期待主的日子Anticipating the Day of theLord
[每日靈修] 11/3/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
在舊約中，先知們談到了「上帝鑒查（眷顧）」的日子。有時候，人們視之為大有安慰和喜樂的日子，而在其他時候則視之為一個極度痛苦和審判的日子。
在耶穌誕生的時候，上帝眷顧（尋訪）了全地。撒迦利亞受聖靈默示的讚美詩中稱頌了這種眷顧，在那裏他兩次提到上帝的神聖眷顧（路一68～69、78）。
新約稱耶穌為「我們靈魂的牧人監督」。祂是牧人監督的化身。祂對這個世界的眷顧改變了歷史的方向。我們天上牧人監督的初次眷顧隱藏在奧秘之中。祂不是以軍事將領的身分降臨，而是以在岩石鑿成的馬槽中的嬰兒的身分降臨。但祂來是要眷顧我們的靈魂。祂來查看我們的光景。祂帶著神聖的祝福和救贖來到。祂也帶著一個神聖的警告。
我們的牧人監督向全世界宣告，在未來某個日子，祂將再次尋訪。祂承諾會再次出現來巡視祂的軍隊。對於那些愛祂的人來說，祂的下一次尋訪將是無法形容的喜樂和榮耀的時刻。在那次探訪中，祂要終極完成祂牧人監督的任務。
對於那些無視牧人監督第一次尋訪的人來說，他的第二次尋訪將是一次突如其來的災難。那將是主的日子，阿摩司稱之為黑暗、沒有光明的日子（摩五18）。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
為那在主耶穌的日子裏等候你的、無法形容的喜樂和榮耀而感謝神。
進一步研讀：
彼前二12 你們在外邦人中，應當品行端正，叫那些毀謗你們是作惡的，因看見你們的好行為，便在鑒察（或作：眷顧）的日子歸榮耀給神。
彼前二25 你們從前好像迷路的羊，如今卻歸到你們靈魂的牧人監督了。
摩五18 想望耶和華日子來到的有禍了！你們為何想望耶和華的日子呢？那日黑暗沒有光明。
路一68～69 主以色列的神是應當稱頌的！因祂眷顧祂的百姓，為他們施行救贖， 在祂僕人大衛家中，為我們興起了拯救的角，
路一78 因我們神憐憫的心腸，叫清晨的日光從高天臨到我們。
Anticipating
the Day of the Lord
In
the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of the day of the “visitation of God.” It
was seen sometimes as a day of great comfort and rejoicing, and at other times
as a day of great distress and judgment.
At
the birth of Jesus, God visited the earth. This visitation is celebrated in the
Spirit-inspired hymn of Zacharias, in which he twice makes mention of God’s
divine visitation (Luke 1:68–69, 78).
The
New Testament calls Jesus the “Bishop of our souls.” He is the Bishop
Incarnate. His visit to this world has changed the course of history. The
initial visit of our heavenly Bishop was cloaked in mystery. He came not as a
military general but as a baby in a rock-hewn manger. But He came to care for
our souls. He came to see our situation. He came with divine blessing and
redemption. He also came with a divine warning.
Our
Bishop announced to the world that at some future date He would make a second
visit. He promises to appear once more to review His troops. For those who love
His coming, His next visit will be an occasion of unspeakable joy and glory. At
that visit, the consummation of His bishop’s task will be complete.
For
those who ignore the first visit of the Bishop, His second visit will be one of
sudden disaster. That will be the day of the Lord, the day Amos described as a
day of darkness, with no light in it (Amos 5:18).
Coram
Deo
Thank
God for the unspeakable joy and glory that awaits you in the day of the Lord.
Passages
for Further Study
Luke
1:68–69
Luke 1:78