2013-08-02 11:14:20 Joshuachang

晨興聖言─創世記結晶讀經(一)(36)

第三週 ‧ 週六

晨興餧養

創一 24『神說,地要生出有生命的物,各從其類;牲畜、爬物、走獸,各從其類;事就這樣成了。』

         26『神說,我們要按着我們的形像,照着我們的樣式造人,使他們管理海裏的魚、空中的鳥、地上
                  的牲畜、和全地、並地上所爬的一切爬物。』

    地上的牲畜和走獸,是比魚和禽鳥更高的生命,具有較高的意識,這生命能在地上成就一些事。地上的走獸和牲畜,豫表基督生命的豐富,見於基督是得勝的獅子(啓五 5),為神的經綸爭戰;見於基督是羊和牛,為着獻給神,以完成神完全的救贖(利一 2~3、10,三 1、6、12,四 3,五 6,約一 29,彼前一 19,啓五 6~9);也見於基督是公牛,為着承擔責任並忠信勞苦,以完成神的旨意(太二十 28,約六 38)。在基督裏的信徒,藉着在神聖生命裏進一步的長大,就能在地上過一種對完成神旨意有用的生活(參林前三 2,加六 2,林前十五 58)(聖經恢復本,創一 24 註 1)。

   信息選讀

    到第六天,有較高意識的更高生命生出了(創一 24~25)。…創世記四十九章九節說到獅子,把猶大比作能作許多事的獅子。撒上六章七節、十節,說到兩只用來拖拉載着約櫃的車的母牛。這些經節表明走獸與牲畜都能在這地上成就一些事。…這是生命長大的第三步。

    我們還需要往前,直到第六天的末了部分。…在第六天的末了部分,出現具有最高意識的生命,人的生命,就是彰顯神的形像,並且為神管治一切的生命(創世記生命讀經,五四、五八頁)。

    亞當, 頭一個人,豫表基督( 羅五14,林前十五45、47,詩八 4~8,來二 6~9)是神創造的中心(西一 16~17),是一切受造之物和眾人的元首(15,林前十一 3),在神的形像和樣式上是神的彰顯(來一3,林後四4,西一15),也是神的代表,管理神一切的造物(詩八 6~8,太二八 18)(聖經恢復本,創一 26 註 3)。

    神的目的是要人有祂的形像彰顯祂,有祂的管治權代表祂,這不是在亞當這頭一個人(林前十五 45 上)—舊人(羅六 6)—身上得着完成,乃是在基督這第二個人(林前十五 47 下與註 2)—新人(弗二 15 與註 8)—身上得着完成。這新人是由基督自己作頭,以及召會作祂的身體(一 22~23,林前十二 12 與註 2,西三 10~11 與11 註 9)所組成的。這要完全在得勝的信徒身上得着完成,他們活基督,作祂團體的彰顯(腓一 19~26),並要得着權柄制伏列國,在千年國裏與基督一同作王(啓二26~27,二十 4、6)。這要終極完成於新耶路撒冷,彰顯神的形像,有祂的榮耀和祂顯出的樣子(四 3 上,二一11、18 上),並且運用神的神聖權柄,維持神對全宇宙的管治權,直到永遠(24,二二 5)(創一 26 註 5)。

    在祂的創造裏,神沒有要人作甚麼。人按着神的形像被造,然後受神托付有祂神聖的權柄。人所得着的生命,是帶着神的形像彰顯神,並帶着神的權柄代表神的生命,不是為神作事或作工的生命。許多時候你遇見一些基督徒,你覺得他們是忙於為神作工的人。他們慇勤又忠信,但你感覺不到神的彰顯和神的權柄。另一面,有些聖徒似乎不是那麼忙,不是那麼慇勤作工,但你感覺到神的彰顯和神的權柄,你覺得神與他們同在。他們是滿了神同在的人,每當你遇見他們的時候,你就感覺到神的彰顯和神的元首權柄。這就是神所要的(神中心的思想,二○頁)。

    參讀:創世記生命讀經,第七至八篇。




 ‹‹  WEEK 3 — DAY 6  ›› 

Morning Nourishment

Gen. 1:24 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth living animals according to their kind, cattle
                    and creeping things and animals of the earth...and it was so."

            26 "And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them
                    have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle
                    and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

    The cattle and the animals on the land are a higher life with a higher consciousness than that of the fish and the birds, a life that can accomplish something on the earth. The animals and the cattle on the land typify the riches of the life of Christ as seen in Christ as the conquering lion (Rev. 5:5) to fight for God's economy, as seen in Christ as the sheep and oxen for offering to God for the fulfillment of God's full redemption (Lev. 1:2-3, 10;...Rev. 5:6-9), and as seen in Christ as the ox to bear the responsibility and to labor faithfully for the accomplishing of God's will (Matt. 20:28; John 6:38). Through further growth in the divine life the believers in Christ are able to live on the earth a life that is useful for the fulfilling of God's will (cf. 1 Cor. 3:2...). (Gen. 1:24, footnote 1)

Today's Reading

    On the sixth day the higher life with the higher consciousness came into existence  (Gen. 1:24-25)....Genesis 49:9 speaks about the lion, likening Judah to a lion which can do many things. First Samuel 6:7, 12a tells about two milch cows which were used to carry the cart with the ark. These verses show that both the beasts and the cattle can accomplish something on this earth....This is the third step of the growth of life.

    We need to go on to the last part of the sixth day...[on which] comes the life with the highest
consciousness, the human life, a life which expresses the image of God and has dominion over all things for God. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 43, 46)

    Adam, the first man, typifies Christ (Rom. 5:14...) as the center of God's creation (Col. 1:16-17), as the Head of all creation (Col. 1:15) and of all men (1 Cor. 11:3), as God's expression in God's image and likeness (...Col. 1:15), and as God's representative to rule over all things created by God (Psa. 8:6-8...). (Gen. 1:26, footnote 2)

    God's intention that man would express God in His image and represent God with His dominion is fulfilled not in Adam as the first man (1 Cor. 15:45a), the old man (Rom. 6:6), but in Christ as the second man (1 Cor. 15:47b and footnote 2), the new man (Eph. 2:15 and footnote 8), comprising Christ Himself as the Head and the church as His Body (Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:12 and footnote 2; Col. 3:10-11 and footnote 119). It is fully fulfilled in the overcoming believers, who live Christ for His corporate expression (Phil. 1:19-26) and will have authority over the nations and reign as co-kings with Christ in the millennium (Rev. 2:26-27; 20:4, 6). It will ultimately be fulfilled in the New Jerusalem, which will express God's image, having His glory and bearing His appearance (Rev. 4:3a; 21:11, 18a), and also exercise God's divine
authority to maintain God's dominion over the entire universe for eternity (Rev. 21:24; 22:5). (Gen. 1:26, footnote 5)

    In His creation, God did not tell man to do anything. Man was created in the image of God and then committed by God with His divine authority. Man had a life with the image of God to express God and with the authority of God to represent God, not a life to do something or to work something for God. Many times when you meet some Christians, you have the sense that they are busy people working for God. They are diligent and faithful. But you do not sense the expression and the authority of God. On the other hand, with some saints, it seems that they are not so busy and not so diligent working for God, yet you sense the expression of God and the authority of God. You have the sense that God is with them. They are people full of the presence of God. Whenever you meet them, you sense the expression and the headship, the authority, of God. This is what God is after. (The Central Thought of God, pp. 22-23)

    Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msgs. 7-8