古实河外
今天读到的与腓力相遇的人来自埃塞俄比亚，在“古实河外”。(古实是埃及的别称。）
许多地方的人都知晓并敬拜以色列的神（徒 2:5-11），这个埃塞俄比亚人曾前往耶路撒冷，到那里的圣殿敬拜神。
在回家的路上，这个人正在读以赛亚书，他感到很困惑。以赛亚书写到一个人“像羊羔被牵到宰杀之地”，并且“受欺压和审判”（见赛 53:7-8）。
现在，腓利在圣灵的引领下遇到这个埃塞俄比亚人，他能够解释以赛亚所预言的耶稣，那个代替所有罪人死，然后又复活的无罪的人。此刻，伴随着圣灵的工作，腓利不失时机向一个准备好信福音的人分享了关于耶稣的好消息。
当埃塞俄比亚人看到前方有水时，他说：“我受洗有什么妨碍呢？”他说得没错——神的灵使他通过腓力听到了福音，他就信了救主耶稣基督。于是他们下水，“腓力就用水给他施洗”。
从此，这个埃塞俄比亚人“欢欢喜喜地上路”了，他或许就属于东非最早一批与他人分享耶稣救恩福音的人。
圣灵，感谢你将好消息带给我们，并帮助我们与世界各地的人分享。阿们。
西番雅书 3:9-10; 使徒行传 8:26-39
9“那时，我必使万民用清洁的言语，好求告我耶和华的名，同心合意地侍奉我。
10祈祷我的，就是我所分散的民，必从古实河外来，给我献供物。
26有主的一个使者对腓利说：“起来，向南走，往那从耶路撒冷下加沙的路上去！”那路是旷野。
27腓利就起身去了。不料，有一个埃塞俄比亚人，是个有大权的太监，在埃塞俄比亚女王干大基的手下总管银库。他上耶路撒冷礼拜去了，
28现在回来，在车上坐着，念先知以赛亚的书。
29圣灵对腓利说：“你去，贴近那车走！”
30腓利就跑到太监那里，听见他念先知以赛亚的书，便问他说：“你所念的你明白吗？”
31他说：“没有人指教我，怎能明白呢？”于是请腓利上车与他同坐。
32他所念的那段经说：“他像羊被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下无声，他也是这样不开口。
33他卑微的时候，人不按公义审判他。谁能述说他的世代？因为他的生命从地上夺去。’
34太监对腓利说：“请问，先知说这话是指着谁？是指着自己呢，是指着别人呢？”
35腓利就开口从这经上起，对他传讲耶稣。
36二人正往前走，到了有水的地方，太监说：“看哪，这里有水！我受洗有什么妨碍呢？”
38于是吩咐车站住，腓利和太监二人同下水里去，腓利就给他施洗。
39从水里上来，主的灵把腓利提了去。太监也不再见他了，就欢欢喜喜地走路。
Beyond The Rivers Of Cush
"From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings." - Zephaniah 3:10
The man who met Philip in our reading today was from Ethiopia, which was "beyond the rivers of Cush." (Cush was another name for Egypt.)
People from many lands knew about and worshiped the God of Israel (Acts 2:5-11), and the Ethiopian man had traveled to Jerusalem to worship God at the temple there.
On his way home, the man was reading from the book of Isaiah, and he was puzzled. Isaiah had written about a man who "was led like a sheep to the slaughter" and was "deprived of justice" (see Isaiah 53:7-8).
Now, Philip had been led by the Spirit to meet the Ethiopian man, and he was able to explain that Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus, the innocent one who died on behalf of all sinners and was raised to new life. Here, as the Spirit worked, Philip was able to share the good news of Jesus with a man who was ready to receive the gospel in faith.
Then, when the Ethiopian man saw some water up ahead, he said, "What can stand in the way of my being baptized?" And he was right—the Spirit of God had arranged for him to hear the good news through Philip, and the man had come to faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. So they went into the water, "and Philip baptized him."
From there, the Ethiopian man "went on his way rejoicing," and he was likely one of the first people to share Jesus with others in East Africa.
Holy Spirit, thank you for bringing the good news to us, and help us to share it with others everywhere. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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