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出埃及记生命读经 · 第53篇

神将律法赐给祂的百姓，祂寻找爱祂的人

God Seeking Lovers in Giving His Law to His People
1读经：出埃及记20:1-12;3:14-15；耶利米书31:3,32;2:2；何西阿书；以赛亚书54:5；以西结书16:8；约翰福音14:21,23。在前一篇信息中，我们看见律法乃是神活的话，将神的本质注入到祂所爱的寻求者里面。这是对律法的新观点。凡寻求神的人定规爱神的律法，犹如神活的话。藉著这样爱神和神的话，他们就要被神的本质所注入，并活在符合神之所是的方式里。在本篇信息中，我们要继续论到一件似乎是更不寻常的事。这就是旧约里在神将律法赐给祂的百姓时，祂寻找爱祂之人的事实。神将律法赐给祂选民的心意，是要他们成为爱祂的人。
1Scripture Reading: Exo. 20:1-12; 3:14-15; Jer. 31:3, 32; 2:2; Hosea 2:19-20; Isa. 54:5; Ezek. 16:8; John 14:21, 23 2:19-20 In the foregoing message we saw that the law is the living word of God which infuses His substance into His loving seekers. This is a fresh viewpoint concerning the law. Those who seek God will love His law as His living word. Through such a love for God and His word, they will be infused with God’s substance and live in away which corresponds to what He is. In this message we shall go on to cover a matter which may seem even more unusual. This is the fact that God was seeking lovers when He gave His law to His people in the Old Testament. God’sin tent i on in giving the law to His chosen people was that they become those who love Him.
2有四位先知─以赛亚、耶利米、以西结、何西阿─说到神是以色列人的丈夫，而神的百姓是祂的配偶，祂的妻子。虽然这四位先知生活在不同的时代、不同的地方，他们对这件事却都有一致的观念。对宗教人士而言，说神有妻子，听起来也许非常奇怪，甚至无礼。然而，圣经清楚地说到，神是一位丈夫。神若没有妻子，怎能是丈夫呢？信徒们都知道，神是创造者、救赎主、救主，但很多人不认识神也是一位丈夫，而祂的百姓是祂的妻子。神和祂的百姓乃是奇妙的宇宙夫妻。这启示在旧约和新约中。保罗写信给哥林多教会，说：『我曾把你们许配一个丈夫，要把你们如同贞洁的童女，献给基督。』（林后十一2。）根据新约，由全体信徒组成的教会乃是基督的妻子。同样地，旧约中的以色列人许配给神，和神订了婚。耶利米二章二节说到『订婚的爱情』。（直译。）何西阿二章十九节和二十节说：『我必聘你永远归我为妻，以仁义、公平、慈爱、怜悯，聘你归我；也以诚实聘你归我，你就必认识我耶和华。』
2Four prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea— spoke of God as the Husband of the children of Israel and of God’sp eople as His spouse, His wife. Even though these four prophets lived at different times and in different places, they all had the same concept concerning this matter. To those who are religious, it may sound very strange, even offensive, to say that God has a wife. Nevertheless, the Bible clearly speaks of God as a Husband. How can God be a Husband unless He has a wife? All believers know that God is the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Savior, but many do not realize that God is also a Husband and that His people are His wife. God and His people are a wonderful, universal couple. This is revealed both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Addressing the church in Corinth, Paul says, “I betrothed you to one Husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). According to the New Testament, the church composed of all the believers is the wife of Christ. Likewise, Israel in the Old Testament was espoused to God, betrothed to Him. Jeremiah 2:2 speaks of “the love of thy betrothals” (Heb.). Hosea 2:19 and 20 say, “And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord
3我们需要往下追问，神在何时、何地，如何聘以色列人归祂自己。我们在耶利米二章二节发现一个暗示，在那里主说：『你幼年的恩爱，订婚的爱情，你怎样在旷野，在未曾耕种之地跟随我，我都记得。』（直译。）这里的恩爱这个词，意思是仁慈、亲切、体贴。以色列人早期向著神这种爱的感觉和态度，对神乃是一个记念。『订婚的爱情』是一种特别的爱。爱的种类有许多的不同，父母对儿女的爱不同于儿女对父母的爱，朋友彼此的爱又是另一种爱。耶利米二章二节的爱，就像将要结婚的男女之间的爱。这种爱与父母对儿女的爱，儿女对父母的爱，以及人对朋友的爱，大不相同。耶利米二章二节的爱这个字，是指求婚时所表示的爱，是一种罗曼蒂克的爱。尤其是指女人对于向她求婚之男人爱的反应。神对以色列人说，祂记得以色列人幼年时对祂求婚之爱的这种回应。在耶利米二章二节，主特别题到『订婚的爱情』。这个说法表明以色列人和主订婚之时的爱情。在这一节主似乎对以色列人说：『我聘你归我，你和我订婚了。从我们订婚的时候起，你对我有一种特别的爱。我永不能忘记，你和我订婚，并在旷野跟随我的时候，那幼年的恩爱。』在这里主说到祂记得四件事：祂的百姓，他们幼年的恩爱，订婚的爱情，以及他们怎样在旷野里跟随祂。因此，耶利米二章二节清楚地说到以色列人和神订婚。这个订婚发生在何时何地？以西结十六章八节说：『我从你旁边经过，看见你的时候正动爱情，便用衣襟搭在你身上，遮盖你的赤体；又向你起誓，与你立约，你就归于我；这是主耶和华说的。』（直译。）根据这一章的上下文，本节是指出埃及和以后的时间说的。因著主深爱百姓，就与他们立约。这约是在神的山，藉著律法的颁赐而立的。（出二十1～12。）你知道颁赐律法乃是办理神的百姓和神订婚么？我们将要看见，律法乃是一个婚约，一张订婚证书。耶利米三十一章三十二节指明这事：『不像我拉著他们祖宗的手，领他们出埃及地的时候，与他们所立的约；我虽作他们的丈夫，他们却背了我的约；这是耶和华说的。』这里的约就是以西结十六章八节所题的约，是神将百姓从埃及地领出来以后，在神的山所立的。请注意在耶利米三十一章三十二节，神说到祂自己是丈夫，拉著他们的手。这指明神在颁赐律法的时候，向祂的百姓求婚。我们已经看见，以西结十六章八节和耶利米三十一章三十二节都用到约这个字，就是指出埃及记二十章所颁赐的律法。律法乃是订婚证书，是一个婚约。神颁赐律法的时候，聘以色列人归祂自己，以色列人便与神订了婚，正如耶利米三十一章三十二节所指明的。神以律法为订婚证书，正式聘以色列人归祂自己，作了他们的丈夫。
