当摩西与法老对峙时,圣经经文清楚地表明,这不仅仅是人类领袖之间的意志较量。而更是以色列的神正在与埃及的诸神进行对决。
尼罗河流域是埃及帝国的心脏。埃及的农作物、运输和贸易都依赖于尼罗河,这是它在经济、政治和宗教方面都非常强大的命脉。
因此,当神向埃及诸神宣战时,许多灾祸都直击埃及的心脏。例如,第一灾将尼罗河水变成血水。这样就没有水可以饮用、发展渔业或灌溉庄稼,埃及人的生活将变得非常艰难。
当然,这个灾难也具有深刻的属灵意义。它意味着埃及的尼罗河之神(索贝克、哈皮和克努姆)及其伟大的生育之神(奥西里斯)无法战胜独一的真神。奥西里斯也被认为是法老的神圣祖先,会指引他们的埃及后裔进入来世。
真正的主和天地的创造者向我们显明,埃及的神都是虚假的。埃及及其君王无力阻挡神拯救祂自己的子民。
在今天这个世界中,我们从哪些方面可以见证神抵挡假神的大能?
主啊,生与死的赐予者,我们赞美你!无论在灵界还是在尘世,没有任何事物能将我们与你的爱隔绝,你的爱已经极大地显明在我们的救主耶稣身上。阿们。
出埃及记 7:14-24; 12:12-13
14耶和华对摩西说:“法老心里固执,不肯容百姓去。
15明日早晨,他出来往水边去,你要往河边迎接他,手里要拿着那变过蛇的杖,
16对他说:‘耶和华希伯来人的神打发我来见你,说:“容我的百姓去,好在旷野侍奉我”,到如今你还是不听。
17耶和华这样说:我要用我手里的杖击打河中的水,水就变做血,因此你必知道我是耶和华。
18河里的鱼必死,河也要腥臭,埃及人就要厌恶吃这河里的水。’”
19耶和华晓谕摩西说:“你对亚伦说:‘把你的杖伸在埃及所有的水以上,就是在他们的江、河、池、塘以上,叫水都变做血。在埃及遍地,无论在木器中、石器中,都必有血。’”
20摩西、亚伦就照耶和华所吩咐的行。亚伦在法老和臣仆眼前举杖击打河里的水,河里的水都变做血了。
21河里的鱼死了,河也腥臭了,埃及人就不能吃这河里的水。埃及遍地都有了血。
22埃及行法术的,也用邪术照样而行。法老心里刚硬,不肯听摩西、亚伦,正如耶和华所说的。
23法老转身进宫,也不把这事放在心上。
24埃及人都在河的两边挖地,要得水喝,因为他们不能喝这河里的水。
12因为那夜我要巡行埃及地,把埃及地一切头生的,无论是人是牲畜,都击杀了,又要败坏埃及一切的神。我是耶和华。
13这血要在你们所住的房屋上做记号,我一见这血,就越过你们去,我击杀埃及地头生的时候,灾殃必不临到你们身上灭你们。
"I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord." - Exodus 12:12
When Moses and Pharaoh face off, the biblical text makes clear that this is not merely a battle of wills between human leaders. Rather, the God of Israel is making war against the gods of Egypt.
The Nile River was the very heart of the Egyptian empire. Egypt depended on the Nile for crops, transport, and trade, making it powerful in its prosperity, politics, and religion.
So when God goes to war against the Egyptian gods, a number of the plagues strike at Egypt's very heart. For example, the first plague turns the waters of the Nile into blood. So there is no water for drinking or fishing or crops, making life very difficult for the Egyptians.
Of course, this plague had deep spiritual significance too. It meant that Egypt's gods of the Nile (Sobek, Hapi, and Knuum) and its great fertility god (Osiris) had no power over the one true God. Osiris was also the supposed divine ancestor of the pharaohs who guided them into the afterlife.
The true Lord and Creator of the heavens and the earth showed that Egypt's gods were all false. Egypt and its king were powerless to stand in the way of God rescuing his people.
In what ways do we see God's power at work against false gods in our world today?
Lord and giver of life and death, we praise you that nothing in the spiritual realm or on the earth can separate us from your love, most clearly revealed in Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