泥巴

In this week’s lessons we look at a psalm that contains some of the best-loved verses in the Old Testament, and learn what mature Christian living looks like.

經文：詩篇卅七1∼20 Scripture: Psalm 37:1-20

解釋聖經有一個重要的原則就是「漸進啟示」。漸進啟示的意思是：在聖經前面部分的重要教義，在後面的章節裏會更完整地鋪展開來。舉例而言，關於人死後會變成怎樣的觀念，在舊約只有原始的雛形，甚至可以說非常罕見，但是在耶穌基督復活之後，這個教義在新約聖經裏得到了長足的發展。救贖論也是如此。舊約聖經有教導代罪救贖的觀念，但是只有在耶穌代替祂的百姓而死、完成救恩之後，這個觀念才得到完整的解釋。

An important principle of Bible interpretation is progressive revelation. Progressive revelation means that a doctrine which is introduced in an early portion of the Bible is unfolded more fully in later sections. A good example is the Bible's doctrine of what lies beyond death. Ideas of the afterlife are rudimentary and even scarce in the Old Testament, but they are developed at length in the New Testament after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The same is true of the doctrine of the atonement. Salvation by substitution is taught in the Old Testament, but it is only explained fully after Jesus accomplished it by dying for his people.

但是，有時候聖經也會反其道而行。一段舊約聖經的經文有時候會更完整地解釋新約的經文。詩篇卅七篇就是一個例子。這首詩篇的第11節與「溫柔」（meekness；和合本譯為「謙卑」）有關，而且被耶穌在登山寶訓（太五∼七章）裏所引用。祂將溫柔當成八福中的一福：「溫柔的人有福了，他們必承受地土」（太五5）。耶穌沒有解釋這個教導，登山寶訓也沒有解釋。但是這卻是詩篇卅七篇的主題。因此我們可以正確地說，詩篇卅七篇是八福中第三福的一個闡釋，即便它是在耶穌開始祂公開職事一千年之前所寫的（註1）。這節經文將「溫柔」的特性展示出來，溫柔的意思就是在面對惡人明顯的昌盛時仍然信任他人。

Yet it sometimes works the other way. An Old Testament passage sometimes expounds a New Testament verse more fully. Psalm 37 is a case in point. The eleventh verse of this psalm has to do with meekness and is quoted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). He used it as one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matt. 5:5). That teaching is not explained by Jesus, certainly not in the Sermon on the Mount. But it is what Psalm 37 is about. So it is right to say that Psalm 37 is an exposition of the third beatitude, even though it was written a thousand years before Jesus began his public ministry.1 It unfolds the character of the meek or trusting person in face of the apparent prosperity of the wicked.

舊約聖經裏有一些最受人喜愛的經文就是出自這篇詩篇：

Some of the best-loved verses in the Old Testament come from this psalm:

Psa 37:4 又要以耶和華為樂，祂就將你心裡所求的賜給你。

Psa 37:5 當將你的事交託耶和華，並倚靠祂，祂就必成全。

Psa 37:16 一個義人所有的雖少，強過許多惡人的富餘。

Psa 37:25 我從前年幼，現在年老，卻未見過義人被棄，也未見過他的後裔討飯。

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.”

“Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked.”

“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”

最後一節經文確立了這首詩篇是一首關於成熟智慧的詩篇。如果按照這篇詩篇的題詞所說，它是大衛所寫的，那麼這首詩很明顯是大衛在他老年時，在終生反省義人的道路和惡人的道路，以及上帝如何分別對待他們之後所寫的。

That last verse establishes the psalm as a psalm of mature wisdom. If it was written by David, as the title says it was, it was apparently composed by him in his old age after a lifetime of reflection on the ways of the righteous and the wicked and of God's dealings with each.

詩篇卅七篇是一首字母詩（離合詩）。也就是說，它的每一節時節（各有兩節經文）開頭的字是按照希伯來字母的順序來排列的。和許多字母詩一樣，這首詩篇也很難列出大綱。它大部分的內容是一串格言似的諺語，類似箴言的一部分。不過，當我們按照順序讀下來，可以發現有一些主題主導著一些段落，而這些主題可以作為研究的架構。我提出以下五個段落：1) 默然的心靈（1~11節）；2) 惡人的道路（12∼20節）；3) 義人與惡人的道路的對比；4) 一位老者對年輕人的忠告（27∼33節）；5) 從長遠來看（34∼40節）。

Psalm 37 is an acrostic psalm. That is, each of its stanzas of double verses begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Like most acrostic psalms this one is fairly hard to outline. Mostly it seems to be a string of aphoristic sayings, like portions of Proverbs. Yet certain themes dominate various sections of the psalm as one moves through it, and these give a framework for study. I suggest the following five sections: 1) the quiet spirit (vv. 1-11); 2) the way of the wicked (vv. 12-20); 3) the ways of the righteous and the wicked contrasted (vv. 21-26); 4) an old man's counsel to the young (vv. 27-33); and 5) taking the long view (vv. 34-40).

