Exhortation for 18/4/04 - Reading Deuteronomy 1 - Bro Nathan S

2004-4-18日讲道词 申命记第一章 内森弟兄 -

Good morning my dear brethren and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul once wrote that "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us". What a remarkable thing that is! Today as we meet to remember what God has accomplished in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, we remember that Jesus Christ died that our sins might be forgiven and that we might ultimately be like him - immortal. What a wonderful thing it is that today, all over the world, people of many different countries, nationalities and languages, remember the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 亲爱的弟兄姐妹：早上好 使徒保罗曾经说过："基督在我们还做罪人的时候为我们死"。这是一件多么非凡的事啊！今天我们聚在一起纪念神通过耶稣为我们所做的事情。耶稣为了我们而死去，他这么做是为了使我们的罪可以得到赦免，为了让我们最后也有机会可以像他一样得到永生。今天全世界不同国家，不同民族，用着不同语言的人都一同来纪念耶稣的生前事迹，他的死亡以及他的复活。这是一件多么美妙的事啊

Our daily readings today bring us to the first chapter of a remarkable book - Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy was written by Moses and records his last words to the people of Israel just prior to them crossing the Jordan to enter the Land of Israel. We see from Chapter 1:3: "And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that Yahweh had given him in commandment unto them". This is the 11th month of the 40th year in the wilderness. There were only two months to go and the children of Israel were to pass over Jordan into the land of Israel. In the last chapter of Deuteronomy we read of the death of Moses: "So Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Yahweh. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day" (Deut 34:5-6). After his death "the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days" (v8). From this we realise the whole of Deuteronomy was written in a very short period. It is Moses' final words to the people he had led for 40 years. He had led these people out of Egypt, he had wandered through the wilderness with them for 40 years and now he was about to die and Deuteronomy records his final directions and commands to his people. Moses had overseen the planning, construction and opening of the Tabernacle. He had issued the people of Israel with the ten Commandments, he had been a remarkable leader and had saved them from certain destruction on many occasions. But, like everyone, his life was drawing to a conclusion, and he wanted to impress upon the people the need for whole-hearted commitment in service to God. So important were these instructions and commands that in chapter 31 v9-11 we are told that the priests were instructed to publicly read the contents of this book every seven years when all the people were gathered together! Further to this Moses says in Chapter 32 v46-47: 'Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it." 根据我们的每天的读经计划，今天我们该学习申命记的第一章，这是一部非常卓越的书。申命记是由摩西写的。它纪录了在以色列人民穿过约旦进入以色列地之前摩西对他的人民作出的最后讲话。我们从1：3可以看到"出埃及第四十年十一月初一日，摩西照耶和华借着他所吩咐以色列人的话，都晓谕他们。"这是他们在旷野中的第四十年的第十一个月。再过两个月以色列人就要度过约旦河进入以色列之地了。在申命记的最后一章我们看到最后摩西去世了："于是，耶和华的仆人摩西死在摩押地，正如耶和华所说的。耶和华将他埋藏在摩押地、伯毗珥对面的谷中，只是到了今日没有人知道他的坟墓"（申命记34：5-6）。在他死后，"以色列人在摩押平原为摩西哀哭了30日，为摩西居丧哀哭的日子就满了"（申命记34：8）。从这我们可以看到整本申命记是在一段很短的时期内写成的。这是摩西对他带领了40年的人们的最后的讲话。他带领着这些人出埃及，他和这些人在旷野里徘徊了40年，可是现在他即将死去。而申命记纪录下了他对人们的最后教导和诫命。摩西已经见证过帐幕的设计，建造，以及启用。他把十诫传给了以色列人。他是一个伟大的领导者，在很多危难的时刻他带领着他的人们走出困境免遭毁灭的命运。但是，像其他所有人一样，他的生命快要画上句点了。他想在最后的时刻让人们牢牢地记着全心全意地事奉神的重要性。这些诫命是如此的重要，以至于在申命记31：9-11里提到要众长老每七年，当所有人聚在一块的时候，要在以色列众人面前将这些律法念给他们听。在32：46-47里摩西进一步提到："我今日所警教你们的, 你们都要放在心上, 要吩咐你们的子孙谨守遵行这律法上的话。因为这不是虚空与你们无关的事,乃是你们的生命,在你们过约旦河要为业的土地上，必因这事日子得以长久。"

