2018-11-20


承認全地都屬於主Recognizing the Earth Is theLord’s

[每日靈修] 11/17/2018,  駱鴻銘編譯

博納文圖(Bonaventure)提出了這樣的想法:「為了使我們能夠讚美並榮耀上帝,為了使我們能夠向上帝的知識前進,我們必須將從屬於受造物的事物轉移到神那裏......幾乎所有受造物都具有某些高貴的特徵,為我們對上帝的理解提供了源泉,例如,獅子的堅韌;羔羊的溫柔;岩石的堅固;蛇的謹慎——因此有必要將許多名字轉移到上帝那裏。」

約翰•加爾文同意這些觀點。「宇宙中沒有一個原子,你無法看到其中至少閃爍著神的榮耀的輝煌火花。」

全地,圍繞著我們的大自然,全世界——一切都被上帝所充滿。大自然是一個榮耀的劇院,一個壯觀的聲光秀,展示出神的榮美。但大自然不是上帝。崇拜自然的全部或任何部分都是偶像崇拜。將上帝與自然混為一談就是淪為泛神論,這是一種無法容忍的「一元論」(monism),它模糊了受造物和造物主之間的區別。

但宇宙是上帝手中的工作。它閃爍著它的創造者的啟示。它不是與上帝並存的獨立實體。不存在一種可以將上帝與世界隔離開來的二元論。全地都屬於主。

活在神的面光中(在神面前禱告):
今天花一些時間享受大自然的美,記住全地都屬於主。

進一步研讀:
詩廿四1 地和其中所充滿的,世界和住在其間的,都屬耶和華。
詩五十2 從全美的錫安中,神已經發光了。
詩五三1 愚頑人心裡說:沒有神。他們都是邪惡,行了可憎惡的罪孽;沒有一個人行善。


Recognizing the Earth Is the Lord’s

It was Bonaventure who offered the thought: “In order that we may be able to extol and glorify God, and in order that we may advance to the knowledge of God, we must transfer to the divine that which pertains to the creature … nearly all creatures possess certain noble characteristics which furnish a source for our understanding of God, e.g., the lion possesses fortitude; the lamb, meekness; the rock, solidity; the serpent, prudence—hence it is necessary that many names be transferred to God.”

John Calvin agreed with these sentiments. “There is not an atom of the universe in which you cannot see some brilliant sparks at least of His glory.”

The earth, nature that surrounds us, the world—everything is full of God. Nature is a glorious theater, a spectacular sound-and-light show of the beauty of God. But nature is not God. To worship the whole or any part of nature is idolatry. To confuse God and nature is to fall into pantheism, an intolerable monism that obscures the distinction between creatures and Creator.

But the universe is God’s handiwork. It sparkles with the revelation of its Maker. It is not an independent entity existing alongside and apart from God. There is no dualism divorcing God from the world. The earth is the Lord’s.

Coram Deo
Spend some time today enjoying the beauties of nature, remembering that the earth is the Lord’s.

Passages for Further Study
Psalm 24:1
Psalm 50:2
Psalm 53:1