這週我們會看前兩段，下週看後三段。

We will look at the first two of these sections in this study and the last three sections next week.

研讀問題：

1. 詩篇卅七篇如何說明漸進啟示

2. 什麼是字母詩？

3. 溫習這裡提出的大綱。博愛思博士為什麼說這首詩篇是一首關於成熟智慧的詩篇？

Study Questions:

1. How is Psalm 37 an example of progressive revelation?

2. What is an acrostic psalm?

3. Review the outline suggested for this study. Why does Dr. Boice say that this psalm is a psalm of mature wisdom?

註：

1. See Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary on Books I and II of the Psalms (Leicester, England, and Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity, 1973), p. 148.

不要憂慮：第二部分，第2日。 Not to Worry: Part 1, Day 2

今日主題：默然的心靈Theme: The Quiet Spirit

Theme: The Quiet Spirit

http://www.alliancenet.org/tab/not-to-worry-part-1-day-2

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10156044327414653?pnref=story

本週我們要看的是一首包含了舊約聖經裏最受人喜愛的一些經文的詩篇，並且學習怎樣的生活才是一種成熟基督徒的生活。In this week’s lessons we look at a psalm that contains some of the best-loved verses in the Old Testament, and learn what mature Christian living looks like.

經文：詩篇卅七1～20

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-20

前十一節經文是直接闡釋八福中的第三福，就是第十一節所提到的「溫柔」（meekness；和合本作：謙卑人）

The first eleven verses are the most direct exposition of the third beatitude, which is where they end. They describe the quiet spirit of one who trusts in God and does not fret because of evil men.

這首詩的一開頭就奏響了它的音符，第1、2節唱到：「不要為作惡的心懷不平，也不要向那行不義的生出嫉妒。因為他們如草快被割下，又如青菜快要枯乾。」（註2）「不要心懷不平」的字面意思是「不要激動」，這也是我們平常的說法。或者我們可以說：「不要生氣」，或甚至是「冷靜」，這正是這首詩篇主要想告訴我們的。請注意，「不要心懷不平」總共重覆了三次，分別在1、7、8節。它們是這個段落的重覆主題。

The note is struck at the very beginning, in verses 1 and 2: "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away."2 The words "do not fret” literally mean "do not get heated,” which is also how we might express it. Or we might say, "Don't get all worked up." Or even "Be cool." This is what the psalm chiefly wants to say to us. So in case we might miss it, the words "do not fret” are repeated three times, being found in verses 1, 7 and 8. They are the recurring theme of this section.

但是如何才能冷靜呢？當我們看見惡人昌盛，尤其是當他們以義人為代價卻一帆風順時（事情往往會這樣），我們怎麼還能保持冷靜呢？

But how are we to do it? How are we to remain cool when we see evil men prospering, especially when they prosper at the expense of righteous persons, as is often the case?

八福說溫柔的人會承受地土。但是從表面來看，往往是那些不敬虔的人才會得到土地。好人總是吃虧！當我們看到這事發生時，如何能不心懷不平、不激動、不生氣呢？第3～11節對這些問題提出了兩個解答。首先是我們應當仰望上帝，其次是我們必須向前看。

The beatitude says that the meek will inherit the earth. But it seems to us that it is the ungodly who usually get it. Nice guys finish last! How can we not fret when we see that happening? Verses 3-11 give two answers to those questions. The first is that we are to look up, and the second is that we are to look ahead.

最重要的答案是不要盯著惡人看，甚至不要盯著自己看，而是要轉眼注目主耶穌基督。這樣還不夠，我們還應當信靠祂，立志跟隨祂。我認為聖經裏很難找到一個比這裏更合適教導我們如何過敬虔生活，並且在愛上帝、認識上帝要有所成長的地方了。這些經文告訴我們應當要作下面這五件事：

The most important answer is to get our eyes off the wicked and even off ourselves and onto the Lord. More than that, we are to trust him and commit our way to him. I suppose there is hardly a place in all the Bible better suited to teach us how to live godly lives and grow in the love and knowledge of God, which is what the godly life is about, than these verses. They tell us to do five things.

