晨興聖言-挪亞、但以理和約伯...(W3-4)
第三週 • 週四
晨興餧養
但四34~35 …祂的權柄是永遠的權柄，祂的國存到萬代。…祂照自己的意旨行事；無人能攔住祂的手…。
37 現在我…讚美、高舉、尊敬天上的王，因為祂一切的作為全是真的，祂的道路是公平的，因為祂能使那行動驕傲的降為卑。
神在祂的經綸裏管理宇宙，為要成就祂的定旨，就是基督應該在萬有中居首位。…神若沒有一班子民，就無法使基督成為居首位的。
我們蒙神揀選作祂的子民，為叫基督居首位，我們乃是在神屬天的掌權之下。…在神屬天的掌權下，萬有都互相效力，叫我們得益處（羅八28）。…我們〔個人〕的宇宙包括我們自己、我們的家庭以及召會。在我們的宇宙中，每一天都發生許多事，目的乃是要使基督居首位。我們需要看見這事，並順服神屬天的掌權（但以理書生命讀經，九○至九一頁）。
信息選讀
地是在屬天行政的管治之下。諸天是為我們掌權，基督也是為着我們的。不僅如此，我們是在神為着基督的屬天掌權之下。屬天掌權的目的，是要完成神的選民，使基督得以居首位，就是使祂成為首先的—中心，並成為一切—普及。…因着諸天在掌權，所以基督在我們一切的情況中，都與我們同在。我們病了，…我們在風暴中，祂〔都〕與我們同在。
在〔但以理四〕章裏，尼布甲尼撒繼續行事高傲，神就使他降為卑。神暴露他，給他看見自己不是君子，乃是走獸。…尼布甲尼撒在夢中看見一棵樹，高大堅固，葉子華美，果子甚多，可作食物。這棵樹表徵尼布甲尼撒自己（20~22）。…在但以理〔對二十三節〕的講解裏，他解釋說，…至高的神下命令，把尼布甲尼撒趕出離開人類，與野地的獸同住；他必喫草如牛，失去理性七個時期之久，直到他知道至高者纔是人國的掌權者（24~25）。二十六節接着說，『守望者既吩咐存留樹根的不，等你知道諸天掌權，以後你的國必定歸你。』
但以理勸告尼布甲尼撒之後〔27〕，神給他十二個月的時間悔改。然而，他沒有悔改，也沒有改變。一天，當王在巴比倫王宮頂上行走的時候，他看着這大城驕傲的說，『這大巴比倫不是我用自己權能的力量建為王家，要顯我威嚴的榮耀麼？』（30）…當王的話在王口中尚未說完，有聲音從天降下，說，『尼布甲尼撒王阿，有話對你說，你的國位離開你了。』（31）神要教導他認識自己一無所是，並且認識那大能的神乃是一切；祂是人國的掌權者，要將人的國賜與誰，就賜與誰。
按照尼布甲尼撒的性情和所是，他不是人，乃是獸。因這緣故，他的心變得不是人心，有一個獸心給了他（16）。…從那時起，他就喫草如牛，身被天露沾濕，直到頭髮長長好像鷹毛，指甲長長如同鳥爪（33）。
尼布甲尼撒在四章末了的讚美，指明他的確學了功課，降卑自己並認識神。在三章他立了一個金像，因為他非常驕傲。接着，四章就教導他一個很大的功課。雖然他行事像君子，事實上他乃是走獸（但以理書生命讀經，九一、四○至四四頁）。
參讀：但以理書生命讀經，第六篇。
WEEK 3 — DAY 4
Morning Nourishment
Dan. 4:34-35 …His dominion is an eternal dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation;…He does according to His will…; and there is no one who can resist His hand…
37 Now I…praise and exalt and honor the King of the heavens, because all His works are truth and His ways justice, and because He is able to abase those who walk in pride.
In His economy God administrates the universe in order to fulfill His purpose. His purpose is to give Christ the preeminence in all things…Apart from God’s having a people, there is no way for Christ to be made preeminent.
As those who have been chosen by God to be His people for Christ’s preeminence, we are under God’s heavenly rule…Under God’s heavenly rule, everything is working together for our good (Rom. 8:28)…Our [personal] universe includes ourselves, our families, and the church. In our universe many things happen day by day for the purpose of making Christ preeminent. We need to realize this and be submissive to God’s heavenly rule. (Life-study of Daniel, p. 79)
Today’s Reading
The earth is under the rule of a heavenly administration. The heavens rule for us, and Christ is for us. Furthermore, we are under God’s heavenly rule for Christ. The purpose of the heavenly ruling is to complete God’s elect so that Christ may be preeminent, that He may be the first—the centrality— and everything—the universality. Because the heavens rule, Christ is with us in all our situations. When we are sick,…when we are in turmoil, He is with us.
In [Daniel 4] Nebuchadnezzar, who continued to walk in pride, was abased by God. God exposed him and showed him that he was not a gentleman but a beast. In his dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a great, strong, tall tree, beautiful in foliage, rich in fruit, and good for food. This tree signified Nebuchadnezzar himself (vv. 20-22). In his interpretation [of verse 23] Daniel explained…that the Most High had decreed that Nebuchadnezzar would be driven out from among mankind, dwell with the beasts of the field, be made to eat grass as bulls do, and lose his reasoning for a period of seven times, until he came to know that the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men (vv. 24-25). Verse 26 goes on to say, “In that it was commanded that the stump of roots of the tree be left, your kingdom will be assured to you after you have come to know that the heavens do rule.”
After Daniel exhorted Nebuchadnezzar [v. 27], God gave him twelve months to repent. However, there was no repentance and no change. One day while the king was walking upon the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, he looked at the great city and was filled with pride, saying, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I have built up as a royal house by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” (v. 30). While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven, saying, “To you it is spoken, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom has passed on from you” (v. 31). God would teach him to know that he was nothing and the mighty God, the Ruler over the kingdom of men, the One who gives the kingdom of men to whomever He wills, is everything.
According to his nature and his being, Nebuchadnezzar was not a man but a beast. For this reason his heart was changed from that of a man’s, and a beast’s heart was given to him (v. 16)…In that very hour he began to eat grass as bulls do, his body became wet with the dew, his hair grew like eagles’ feathers, and his nails became like birds’ claws (v. 33).
As indicated by his praise at the end of chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar surely had learned the lesson to be abased and know God. In chapter 3 he set up a golden image because he was very proud. Chapter 4 follows to teach him a great lesson. Although he acted like a gentleman, he was a beast. (Life-study of Daniel, pp. 79-80, 35-39)
Further Reading: Life-study of Daniel, msg. 6
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