347 中翻英 (87) The absolute holiness of God's character。上帝的聖潔高過一切。

 347  中翻英 (87)   The absolute holiness of God's character。上帝的聖潔高過一切。    4/5/2023

主耶穌基督的受苦進入第四天。祂在客西馬尼園的禱告是使信徒的深思，釘十字架的苦杯，不是一般人所能勝過的。但主耶穌順服父上帝的旨意，祂心甘情願的在泣血汗的禱告中領受了。我們的罪才能被赦免，得蒙拯救與主在天堂分享祂的榮耀。

「..... 我們不如將耶和華的約柜，從示羅抬到我們這里來，好在我們中間救我們脫离敵人的手。」（撒上 4:3 新國際版）

約柜就是神和以色列人立約的柜。以色列民雖向神的約不忠心，卻仍幻想著以為神要憑祂的約來保護他們脫离仇敵的手。但是，當神的子民心怀二意的背棄祂時，神只得讓他們在敵人面前失敗。以色列民以為神必會因著自己的榮耀來拯救他們。可是神關心祂圣洁的性格過于外表虛浮的榮耀，當一個神的仆人厲害的失敗了，我們以為最好是將這難為情的事遮掩起來。我們按這點存心來禱告，盼望神為著祂自己的榮耀，讓人即使遭受隱藏的失敗，也蒙拯救得免公開的羞辱。但神的道路和這個完全相反。祂必須讓祂的子民在世人眼前失敗，借此可以表白祂那絕對圣洁的品格，与祂的子民的不洁是毫無關連的。神永不包庇罪惡。神的榮耀只能以屬靈道德的价值為基石，而祂的子民那公開的挫敗，比那華而不實的虛偽胜利，更能在實際上維持祂的見證和榮耀。

April 5th

".... Let us bring the ark of the LORD'scovenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us the hand of our enemies." (1 Samuel 4:3 NIV)

The ark of the covenant is the ark of the covenant between God and the Israelites. Although the people of Israel were unfaithful to God's covenant, they still imagined that God would use His covenant to protect them from the hand of their enemies. But when God's people turned their backs on Him in half-hearted ways, God had no choice but to let them being defeat by their enemies. The people of Israel thought that God would save them for His own glory. But God cares more about His holy character than about not holy vain glory. When a servant of God fails so badly, we think it's best to cover up the embarrassment. We pray with this heart in mind, hoping that God, for his own glory, will save man from public disgrace even if he suffers hidden failure. But God's way is completely opposite. He must let his people be defeated before the world.  Therefore, it will show the absolute holiness of His character, nothing to do with the not holiness of His people. God never neglected sin. God's glory can only be honored by spiritual and moral values.  The public defeat of his people can actually honor His testimony and glories more than the vain and not the reality of the victories.