1. 「倚靠耶和華」（第3節）。信靠就是信心。這是與上帝有正確關係的正確起點。但是一如既往，信心不僅僅是消極的，更是積極的，不僅僅與上帝有關，也和其他人有關。這就是為什麼經文加上「而行善」的原因。這意思是說，一個默默信靠上帝的人會在他/她的人生中經驗到上帝的生命和能力，而這個新生命會透過對他人行善而表現出來。我在教導信心是稱義的管道時，經常會說，稱義一定會伴隨著重生，而一個被重生的人，必定會活出一個嶄新的生命。換句話說，我們雖然不是靠善行得救，而是靠上帝的恩典、藉著信心得救的，但是信心無可避免地會以更好的行為舉止將自己表明出來。

1. "Trust in the LORD" (v. 3). Trust is faith. It is the proper starting point for all right relationships with God. Yet as always, faith is not merely passive but active too, and not merely God-related but related to others. This is why the verse adds the words "and do good." It means that the person who is quietly trusting God will experience the life and power of God in his or her life and that this new life will express itself by doing good to others. I often say when I am teaching about faith as the channel of justification that there is never any justification without regeneration and that the one who is regenerated will necessarily lead a new life. In other words, although we are not saved by works but rather are saved by the grace of God through faith, faith will inevitably express itself in better conduct.

信心（倚靠）有三個要素：1) 知識（notitia）或「內容」；2) 認同（assensus），也就是個人對此內容的「同意」或「認可」；3) 信靠（fiducia）或「信賴」。最後一點涉及到個人對上帝的委身，正如婚姻涉及到對婚姻對象彼此委身一樣。上帝已經對我們作出保證，我們必須把自己交給祂。

Faith (trust) has three elements: 1) notitia or "content"; 2) assensus, which is personal "consent to” or “agreement with" that content; and 3) fiducia or "trust." The last point involves a personal commitment to God, just as marriage involves a personal commitment of each marriage partner to the other. God has committed himself to us. We must commit ourselves to him.

2. 「以耶和華為樂」（第4節）。人在被轉變之前，拒絕與上帝發生任何關係，因為他們不認為上帝是可喜悅的。他們以為祂在道德上是吹毛求疵、非常嚴厲的，設立了各種規矩，只是為了不讓人有成就感或得到喜樂。

2. "Delight ... in the LORD" (v. 4). Before people are converted they resist any relationship to God, because they do not think that God is desirable. They suppose him to be moralistic and harsh, establishing rules intended only to keep people from fulfilling themselves or having fun.

事實卻完全相反，因為我們在救恩裏認識的上帝是完全可喜愛的。祂是聖潔的，毫無疑義。但是祂也是有至高主權、高高在上，可敬畏的上帝，聖經到處都描述祂是這樣的一位上帝。我們不可能戲弄祂、怠慢祂，也不能等閒視之。但是除了這些確定無疑的真理之外，那些信靠上帝的人，也發現祂是強烈喜樂情感的來源。因為祂在恩典、憐憫、同情、良善、耐心、愛心上都是完美的。換句話說，祂和耶穌基督一樣，而且當我們越認識祂，我們就會越無可避免以祂為樂。許多外表上的基督徒無法以神為樂的原因，是他們對祂的認識不足。而他們不怎麼認識祂的原因是他們沒有花時間與祂相處。

The truth is entirely different, for the God we come to know in salvation is entirely delightful. He is holy, to be sure. He is also the sovereign, exalted, awesome God the Bible everywhere pictures him to be. We cannot trifle with him. He cannot be taken lightly. But in addition to those incontrovertible truths, the one who trusts God also finds him to be a source of exquisite delight. For he is the perfection of grace, compassion, mercy, kindness, patience and love. He is, in other words, like Jesus Christ, and the better we know him the more we inevitably delight in him. The reason many apparent Christians do not delight in God is that they do not know him very well. And the reason they do not know him well is that they do not spend time with him.

附加在這節經文上的應許是，若我們以上帝為樂，上帝就會賜給我們內心所渴想的。這並不是說上帝會賜我們所盼望的一切愚蠢事物，而是說若我們以上帝為樂，並且渴慕上帝，祂就會將自己給我們。

The promise attached to this verse is that if we delight in God, God will give us the desires of our hearts. This does not mean that God will give us any foolish thing we may long for. It means that if we are delighting in God and longing for God, God will give us himself.