These words were so important - the people's very life depended on whether they accepted or rejected them. These are the words of a mature man, written during the very last month of life as he encouraged and strengthened the people to remain firm and dedicated to God all their lives. It's quite remarkable that twelve times in this book Moses reminds the people, and he reminds us too, that we are "to love Yahweh our God". One of these places we read: "And now, Israel, what doth Yahweh thy God require of thee, but * to fear Yahweh thy God, * to walk in all his ways, and * to love him, and * to serve the Yahweh thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, * To keep the commandments of Yahweh, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" (Deut 10:12-13). 这些话语如此重要, 人们的生命就由他们是否接受这些话语来决定. 这些话是来自一个成熟的男子, 在他生命的最后一个月中他鼓励人们在他们的一生中都要对神保有坚定的信心, 并终身为神献身. 在书中摩西曾12次提醒人们,当然也包括提醒我们, "要爱耶和华我们的神". 这里我摘选了其中一处: "以色列啊,现在耶和华你的神向你所要的是什么呢?只要你 * 敬畏耶和华你的神 * 遵行他的道 * 爱他, * 尽心尽性侍奉他 * 遵守他的诫命,律例,就是我今日所吩咐你的,为要叫你得福.(申命记10:12-13)

We must also remember that Moses gave this speech to Israel just prior to them crossing the river to enter the land of Israel. Moses in Chapter 1 v8 says: "Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which Yahweh sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them". The journey was almost over, and they were about to enter and inherit the land which God had promised to their fathers of old. As the people stood there listening to Moses, in the distance they could see the land that had been promised to them - it must have been very exciting! The situation they were in then is very similar to ours today. We are about to cross over into the Kingdom of God, we are about to inherit the land of Israel which was promised to Abraham. Just as Moses wanted the people then to be committed in service to God, so now as we read Deuteronomy we are reminded of those essential things we must do to find a place in the kingdom of God. What Moses instructed Israel to do is exactly what we must do today. As then, so now, we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind. 我们还要记住一点,摩西是在以色列人要过河进入以色列之地前说的这番话.摩西在1:8中说道: " 如今我将这地摆在你们面前,你们要进去得这地,就是耶和华向你们列祖亚伯拉罕,以撒,雅各起誓应许赐给他们和他们后裔为业之地." 旅途马上就要结束了,他们即将进入神许诺赐给他们祖先的地并继承它. 当这些以色列人站在摩西面前听着他的话, 他们已经可以看到远方地那块神许诺赐给他们的土地了. 想象一下他们心中会有多么激动! 他们那时的情况不是和我们现在的情况很相象吗? 我们也即将进入神的国. 我们即将要继承赐给亚伯拉罕的以色列之地. 就像摩西希望他的人们可以尽心地侍奉神, 现在当我们学习申命记的时候是不是也提醒了我们一些很重要的事,如果我们想在神的国中找到自己的位置. 摩西教导以色列人要做的事也是我们今天应当做的事. 就像那时一样我们现在也应该尽心，尽性，尽意爱主我们的神。

As you read through Deuteronomy you will notice that many of the chapters are records of events that had taken place from the time Israel left Egypt, some 40 years before. The reason why Moses does this is to draw practical lessons from those events and use them to encourage the people and remind them of their past failures and the need to ensure they were not repeated. Deuteronomy really is then another record of the events that transpired from when Israel left Egypt. However there is a marked difference! In Deuteronomy Moses is trying to encourage the people to develop the Godly characteristic of faith in their lives. Faith is a prerequisite to the kingdom. We will not enter into the kingdom without faith, just as Israel could not enter the land because of their lack of faith. This is shown to us in chapter 1 v26-34 where we read that God had commanded the children of Israel to go up and conquer the land and not be afraid or discouraged, because He would be with them. We know that Israel sent spies into the land to search it out and report back to the people what the land was like and how they would conquer it. However 10 of the 12 spies returned and told the people that there was no way the land could be conquered, because there were giants there and the cities were great and had high walls. They had no faith in God whatsoever! They totally lacked trust that He would be with them and so God says in v32 that "they did not believe what He said to them". As a result of this great lack of faith, God made Israel wander in the hot, sandy and dry desert for 40 years. Israel failed to place their confidence and trust in God that what He said He would do, He would perform. 当你学习申命记的时候你会发现在很多章节里记录的事都是发生在以色列人离开埃及的时候,也就是说是40多年前的事情. 之所以这样是因为摩西想从那些事件里总结出一些实际的教训来人们并提醒他们以前曾犯下的错误,并希望他们不要再犯. 所以实际上申命记其实还记录了从以色列人离开埃及以来的诸多事情. 在申命记里摩西鼓励人们在他们的生活中坚定并发展对神的信心. 对神的信心是进入神的国的首要条件. 不相信神我们就无法进入神的国, 就像如果以色列人不相信神就无法进入那片土地. 在1:26-34我们可以看到神命令以色列的孩子上去并征服它, 不要惊恐也不要害怕他们,因为耶和华将行在以色列人中. 我们知道以色列人派了探子到那城中探明虚实并再回来报告那城的具体情况以及征服它的办法. 去了12个探子, 可是其中10个回来都说他们根本无法打得下这么一座城, 因为那地的民身体高大,城邑又广又大又坚固. 他们竟对神没有信心!他们根本不相信神会与他们同行, 再32节神说: "他们在这事上却不信耶和华你们的 神" 因为他们的不信任, 神让以色列人在炎热干燥的沙漠中徘徊了40年. 以色列人对神所许诺的事没有信心.

