分道扬镳

“以扫带着他的妻子，儿女….往别处去，离了他兄弟雅各。” - 创 36:6-7

我们活在一个流动性日益增强的世界。兄弟姐妹，父母和孩子往往生活在各个不同的地方。这是因为，有时我们上完大学就留在那里，或者我们搬到一个地方开始新的工作。但有时候，家人也会因为伤害和心痛而分道扬镳。

以扫和雅各的关系很不稳定。以扫曾一度想杀害他的弟弟（创 27:41）。尽管他们和好了，也一起经历了父亲过世的痛苦（创 33:4-5；35:29），圣经对他们后裔之间争斗的描述(参民 20:14-21)表明，兄弟之间的关系仍然有些紧张。所以他们分道扬镳也就不足为奇了。

定居在不同的地方使雅各和以扫都能享受物质上的繁荣。但以扫离开他的兄弟有一层更重要的信息，以扫“娶迦南的女子为妻”，表明他对雅各的神的矛盾心理。以扫离开的真正可悲之处不是他远离了他兄弟，而是远离了神。

我们变动的社会使得维持家庭关系充满挑战。但更重要的是，我们需要帮助彼此寻求神在耶稣基督里的救恩。愿我们彼此鼓励，绝不离弃这一祝福。

信实的神，你在许多方面都祝福了我们。请帮助我们彼此相亲——尤其是与你亲近。奉基督的名，阿们。

1以扫，就是以东，他的后代记在下面。
2以扫娶迦南的女子为妻，就是赫人以伦的女儿亚大和希未人祭便的孙女、亚拿的女儿阿荷利巴玛，
3又娶了以实玛利的女儿、尼拜约的妹子巴实抹。
4亚大给以扫生了以利法，巴实抹生了流珥，
5阿荷利巴玛生了耶乌施、雅兰、可拉。这都是以扫的儿子，是在迦南地生的。
6以扫带着他的妻子、儿女与家中一切的人口，并他的牛羊、牲畜和一切货财，就是他在迦南地所得的，往别处去，离了他兄弟雅各。
7因为二人的财物群畜甚多，寄居的地方容不下他们，所以不能同居。
8于是，以扫住在西珥山里，以扫就是以东。

Separate Ways

"Esau took his wives and sons and daughters . . . and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob." - Genesis 36:6-7

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We live in an increasingly mobile world today. Brothers and sisters, parents and children often live in very different places. This can happen because we settle in a place after attending college there. Or perhaps we move to start a new job. But sometimes families go in different directions because of hurt and heartache.

Esau and Jacob had had a rocky relationship. At one point, Esau had wanted to kill his younger brother (Genesis 27:41). Although they had reconciled and joined together in grief over their father's death (Genesis 33:4-5; 35:29), the Bible's portrayal of the rivalry between their descendants (see Numbers 20:14-21) suggests that the brothers' relationship remained somewhat strained. So it's not surprising that they would go separate ways.

Settling in different places allowed both Jacob and Esau to enjoy material prosperity. But Esau moved away from his brother in another, more crucial way. By taking his wives "from the women of Canaan," Esau signaled his ambivalence toward Jacob's God. The real tragedy of Esau's move is not the distance from his brother but his distance from God.

Our mobile society offers challenges to maintaining family relationships. But even more important is the need to help one another seek God's saving grace in Jesus Christ. May we encourage one another never to move away from that blessing.

Prayer

Faithful God, you bless us in so many ways. Help us to remain close to one another—and especially to you. In Christ, Amen.