研讀問題：Study Questions:

1. 請用詩篇卅七篇解釋馬太福音五5。

2. 信心同時是消極的也是積極的，這句話是什麼意思？

3. 請列出並描述信心的三要素。

4. 「祂會賜你內心所渴想的」究竟是什麼意思？

應用：你是否對認識上帝感到喜樂？為了要在祂裏面得著更完整的喜樂，你可以採取哪些步驟？

1. Use Psalm 37 to explain Matthew 5:5.

2. What does it mean for faith to be both active and passive?

3. List and describe the three elements of faith.

4. What does the phrase "he will give you the desires of your heart" really promise us?

進一步研讀：基督徒其中的一個記號是堅持禱告。可以參考耶穌的教導，或下載以下的視頻：“On Not Giving Up.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)

For Further Study: One of the marks of a Christian is perseverance in prayer. To see this from the teaching of Jesus, download for free and listen to James Boice’s message, “On Not Giving Up.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)

註2：第1節可以在箴言書廿四章19節再次找到，只差一個同義詞。

2Verse 1 is found again at Proverbs 24:19, apart from one synonym.

不要憂慮：第三部分，第3日。 Not to Worry: Part 1, Day 3

今日主題：往前看Theme: Look Ahead

http://www.alliancenet.org/tab/not-to-worry-part-1-day-3

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10156042866249653?pnref=story

本週我們要看的是一首包含了舊約聖經裏最受人喜愛的一些經文的詩篇，並且學習怎樣的生活才是一種成熟基督徒的生活。

In this week’s lessons we look at a psalm that contains some of the best-loved verses in the Old Testament, and learn what mature Christian living looks like.

經文：詩篇卅七1～20 Scripture: Psalm 37:1-20

昨天我們描述了這首詩所說的，要活出敬虔的生活所不可或缺的頭兩件事。今天我們會列出其他三件。

Yesterday we described the first two things this psalm says are necessary to live a godly life. Today we list the other three.

3. 「交託耶和華」（第5節）。「交託」耶和華這個命令不是多餘的，不是已經包含在「信靠（內容、認同、委身）耶和華」這句話的意思裏面了。這句話實際上進一步說明了，與我們所信靠、所喜悅的上帝同住是什麼意思。「交託」這個詞真正的意思是「滾向上帝」，如同H.C.Leupold所說，是要比喻「卸下自己肩上的膽子，放在上帝身上。」（註3）這是使徒彼得在彼前五7，說「你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為祂顧念你們」這句話時所想要表達的，事實上，他很有可能明確是指詩篇卅七5。他的意思是，我們不需要為一切事情擔憂，因為上帝顧念我們，無論在什麼情況下，祂都會管理發生在我們生活中一切大大小小的事。

3. "Commit your way to the LORD" (v. 5). The command to "commit” our ways to God is not a redundancy, something that has already been covered in what it means to trust God (content, assent and commitment), but actually carries us further in showing what it means to live with God whom we trust and in whom we delight. The word actually means "to roll one's way onto God,” the figure being, as H. C. Leupold says, to "dislodge the burden from your shoulders and lay it on God."3 This is what the Apostle Peter was thinking about in 1 Peter 5:7—in fact, he was probably referring to Psalm 37:5 explicitly—when he wrote, "Cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you." He meant that we do not need to worry about things, because God cares for us, is equal to all circumstances and will manage anything that can possibly come into our lives.

4. 「在耶和華面前靜默無聲」（第7節，《新譯本》；《和合本》作：默然倚靠耶和華）。我最喜歡的一句話出自帕斯卡（Blaise Pascal），他說，這個世界根本的問題是：人「不知道如何在他自己的房間裡保持靜默」。（註4）這是個用幽默方式表達的精彩想法，因此很容易記住。但是要過一個信靠上帝的敬虔生活，這第四個步驟不只是安靜地坐著，因為它要我們「在耶和華面前」靜默無聲，也就是說，要「耐心地等候祂」（參：新譯本），如同經文所說的。換句話說，單單靜默無聲還不夠，真正必要的是安靜地等候上帝。當我們繼續研讀這首詩篇，我們會看到這件事有多麼重要，因為詩人最終對這個問題——也就是惡人昌盛的問題——的回答是：結局尚未到來，惡人必被打倒，敬虔人必得高舉——按照上帝的時間。