3We need to go on to ask when, where, and how God betrothed Israel unto Himself. We find a hint in Jeremiah 2:2, where the Lord says, “I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thy betrothals, how thou followedst after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown” (Heb.). The word kindness here means being kind, nice, courteous. This affectionate feeling and attitude toward God in Israel’s early days was a memorial to God. The “love of thy betrothals” is a particular kind of love. There are a number of different kinds of love. The love of parents for their children is different from that of children for their parents. The love friends have for one another is yet another kind of love. The love in Jeremiah 2:2 is like that between a man and a woman who are about to be married. This kind of love is very different from that of parents for children, of children for parents, and of a person for his friends. The word love in Jeremiah 2:2 refers to the love shown in courtship, a romantic love. In particular, it refers to the woman’s reflection of the love of the man who is courting her. God told Israel that He remembered this response to His courting love in her youth. In Jeremiah 2:2 the Lord specifically mentions “the love of thy betrothals.” This expression denotes the love of Israel at the time of her engagement to the Lord. In this verse the Lord seems to be saying to Israel, “I betrothed you unto Me, and you and I were engaged. From the time of our engagement, you had a special love for Me. I could never forget the love of your youth, when you became engaged to Me and followed after Me in the wilderness.” Here the Lord speaks of four things He remembers: His people, the kindness of their youth, the love of their betrothals, and how they followed after Him in the wilderness. Jeremiah 2:2, therefore, clearly speaks of Israel’s engagement to God. Where and when did this engagement take place? Ezekiel 16:8 says, “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.” According to the context of the chapter, this verse refers to the exodus and the time thereafter. Out of a deep love for the people, the Lord entered into a covenant with them. This covenant was enacted at the mountain of God, through the giving of the law (Exo. 20:1-12). Have you ever realized that the giving of the law was a transaction in which God’sp eople became engaged to Him? As we shall see, the law is an engagement covenant, an engagement paper. Jeremiah 31:32 indicates this: “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord.” The covenant here is that mentioned in Ezekiel 16:8, made at the mountain of God, after God had brought the people out of the land of Egypt. Notice that in Jeremiah 31:32 God speaks of Himself as a Husband taking them by the hand. This indicates that when God gave the law, He was courting His people. We have seen that both Ezekiel 16:8 and Jeremiah 31:32 use the word covenant, a word which refers to the law given in Exodus 20. The law was an engagement paper, an engagement covenant. When God gave the law, He betrothed Israel unto Himself, and Israel became engaged to Him. By means of the law as an engagement paper, God officially betrothed the children of Israel to Himself and became their Husband, as indicated in Jeremiah 31:32.
