挪亞之約The Noahic Covenant
譯者/校對者:Maria Marta/誠之
「大地尚存之日，播種、收割，寒暑、冬夏、白晝和黑夜必然循環不息。」（創八22新譯本）
----創世記八20～九17
亞當和夏娃有義務遵守行爲之約, 如此便爲自己和自己的後裔賺得永恒的生命（創二15-17）。然而在伊甸園裏，我們先祖第一對父母不但沒有通過測驗，而且在考驗中失敗了，因爲他們相信蛇所說的謊言：吃了分別善惡樹上的果子後，他們會像上帝一樣能知道善惡（創世記第三章）。此時，上帝完全有權摧毀亞當和夏娃，從頭開始整個創造計劃。但是祂沒有這樣做。我們的造物主不但沒有取消行爲之約，反而恩慈地設立另一個盟約，作爲與離開自己的罪的百姓（包括男女）打交道的框架。這盟約稱爲恩典之約，這恩約是上帝爲拯救亞當的墮落兒女而賜予的盟約恩典，透過彌賽亞來成全：祂代表我們遵守行爲之約，並且徹底擊敗蛇（創二15；羅五16-17）。歷史是實現恩典之約的故事。
上帝的恩典之約並不是在伊甸園裏一次過地全部啓示出來，反而，它是透過與挪亞、亞伯拉罕、摩西、大衛、耶穌等人所立的一系列盟約而展開。今天我們查看在恩典之約這把大傘底下的第一個分約：挪亞之約。上帝是在人墮落後，一個變得越來越叛逆和敗壞的創造背景下設立這個盟約的（創四1～六7）。在那時，人類終日所思想的盡都是惡，他們的罪惡極大，以至於上帝幾乎要滅絕當時所有存在的生命。
在亞當和夏娃被驅逐出伊甸園之後，創世記第四章1節至六章7節描寫到，當地上罪惡增多，創造也變得越來越敗壞。種種盛行的邪惡促使上帝用洪水毀滅創造。在洪水中唯一幸存的被造物是挪亞一家人和每種棲居於地球上的動物（創六8～八19）。由此我們看到，上帝拯救一群餘民，而不是拯救祂所造的一切，當我們思考上帝救贖作爲的範圍時，我們應該記住這一點。上帝不會拯救所有的人。普救論（universalism）是錯誤的教義。
在與挪亞所立的約裏，上帝應許不再用洪水毀滅一切有生命的活物（創八20～九17）。祂還承諾要維持季節循環不息，也就是大自然整體的穩定。在這個可預測的秩序裏，人們將興旺發展，爲道成肉身的基督進入歷史，拯救祂的子民提供了一個平台（約一14）。
活在上帝的面光中（Coram Deo）
上帝與挪亞所立的約爲祂的特殊恩典（拯救我們）的施行提供了一個舞台，但這盟約也是祂賜給所有人的普通恩典的果實。任何人都從自然規律（the regularity of nature）中得到好處，因爲它促使人類社會繁榮昌盛。我們不配得到這些好處，在傳福音給其他人的時侯, 我們應該讓他們注意已經顯明的普遍恩典，不但要叫他們不要把上帝的恩典視為理所當然，而且要叫他們相信福音，悔改回轉，以致得救。
延伸閱讀：賽五十四9-10；羅八18-21 ；彼後二4-10 a；啓二十一1
The
Noahic Covenant
“While
the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day
and night, shall not cease” (8:22).
-
Genesis 8:20-9:17
Adam
and Eve were bound to keep the covenant of works and thus merit eternal life
for themselves and all their descendants (Gen. 2:15-17). However, our first
parents did not pass their test in Eden but failed their probation when they
believed the serpent’s lie that they could make themselves like God by eating
of the forbidden tree (Gen. 3). At this point, the Lord would have been
entirely within His rights to destroy Adam and Eve and start the whole project
of creation over from scratch. Yet He did not do that. Without setting aside
the covenant of works, our Creator mercifully made another covenant that would
serve as a framework for His dealings with men and women who turn from their
sin. This is the covenant of grace, which provides for the redemption of Adam’s
fallen children through the Messiah who keeps the covenant of works on our
behalf and crushes the serpent (v. 15; Rom. 5:16-17). History is the story of
the outworking of the covenant of grace.
God’s
covenant of grace was not revealed all at once in the garden of Eden, but
rather unfolded in a series of covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and
Jesus. Today we are looking at the first sub-covenant to fall under the
umbrella of the covenant of grace: the Noahic covenant. The Lord established this
covenant in the context of a creation that had become increasingly rebellious
and corrupt after the fall (Gen. 4:1-6:7). Humanity’s wickedness was so great
that God destroyed nearly every living thing in existence at the time.
After
Adam and Eve’s exile from Eden, Genesis 4:1-6:7 describes a creation that
becomes increasingly corrupt as sin multiplies on the earth. Wickedness of all
sorts was prevalent, prompting God to destroy creation with a flood. The only
creatures to survive the flood were Noah’s family and representatives of every
animal that inhabited the earth (6:8-8:19). By this we see that the Lord saved
a remnant, not all that He had made, and we should keep that in mind when we
reflect upon the scope of God’s saving work. He will not save everyone.
Universalism is a false doctrine.
In
the covenant with Noah, the Lord promised never again to destroy all life with
a flood (8:20-9:17). He also pledges to sustain the seasonal cycle, and thus
the general stability of nature. In this predictable order, people will
flourish, and an arena will exist for Him to enter history via the incarnation
of Christ and save His people (John 1:14).
Coram
Deo
God’s
covenant with Noah provides an arena for His special grace to operate for the
sake of our salvation, but this covenant is also the fruit of His common grace
for all people. Everyone benefits from the regularity of nature, for it allows
human society to flourish. We do not deserve this, and in preaching the gospel
to others we should call their attention to the grace God has shown even while
calling them not to presume upon His grace, but to repent that they would be
saved.
Passages
for Further Study
Isaiah
54:9-10
Romans
8:18-21
2
Peter 2:4-10a
Revelation
21:1