4. "Be still before the LORD" (v. 7). One of my favorite quotes is from Blaise Pascal who said that the basic thing that is wrong with the world is that man "does not know how to stay quietly in his own room."4 It is a good thought, expressed in humorous and therefore memorable language. But this fourth step in the life of godly trust in God goes beyond simply sitting quietly since it tells us to be still "before the LORD,” that is, to "wait patiently for him,” as the verse goes on to say. In other words, mere stillness is not enough. What is needed is a quiet waiting upon God. As we go on in our study of this psalm we are going to see how important waiting is, because the psalmist's ultimate answer to the problem of the prosperity of the wicked is that the end is not yet and that the wicked will be brought down and the godly will be lifted up—in God's time.

5. 「當止住怒氣」（第8節）。Peter C.Craigie說，「幾乎可以確定的是，這是指對上帝的怒氣。（註5）但是無論這是對上帝的怒氣，還是對那些作惡之人的怒氣，尤其是那些對我們作惡的人，敬虔人的標誌是他都會因為信靠上帝，而能維持一個固定不變的、冷靜的心態。

5. "Refrain from anger" (v. 8). Peter C. Craigie says that "almost certainly" this is anger against God.5 But whether it is against God or only against those who are doing wrong, particularly against ourselves, it is a mark of the godly person that he is able to maintain a settled and calm frame of mind because of trusting God.

當惡人興旺，我們如何保持冷靜的第二個答案是我們已經說到的其中一部分。除了往前看之外，我們也要往上看，因為如果我們往上看，就會明白，那些作惡的人只會興旺一時，然後就會被拆毀，與此同時，上帝的百姓也得到保存，並且在最後得到獎賞。9～11節發展出這第二個觀念，那裏說到，「因為作惡的必被剪除，唯有等候耶和華的必承受地土」（第9節），「還有片時，惡人要歸於無有；你就是細察他的住處也要歸於無有。但謙卑人必承受地土，以豐盛的平安為樂。」（10-11節）

The second answer to how we are to remain calm when the wicked prosper is part of what we have already been saying. We are to look ahead as well as to look up, because if we do, we will see that those who do evil only flourish for a time and then are thrown down, while the people of God are preserved in the meantime and are rewarded at last. Verses 9-11 develop this second idea, saying, "Evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land" (v. 9), and “A little while, and the wicked will be no more, though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace” (vv. 10, 11).

對我們大部分人來說，要我們採取長遠的觀點是很困難的，因為我們都沉迷在今世之中。但是我們若要在恩典中成長，並開始了解上帝在這個世界裏正在做什麼，就必須採取長遠的觀點。

It is hard for most of us to take the long view, because we are so caught up in the present. But we need to do it if we are to grow in grace and begin to understand something of what God is doing in this world.

研讀問題：Study Questions:

1. 請解釋委身於上帝是什麼意思。

2. 要如何操練在耶和華面前靜默無聲？

3. 當我們看見惡人昌盛，我們該做什麼，該記得什麼？

1. Explain what it means to commit one’s way to God.

2. How does one practice being still before the Lord?

3. What are we to do, and what are we to remember, when we see the wicked prosper?

反思：主如何教導你等候祂？

Reflection: How is the Lord trying to teach you to wait upon him?

註：

3 H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1969), p. 303.

4 Blaise Pascal, The Mind on Fire: An Anthology of the writings of Blaise Pascal, Including the Pensées, ed. James M. Houston (Portland: Multnomah, 1989), p. 96.

5 Peter C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19, Psalms 1-50 (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), p. 297.

不要憂慮：第一部分，第4日。Not to Worry: Part 1, Day 4

今日主題：最溫柔的人 Theme: The Meekest Man

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10156050201854653?pnref=story

http://www.thinkandactbiblically.org/tab/not-to-worry-part-1-day-4

本週我們要看的是一首包含了舊約聖經裏最受人喜愛的一些經文的詩篇，並且學習怎樣的生活才是一種成熟基督徒的生活。

In this week’s lessons we look at a psalm that contains some of the best-loved verses in the Old Testament, and learn what mature Christian living looks like.