God doesn't want people to blindly obey His laws without loving and trusting Him! He wants whole-hearted commitment to Him and the Truth, and nothing less. Israel failed to love and trust Him, and suffered because of it. Let us learn from their failures. Paul exhorted the Hebrews to learn from Israel's failures as we read in Hebrews 3:7-19. 但是神并不想人们盲目地遵守他的诫命却不相信他，不爱他。他希望人们全心全意地把自己交到他和真理的手里. 以色列却没有爱他和相信他, 所以因此受到了惩罚. 希望我们能从他们的错误中吸取经验教训. 保罗的希伯来书中总结了他们的经验教训, 我们可以看看希伯来书3:7-19.

One of the other key things Moses wanted to emphasise was that the land they were about to enter was the land that was promised to Abraham and his sons. Therefore we read in the first chapter. "Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which Yahweh sware unto your fathers, Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them" (Deut 1:8). 27 times Moses reminds the people that they were about to "inherit the land promised unto the fathers". In reminding the people that they were to inherit the land promised to Abraham Moses is impressing them with the "faith" of Abraham by which he received the promise of the land. Just think about what Abraham did. He was living in a city called Ur, a long way to the east from Israel. And Gen 12 tells us that God spoke to him and commanded him to leave his family, his house, his job and everything he had and to leave Ur, his home town and travel to a place that God would tell him of. God never told Abraham where he was going. But in faith Abraham left Ur and followed the angel of God and eventually came to Israel - what an incredible example of faith in God! So Moses draws on the example of Abraham and tells the people that they must demonstrate this kind of faith. God was well pleased with Abraham and promised him that the whole of Israel would be his to inherit in the kingdom. 另一件摩西想要强调的事是他们将要进入的土地是神许诺赐给亚伯拉罕以及他的子孙的. 所以在第一章中我们可以看到: "如今我将这地摆在你们面前,你们要进去得这地,就是耶和华向你们列祖亚伯拉罕,以撒,雅各起誓应许赐给他们和他们后裔为业之地"(1:8)。摩西曾27次提醒人们他们将要继承神赐予他们祖先的土地.摩西之所以一而再再而三地提醒他们这是神赐给亚伯拉罕的土地是因为摩西想告诉他们亚伯拉罕是因着信而得到这一片土地的.想想亚伯拉罕所作的事情. 他生活在一个叫吾珥的城市,那是位于以色列西方很远的一个城市. 在创世记第12章中说道,神让亚伯拉罕放弃他的房子,工作以及所有他拥有的事,离开他的本家,离开吾珥-他的家乡到一个神将会告诉他的地方去. 然而神从未告诉他那个地方在哪里. 然而因着信, 亚伯拉罕离开了吾珥,跟随着神的使者然后最后到了以色列-这是一个多么了不起的相信神的例子啊!所以摩西举了亚伯拉罕这么一个例子告诉人们他们应该有这种信心. 神喜悦亚伯拉罕并赐予他以及他的子孙整个以色列之地.

God had also told Abraham that his seed would be captives in a strange land for many years and then return to enter the land promised to Abraham. Moses is now talking to that generation who were to enter the land in fulfilment of God's word to Abraham. "And he (Yahweh) said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again" (Genesis 15:13-16). 神也告诉了亚伯拉罕他的子孙将会俘虏到另一个陌生的国度很长一段时间, 然后他们将会再次回到这片许诺给亚伯拉罕及他子孙的土地. "耶和华对亚伯兰说: '你要的确知道,你的后裔必将寄居别人的地,又服侍那地的人要苦侍他们达四百年.并且他们所要服侍的那国,我要惩罚,后来他们必要带着许多财富从那里出来.但你要享大寿数,平平安安地归到你列祖那里,被人埋葬.到了第四代,他们必回到此地,因为亚摩利人的罪孽还没有满盈."(创世纪1:13-16)