4我不相信有多少基督徒想到律法乃是订婚证书。西方世界里，用戒指作为订婚的标记。但在东方，双方通常签订订婚证书，订婚合同。签订这样的证书表明订婚的重要，并用来证实一对男女订了婚，即将要结婚。在创世记二十四章，亚伯位罕的仆人安排利百加和以撒的约会。那个约会就是订婚、嫁娶。以色列人和神订婚发生在出埃及记二十章神的山那里，而律法是正式的证书，叙述这个订婚的条件。律法乃是叙述神和祂的百姓之间订婚的条款。神和以色列人订婚的条件就是十诫。如果我们不这样来解释十诫的颁赐，我们如何解释耶利米二章二节所说，以色列人幼年的恩爱，和订婚的爱情？无疑地，从埃及出来以后的时期就是以色列人的幼年期。我们可以说，出埃及记前十九章乃是神向祂的百姓求婚、求爱，甚至『约会』。祂要成为他们独一的心爱。祂巴望百姓爱祂，并且单单爱祂。因此，神是满了爱并寻求祂百姓之爱的那一位。神要成为以色列人的良人，百姓也要成为祂的佳偶。
4I doubt that very many Christians think of the law as an engagement paper. In the western world, a ring is used as the sign of engagement. But in the Orient it is common for both parties to sign an engagement paper, an engagement agreement. The signing of such a paper shows the importance of engagement and serves as proof that a certain man and woman are engaged to be married. In Genesis 24 Abraham’s servant arranged for the engagement of Rebekah to Isaac. That engagement was a betrothal, an espousal. The betrothal of Israel to God took place at the mountain of God in Exodus 20, and the law was the official paper stating the conditions for this engagement. The law gave the terms for the engagement between God and His people. The conditions for God’s engagement with Israel were the Ten Commandments. If we do not interpret the giving of the Ten Commandments in this way, how shall we expound Jeremiah 2:2, which speaks of the kindness of Israel’s youth and the love of her betrothals? No doubt the time following the exodus from Egypt was the period of Israel’s youth. We may say that the first nineteen chapters of Exodus are chapters in which God was courting, wooing, even “dating” His people. He wanted to be their unique Beloved. His desire was that the people would love Him and Him alone. Thus, God was the loving One seeking His people’s love. God was to be Israel’s Beloved, and the people were to be His love
5当我们查考出埃及记二十章所颁赐的十诫，我们看见后五条诫命是以简单、直接的方式颁赐的。神吩咐百姓不可杀人，不可奸淫，不可愉盗，不可作假见证，不可贪婪。（二十13～17）。然而，前五条诫命是在亲密的气氛中颁赐的。第二节说：『我是耶和华你的神，曾将你从埃及地为奴之家领出来。』这不是律法的话，而是爱的话。主对祂的百姓亲切地说：『我是耶和华你的神。』主是昔是、今是、以后永是的那一位。这样的一位主将祂的百姓从奴役中领出来。在第三节主继续说：『除了我以外，你不可有别的神。』主在这里吩咐百姓，除了祂以外，不可有别的爱人。祂必须是他们独一的爱人。这是神和祂百姓订婚的头一个条件。任何一个男子和一个女子订婚，都该要求她，除了他以外，不可爱别的男人。他应当坚持是她惟一的爱人。当然，说到除了主以外，不可有别的神，这话乃是一条诫命。然而，这诫命也是神的百姓与神订婚的一个爱的条件。如果我们将这条诫命与后五条相比较，就会看见它是在爱里说出来，作为订婚的条件。在第四节主继续说：『不可为自己雕刻偶像，也不可作甚么形像，彷佛上天、下地、和地底下、水中的百物。』这里我们看见这婚约的另一个条件：神不要祂的百姓制造甚么形像。同样地，一位青年人和一位女子订婚，他也不要她有其他男人的照片，他只要她有他的照片。否则，他会生气。不可有偶像的诫命，也是订婚的一个条件。第五节继续说：『不可跪拜那些像，也不可事奉他，因为我耶和华你的神是忌邪的神。』主是一位嫉妒的丈夫，要祂的百姓事奉祂，并且单要事奉祂。人的订婚也是这样。每一位订了婚的男子对他的未婚妻都是嫉妒的。在五节和六节主说，恨祂的，祂必追讨他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代；爱祂守祂诫命的，祂必向他们发慈爱，直到千代。这话也是说到神向祂的百姓求婚，神寻找一班爱祂的人。从创造世界以来直到出埃及记二十章的时侯，神是孤单的。在某种意义上，神是寂寞的，是一个『单身汉』。神颁赐律法给祂的百姓，向他们求婚，对他们说，如果他们爱祂，祂必向他们的后裔发慈爱，直到千代，千代就是引到永世的时间。
5As we consider the Ten Commandments given in Exodus 20, we see that the last five commandments were given in a simple, direct manner. God commanded the people not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to bear false witness, and not to covet (20:13-17). However, the first five commandments were given in an atmosphere of intimacy. Verse 2 says, “I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” This is not a word of legality; it is a word of love. Speaking intimately to His people, the Lord says, “I am Jehovah thy God.” The Lord is the One who was, who is, and who will be forever. As such a One, He brought His