旧约 - 创世记(Genesis)第12章

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.
He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are.
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live.
Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."
When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman.
And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.
He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai.
So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?
Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!"
Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
创世记第十二章   第 12 章 

  创 12:1-3> 万世的祝福,是因一人的顺服而踏出第一步…… 

  12:1-3 当亚伯兰一听到神的呼召,就凭着信心离开哈兰,前往迦南。神与他立约,告诉他将要建立一个大国。神还说不单这一族要蒙福,地上万族都要因亚伯兰的后裔得福。以色列由亚伯兰而出,他要跟随神,并影响与他有邦交的国家。耶稣基督降世拯救人类,也是从亚伯兰的直系所生,世人靠着祂得以与神建立关系,得到无穷福乐。 

  创 12:2> 神引导亚伯兰离开,是为了更大的使命。若神引导我时,我…… 

  12:2 神应许赐福亚伯兰,使他成为大国,不过有一个条件──他要顺服神,就是离开家乡和亲友,到神所应许的地方去。亚伯兰顺服了神的旨意,为神所应许的将来更大的祝福而离开家乡。神可能想使用你作更伟大的事奉,而引导你到别的地方去。不要让目前安全舒适的生活令我们忽略了神对我们的计划。 

  亚伯兰前往迦南 

  创 12:5> 神带领以色列人所到之地…… 

  12:5 神计划要建立一个民族,称为属祂自己的百姓。祂呼召亚伯兰离开一个不敬奉真神、又以自我为中心的吾珥城,前往肥沃的迦南地,建立一个以神为中心、注重道德的国家。迦南地面积虽小,却是以色列历史的焦点、基督教的起源地,对世界历史产生了极大的影响。 

  创 12:7> 旧约中有形的祭坛,是神人相遇的地方──我生命中的祭坛,是筑在什么地方? 

  12:7 许多宗教都有祭坛,但对于神的子民来说,坛不单是献祭的地方,更象征与神相交,纪念与神的相遇。粗糙的石头和泥土筑成的坛会保留在适当的地方多年,提醒人们神的保守和应许。 

  有两个原因使亚伯兰经常为神造坛:( 1 )为祷告和敬拜;( 2 )提醒自己神给他赐福的应许。亚伯兰若没有经常更新对神的爱和忠诚,他的灵命就会死去。筑坛帮助亚伯兰谨记神是他生命的中心。恒常的敬拜帮助我们记得神的旨意,并促使我们顺服祂。 

  亚伯兰下埃及 

  创 12:10> 跟随神也会碰到拦阻与挑战!要是如此,我该…… 

  12:10 亚伯兰在饥荒中前往埃及寻求食物。神刚呼召亚伯兰来到迦南地,为何却遇上饥荒呢?这是要考验亚伯兰的信心。他通过了。他面对这困难,没有怀疑神的引领。有许多信徒在立志跟从神的时候,会立刻遇到重大的拦阻。当我们遇到这种试验时,不要猜疑神的作为,要运用神赐给我们的智慧,就像亚伯兰暂居埃及时一样,等候新的机会。 

  创 12:11-13> 因着惧怕而产生的谎话,是否也在拖垮着我? 

  12:11-13 亚伯兰出于恐惧,叫撒莱只讲出部分的真相,说她是他的妹妹。她的确是他同父异母的妹妹,但也是他的妻子( 20:12 )。 

  亚伯兰企图欺骗埃及人,他惧怕如果他们知道实情,就会杀死他来夺取撒莱。撒莱的财富、美貌,和政治联姻的机会,使法老渴慕纳她入后宫。亚伯兰作为撒莱的哥哥,就会大得尊荣;但是作为她的丈夫,则有生命危险;因为除非亚伯兰被杀,撒莱是不能进入法老后宫的。亚伯兰对神的保护失去了信心,即使神已给他应许,他也只说出部分的真相。但隐瞒事实,他的麻烦更多。这说明撒谎只会使罪恶带来的后果更复杂。──《灵修版圣经注释》