經文：詩篇卅七1～20 Scripture: Psalm 37:1-20

在我們繼續研讀之前，我想要舉一個例子說明什麼是溫柔。我這樣作是因為我們往往會以為，溫柔是軟弱，但這完全不是這回事。我心裏想到的例子來自摩西的生平，而我提到它是因為摩西故事裏的一節經文，說到摩西是個非常溫柔的人。NIV用了「謙卑」（humble）這個字，而KJV則說是「溫柔」（meek）。這兩個詞表達的是相同的觀念。這節經文說到：「摩西為人極其謙和，勝過世上的眾人。」（民十二3）

Before we go further in this study I want to introduce an example of what it means to be meek. I do this because we usually think of meekness as weakness, and that is not the idea at all. The example I have in mind is from the life of Moses, and I refer to it because of a verse in the story that says that Moses was an illustriously meek man. The New International Version uses the word "humble." The King James Version says "meek." But both express the same idea. The verse says, "Moses was a very humble [or meek] man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).

故事是這樣的。當摩西不得不逃離埃及時，他逃到了米甸，在那裏定居下來，並且和西坡拉——一位米甸祭司的女兒——結了婚。西坡拉和猶太人有相同的血統。但是到了民數記十二章提到的事件時，她早已過世，而摩西已經另娶了一位古實人的妻子。故事的重點是古實是衣索匹亞的舊名，因此這位續弦是位黑人。

This is the story. When Moses had to escape from Egypt he went to Midian where he settled and married Zipporah, the daughter of a priest of Midian. Zipporah was of the same stock as the Jewish people. But she had died by the time of the events told in Numbers 12, and Moses had married another wife who was a Cushite. The point of the story lies in the fact that Cush was the ancient name for Ethiopia and therefore that this second wife was black.

這冒犯了摩西的哥哥亞倫和他的姐姐米利暗，米利暗尤其發動了一場叛變。她說到：「難道耶和華單與摩西說話，不也與我們說話嗎？」（第2節）

This was an offense to Moses' brother Aaron and his sister Miriam, and Miriam in particular launched a rebellion. She said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us" (v. 2)?

當然，上帝生氣了。祂召米利暗和亞倫到會幕門前來見祂。上帝重申祂已經揀選摩西作百姓的領袖，斥責了被冒犯的摩西的兄姐，然後宣告對米利暗的審判，而這個審判對她的偏見來說是非常恰當的。經文說到：「耶和華就向他們發怒而去。雲彩從會幕上挪開了，不料，米利暗長了大痲瘋，有雪那樣白。」（9、10節）換句話說，上帝對米利暗說，「妳因為你弟弟和一位黑人婦女結婚就感覺受到冒犯。妳的皮膚是棕色的，而妳認為淺色皮膚比深色皮膚好。那麼，為什麼不變成白色呢？看妳變成白色是什麼樣兒。」這個審判如此可怕，以至於亞倫在摩西面前向亞倫求情，而摩西也向耶和華求情。七日後，她才得痊癒。

God was displeased, of course. So he called Miriam and Aaron to meet with him before the Tent of Meeting. God reiterated his choice of Moses to be the leader of the people, rebuked Moses' offended siblings, and then pronounced a judgment on Miriam which was frighteningly appropriate to her prejudice. The text says, "The anger of the LORD burned against them, and ... when the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow" (vv. 9, 10). In other words, God said to Miriam, "You're offended because your brother married a black woman. You're brown, and you think light is better than dark. Why not be white, then. See how you like that." The judgment was so horrible that Aaron pleaded for Miriam before Moses, and Moses interceded with the Lord and after seven days she was healed.

摩西在這整件事當中的表現如何？他的妻子受到羞辱、受到鄙視。他的權柄受到挑戰。他有反抗這個不公不義嗎？他有為自己伸冤嗎？他大有可能這麼做。但是他卻完全沒有！這就是他所以被稱為謙卑的原因。摩西完全照著詩篇卅七篇所說的來作。他信靠上帝，以上帝為樂，委身上帝，靜默無聲，並且忍住怒氣。因此上帝保護他，並且在適當的時候為他伸冤。

What was Moses' conduct throughout this incident? His wife was insulted and despised. His authority was challenged. Did he fight back against this injustice? Did he try to vindicate himself, as we might have done? Not at all. It is why he is called a meek man. Moses did exactly what we find in Psalm 37. He trusted God, delighted himself in God, committed his way to God, was still and refrained from anger. Thus God protected him and vindicated him in due time.