people out of bondage. In verse 3 the Lord continues, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Here the Lord is telling the people that they should not have any other beloved in addition to Him. He must be their unique Beloved. This was the first condition of the engagement between God and His people. Any man who betroths a woman to himself should require that she not love any man besides him. He should insist on being her only beloved one. To be sure, the word about having no other gods besides the Lord is a commandment. This commandment, however, is also a loving condition of the engagement of God’s people to Him. If we compare this commandment to the last five commandments, we shall see that it is spoken in love as a condition of engagement. In verse 4 the Lord goes on to say, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” Here we find another condition for this engagement. God did not want His people to make an image of anything. In like manner, when a young man becomes engaged to a young lady, he does not want her to have photographs of any other men. He wants her to have pictures only of him. Otherwise, he will be offended. The commandment about not having images is also a condition of engagement. Verse 5 continues, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God” (Heb.). A jealous Husband, the Lord wanted His people to serve Him and Him alone. This is also true of human engagement. Every engaged man is jealous over his fiancée. In verses 5 and 6 the Lord said that He would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them who hate Him and show mercy unto a thousand generations of them who love Him and keep His commandments. This also is a word spoken as God was courting His people, seeking a people to love Him. From the creation of the world until the time of Exodus 20, God was alone. In a sense, He was lonely, a “bachelor.” In giving the law to His people, He was courting them, telling them that if they would love Him, He would show mercy unto their descendants for a thousand generations, a time span that will lead into eternity.
6在二十章七节，主宣告这一个订婚的条件：『不可妄称耶和华你神的名，因为妄称耶和华名的，耶和华必不以他为无罪。』主不要祂的百姓随便使用祂的名。祂作他们的爱人，要他们尊崇祂的名，亲切地使用祂的名。同样地，一位青年人要和他订婚的女子尊重他的名，以合式的方式，满了爱情和珍赏地说到他的名。八节至十一节说：『当记念安息日，守为圣日。六日要劳碌作你一切的工；但第七日是向耶和华你神当守的安息日；这一日你和你的儿女、仆婢、牲畜，并你城里寄居的客旅，无论何工都不可作；因为六日之内，耶和华造天、地、海，和其中的万物，第七日便安息；所以耶和华赐福与安息日，定为圣日。』女子如何戴著戒指，作为她订婚的记号，照样守安息日也要成为神的百姓与神订婚的记号。一位青年人把订婚戒指送给他所爱的人，要她戴上，作为她和他订婚的记号。如果她不带著这个记号，他会非常不高兴。二十章十一节告诉我们，神『赐福与安息日，定为圣日。』这意思是说，安息日是分别为圣的。这便是守安息日能成为订婚表记的原因。每一位订了婚，将要结婚的女子都是『成圣的』；她被标出来，分别出来归于某个男子。惟独她有权利戴上她爱人的订婚戒指。这使她从所有其他的女子中分别出来。以弗所一章十三节告诉我们，我们既然得救，就受了那灵为印记。这印记就是我们的订婚戒指，我们分别成圣的记号。在出埃及记二十章，安息日要成为神的百姓分别归祂的标记。神要求祂的百姓，带著属于祂并绝对为著祂的记号，作为订婚的条件。安息日是一个表征，宣告神的百姓单单属于祂。安息日会的人，拘泥在安息日的律法和教条中，不懂安息日的真义乃是表征神的百姓属乎他们所爱的神，就是他们的丈夫。我们赞美主，指示我们律法乃是订婚证书。当律法在西乃山颁布的时侯，就题出了神的百姓与神订婚的条件。
6In 20:7 the Lord declares this condition of engagement: “Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain: for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Heb.). The Lord did not want His people to use His name in an improper way. As their Beloved, He wanted them to honor His name and use it lovingly. Likewise, a young man wants the woman engaged to him to honor his name and speak it in a proper way, full of love and appreciation. Verses 8 through 11 say, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and