“[我要说]‘救恩出于耶和华。’耶和华吩咐鱼，鱼就把约拿吐在旱地上。” - 拿 2:9-10

　　约拿的故事极其挑战我们常有的怀疑心态。想像一下在海上风暴中责备其中一个乘客，尽管他承认自己得罪了神，可怎么会把他扔进海里就平息了风浪呢？然而事实就是如此的！而且还不止这些：神还派“一条大鱼吞了约拿”，他在鱼腹中存活了“三天三夜”。

　　最后，约拿忏悔自己的罪，承认神拯救他的大能，感谢神的搭救，并发誓将永志不忘。神终于引起约拿的重视了，祂便命令大鱼把约拿吐在旱地上。

　　这个故事听起来虽异乎寻常，但耶稣与法利赛人辩论时曾引用过它。法利赛人要求耶稣显个神迹，好证明祂就是自己宣称的那位。耶稣却把他们引向约拿的事件：“一个邪恶淫乱的世代求看神迹。除了先知约拿的神迹以外，再没有神迹给他们看” (太 12:39)。

　　约拿并不是主动跳到海里，并期待一条“大鱼”来救他；他也没有想到自己会被这兽吐到岸上。但神使用约拿，来指向耶稣牺牲自己的生命，被葬在坟墓里，三天后神使祂复活，我们才得享祂永恒的生命。生在兽的腹中，这叫作罪；而耶稣释放了我们，赐给我们永生。我们可以和约拿一起欢唱：“救恩出于耶和华！”

祷告

主耶稣，祢甘愿来到这个有罪的世界拯救我们，我们怎样感谢祢才够呢？求祢现在就悦纳我们衷心的赞美。奉祢的名求，阿们！

 

约拿书 1:17-2:10

17耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿，他在鱼腹中三日三夜。
1 约拿在鱼腹中祷告耶和华－他的神，
2说：我遭遇患难求告耶和华，你就应允我；从阴间的深处呼求，你就俯听我的声音。
3你将我投下深渊，就是海的深处；大水环绕我，你的波浪洪涛都漫过我身。
4我说：我从你眼前虽被驱逐，我仍要仰望你的圣殿。
5诸水环绕我，几乎淹没我；深渊围住我；海草缠绕我的头。
6我下到山根，地的门将我永远关住。耶和华－我的神啊，你却将我的性命从坑中救出来。
7我心在我里面发昏的时候，我就想念耶和华。我的祷告进入你的圣殿，达到你的面前。
8那信奉虚无之神的人，离弃怜爱他们的主；
9但我必用感谢的声音献祭与你。我所许的愿，我必偿还。救恩出于耶和华。
10耶和华吩咐鱼，鱼就把约拿吐在旱地上。  

From The Belly Of The Beast

"I will say, 'Salvation comes from the LORD.' And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." — Jonah 2:9-10

英语音频 English Audio

Jonah's story challenges our natural skepticism. Imagine blaming an ocean storm on one passenger, though he admitted sinning against God. And how could tossing Jonah overboard calm the storm? Yet it did! And there's more: God sent "a huge fish to swallow Jonah," who survived in its belly for "three days and three nights."

Jonah confessed his sin, professed faith in God's power to save him, gave thanks for deliverance, and vowed eternal gratitude. Now God had Jonah's attention. He ordered the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land.

This story sounds bizarre. But Jesus used it in a discussion with the Pharisees. The Pharisees demanded miracles from Jesus to prove he was all he claimed to be. Instead, Jesus referred them to Jonah: "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah" (Matthew 12:39).

Jonah didn't dive voluntarily into the sea expecting a "huge fish" to save him; nor did he expect to be vomited from the beast onto the beach. But God used Jonah to point to Jesus' sacrificing his life and being sealed in the tomb for three days before God resurrected him. And we share his eternal life. Born in the belly of the beast called sin, Jesus freed us for eternal life. We can sing with Jonah, "Salvation comes from the LORD"!

Prayer

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