以馬內利Immanuel
作者: Burk Parsons 翻譯: Maria Marta
我們被造與上帝在一起。上帝曾與亞當、夏娃在伊甸園中行走。上帝曾帶領祂的百姓以色列人過曠野，無論他們寄居何處，上帝都會住在會幕，聖殿，與祂的百姓同在。地上的會幕、以色列的聖殿，以及其內的所有陳設都為以色列提供服務，上帝要借著表記、預表、影兒來顯明祂的同在。而這些事物都指向那一天，即上帝-------是靈、掌管主權、三一真神、超越、無限、永恒、不變、自存、自足、無所不知、無所不能、無所不在、充滿憐憫、慈愛、真理------屈尊俯就來到我們中間，與我們同住，在我們𥚃面。 此真理濃縮在馬內利這個名字裏，這個名字是上帝向我們啟示關於祂自己最美麗、最安慰人的名字之一。 以賽亞曾向以色列人預言：「必有童女懷孕生子；她要給他起名叫『以馬內利』」（賽七14）。 永恒的道，上帝的兒子，成了肉身，住在我們中間。 上帝與我們同在，祂決不離開我們，也不拋棄我們。
會幕和聖殿不但表明上帝道成肉身，住在我們中間，而且還透過聖靈使祂的子民成為祂永遠居住的聖殿。藉著聖靈重生、內住、潔凈的工作，我們現在成為上帝的殿。 保羅寫道，在基督𥚃，「整座建築都靠著他連接配合，漸漸增長成為在主裡面的聖所。」（弗二21；《聖經新譯本》） 聖靈使我們成為我們聖潔的主的聖殿。
我們是上帝的家，由來自從各邦國、各支派的成員組成，建造在以基督為奠基石，使徒和先知的根基上。耶路撒冷的宏偉聖殿對彼得來說是一個熟悉的景象，因為他說過：「[我們]也就像活石，被建造成為靈宮，作聖潔的祭司，藉著耶穌基督獻上蒙 神悅納的靈祭。」（彼前二5；《聖經新譯本》）
上帝既非需要和我們同住，也非天生需要與我們同住，反而因著祂主權的愛，和為了祂的榮耀，祂選擇與我們同住，住在我們裡面。祂喜悅「 [他]的帳幕在人間，他要與人同住」（啟21：3）------好叫我們能認識祂，愛祂，享受祂，在祂的面前榮耀祂，從現在直到永遠。
本文原刊於Tabletalk雜誌2017年十二月號 。
Immanuel
by Burk Parsons
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were made to be with God. God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.
He led His people Israel through the wilderness and dwelt among them wherever
they sojourned, and He dwelt with His people in the tabernacle and temple. The
earthly tabernacle and temple of Israel and all of their furnishings served Israel
by manifesting God’s presence through symbols, types, and shadows. They pointed
to the day when God—who is a spirit, sovereign, triune, transcendent, infinite,
eternal, immutable, self-existent, self-sufficient, omniscient, omnipotent,
omnipresent, and full of mercy, love, and truth—would condescend to us to dwell
with us, among us, and in us. This truth is encapsulated in the name Immanuel,
one of the most beautiful and comforting names that God reveals to us about
Himself. Isaiah prophesied to Israel that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a
son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). The eternal Word, the Son
of God, became flesh and dwelt among us. God is with us, and He will never
leave us nor forsake us.
The
tabernacle and temple reveal not only that God would come in the flesh to dwell
with us, but also that by His Spirit He would make His people the temple in
whom He would dwell forever. We are now the temple of God by the regenerating,
indwelling, cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes that in Christ “the
whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord”
(Eph. 2:21). The Spirit has made us a holy dwelling place for our holy Lord. We
are the household of God, comprised of members from every tribe and nation,
built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief
cornerstone. Peter, for whom the great temple at Jerusalem was a familiar
sight, says “like living stones [we] are being built up as a spiritual house,
to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
God
was not required to dwell with us, and God does not possess an inherent need to
dwell with us, but because of His sovereign love and for His glory, He chose to
dwell with us and in us. It is His pleasure that “the dwelling place of God is
with man” (Rev. 21:3)—that we might know Him, love Him, enjoy Him, and glorify
Him coram Deo, before His face, now and forever.
Dr.
Burk Parsons (@BurkParsons) is editor of Tabletalk magazine, copastor of Saint
Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., a visiting lecturer at Reformed Theological
Seminary, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He is editor of John
Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology.
