晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W48-3)

第四十八週.週三

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晨興餧養

彼後一19 『我們並有申言者更確定的話,你們留意這話,如同留意照在暗處的燈,直等到天發亮,晨星在你們心裏出現,你們就作得好了。』

羅十三12 『黑夜已深,白晝將近,所以我們當脫去黑暗的行為,穿上光的兵器。』

使徒的見證和經上申言者的話,都是真理的照亮。這照亮是神聖供備的一部分,就是神藉著祂的能力所作的供備,使祂的選民能遠離異端和背道。

彼得〔在彼後一章十七至十八節〕說到他對主在變化形像時之榮耀的個人經歷以後,接著〔在十九節〕用申言者的話證實並加強他的見證。彼得指明信徒留意申言者的話,就作得好了。這就是說,他們正研讀舊約的豫言,並留意這些豫言。(彼得後書生命讀經,八一頁。)

信息選讀

彼得把經上豫言的話比作照在暗處的燈。這指明今世乃是黑夜裏的暗處,(羅十三12,)這世上的人都是在黑暗裏行走、活動。這也指明經上申言者的話猶如信徒的明燈,傳輸屬靈的光(不僅供人心思理解的字句知識),照耀在他們的黑暗裏,引導他們進入光明的白晝,甚至經過黑夜,直到主顯現的那日,天發亮的時候。在主這陽光顯出以前,我們需要祂話的光,照耀我們的腳步。

彼得說,我們留意申言者的話,直等到天發亮,晨星在我們心裏出現,我們就作得好了。這也是隱喻,說明滿了亮光的時候即將來到,如同晴天破曉,有晨星於黎明前在那些蒙光照的信徒心裏出現,這些信徒藉著留意經上照亮人的豫言之話,得了光照而被照明。…信徒留意這事,就作得好,使申言者的話如同明燈,照透背道的黑暗,直等到天這樣向他們發亮。這促使並鼓勵他們切切尋求主的同在,並且儆醒,使他們當主在祂來臨(巴路西亞)的隱密部分,像賊一樣來到時,不至於見不到主。(太二四27,帖後二8。)因此這隱喻必是將來世,國度時代,比作那要在主顯現(來臨)時(彼後一16)發亮的天;那時主是公義的日頭,(瑪四2,)祂的光要照耀出來,衝破今世黑夜的幽暗。在這之前,主要在黑夜最深時,像晨星一樣,(啟二28,二二16,)向那些儆醒渴望祂可愛顯現的人顯現。(提後四8。)他們因著申言者之話的照耀蒙了光照,這話能把他們引到那要發亮的天。

非常接近主顯現的時候可比作清晨,那時主耶穌對祂儆醒的信徒將是晨星。雖然這一切都是真實的,但彼得所說的還不只這些。事實上,在彼後一章十九節彼得同時說到兩件事。他說整個世界是暗處,這現今的世代是黑夜。我們若沒有聖經的豫言,也會在黑暗裏,因為我們沒有燈。但申言者的話是我們照耀在黑暗裏的燈。我們留意這申言者的話,就接受光的照耀。至終,這光會照耀,直到屬靈的白晝在我們裏面發亮,晨星在我們心裏出現。所以,彼得首先說到屬靈的白晝,在我們裏面發亮的白晝。他也說到將來的日子,就是主回來的日子。(彼得後書生命讀經,八一至八三頁。)

參讀:彼得後書生命讀經,第八篇。

WEEK 48 — DAY 3

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Morning Nourishment

2 Pet. 1:19 And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Rom. 13:12 The night is far advanced, and the day has drawn near. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the weapons of light.

Both the apostles’ witness and the prophetic word in the Scriptures are the shining of the truth. This shining is part of the divine provision, the provision God has made by His power so that His elect children may be able to stay away from heresy and apostasy.

[In 2 Peter 1:19], after speaking of his personal experience of the Lord’s glory in His transfiguration [in verses 17 and 18], Peter goes on to use the word of the prophets to confirm his testimony and strengthen it. Peter indicates that the believers do well to give heed to the prophetic word. This means that they were studying the Old Testament prophecies and giving heed to them. (Life-study of 2 Peter, pp. 67-68)

Today’s Reading

Peter likened the word of prophecy in the Scripture to a lamp shining in a dark place. This indicates that this age is a dark place in the dark night (Rom. 13:12) and that all the people of this world are moving and acting in darkness. It also indicates that the prophetic word of the Scripture, as the shining lamp to the believers, conveys spiritual light that shines in their darkness (not merely knowledge in letters for mental apprehension), guiding them to enter into a bright day, even to pass through the dark night until the day of the Lord’s appearing dawns. Before the Lord as the sunlight appears, we need this word as light to shine over our footsteps.

Peter says that we do well to give heed to the prophetic word until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. This also is a metaphor illustrating a coming time that will be full of light, as a bright day dawning, with the morning star rising, before its dawning, in the hearts of the believers, who are illuminated and enlightened by giving heed to the shining word of the prophecy of Scripture…The believers do well to give heed in this matter so that the prophetic word, as a lamp, may shine through the darkness of apostasy until such a day dawns upon them. This will cause and encourage them to earnestly seek the Lord’s presence and be watchful so that they will not miss the Lord in the secret part of His parousia, when He will come as a thief (Matt. 24:27; 2 Thes. 2:8). Hence, this metaphor must allude to the coming age, the age of the kingdom, as a day that will dawn at the appearing (the coming) of the Lord (2 Pet. 1:16) as the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), whose light will shine to break through the gloom of the dark night of this age. Preceding this, in the darkest hour of the night, the Lord will appear as the morning star (Rev. 2:28; 22:16) to those who are watchful and looking for His dear appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). They have been enlightened by the shining of the prophetic word, which is able to lead them to the dawning day.

The time that is very close to the Lord’s appearing may be likened to early morning, at which time the Lord Jesus will be the morning star to His watchful believers. Although all of this is true, Peter is saying something even more. Actually, in 2 Peter 1:19 Peter covers two matters at the same time. He is saying that the entire world is a dark place and that this present age is a dark night. If we did not have the prophecies of the Bible, we also would be in darkness, for we would not have a lamp. But the prophetic word is our lamp shining in the darkness. As we give heed to this prophetic word, we receive the shining of the light. Eventually, this light will shine until a spiritual day dawns within us, and a morning star rises in our hearts. Therefore, Peter first is speaking of a spiritual day, a day that dawns within us. He also speaks of a future day, the day of the Lord’s coming back. (Lifestudy of 2 Peter, pp. 68-69)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Peter, msg. 8

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