一个爱的献祭

作者:每日箴言   来源:普世佳音

“亚伯拉罕说,我儿,神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。于是二人同行。” - 创 22:8

  我们只能猜想,亚伯拉罕和以撒前往摩利亚地的路上,究竟在想些什么。当以撒问到燔祭的羊羔时,我们只能猜测为什么亚伯拉罕回答说“神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。”他这样说,是因为他知道神是慈爱的,绝不会真的让他牺牲自己的儿子作献祭吗?

  原来和周边民族那些虚假宗教不一样,亚伯拉罕所信的神是不要求用人来作献祭的,但神确实要求其他方式的献祭。神要求任何我们钟爱的事物都不能超过我们爱祂和事奉祂。或许在对亚伯拉罕的这个试验中,神在问:“你爱我甚至超过你宝贵的儿子吗?”亚伯拉罕的顺服和信靠表明他的答案是“是的。”

  这个故事乃是指向另一个献祭的故事,一个显明神多么爱我们的故事,以至于祂“不爱惜自己的儿子为我们众人舍了”(罗马书 8:32)。耶稣来,不只是做一位伟大的教师,他来,乃是为我们的罪作最终的挽回祭,祂在十字架上的死终结了罪和死对我们的咒诅——神就是如此爱我们。

  你对神的爱有多少呢?它足够令你将你的一切献上“当作活祭,是圣洁的,是神所喜悦的”吗?(罗马书12:1)

祷告

耶稣,感谢祢为我作了牺牲的祭,除去我的罪孽,感谢祢如此爱我们。愿我们每天都将自己的一切献上给祢。奉祢的名求,阿们。

 

创世记 22:1-19

1这些事以后,神要试验亚伯拉罕,就呼叫他说:亚伯拉罕!他说:我在这里。
2神说:你带着你的儿子,就是你独生的儿子,你所爱的以撒,往摩利亚地去,在我所要指示你的山上,把他献为燔祭。
3亚伯拉罕清早起来,备上驴,带着两个仆人和他儿子以撒,也劈好了燔祭的柴,就起身往神所指示他的地方去了。
4到了第三日,亚伯拉罕举目远远的看见那地方。
5亚伯拉罕对他的仆人说:你们和驴在此等候,我与童子往那里去拜一拜,就回到你们这里来。
6亚伯拉罕把燔祭的柴放在他儿子以撒身上,自己手里拿着火与刀;于是二人同行。
7以撒对他父亲亚伯拉罕说:父亲哪!亚伯拉罕说:我儿,我在这里。以撒说:请看,火与柴都有了,但燔祭的羊羔在那里呢?
8亚伯拉罕说:我儿,神必自己预备作燔祭的羊羔。于是二人同行。
9他们到了神所指示的地方,亚伯拉罕在那里筑坛,把柴摆好,捆绑他的儿子以撒,放在坛的柴上。
10亚伯拉罕就伸手拿刀,要杀他的儿子。
11耶和华的使者从天上呼叫他说:亚伯拉罕!亚伯拉罕!他说:我在这里。
12天使说:你不可在这童子身上下手。一点不可害他!现在我知道你是敬畏神的了;因为你没有将你的儿子,就是你独生的儿子,留下不给我。
13亚伯拉罕举目观看,不料,有一只公羊,两角扣在稠密的小树中,亚伯拉罕就取了那只公羊来,献为燔祭,代替他的儿子。
14亚伯拉罕给那地方起名叫耶和华以勒(意思就是耶和华必预备的意思),直到今日人还说:在耶和华的山上必有预备。
15耶和华的使者第二次从天上呼叫亚伯拉罕说:
16耶和华说:你既行了这事,不留下你的儿子,就是你独生的儿子,我便指着自己起誓说:
17论福,我必赐大福给你;论子孙,我必叫你的子孙多起来,如同天上的星,海边的沙。你子孙必得着仇敌的城门,
18并且地上万国都必因你的后裔得福,因为你听从了我的话。
19于是亚伯拉罕回到他仆人那里,他们一同起身往别是巴去,亚伯拉罕就住在别是巴。 

Only Son Isaac

"Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together." — Genesis 22:8

英语音频 English Audio

We can only wonder what Abraham was thinking on the way to Moriah with Isaac. When Isaac asked about the lamb for the offering, we can only guess why Abraham answered the way he did: "God himself will provide the lamb." Did Abraham say this because he knew God is a loving God and would never really make Abraham sacrifice his son?

Unlike the false religions of the neighboring peoples, belief in God does not call for human sacrifice. But God does demand other kinds of sacrifices. God demands that nothing can mean more to us than loving and serving him. Perhaps in this test of Abraham, God was asking, "Do you love me more than even your precious son?" Abraham's answer, shown by his obedience and trust, was "Yes."

This story points to another story of sacrifice, which shows that God loves us so much that he "did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). Jesus didn't come just to be a great teacher. He came to be the final sacrifice for our sins. His death on the cross ended the curse of sin and death for us. That's how much God loves us.

How much do you love God? Enough to give your all "as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing" to him (Romans 12:1)?

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for coming to be the sacrifice that takes away our sin. Thank you for loving us so much. May we give our all to you each day. Amen.

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳


发布日期:2017-12-05