made it holy” (Heb.). Just as a woman wears a ring as a sign of her engagement, the keeping of the Sabbath day was to be a sign that God’sp eople were engaged to Him. A young man who gives an engagement ring to the one he loves wants her to wear it as a sign that she is engaged to him. He would be very displeased if she did not bear such a sign. In 20:11 we are told that God “blessed the sabbath day, and made it holy.” This means that the Sabbath day was sanctified, set apart. This was the reason that keeping the Sabbath could be a sign of engagement. Every woman who is engaged to be married is “sanctified”; she is marked out, separated, to a certain man. She is the only one who has the right to wear her beloved’s engagement ring. This separates her from all other women. In Ephesians 1:13 we are told that when we were saved, we received the seal of the Spirit. This seal is our engagement ring, a sign of our separation and sanctification. In Exodus 20, the Sabbath day was to be the mark of the separation of God’sp eople unto Him. As a condition of engagement, He required His people to bear a sign that they belonged to Him and that they were absolutely for Him. The Sabbath was a symbol which declared that God’sp eople belonged to Him alone. The Seventh-Day Adventists, in their legality and dogmatism concerning the Sabbath, ignore the true significance of the Sabbath day as a symbol that God’sp eople belong to Him as their Beloved, their Husband. We praise the Lord for showing us that the law is an engagement paper. When the law was decreed at Mount Sinai, the terms of the engagement of God’sp eople to Him were given
7还有另一个订婚的条件在十二节题到：『当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上，得以长久。』我们在前一篇信息中指出，孝敬父母乃是我们追本溯源。最终，我们的根源就是神自己。神聘以色列人归祂自己，要以色列人记念祂是他们的根源。前五条诫命是以亲密的方式颁赐的，作为神和祂百姓订婚的条件。每一条诫命都使用『耶和华你的神』这个说法，当神爱恋地向祂的百姓求婚时，一再亲密地说出来。祂已孤单了好久，现今祂寻求他们的爱。在出埃及记二十章，神不是寻找朋友，乃是寻找爱人。神将祂的律法颁赐给百姓时，寻找那些爱祂的人；神如此亲爱地说出前五条诫命以后，继续颁布另五条诫命，吩咐他们五种『不可』。一个男子也会吩咐他的未婚妻某些『不可』。神聘祂的百姓归祂自己，立下了订婚方式所该进行的奇妙榜样。我们中间的青年弟兄在这件事上可以向神学习。我们感谢主，圣经给了我们如此美妙的订婚榜样。
7Yet another term of engagement is mentioned in verse 12: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee” (Heb.). In a previous message we pointed out that to honor our parents is to trace our origin back to its source. Ultimately, our source is God Himself. In betrothing the children of Israel to Himself, God wanted them to remember Him as their source. The first five commandments were given in an intimate way as terms of the engagement of God and His people. Each commandment uses the expression “Jehovah thy God,” an expression uttered intimately again and again as God lovingly courted His people. He had been lonely for a long time, and now He was seeking their love. In Exodus 20 God was not seeking friends—He was seeking lovers. In giving His law to the people, He was seeking those who would love Him. After uttering the first five commandments in such a loving way, God proceeded to decree another five commandments, charging them with five “don’ts.” A man may also charge his fiancéew ith certain “don’ts.” In betrothing His people to Himself, God set a marvelous example of the way an engagement should take place. The young brothers among us may learn of God in this matter. We thank the Lord that the Bible affords us such a wonderful example of engagement.
