第五週 • 週四

晨興餧養

出三6         又說，我是你父親的神，是亞伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神。摩西遮住臉，因為怕看神。

太二二31~32 關於死人復活，神向你們所說的，你們沒有念過麼？祂說，『我是亞伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神。』神並不是死人的神，乃是活人的神。

    出埃及三章裏神的名的啟示（6、14~16、18），實際上就是神自己的啟示。藉着這樣的啟示，摩西得以認識那呼召並差遣他完成祂使命的一位。六節裏神聖的名稱，指明神是立約的神（二24），也含示祂是復活的神（太二二31~32與註，徒三13）。不僅如此，神是三個人的神（參出三15），含示祂是三一神—父、子、靈（太二八19）（聖經恢復本，出三6註1）。

    〔神是全能的神，但〕我們也相信神是復活的神；也就是說，我們相信祂是亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神。雖然神未救保羅出監牢，保羅卻知道，在他殉道以後，神要進來使他復活。保羅在殉道之前，曾享受祂是。但後來他會享受祂作復活的神。殉道給他機會經歷神是復活的神（出埃及記生命讀經，一三六頁）。

信息選讀

    我們不該僅僅按着神所行的神蹟奇事來認識祂。…在約翰二章主耶穌不將自己信託給那些求神蹟的人。我們需要認識神是『是』的那一位，並且是復活的神；我們必須認識祂是自有者、永有者、復活者。作為神所呼召的人，我們若渴望在祂的恢復中完成祂的託付，就不該是巴望神蹟的人，我們該認識神是『是』的那一位，並且是復活的神；祂是那『我是』，並且祂是亞伯拉罕的神、以撒的神、雅各的神。我們除了看見燒着之荊棘的異象，還需要這個神的啟示。不要只是照着神的所作認識祂，乃要照着神的所是認識祂。神是否為我們作事算不得甚麼。環境也許會有激烈的轉變，但神仍然是。萬事會遞遷；但神是，祂永遠是。在祂沒有改變。不僅如此，每種死亡的景況都給祂機會，使祂在我們的經歷中成為復活的神（出埃及記生命讀經，一三六至一三七頁）。

    在〔創世記〕亞伯拉罕的階段裏，我們看見父神呼召人、稱義人、裝備人，使人憑信而活，並活在與祂的交通裏（十二1，十五6，十七~十八，十九29，二一1~13，二二1~18）。十二章一節給我們看見父的呼召，十五章六節啟示祂的稱義。十七章給我們看見神如何裝備亞伯拉罕，使他過憑信的生活。然後十八章啟示神如何使亞伯拉罕活在與祂交通的生活裏，這是神與祂的人間朋友亞伯拉罕之間交通的一章。

    以撒的階段代表子神，就是三一神的第二者，祂賜福與人，使人承受祂一切的豐富，過享受祂豐盛的生活，並在平安中過生活（二五5，二六3~4、12~33）。

    在雅各同約瑟生平的階段裏，我們看見靈神在萬有裏作工，叫愛祂的人得益處。這是根據羅馬八章二十八節，那裏說，『萬有都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。』按這一節上下文看，這裏的益處不是指物質的人、事、物；乃是指我們更多得着基督作到我們裏面，使我們有新陳代謝的變化，至終模成祂這神長子的形像（29），也就是將我們帶進完滿的兒子名分裏（神在祂與人聯結中的歷史，一六一至一六二頁）。

    參讀：神在祂與人聯結中的歷史，第十章。

WEEK 5--DAY 4

Exo. "3:6 And He said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God."

Matt. 22:31-32 "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, “I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

    The revelation of God’s name in Exodus 3 (vv. 6, 14-16, 18) was actually the revelation of God Himself. By such a revelation Moses came to know the One who was calling and sending him to carry out His commission. The divine title in verse 6 indicates that God is the covenanting God (2:24) and also implies that He is the God of resurrection (Matt. 22:31-32 and footnote; Acts 3:13). Furthermore, that God is the God of three persons (cf. Exo. 3:15) implies that He is the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Matt. 28:19). (Exo. 3:6, footnote 1)

    [God is the almighty One, but] we also believe in God as the God of resurrection; that is, we believe in Him as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Although God did not release Paul from prison, Paul knew that, after his martyrdom, God would come in to resurrect him. Before his martyrdom, Paul enjoyed Him as the One who is. But afterward, he would enjoy Him as the God of resurrection. Martyrdom simply gave him the opportunity to experience God as the God of resurrection. (Life-study of Exodus, p. 115)

Today's Reading

    We should not seek to know God merely according to His miraculous acts....In John 2 the Lord Jesus did not commit Himself to those who sought miracles. We need to know God as the One who is and as the God of resurrection; we must know Him as the self-existing One, the ever-existing One, and the resurrecting One. If, as God’s called ones, we desire to carry out His commission in His recovery, we should not be those who expect miracles, but we should be those who know God as the One who is and as the God of resurrection. He is the I Am, and He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. In addition to seeing the vision of the burning thornbush, we need this revelation of God. Do not simply know God according to what He does, but know Him according to what He is. Whether or not God does something for us means nothing. The environment may change drastically, but God still is. Everything may fluctuate; but God is, and He is forever. With Him, there is no change. Furthermore, every death situation affords Him an opportunity to be in our experience the God of resurrection. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 115-116)

    [In Genesis], in the section of Abraham, we see God the Father who calls man, justifies man, and equips man to live by faith and live in fellowship with Him (Gen. 12:1; 15:6; ch. 17; ch. 18; 19:29; 21:1-13; 22:1- 18). Genesis 12:1 shows us the Father’s calling and 15:6 reveals His justification. Chapter 17 shows us how God equipped Abraham to live a life by faith. Then chapter 18 reveals how God made Abraham to live a life in fellowship with Him. It is a chapter of fellowship between God and His human friend, Abraham.

    The section of Isaac represents God the Son, the Second of the Triune God, who blesses man with the inheritance of all His riches, with a life of the enjoyment of His abundance, and with a life in peace (Gen. 25:5; 26:3-4, 12-33).

    In the section of the life of Jacob with Joseph, we see God the Spirit who works in all things for the good of His lovers. This is based upon Romans 8:28, which says, “All things work together for good to those who love God.” According to the context of this verse, the good here is not related to physical persons, matters, or things. It refers to our gaining more of Christ, to our having Him wrought into our being, that we may be transformed metabolically and may eventually be conformed to His image, the image of the firstborn Son of God (v. 29), that is, that we may be brought into the full sonship. (The History of God in His Union with Man, pp. 134-135)

    Further Reading: The History of God in His Union with Man, ch. 10