266 中翻英(16) Joseph is a fruitful vine. 約瑟是多結果子的葡萄樹. 1/14/2023

266 中翻英(16)        Joseph is a fruitful vine.     約瑟是多結果子的葡萄樹.   1/14/2023 

一月十四日的曠野筵席有豐盛的菜餚供訪友享用。就是要多結果子。約瑟是最好的榜樣。

「約瑟是多結果子的樹枝，是泉旁多結果的枝子，他的枝條探出牆外。弓箭手將他苦害，向他射箭，逼迫他。但他的弓仍舊堅硬，他的手健壯敏捷。這是因以色列的牧者，以色列的磐石，就是雅各的大能者。」（創 49:22-24 新國際版） 

在舊約里許多神模范仆人之中，約瑟或者是一位最完美的。雖然圣經里沒有明顯指出他在品格上的任何瑕疵，但我們都知道他的道路是非常不容易，而又極其艱難的。他的苦惱從什么時候開始呢？确實無疑的是開始于他的夢。這些夢代表屬靈的异象。在這异象里，他看見了神所要進行的工作，并他自己在這神圣計划里的地位。乃是這些夢才引起了下面所發生的一切事，這都是因為他看見了他弟兄們所沒有看見的。他們稱他為「那作夢的，」并且設計要陷害他。因此他「被賣為奴仆，人用腳鐐傷他的腳，他被鐵鏈捆拘。」（詩105:17-18）然而約瑟能忍受這一切的苦難，直到最后成為神手中的器皿，成全祂為著祂子民所預定的那偉大的旨意。有屬靈看見的人，才能夠堅定的站住，并且一直到底。

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a  spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility.  But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” (Genesis 49:22-24 niv)

Of the many typical servants of God in the Old Testament, Joseph was perhaps the most perfect. Yet while the Bible reveals no apparent flaw in his character, we all know that his was no easy pathway. When did his troubles begin? Surely with his dreams.  They represent spiritual visions. In them he saw what God would do, and his own place in the divine plan. It was these dreams that brought about all that happened below, and it was all because he saw what his brethren could not see.  "This dreamer," they called him, and plotted his downfall.  Therefore, he was "sold as a slave, and his feet were bruised with fetters, and he was bound with chains." (Psalm 105:17-18) Yet, Joseph could survive it all to become at length God’s means of fulfill a mighty purpose for His people. Only a person with spiritual visions can stand firm to the end.