尴尬和丢脸
迦南地遭遇饥荒时，亚伯拉罕离开神应许的地往埃及去。难道亚伯拉罕不信神会供应他的需要吗？
在埃及，我们看到亚伯拉罕倚靠自己的机智过于倚靠神。由于恐怕他妻子的美貌会给自己带来麻烦，亚伯拉罕便撒谎，说撒莱是他的妹妹。亚伯拉罕不信靠神的保护，他也做了我们很多人都会做的事；他胜不过自己的恐惧，开启了自我防御的模式。
亚伯拉罕的计谋导至撒莱被带进法老的宫中，法老和他的全家也因此病倒了。法老终于发现了事情的真相，他便质问亚伯拉罕。这个场面真的具有相当深刻的讽刺意味 － 一个敬拜假神的王，公然责备一个敬畏神的信徒荒谬的过错。
神藉着法老的话责备亚伯拉罕，我们可以肯定，亚伯拉罕必定会为他缺乏信心的行为感到痛心和耻辱。这里所体现的重点，就是神可以使用很多不同的方法，来把责备的信息传递给那些背弃衪呼召的子民。
当你在信心之旅上跌倒时，你有没有被人以这种方式责备过呢？这是既尴尬又羞耻的事，然而神的恩典却能消除衪子民的失败。在衪的恩典中，神愿意赦免、恢复、校正我们的脚步，回归跟随衪所引导的生活轨道上。
主啊，我们失败时，求你赐我们更大的恩典。我们虽然会违背你的旨意，但我们可以有平安，因为我们知道你的看顾总不会离开我们。阿们。
创世记 12:10-20
10那地遭遇饥荒。因饥荒甚大，亚伯兰就下埃及去，要在那里暂居。
11将近埃及，就对他妻子撒莱说：“我知道你是容貌俊美的妇人，
12埃及人看见你必说‘这是他的妻子’，他们就要杀我，却叫你存活。
13求你说你是我的妹子，使我因你得平安，我的命也因你存活。”
14及至亚伯兰到了埃及，埃及人看见那妇人极其美貌。
15法老的臣宰看见了她，就在法老面前夸奖她，那妇人就被带进法老的宫去。
16法老因这妇人就厚待亚伯兰，亚伯兰得了许多牛、羊、骆驼、公驴、母驴、仆婢。
17耶和华因亚伯兰妻子撒莱的缘故，降大灾于法老和他的全家。
18法老就召了亚伯兰来，说：“你这向我做的是什么事呢？为什么没有告诉我她是你的妻子？
19为什么说她是你的妹子，以致我把她取来要做我的妻子？现在你的妻子在这里，可以带她走吧！”
20于是法老吩咐人将亚伯兰和他妻子，并他所有的都送走了。
Embarrassed And Disgraced
"'What have you done to me?' [Pharaoh] said. 'Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?'" - Genesis 12:18-19
When a famine came to the land of Canaan, Abraham left the land God had promised him and went to Egypt. Didn't Abraham trust God enough to provide for him?
Then, in Egypt, as we can see, Abraham depended more on his wits than on God. Fearing that his wife's beauty would create a problem, Abraham lied, saying that Sarai was his sister. Rather than trusting in God's protection, Abraham did what many of us do. He gave in to his fears and went into self-protection mode.
The result of Abraham's scheming is that Sarai is taken into Pharaoh's harem, and then Pharaoh and his household get sick. Eventually discovering the truth, Pharaoh confronts Abraham. There is more than a bit of irony in this scene—a ruler who worships other gods reprimands a God-fearing believer for not doing the right thing.
God's rebuke of Abraham comes through the words of Pharaoh. We can be sure that Abraham felt the sting of humiliation for his faithless acts. The point is that God can use all kinds of means to get his message across to his people who stray from his calling.
Have you ever been rebuked in such a way for stumbling in your walk of faith? It's embarrassing and humiliating. But God's grace overrides his people's failures. In his grace, God is willing to forgive, restore, and redirect our steps back to his way of right living.
Lord, when we fail, give us more grace. Though we can step out of your will, it's good to know that we never step out of your care. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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