出人意料之外的拯救者

作者:每日箴言   来源:普世佳音

“‘你们钉在十字架上的这位耶稣,神已经立他为主、为基督了。’” - 徒 2:36

在那个年代,通常是善战的勇士才上战场打仗的。以色列人巴拉是一个善战的人,然而,在他的故事中,若先知底波拉不与他同行,他便不肯上战场,神藉底波拉给他的信息也起不了作用。难道巴拉信不过神?难道他连一直忠心为神子民作士师的底波拉也信不过?

既作了这个决定,巴拉便得悉神“要将西西拉交在一个妇人手里。”耶和华使西西拉全军溃乱(15节),巴拉追赶西西拉,他便下车徒步逃走了。

在那个年代,男人若要靠女人的帮助才能脱险,是一件尴尬的事。在耶稣的年代,百姓的领袖听到一个才疏学浅的拿撒勒拉比能够拯救他们,但他们自己精密的宗教文化却没有这种能力,他们也感到尴尬。在今天,耶稣是我们的救主,我们会在哪方面感到尴尬呢?

我们因神差来的救主感到尴尬,因为我们要张开眼睛去看一个我们不喜欢听的真理:我们不能拯救自己脱离罪,我们所有关于脱离不义的想法都注定失败。

巴拉或甚至底波拉,都不符合神心目中救主的标准。惟有在奥秘中从马利亚所生的神的儿子,才是合适的人选。哈利路亚!

祷告

主啊,惟愿这位出人意料之外的救主耶稣基督的恩惠和慈爱,使我们生出敬虔的痛悔,又因脱离不义和不义带来的愁苦而欢欣。阿们。

士师记4:1-15

1以笏死后,以色列人又行耶和华眼中看为恶的事,
2耶和华就把他们付于在夏琐做王的迦南王耶宾手中。他的将军是西西拉,住在外邦人的夏罗设。
3耶宾王有铁车九百辆,他大大欺压以色列人二十年,以色列人就呼求耶和华。
4有一位女先知名叫底波拉,是拉比多的妻,当时做以色列的士师。
5她住在以法莲山地拉玛和伯特利中间,在底波拉的棕树下,以色列人都上她那里去听判断。
6她打发人从拿弗他利的基低斯将亚比挪庵的儿子巴拉召了来,对他说:“耶和华以色列的神吩咐你说:‘你率领一万拿弗他利和西布伦人上他泊山去。
7我必使耶宾的将军西西拉率领他的车辆和全军往基顺河,到你那里去。我必将他交在你手中。’”
8巴拉说:“你若同我去,我就去;你若不同我去,我就不去。”
9底波拉说:“我必与你同去,只是你在所行的路上得不着荣耀,因为耶和华要将西西拉交在一个妇人手里。”于是底波拉起来,与巴拉一同往基低斯去了。
10巴拉就招聚西布伦人和拿弗他利人到基低斯,跟他上去的有一万人。底波拉也同他上去。
11摩西岳父何巴的后裔基尼人希百曾离开基尼族,到靠近基低斯撒拿音的橡树旁支搭帐篷。
12有人告诉西西拉说,亚比挪庵的儿子巴拉已经上他泊山了。
13西西拉就聚集所有的铁车九百辆和跟随他的全军,从外邦人的夏罗设出来,到了基顺河。
14底波拉对巴拉说:“你起来,今日就是耶和华将西西拉交在你手的日子。耶和华岂不在你前头行吗?”于是巴拉下了他泊山,跟随他有一万人。
15耶和华使西西拉和他一切车辆全军溃乱,在巴拉面前被刀杀败。西西拉下车步行逃跑。

Unexpected Saviors

“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” - Acts 2:36

英语音频 English Audio

In those days it was usually mighty men of war who fought in battle. But in this story Barak of Israel—a capable man of war—would not enter the field of battle without Deborah the prophet. The message from God that Deborah had given him wasn’t enough. Did Barak not trust the Lord? Did he not trust Deborah, who had been serving faithfully as a judge for God’s people?

Because of his decision, Barak is told that God “will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” And when the Lord routs Sisera’s army (v. 15), Sisera escapes from Barak’s advance and runs away on foot.

In those days, it was embarrassing for men to be saved by the help of women. In Jesus’ day, it was embarrassing for the people’s leaders to hear that an under-educated teacher from Nazareth could save them, and that their own sophisticated religious culture had no such power. What embarrasses us about Jesus as Savior today?

Our embarrassment about the Savior sent by God opens our eyes to uncomfortable truths: we cannot rescue ourselves from sin, and all our ideas about rescue from unrighteousness inevitably fail.

Not Barak or even Deborah fit God’s overall design for a Savior. Only the Son of God, mysteriously born of Mary, would do. Hallelujah!

Prayer

Lord, may the grace and love of the unexpected Savior, Jesus Christ, lead us to godly sorrow and the joy of deliverance from unrighteousness and its misery. Amen.

诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳


发布日期:2019-07-10