這不是軟弱，而是力量，因為在這個事例上委身上帝的同一個人，也能夠站在法老王面前，要求這位強而有力的埃及君王讓以色列人離開。溫柔也是耶穌的性格，彼得寫到，「祂被罵不還口；受害不說威嚇的話，只將自己交託那按公義審判人的主。」在燃燒的荊棘面前，溫柔必定會脫去它的鞋子，但是靠著上帝的能力，溫柔總是能在世上的權勢面前顯得豪氣干雲。

This is not weakness but strength, because the same man who committed his way to God on this occasion had also been able to stand before Pharaoh and demand that the powerful king of Egypt let the people of Israel go. Meekness is the character of Jesus, of whom Peter writes: "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23). Meekness will take off its shoes before the burning bush but in the power of God will always be able to stand tall before the powerful of this world.

研讀問題：Study Questions:

1. 摩西如何說明溫柔？

2. 溫柔為什麼是力量的同義詞？

1. How did Moses demonstrate meekness?

2. How can meekness be a synonym for strength?

應用：你是個溫柔的人嗎？這首詩篇如何鼓勵你變得溫柔？

Application: Are you meek? How does this psalm encourage you toward meekness?

不要憂慮：第一部分，第5日。Not to Worry: Part 1, Day 5

今日主題：惡人的道路 Theme: The Way of the Wicked

https://www.facebook.com/peddrluo/posts/10156053798019653?pnref=story

http://www.thinkandactbiblically.org/tab/not-to-worry-part-1-day-5

經文：詩篇卅七1～20 Scripture: Psalm 37:1-20

這首詩篇的第二個段落（12～20節）描述了惡人的道路，與詩篇第一篇、第卅六篇和其他詩篇所描述的相當類似。事實上，從這裏開始直到這首詩篇的末了，幾乎每一節經文都要麼提到義人的道路，要麼提到惡人的道路。之後，在第三個段落裏，有一系列義人與惡人的對比。在這個段落中也有一些對比，不過重點主要直接關係到惡人。以下是惡人的道路的四項特點。

The second section of this psalm (vv. 12-20) describes the way of the wicked, much like Psalms 1, 36 and others do. In fact, from here to the end of the psalm nearly every verse mentions either the wicked or the righteous or both. Later, in section three, there are a series of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. In this section there are also contrasts, but they concern the wicked more directly. Here are four of them.

1. 惡人設謀害義人，但是主必笑他（12、13節）。我們通常不會想到主竟然會「笑」，尤其是會譏笑惡人，而我們不這樣想是合理的，因為對我們來說，譏笑者往往是個輕浮、不認真的人。這位譏笑者就像詩篇第二篇所說的那位一樣，那裏說到耶和華「嗤笑」那些以為自己可以推翻祂、從而決定了他們自己悖逆命運的人。上帝輕蔑地譏笑惡人，因為祂知道他們最終被預定的結局。祂知道他們必會被拆毀，到末了並要受祂審判。

1. The wicked plot against the righteous, but the Lord laughs at them (vv. 12, 13). We do not often think of the Lord laughing, especially at wickedness, and it is right we do not since to us laughter usually means that someone is taking a matter lightly. This laughter is like that of Psalm 2, which says that the Lord "scoffs” at those who think they are able to overthrow him and so determine their own rebellious destinies. God laughs at the wicked scornfully, because he knows their appointed ends. He knows they will be brought low and in the end be judged by him.

若上帝會譏笑惡人，難道我們不應該至少要不惹祂發怒嗎？難道我們不應該能信靠上帝，平靜安穩地委身於祂嗎？

If God can laugh at the wicked, shouldn't we be able at least to refrain from getting agitated by them? Shouldn't we be able to trust God and commit our ways to him in quiet confidence?

2. 惡人拔刀反對義人，但是他們必落在自己的刀劍之下（14、15節）。這裏所表達的原則是：罪帶著自我毀滅的種子。一個邪惡帝國可以靠著自己的蠻力維持一陣子，但是如果它是腐敗的，這種腐敗會從裏面開始衰敗，直到最終陷落為止。每個個人也是如此。人可以靠著欺騙，暫時利用或恐嚇他人，但是最終他們的品行會為人所知，其他人要麼會拒絕再與他們來往，要麼會用相同的技倆來毀滅他們。

2. The wicked draw weapons against the righteous, but they will fall by their own weapons (vv. 14, 15). The principle expressed here is that sin carries the seeds of its destruction in itself. An evil empire can endure for a time by its own brute strength, but if it is corrupt, the corruption will weaken it from within and it will eventually fall. It is the same with individuals. People can cheat, use or intimidate others for a time, but eventually their character will become known and others will either refuse to deal with them or destroy them by the same tactics.

