盟約的祝福Covenant Blessings
譯者/校對者:Maria Marta/誠之
「你們遵行我的律例，謹守我的誡命，遵照奉行，我就按時給你們降下雨露，使地生出土産，田野的樹木也結果實。」（利廿六3–4；新譯本） -----利未記廿六1-13
上帝的盟約顯然是有條件的，如我們作天所查看的。然而，現在擺在我們面前的問題是，當這些盟約條件得到滿足，或者得不到滿足時，將會發生什麼情況？答案是，完全滿足盟約條件會帶給我們永恒的生命，歸根結底，我們唯獨相信，唯一能完美地遵守上帝盟約的耶稣基督（林後五21），我們才能得到永恒的生命。
儘管滿足盟約的條件，最終帶給我們永恒的生命-----唯獨藉著信心，把耶稣基督，盟約的完美遵守者的功績歸算給我們-----也有地上的祝福賜給遵守盟約，預期來世生命的人（譯按：約八56）。 這在摩西之約底下尤爲明顯，這是先知事工的基礎盟約。事實上，先知對古代以色列人宣布的祝福，是應許給那些遵行摩西之約的人的祝福。在利未記二十六章1至13節，和申命記第二十八章1至14節都很清楚地啓示了這些祝福。
兩張祝福清單略有不同，但是兩段經文的教導是一樣的。上帝應許以色列人，如果他們遵守盟約，則風調雨順，五谷豐登；直到再次播種時，還未收集完所有的收成（利廿六3–5）。忠信的以色列人將享受和平，戰勝仇敵，生養衆多（利6-10節）。最大的盟約恩惠，賜福的高潮，是上帝親自與祂的子民同在（11–13節）。
當先知宣布賜福給以色列人，即是那些堅持順服盟約條件，或者嚴重違反上帝律法後悔改回轉的人時，上帝就應許他們，我們剛剛列出的祝福。例如，在耶利米第二十三章1至4節中，應許忠心的以色列餘民經歷更大的豐收。以西結書第三十六章22至32節，期待上帝的靈內住在他們的兒女心中。
古代以色列人不應該把遵守上帝的盟約作爲賺取救恩的一種手段。因此，對舊約的人而言，忠心並不意味著完美的順服，對罪人來說，這是不可能做得到的。他們努力地去遵守盟約，失敗時悔改，他們期待彌賽亞，藉著祂對法律的完美遵行，爲他們贏得救恩（創三14–15；利十八5 ； 申十八15）。一般來說，當他們遵守上帝的律法時，他們享受預嘗新天新地的永恒生命。
活在上帝的面光中（Coram Deo）
約伯記和聖經的其他部分警告我們，不要在領受祝福（或承受審判）與順服上帝之間作出一對一的絕對關系。然而，當我們遵守上帝的盟約，和尋求遵行祂的話語時，我們可以期待上帝顯示祂的恩惠。我們這樣做不是爲了賺取救恩，而是感謝祂把我們從罪中拯救出來。你是否力求順服上帝、領受祂的祝福呢？
延伸閱讀: 申四1；賽五十五章；太十九26–30；
羅五12–21
Covenant
Blessings
“If
you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will
give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and
the trees of the field shall yield their fruit” (vv. 3–4).
-
Leviticus 26:1-13
God’s
covenants clearly have conditions, as we have seen over the past few days. The
question before us now, however, is what happens when these conditions are met
and what happens when they are not met? The answer is that meeting the
conditions perfectly leads to eternal life, and, in the final analysis, we can
only do this by trusting in Christ Jesus alone, who alone has kept the covenant
perfectly (2 Cor. 5:21).
Although
meeting the covenant conditions leads ultimately to eternal life—via the
faith-alone imputation of the merit of Christ, the perfect
covenant-keeper—there are also earthly blessings for keeping covenant that anticipate
the life of the world to come. This is particularly evident under the Mosaic
covenant, which was the foundational covenant for the prophets’ ministry. In
fact, the blessings that the prophets announced to ancient Israel were the
blessings promised to those who kept the Mosaic law. These blessings are
revealed most clearly in Leviticus 26:1–13 and Deuteronomy 28:1–14.
The
two lists differ slightly, but the teaching of both texts is the same. God
promised the Israelites that if they were to keep the covenant, they would
experience food harvests so great that they would be unable to gather
everything in before it was time to sow the seed once more (Lev. 26:3–5).
Faithful Israel would enjoy peace, victory over her enemies, and fruitfulness
in the womb (vv. 6–10). The blessings build to the crescendo of the greatest
covenant benefit of all—the presence of God Himself with His people (vv.
11–13).
When
the prophets announced blessings to Israelites who persevered in covenant
obedience or returned to the Lord after grossly breaking His law, they promised
the very blessings we have just listed. Jeremiah 23:1–4, for example, promises
the faithful remnant of Israel that it will experience great fruitfulness.
Ezekiel 36:22–32 looks forward to the Spirit of God dwelling within the hearts
of His children.
Ancient
Israel was not to look at keeping God’s covenant as a means to earn their
salvation. Thus, for the old covenant people, faithfulness did not mean perfect
obedience, which is impossible for sinners. They were to strive to obey, repent
when they failed, and look for the Messiah to earn salvation for them by His
following the law perfectly (Gen. 3:14–15; Lev. 18:5; Deut. 18:15). But as they
conformed, generally speaking, to God’s law, they enjoyed a foretaste of
eternal life in the new heaven and earth.
Coram
Deo
The
book of Job and other portions of Scripture warn us about making a strict
one-to-one correlation between the blessings or trials we receive and our
obedience to God. Nevertheless, we can expect the Lord to show His favor to us
when we keep His covenant and seek to obey His Word. We do this not to earn our
redemption but to thank Him for saving us from our sin. Are you striving to
obey the Lord and receive His blessing?
Passages
for Further Study
Deuteronomy
4:1
Isaiah
55
Matthew
19:26–30
Romans
5:12–21
