晨興聖言-馬太福音中所啓示...(W1-1)

第一週 • 週一

晨興餧養

W1-d1-ch

太二2    那生為猶太人之王的在那裏?因為祂的星出現的時候,我們看見了,就前來拜祂。

民二四17  我看祂,卻不在現時;我望祂,卻不在近日。必有一星從雅各而出,必有一杖從以色列興起,祂必打碎摩押的四角,毀壞舍特所有的子孫。

 

民數記二十四章十七節…這星是指基督。基督這豫表的應驗,見於馬太二章二節所記載星象家(來自東方的博學者)的話。…星象家不是說,他們看見了『一個星』,或他們看見了『那星』,乃是說,他們看見了『祂的星』。…這節所說到的星向這些博學者顯現;這星沒有向任何以色列人顯現。猶太人有論到基督的聖經,並知道祂要生在何處(太二4~6),但星象家看見了基督的星。猶太人有關於基督字句的知識,但這些來自東方的博學者接受了關於祂活的異象。至終那星引他們到基督所在的地方(9~10)。

雖然基督是真日頭(瑪四2),但祂在這黑夜的世代並沒有出現如日頭。祂乃是發光如星。星是在黑夜裏發光,但這指明白晝將到。基督第一次來時,公開出現如星。但祂第二次來時,對儆醒等候祂來的得勝者將是晨星(啟二28,二二16)。對所有其餘的人,基督後來要出現如日頭(新約總論第二冊,二八一至二八二頁)。

信息選讀

馬太二章二節…似乎指主耶穌只為着猶太人,但是首先來尋找主的,卻是外邦人;是從外邦人口中說出猶太人的王。這一節又可見主的工作是為着外邦人和猶太人的。…東方星象家之所以知主降生,聖經未給我們證據,但可得着一點端倪(『光』—賽六十3,『祂』—詩七二4)。外邦人也有先知,巴蘭就是一個;四個講主耶穌事情最多的先知,巴蘭是其中之一(民二四17)。也許這些豫言流傳在東方;也許東方星象家讀了但以理書的豫言,但以理被擄在巴比倫講七十個七,曾講主耶穌的事(但九24~25)。『拜祂』…並非拜神之拜,乃以最高對人敬禮拜主而已(倪柝聲文集第一輯第十五冊,五至六頁)。

耶穌出生的時候,…聖經記載有些外邦人,星象家,來尋找祂(太二1~12)。當然,這是由神發起,不是由他們發起的。…神給星象家一顆發亮的星引導他們(2)。這星沒有出現在聖地。這星向遠離聖地、聖城、聖殿、聖宗教、聖經、聖民、聖祭司的人顯現出來。這發亮的星遠離這一切神聖的事物,向外邦地的一些外邦人顯現。那星的照耀激起這些外邦星象家,想到猶太人的王。我不知道這些星象家怎樣受到激動,想起猶太人的王,我不想猜測。…無論如何,他們是從東方來的,並且領悟這星指明猶太人的王。

星象家有活的異象—天上的星,猶太宗教徒有聖經。你喜歡那一樣?聖經還是星?最好兩者都有。我喜歡手中有聖經,也喜歡看見天上的星。最好我是猶太人,又是外邦人(馬太福音生命讀經,九六至九七頁)。

參讀:倪柝聲文集第一輯第十五冊,第二章;馬太福音生命讀經,第七篇;真理課程四級卷一,第三課。

WEEK 1 — DAY 1


Morning Nourishment

Matt. 2:2 …Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star at its rising and have come to worship Him.

Num. 24:17 I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. There shall come forth a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and He shall crush the corners of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

This Star [in Numbers 24:17] refers to Christ. The fulfillment of this type of Christ is found in the word of the magi, learned men from the east, recorded in Matthew 2:2…The magi did not say, “We have seen a star,” or “We have seen the star,” but, “We have seen His star.”…The star spoken of in this verse was shown to these learned men; it did not appear to any of the people of Israel. Whereas the Jews had the Scriptures concerning Christ and knew where He would be born (Matt. 2:4-6), the magi saw the star of Christ. The Jews had the knowledge in letters concerning Christ, but these learned men from the east received a living vision concerning Him. Eventually the star led them to the place where Christ was (Matt. 2:9-10).

Although Christ is the real Sun (Mal. 4:2), He does not appear as the Sun during this age of night. Rather, He shines as a star. A star shines at night, but it indicates that day is coming. When Christ came the first time, He appeared openly as a star. But when He comes the second time, He will be the morning star (Rev. 2:28; 22:16) to His overcomers, who watch for His coming. To all others Christ will later appear as the sun. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 465-466)

Today’s Reading

Matthew 2:2…seems to indicate that the Lord Jesus was only for the Jews; however, those who first came to seek for the Lord were Gentiles. It was declared from the mouths of Gentiles that the Lord was the King of the Jews. From this verse we can see that the Lord’s work was for both the Gentiles and the Jews…The Bible does not give us proof of how the magi from the east learned of the Lord’s birth, but we have some hint. (“Light”—Isa. 60:3; “He”—Psa. 72:4). The Gentiles also had prophets, Balaam being one of them. He was one of four prophets who prophesied the most concerning the Lord Jesus (Num. 24:17). Perhaps these prophecies had spread in the east. Perhaps the magi from the east read the prophecy in Daniel. In his captivity in Babylon, when Daniel prophesied concerning the seventy weeks, he spoke the things concerning the Lord Jesus (Dan. 9:24-25). “To worship Him” was not to worship as one would worship God but to worship the Lord with the highest honor given to a human being. (CWWN, vol. 15, pp. 5-6)

At the time of Jesus’ birth…there is a record that some pagan men, magi, came to find Him (Matt. 2:1-12). Of course, this was initiated by God, not by them. God gave the magi a shining star to guide them (v. 2). This star did not appear in the Holy Land. It appeared to men far away—far away from the Holy Land; far away from the holy city; far away from the holy temple and the holy religion; far away from the Holy Bible, the holy people, and the holy priests. Far away from all these holy things, the shining star appeared to some pagan men in a pagan land. The shining of that star stirred up these pagan wise men regarding the King of the Jews. I do not know how these wise men were stirred up regarding the King of the Jews, and I do not want to guess…At any rate, they came from the east, the Orient, and realized that the star indicated the King of the Jews.

The wise men had the living vision, the heavenly star, and the Jewish religionists had the Bible. Which do you prefer to have—the Bible or the star? It is best to have both. I like to have the Bible in my hand, and I like to see the star in the heavens. It is best to be both a “pagan” and a “Jew” as well. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 74-75)

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 15, ch. 2; Life-study of Matthew, msg. 7; Truth Lessons—Level Four, vol. 1, lsn. 3

 

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