不育的众姊妹 Ruth And Her Sisters

在基督里的神的子民，不像一般人那样 “建造”他们的家，因为就是社会上最不为人接受的人，也可以参与建造基督的教会的。

“他使不能生育的妇人安居家中，为多子的乐母。” - 诗 113:9

　　在路得记的最后一章中，我们看到她被列为以色列民中几位妇女的姊妹，她们是：不育的拉结，成亲多年还不能为雅各生子；拉结的姊姊利亚，却为雅各生了几个儿子（创世记 29-31）；还有他玛，追随犹大要为犹大之子珥生孩子，最后生了一对双胞胎—法勒斯和谢拉（创世记 38）。由此我们知道，对那时的犹大人来说，传宗接代是非常重要的。

　　坐在城门的人以这些妇女和路得相比，我们不禁也想起一些在她们之前的妇女 ——撒拉、利百加、参孙的母亲、哈拿。她们本来都不能生育，或社会地位不容她们拥有家庭，然而她们最终都生了儿子，并且他们的后代也建立了以色列家。

　　在基督里的神的子民，不像一般人那样“建造”他们的家，因为就是社会上最不为人接受的人，也可以参与建造基督的教会。所以，在耶稣基督的家谱中（马太福音 1:1-17, 20），我们找到妓女他玛和喇合、摩押人路得、被大卫污辱的拔示巴，和因圣灵感孕的马利亚。这些不平凡的母亲，都曾怀孕生了神对亚伯拉罕应许的后裔，而这些后裔都成为耶稣基督的祖先。

　　“谁像耶和华我们的神呢？”衪抬举贫寒和穷乏人，领他们到祂家里，又藉着圣灵赐生命给众儿女。所以，“你们要赞美耶和华的名”！

祷告

主啊，求祢藉着基督，医治那些不能生育的妇女，叫她们生养众多充满祢的家。奉祂的名祷告，阿们。

路得记 4:11-12；诗篇 113 Ruth 4:11-12; Psalm 113

11在城门坐着的众民和长老都说：“我们作见证。愿耶和华使进你家的这女子，像建立以色列家的拉结、利亚二人一样。又愿你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恒得名声。
12愿耶和华从这少年女子赐你后裔，使你的家像她玛从犹大所生法勒斯的家一般。”
1你们要赞美耶和华！耶和华的仆人哪，你们要赞美，赞美耶和华的名！
2耶和华的名是应当称颂的，从今时直到永远！
3从日出之地到日落之处，耶和华的名是应当赞美的！
4耶和华超乎万民之上；他的荣耀高过诸天。
5谁像耶和华－我们的上帝呢？他坐在至高之处，
6自己谦卑，观看天上地下的事。
7他从灰尘里抬举贫寒人，从粪堆中提拔穷乏人，
8使他们与王子同坐，就是与本国的王子同坐。
9他使不能生育的妇人安居家中，为多子的乐母。你们要赞美耶和华！

Ruth And Her Sisters

"He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children." — Psalm 113:9

英语音频 English audio

Near the end of the story of Ruth we read that she is considered a sister to other women: to the barren Rachel, who for many years couldn’t give Jacob children; to Rachel’s sister Leah, who gave Jacob several sons (Genesis 29-31); and to Tamar, who pursued Judah to have a child for Judah’s son Er (Gen. 38) and bore twins, Perez and Zerah. We see again how important the family line was to the Jews of that time.

The people at the gate compare Ruth to these women—and evoke the memory of others who came before them—Sarah, Rebekah, Samson’s mother, and Hannah—who, either physically barren or socially unable to have a family, had children who became building blocks of the house of Israel.

God’s people in Christ do not build their own “house” in the normal way. Even socially unapproved people participate in building the church of Christ. Thus we find the prostitutes Tamar and Rahab; the Moabite Ruth; Bathsheba, whom David abused; and Mary, who became pregnant by the Holy Spirit, in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17, 20). These unusual mothers bore the descendants God promised to Abraham, and they were all ancestors of Jesus Christ.

“Who is like the LORD our God,” who lifts up the poor and needy and brings them into his house? Who brings to life sons and daughters through his Holy Spirit? “Praise the name of the LORD”!

Prayer

Through Christ, Lord, bring all your children out of barrenness so that your house may be full. Amen.

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