流奶与蜜之地
我和我的一个儿子养了些蜜蜂。我们从神园子中的这些迷人的小动物身上学到很多。蜜蜂是生态系统中较复杂的一个角色，尤其是从它为果树和蔬菜授粉来看。渐渐地我们愈来愈对蜜蜂变得尊重和喜爱了，所以我很纳闷蜜蜂只在圣经中出现过几次——还是以顺便或消极的方式。
但今天的经文的确用“奶与蜜”来形容神要带领祂子民去的丰盛应许之地。这个短语在他们的历史中出现过一次又一次。一个流蜜之地标志着水果蔬菜的大丰收，因为那里有许多蜜蜂为植物和树木传花授粉。它们酿出的蜂蜜实际上是它们自己的食物，然而它们也“分享”给我们和其它生物。
蜜蜂酿造了甜甜的蜂蜜，为神园中的生态作出了贡献。但我相信它们自己是不会因为没有受到嘉奖而不高兴的。在神的世界中，它们是“奇妙可畏”的受造物，只单纯去做神交给它们的任务。蜜蜂也教会我朴素地做自己的工，“我们行善，不可丧志。若不灰心，到了时候，就要收成。” (加拉太书6：9)
神啊，我为着蜜蜂以及它们的工作感谢祢，它们以水果和蜂蜜祝福我们。求祢教导我们在祢的国中学像蜜蜂，去分享祢创造的丰盛。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
出埃及记 3:1-10
1 摩西牧养他岳父米甸祭司叶忒罗的羊群；一日领羊群往野外去，到了神的山，就是何烈山。
2耶和华的使者从荆棘里火焰中向摩西显现。摩西观看，不料，荆棘被火烧着，却没有烧毁。
3摩西说：“我要过去看这大异象，这荆棘为何没有烧坏呢？”
4耶和华神见他过去要看，就从荆棘里呼叫说：“摩西！摩西！”他说：“我在这里。”
5神说：“不要近前来。当把你脚上的鞋脱下来，因为你所站之地是圣地”；
6又说：“我是你父亲的神，是亚伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神。”摩西蒙上脸，因为怕看神。
7耶和华说：“我的百姓在埃及所受的困苦，我实在看见了；他们因受督工的辖制所发的哀声，我也听见了。我原知道他们的痛苦，
8我下来是要救他们脱离埃及人的手，领他们出了那地，到美好、宽阔、流奶与蜜之地，就是到迦南人、赫人、亚摩利人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人之地。
9现在以色列人的哀声达到我耳中，我也看见埃及人怎样欺压他们。
10故此，我要打发你去见法老，使你可以将我的百姓以色列人从埃及领出来。”
Milk And Honey (And Bees)
"I have come down to rescue them . . . and to bring them ... into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey." — Exodus 3:8
One of my sons and I keep bees. We have learned a great deal about these fascinating creatures in God's garden. Bees are an intricate part of the ecosystem, especially for the pollination of fruit trees and vegetables. We have developed a deep respect and love for bees. So I was bothered to see that bees are mentioned in the Bible—in passing or negatively—only a few times.
But our verse for today does mention "milk and honey" to describe the bountiful promised land to which God would bring his people. That phrase crops up again and again in the history of God's people. A land flowing with honey signals a great harvest of fruit and vegetables made possible by bees pollinating plants and trees. And the honey they produce is really their food, but they "share" it with us and other creatures.
I don't think it bothers bees that they don't get more credit for how they benefit the ecology of God's garden as they produce their sweet honey. They are "fearfully and wonderfully made" creatures that simply go about the work God has given them in his world. The bees teach me also to simply go about my work and "not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).
Lord, thank you for bees and for their work that blesses us with fruits and honey. Teach us to be like bees in your kingdom, sharing the bounty of your creation. Amen.
诵读: 孙大中
片头: 张妙阳
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