,往后带来苦果。
夏甲身为婢女,丈夫是她唯一的依靠,却是选择退缩。然而,神出手为受压逼的人带来救恩。我们无论面对什么问题,我们可以求神施恩典,把人不能突破的困境扭转过来,使悲剧转变成喜剧,从人的愚蠢行为结出好果子。
夏甲的痛苦经历,不是白白受的。她是埃及婢女,还是蒙神的恩宠。神在痛苦中与她相遇。这经历使到她成为圣经里,第一个得到神的使者向她显现的人,也是唯一得到神应许后裔繁多的妇女。不单如此,她还是第一位给神起名:『你是看顾人的神』(13节)。
今天我们的家庭和教会生活里,会出现改变、失控或难于取舍的时刻,不知道怎么办才好,譬如:亲子、婆媳或夫妻等关系的裂缝;经济困难或信仰冲突;在服事上发生摩擦,会友分裂离开教会。其实有活人的地方,就有问题,只有在地底下的死人世界才不会出现问题。
无论面对什么环境,我们必须信靠神,相信神会按着他的旨意和方法介入来指引和照料我们。神帮助我们的方法,不一定是我们所期望和要求的。神知道什么对我们最好,人必须相信以及顺服神的带领。神以行动证明他的恩典是够夏甲用,也是够我们用的。
我们来祈求神介入我们的生命,帮助我们走出阴霾和伤害。靠着神的恩典,我们在改变和失控里,能够胜过,最后成为更加坚强,老练的人,攀上人生另一高峰。
当展望未来,走出苦难和伤痕
神的使者遇见夏甲,首先问她:『你从那里来,要往那里去?』(8节)
天使的问题很有意思,给予现代人当头棒喝!可能我们的生命太忙碌了,没有认真想过:『我从哪里来,要往哪里去?』
一经提问,夏甲在迷惘中愣住,回答说:『我从我的主母撒莱面前逃出来。』
夏甲的答案不完整,因为没有交待她往哪里去。这反映出夏甲只想到过去,而没有顾及将来。当人在痛苦中,因为全心关注过去的事而仍然带着伤害,无法抬头看见前面的曙光。
神的使者即时将夏甲的注意力由过去转到将来,吩咐她回到主母那里,服在他手下,有应许她後裔极其繁多。天使应许夏甲要生一个儿子,名叫以实玛利。这儿子必像野驴。他的手要攻打人,人的手也要攻打他。这儿子的特质『像野驴,攻击人』,正好逆转妈妈夏甲身为婢女的受压制的弱势。儿子的出生为母亲平反!
今天你是从那里来,要往那里去?你是沉溺在已发生的伤害、失败、罪疚吗?
主耶稣是天上降下的神子,为我们成就了救恩,现在他回到天上为我们预备地方。他也在上帝宝座的右边,天天为我们代求。他与我们同在,引导我们前面的路。我们信靠耶稣基督的人是有盼望的。
神今天也挑战你向前望,注目在一些『可以做或应该做』的事情上。这可以帮助你走出伤痕,进入丰盛和得胜里。什么是这些『可以做或应该做的事』呢?
例如:向某人道歉,修补关系;节食修身;打扮美美,叫自已更有吸引力;继续深造一些课程来提升自己的竞争力;去参与宣教,服侍一些不幸的人群;接受身体检查和医药治疗;改变一些坏习惯;不要在怨天尤人,重新投入服侍……重新投入工作、打拼事业或求学。