Now consider what Moses says in Chapter 6 v4-7:"Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God is one Yahweh: And thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up". These words are some of the most important words in the whole of this book. The people were to love God with all their heart, all their soul and with all their might. We have to love God so much, that our whole life revolves around Him. Moses doesn't say, love God with half of your heart, or nearly all of your heart - he says, love God with ALL your heart, and teach your children to love Him by constantly talking together on the things of God. 现在我们来看一下摩西在申命记6:4-7节中所说的: "以色列啊,你要听!耶和华我们神是独一的主.你要尽心尽性尽力爱耶和华你的神.我今日所吩咐你的话都要记在心上,也要殷勤教训你的儿女,无论你坐在家里,行在路上,躺下,起来,都要谈论." 这是这本书里最重要的话语之一. 人们应当尽心尽性尽力地爱神. 我们要好好地爱神,让我们的生活围绕着他. 摩西不说 "尽一半" 的心或 "几乎尽全心"地爱神, 他说尽全心爱神, 而且还要通过经常谈论神的事教你的孩子去爱神.

As we have seen, Deuteronomy was written by Moses just prior to his death. He was a mature man - about 120 years old - so he had experienced a lot in life and these are the finest words he has recorded for us. How do we know that? Well, it's remarkable that what Moses said to Israel in chapter 6 v4-6 is what the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded of us. 正如我们看到的,申命记是在摩西死之前由摩西写下的. 他是一个成熟的男人-大约120岁-他曾在生活中经历了很多.这些话语是他留下的最富有智慧的话语.我们怎么知道?摩西在第六章4到6节所讲的这是后来耶稣要求我们去做的.

In Mark 12 v28-34 it is recorded that a wise man came to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked him a question: "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these". The Lord Jesus Christ had just quoted Moses' words in Deuteronomy chapter 6. So what was the scribe's response? -"Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices". When the scribe agreed with Christ on this point, he said to him in v34, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God". As Moses told the people in his day that the most important thing in life was to love God with all their heart, soul and mind, so 1000 years later the Lord Jesus Christ quotes Moses to teach the same lesson. Does God require something different from us than he did from them? Not at all! He wants us to give everything to Him in love and dedication. He wants us to have faith in His promises, to trust him implicitly and rely solely on Him. 在马可福音12:28-34中写道一个智者来到耶稣面前问到: "诫命中哪是第一要紧的呢?"耶稣回答道: "第一要紧的, 就是说: '以色列啊,你要听主我们的神, 是独一的主.你要尽心,尽性,尽意尽力爱主你的神.' 其次就是说: '爱人如爱己.' 在没有比这两条诫命更大的了."耶稣是在引述摩西在申命记第六章中所说的. 这个文士有什么反应呢?-"夫子说,神是第一位,实在不错.除了他以外,再没有别的神.并且尽心尽智尽力爱他,又爱人如己,就比一切燔祭和各样祭祀好得多."当文士在这一点上同意耶稣的时候,他对他说 "你离神的国不远了."(马可福音12：34节) 正如摩西在他生前告诉他的人民最重要的是尽心尽意爱神. 所以在1000年后耶稣引用了摩西的话去说明一个相同的道理. 神对我们和对他们的要求是一样的吗? 不尽然! 他希望我们怀着对他的爱把自己的所有的东西交道他的手里.他希望我们对他的许诺怀有信心,相信他并只依赖他.

So Moses' final exhortation to the people was to encourage them to follow the faith of their father Abraham. If they showed that kind of faith then they would be rewarded as we will be too - the whole of the earth will be our inheritance with Christ for ever if we love Yahweh with all our heart, soul and mind. We are reminded of the Lord Jesus Christ who loved God with His whole heart, soul and mind - so much so, he gave his life in love for His Father and for us. As we now remember our Lord in the emblems of bread and wine let us think about our own life, our own commitment to God and strive to follow the example of Abraham, Moses and the Lord Jesus Christ and be faithful always in our daily life. 所以在摩西最后的讲道中鼓励人们象他们的祖先亚伯拉罕一样对神怀有信心. 如果我们尽心尽性尽意地爱耶和华我们将会收到巨大的回报-那就是和耶稣一起永远继承全世界. 我们要尽心爱耶稣正如耶稣尽心爱他的父以至于为他的父和为我们献上他的生命.我们现在通过掰饼喝酒来让我们思考自己的生活,我们对神怀有的义务并尽力跟随亚伯拉罕,摩西,和耶稣的榜样,并在我们的日常生活中始终怀有信心.