雅各家的问题日益严重。雅各从未想到其他儿子是多么恨他们的弟弟约瑟,就派他最爱的儿子去完成一个简单的任务,去看看羊群怎么样了。这给了哥哥们一个报复约瑟的机会,他们使父亲相信,是野兽杀死了他的爱子,以此掩盖了他们的罪行。
雅各不知道自己被欺骗了,但他的生活被这场悲剧永远地改变了。正如许多悲痛的父母经历的那样,失去儿子的悲痛占据了雅各的思绪。事实上,再过将近二十年,我们才会再次听到有关雅各的事。
有时候,神会允许我们走到一个令人困惑的地步,前路似乎很不明朗。无论是因所爱之人的死亡,就像雅各那样,还是因为生活中的其他悲剧,我们都在等待和疑惑,不明白神在其中的目的,神怎样使我们得益处,使祂得荣耀。
你是否发现自己处在绝望的挣扎中,和雅各在悲伤中感受到的一样?要知道神还没有使你的故事结束。祂的儿子“因所受的苦难学了顺从”(来 5:8),我们也是,和雅各一样,可以学习等待神的恩典。
哦!神啊,教导我们“壮胆,坚固我们的心,等候耶和华”(诗 27:14)。当我们不明白你的心意,求使我们确信你在耶稣里的爱。阿们。
创世记 37:12-36
12约瑟的哥哥们往示剑去放他们父亲的羊。
13以色列对约瑟说:“你哥哥们不是在示剑放羊吗?你来,我要打发你往他们那里去。”约瑟说:“我在这里。”
14以色列说:“你去看看你哥哥们平安不平安,群羊平安不平安,就回来报信给我。”于是打发他出希伯仑谷,他就往示剑去了。
15有人遇见他在田野走迷了路,就问他说:“你找什么?”
16他说:“我找我的哥哥们,求你告诉我他们在何处放羊。”
17那人说:“他们已经走了,我听见他们说要往多坍去。”约瑟就去追赶他哥哥们,遇见他们在多坍。
18他们远远地看见他,趁他还没有走到跟前,大家就同谋要害死他,
19彼此说:“你看,那做梦的来了。
20来吧,我们将他杀了,丢在一个坑里,就说有恶兽把他吃了。我们且看他的梦将来怎么样!”
21鲁本听见了,要救他脱离他们的手,说:“我们不可害他的性命。”
22又说:“不可流他的血,可以把他丢在这野地的坑里,不可下手害他。”鲁本的意思是要救他脱离他们的手,把他归还他的父亲。
23约瑟到了他哥哥们那里,他们就剥了他的外衣,就是他穿的那件彩衣,
24把他丢在坑里。那坑是空的,里头没有水。
25他们坐下吃饭,举目观看,见有一伙米甸的以实玛利人从基列来,用骆驼驮着香料、乳香、没药,要带下埃及去。
26犹大对众弟兄说:“我们杀我们的兄弟,藏了他的血有什么益处呢?
27我们不如将他卖给以实玛利人,不可下手害他,因为他是我们的兄弟、我们的骨肉。”众弟兄就听从了他。
28有些米甸的商人从那里经过,哥哥们就把约瑟从坑里拉上来,讲定二十舍客勒银子,把约瑟卖给以实玛利人。他们就把约瑟带到埃及去了。
29鲁本回到坑边,见约瑟不在坑里,就撕裂衣服,
30回到兄弟们那里,说:“童子没有了!我往哪里去才好呢?”
31他们宰了一只公山羊,把约瑟的那件彩衣染了血,
32打发人送到他们的父亲那里,说:“我们捡了这个,请认一认是你儿子的外衣不是?”
33他认得,就说:“这是我儿子的外衣,有恶兽把他吃了!约瑟被撕碎了!撕碎了!”
34雅各便撕裂衣服,腰间围上麻布,为他儿子悲哀了多日。
35他的儿女都起来安慰他,他却不肯受安慰,说:“我必悲哀着下阴间,到我儿子那里。”约瑟的父亲就为他哀哭。
36米甸人带约瑟到埃及,把他卖给法老的内臣护卫长波提乏。
"They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, 'We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." - Genesis 37:32
The problems in Jacob's family ran deep. Never dreaming how much his other sons hated their brother Joseph, Jacob sent his favorite son on a simple mission to see how things were going with the family livestock. This gave the brothers an opportunity to take revenge on Joseph, and they covered up their crime by convincing their father that a wild animal had killed his favorite son.
Jacob did not know he had been deceived, but his life was forever changed by this tragedy. As many grieving parents have experienced, the loss of his son consumed Jacob's thoughts. Indeed, nearly twenty years will pass before we hear any more about Jacob.
Sometimes God allows us to come to a place of confusion, where the road forward seems unclear. Whether it stems from the death of a loved one, as it did for Jacob, or from some other tragedy in our lives, we find ourselves in seasons of waiting and wondering, confused about God's purpose in it and how it could work out for good and bring him glory.
Do you find yourself fighting the kind of despair that Jacob felt in his grief? Know that God is not finished with your story. His own Son "learned obedience from what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8), and we too, with Jacob, can learn to wait on God's grace.
O God, teach us to "be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:14). When we struggle to understand your ways, assure us of your love in Jesus. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