3. 惡人的財富和權勢會被奪去，但上帝會扶持義人（16、17節）。這點和下一點要求上帝的百姓必須懷有特別的信心，因為此應許的應驗通常要花很長一段時間。然而那些一生信靠上帝的人，最終會證實這個真理。惡人必傾頹，義人必受保存，即使是他們受惡人逼迫之時。（註6）在下一個段落裏，大衛以他自己的觀察和見證表達出這個觀念：「我從前年幼，現在年老，卻未見過義人被棄，也未見過他的後裔討飯。」（25節）3. The wealth and power of the wicked will be taken away, but God will sustain the righteous (vv. 16, 17). This point and the next require special faith on the part of God's people, since the fulfillment of this promise often takes considerable time. Yet those who have trusted God over a lifetime will testify to its truth. The wicked do fall, and the righteous are preserved even in the times of their persecution by the wicked.6 In the next section of the psalm David expresses this as his own observation and testimony: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (v. 25).

4. 義人會逃過饑荒的日子，但是惡人卻要滅亡（18～20節）。經文說到，儘管惡人「像草地的華美」，但是「他們要滅亡，要如煙消滅。」英文裏有時候會說到「the beautiful people（漂亮人士）」，意思是好萊塢的演員，高級時裝模特，那些特別有錢、特別有影響力的人，還有其他的名人。這些人很像草地的花朵，在春雨之後會繁茂盛開。但是他們也像花朵一樣，很快就會枯萎消失。美麗會褪色，知名度會消退，財富過分擴張會帶來敗亡，影響力也會傳到其他人手裏。

4. The righteous will survive days of deprivation, but the wicked will perish (vv. 18-20). The text says that although the wicked flourish like "the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke." We speak of "the beautiful people,” meaning Hollywood entertainers, high fashion models, those with exceptional wealth or influence, and other celebrities. These people seem to flourish like pretty field flowers after spring rains. But like flowers they soon vanish. Beauty fades, popularity wanes, wealth overextends itself and is lost, and influence passes to other hands.

但是那些遵行上帝旨意的人會忍耐到底——不只在今生。他們會持續到永恆。如同詩篇第1篇所說的，義人「像一棵樹，栽在溪水旁，按時候結果子，葉子也不枯乾」（第3節）「耶和華看顧義人的道路。」（第6節；新譯本）

Those who do the will of God endure—and not just for this life. They endure for eternity. As Psalm 1 says, the righteous are "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither" (v. 3). "The LORD watches over the way of the righteous" (v. 6).

這些主題在這首詩篇的第二部分會再重覆，而以一個「從長遠來看」的段落結束。但是這首詩篇已經對現行的邪惡作出回應。Peter C. Craigie這樣總結到：「當惡人很明顯地在這個世上看似一帆風順時，為什麼還要堅守道德呢？......短期之內，惡人似乎興旺，而義人經常在他們手中受苦。但是真正算數的，是用長遠的眼光來看；長期而言，真正的滿足只能在公義裏找到，而這正是那些與永生上帝建立關係，活在祂同在中的人的標誌」。（註7）

These themes are going to be pursued again in the psalm's second half, concluding with a section on "taking the long view." But that is already the psalm's answer to present wickedness. Peter C. Craigie gives this summary: "Why should morality be adopted, when it is self-evident that wicked persons seem to get along fine in this world? ... In the short run, the wicked seem to prosper, whereas the righteous very often seem to suffer at their hands. But it is the longer run that counts, and in the long run the only true satisfaction is to be found in the righteousness which is the hallmark of the one who lives in relationship with the living God.”7

研讀問題：Study Questions:

1. 聖經說主在「笑」惡人，這是什麼意思？

What does the Bible mean when it says that the Lord “laughs” at the wicked?

2. 14節與15節在對比什麼？你能想到任何可以證明這個真理的例子嗎？

What is the contrast in verses 14 and 15? Can you think of any examples that demonstrate this truth?

反思：你如何見過主扶持義人？祂如何扶持你？你當為祂的看顧護理而讚美祂。

Reflection: How have you seen the Lord sustain the righteous? How has he sustained you? Praise him for his providential care.

註：

6 This is the theme of H. Butterfield's classic study, Christianity and History (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1950), written shortly after the Second World War. See especially the chapter "Judgment in History."

7 Peter C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19, Psalms 1-50 (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), pp. 299-300.