耶和华和两位天使以旅客的身份来见亚伯拉罕,有两个目的:就是告诉亚伯拉罕和撒拉,他们将会生一个儿子,和查看是否要因所多玛和蛾摩拉的罪恶而毁灭这两个城。
客人们在树荫下歇息,亚伯拉罕谦恭地招呼他们用膳。耶和华告诉撒拉,她将会在明年生一个儿子,接着,在他们准备离开时,神说衪要看看所多玛是不是衪听闻的那么邪恶。亚伯拉罕便恳求耶和华,如果城里仍然有一些公义的人,便不要毁灭它,因为他的侄儿罗得和家人住在那里。
有些哲学家表示,这一类故事是古老和原始的传说,想像创造宇宙万物的主宰,竟然会费心亲自与人类交谈,又关心我们一手闯下的祸患!他们认为,这种事情是不合情理的。
然而,神不是高高在上、冷漠无语的神。祂爱我们,就像衪爱亚伯拉罕和撒拉一样。神来与我们谈话,这是祂要向我们彰显的爱和友谊的标志,让我们也学习向祂和向别人敞开我们的心。有些人觉得这很难做得到,但我们每一个人把心里所想的说出来又是如此重要。我们彼此并非公共汽车上互不认识的陌生人,冷漠无声地并排坐着,到了目的地便分开。
你今天愿意与别人交往倾谈吗?
主啊,求祢赐我们爱、诚意,和言语,来与祢和与别人沟通。奉耶稣的名祷告,阿们。
创世记 18:1-25
1耶和华在幔利橡树那里向亚伯拉罕显现出来。那时正热,亚伯拉罕坐在帐棚门口,
2举目观看,见有三个人在对面站着。他一见,就从帐棚门口跑去迎接他们,俯伏在地,
3说:“我主,我若在你眼前蒙恩,求你不要离开仆人往前去。
4容我拿点水来,你们洗洗脚,在树下歇息歇息。
5我再拿一点饼来,你们可以加添心力,然后往前去。你们既到仆人这里来,理当如此。”他们说:“就照你说的行吧。”
6亚伯拉罕急忙进帐棚见撒拉,说:“你速速拿三细亚细面调和做饼。”
7亚伯拉罕又跑到牛群里,牵了一只又嫩又好的牛犊来,交给仆人,仆人急忙预备好了。
8亚伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶,并预备好的牛犊来,摆在他们面前,自己在树下站在旁边,他们就吃了。
9他们问亚伯拉罕说:“你妻子撒拉在哪里?”他说:“在帐棚里。”
10三人中有一位说:“到明年这时候,我必要回到你这里;你的妻子撒拉必生一个儿子。”撒拉在那人后边的帐棚门口也听见了这话。
11亚伯拉罕和撒拉年纪老迈,撒拉的月经已断绝了。
12撒拉心里暗笑,说:“我既已衰败,我主也老迈,岂能有这喜事呢?”
13耶和华对亚伯拉罕说:“撒拉为什么暗笑,说:‘我既已年老,果真能生养吗?’
14耶和华岂有难成的事吗?到了日期,明年这时候,我必回到你这里,撒拉必生一个儿子。”
15撒拉就害怕,不承认,说:“我没有笑。”那位说:“不然,你实在笑了。”
16三人就从那里起行,向所多玛观看,亚伯拉罕也与他们同行,要送他们一程。
17耶和华说:“我所要做的事岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢?
18亚伯拉罕必要成为强大的国;地上的万国都必因他得福。
19我眷顾他,为要叫他吩咐他的众子和他的眷属遵守我的道,秉公行义,使我所应许亚伯拉罕的话都成就了。”
20耶和华说:“所多玛和蛾摩拉的罪恶甚重,声闻于我。
21我现在要下去,察看他们所行的,果然尽像那达到我耳中的声音一样吗?若是不然,我也必知道。”
22二人转身离开那里,向所多玛去;但亚伯拉罕仍旧站在耶和华面前。
23亚伯拉罕近前来,说:“无论善恶,你都要剿灭吗?
24假若那城里有五十个义人,你还剿灭那地方吗?不为城里这五十个义人饶恕其中的人吗?
25将义人与恶人同杀,将义人与恶人一样看待,这断不是你所行的。审判全地的主岂不行公义吗?”
"The LORD said, '. . . I will go down and see. . . . .'" - Genesis 18:20-21
When the Lord and two angels visited Abraham as travelers, God had two purposes in mind: to tell Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, and to see if Sodom and Gomorrah should be destroyed for their wickedness.
Abraham humbly served his guests a meal as they sat in the shade, and the Lord told him that Sarah would have a son in about a year. Then, as they began to leave, God said he was going to see if Sodom was as wicked as he had heard. And Abraham appealed to the Lord not to destroy it if even some of the people were righteous, for his nephew Lot and his family lived there.
Some philosophers have said that stories like this are quaint and primitive. To think that the Creator of the universe would bother to talk with a human being and concern himself with the messy situations we get ourselves into! It just doesn't make sense, they say.
But God is not distant and uncommunicative. He loves us, as he loved Abraham and Sarah. It is a mark of love and friendship that God comes to communicate with us, and that we open our hearts first of all to God and also to one another. Some find this hard to do, but for all of us it is important to put our thoughts into words. We are not strangers on a bus, sitting stony-faced and silent next to each other until we reach our destination.
Are you open to visiting with others today?
Lord, give us the love, the will, and the words to communicate with others and with you. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