亚伯拉罕之約The Abrahamic Covenant
譯者/校對者:Maria Marta/誠之
「給你祝福的，我必賜福給他；咒詛你的，我必咒詛他；地上的萬族，都必因你得福。」(創十二3新譯本)
----創世記十二1-2；十五1-6
當亞當在伊甸園裏違背行爲之約時，我們的造物主本可以完全公正地忽略我們所有的人，任憑我們留在罪中。雖然我們在樂園裏有充分的優勢，但是我們沒有履行考驗我們的條件，當我們試圖作出對與錯的最終決定時，我們拒絕上帝作爲造物主應有的權柄。當然，這罪不是沒有後果的，當我們在亞當裏犯罪時，我們便切斷與上帝同在的福份（創三24）。然而，上帝決定憐憫一些人，對選民來說，這意味著他們與上帝的分隔不會是永恒的。不是每個人都會感受到祂公義的憤怒。有些人會得到恩典之約的好處，這恩典之約是上帝爲了摧毀罪惡和撒但而設立的（創三15）。然而，恩典之約的所有好處不會立即到來，因爲恩典之約是通過其他盟約的展開， 漸進地啓示出來的。挪亞之約是諸盟約中的第一個盟約，這盟約建立了一個上帝能夠爲祂的子民作工的可靠平台（創八20-22）。
在恩典之約這把大傘底下的下一個盟約，是上帝與亞伯拉罕所立的約。在亞伯拉罕之約裏，上帝用特別清晰的方式啓示祂的恩典。因為亞伯拉罕不像挪亞，亞伯拉罕開始時是一個異教徒。他從異教當中被呼召出來（創十二1；書二十四2）， 上帝應許賜給亞伯拉罕土地、大國、名氣、以及其他大量的福分，最終，地上的萬族都必因他得福（創十二1-3）。這些應許都是在上帝面前得到正式批准的盟約內容，亞伯蘭更名爲亞伯拉罕，並命定盟約可見的記號和印記（創十五、十七章）。
在創世記第十五章，我們發現這個清楚的啓示：雖然亞伯蘭和他的後裔要履行盟約的義務，但最終上帝會確保自己的應許會成功應驗。在第1節，記錄上帝提醒亞伯蘭，祂要賜給族長大賞賜。亞伯蘭不明白這怎麽可能， 因爲他沒有孩子，沒有人可以繼承這些賞賜（2-3節）。但上帝恩慈地地回應了這疑問，重申祂對族長後裔的應許， 沒有人能數得清楚這些後裔的數目（4-5節）。亞伯蘭所擁有的只有上帝的應許，但這就夠了。他唯獨基於信心信靠我們的造物主，上帝就以此算爲他的義了（6節）。正如我們在學習保羅寫給羅馬人的信中看到，今天唯獨藉著信心，上帝稱我們爲義（加二15-16）。
活在上帝的面光中（Coram Deo）
信心顯示稱義是上帝的作爲，對此我們没有任何功勞。除了藉著耶穌基督領受稱義的信心，並安息在上帝的應許之外，沒有其他的方法。亞伯拉罕被稱爲義的原因是， 他明白上帝在我們的努力以外稱我們爲義。當我們認識唯有上帝能保證祂的應許成功應驗，這些應許在我們的主基督耶稣裏時， 我們被稱爲義。
延伸閱讀:
經文: 出二23-25 ；約八56-58 ； 羅四1-12 ；
來十一8-12 ，17-19
The
Abrahamic Covenant
“I
will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in
you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (12:3).
-
Genesis 12:1-2; 15:1-6
Our
Creator would have been entirely just to pass all of us by and leave us in our
sin when Adam broke the covenant of works in Eden. We did not fulfill the terms
of our probation even though we had every advantage in the garden, and we
rejected His rightful authority as Lord when we sought to make ourselves the
final determiner of right and wrong. Of course, this sin was not without
consequences, for we were all cut offœ from God’s blessed presence
when we sinned in Adam (Gen. 3:24). Yet the Lord decided to show grace to some,
which means that for the elect, this estrangement would not be eternal. Not
everyone would feel His just wrath. Some would benefit from the covenant of
grace that God enacted to destroy sin and Satan (v. 15). However, all of the
benefits of this covenant of grace would not come at once, for they would be
progressively revealed and unfolded through several other covenants, the first
of which was the covenant of Noah that established a reliable environment in
which God could do His work for His people (8:20-22).
The
next covenant under the umbrella of the covenant of grace is God’s covenant
with Abraham. In the Abrahamic covenant, the Lord reveals His grace in a manner
that is particularly clear, for unlike Noah, Abraham started out as a pagan. He
was called out of paganism (Gen. 12:1; Josh. 24:2) and given promises of a good
land, a great nation, a great name, and tremendous blessing for him and,
ultimately, for all of the families of the world (Gen. 12:1-3). And all of this
was promised before God officially ratified the covenant, changed Abram’s name
to Abraham, and ordained the visible covenant sign and seal (15; 17).
In
Genesis 15, we find the unmistakable revelation that although Abram and his
descendants would have covenant obligations, God alone would ultimately ensure
the success of His promises. Verse 1 records the point at which the Lord
reminded Abram that He was going to give the patriarch a great reward. Abram
did not understand how this could be because he had no heir and no one to whom
the reward could be passed on (vv. 2-3). But the Lord graciously responded to
this doubt, reiterating His promise to give the patriarch descendants that no
one would be able to number (vv. 4-5). All that Abram had was God’s word of
promise, but that was enough. He trusted our Creator, and on account of his
faith alone, God declared him righteous (v. 6). As we have seen in our study of
Paul’s letter to the Romans, it is by faith alone that the Lord declares us
righteous today (Gal. 2:15-16).
Coram
Deo
Faith
demonstrates that justification is the work of God to which we contribute
nothing. Justifying faith receives and rests in the Lord’s promises through
Jesus Christ and nothing else. Abraham was declared righteous because He
recognized that the Lord justifies us apart from our efforts. We are justified
when we recognize this, that only He can ensure the success of His covenant
promises, which He has kept in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Passages
for Further Study
Exodus
2:23-25
John
8:56-58
Romans
4:1-12
Hebrews
11:8-12, 17-19