一 神渴望藉著一班人
I. GOD DESIRING TO EXPRESS HIMSELF
来彰显祂自己
THROUGH A PEOPLE
8神的愿望就是要藉著一班人来彰显祂自己。神要使这班人成为祂的居所。再者，这班人必须成为神的彰显，符合神的律法。既然神的律法就是神之所是的彰显，符合律法就是符合神。神的百姓惟有藉著爱神，并被神的本质所注入，才能有这样的符合。
8God’s desire is to express Himself through a people. He wants to make this people His dwelling. Furthermore, this people must become God’sex press i on corresponding to His law. Since God’s law is the expression of what God is, to correspond to the law is to correspond to God. God’sp eople can have such a correspondence only by loving Him and being infused with His substance
二 神寻找祂的百姓
II. GOD HAVING SOUGHT HIS PEOPLE
犹如良人寻找佳偶
AS THE BELOVED SEEKING LOVE
9根据歌中之歌，那男子就是良人，而那爱慕追求他的女子是他的佳偶。（一13～16。）因此，良人是丈夫，而他的佳偶就是妻子。圣经启示，神在旧约里寻找祂的百姓，犹如良人寻找某人成为他的爱人、他的配偶。你若在这个光中来读出埃及记一章至二十章，你会看见神多次来向祂的百姓求婚。神向他们求婚以后，就在西乃山和他们订婚。
9According to Song of Songs, the man is the beloved, and the woman, the one who lovingly seeks him, is his love (1:13-16). Thus, the beloved is the husband, whereas his love is the wife. The Bible reveals that in the Old Testament God sought His people as the Beloved seeking someone to be His love, His spouse. If you read Exodus 1 through 20 in this light, you will see that in these chapters God came a number of times to woo His people. After wooing them, He became engaged to them at Mount Sinai.
（一） 向他们启示祂自己是耶和华他们的神，是伟大的我是
A. Having Revealed Himself to Them as Jehovah Their God, the Great I Am
10在出埃及记三章十四至十五节，主向祂的百姓启示祂是耶和华他们的神，是伟大的我是，那位昔是、今是、以后永是者。如此将祂自己启示给百姓的，就是寻找爱人的那一位。
10In Exodus 3:14-15, the Lord revealed Himself to His people as Jehovah their God, the great I Am, the One who was, who is, and who will be forever. The One who so revealed Himself to the people was the One who was seeking lovers
（二） 以永远的爱爱他们
B. Loving Them with Everlasting Love
11在耶利米三十一章三节，主对祂的百姓说：『我以永远的爱爱你，因此我以慈爱吸引你。』在别处告诉我们，雅各是神所爱的，以扫是神所恶的。（罗九13。）神爱祂的百姓似乎是没有理由的；祂就是爱他们，彷佛祂被爱所蒙蔽了。甚至百姓对祂不忠，祂仍然爱他们。爱使人盲目。上好的爱就是这种盲目的爱。如果你不是盲目的，你就不能爱得正确。如果你的眼睛看见你所爱之人的所有缺点，你也许会分居，甚至离婚。但你若盲目地爱，你会认为你的丈夫或妻子是最好的。神爱祂的百姓，似乎是闭著眼睛，盲目地爱他们。在爱的事上，不要比神更聪明。要跟随祂，盲目地爱你的配偶。
11In Jeremiah 31:3 the Lord told His people, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Elsewhere we are told that God loved Jacob, but hated Esau (Rom. 9:13). There seems to be no reason for God’s love for His people; He just loved them, almost as if He were blinded by love. He continued to love His people even when they were not faithful to Him. Love blinds people. The best love is this kind of blind love. If you are not blind, you will not be able to love properly. If your eyes are open to all the faults of the one you love, you may want a separation, or even a divorce. But if you love blindly, you will consider your husband or wife to be the best. In loving His people, God seemed to close His eyes and to love them blindly. In the matter of love, do not be wiser than God. Follow Him to love your spouse blindly
12当我年轻的时候，我怀疑神爱以色列人是不是爱错了。即使雅各是抓夺者，神还是爱他。神仍然以永远的爱爱以色列人，正如祂在耶利米三十一章三节吐露爱的言语时所作的。许多国家会起来敌挡以色列人，但神仍然以永远的爱爱祂的百姓。
12When I was young, I wondered if God had been mistaken in loving Israel. Even though Jacob was a supplanter, God loved Him. God still loves Israel with an everlasting love, just as He did when He uttered the words of love in Jeremiah 31:3. Many nations may rise up against Israel, but God continues to love His people with an everlasting love
（三） 待他们如同祂的配偶
C. Dealing with Them as His Spouse
13因为神是良人，寻找祂的百姓作祂的佳偶，祂就待他们如同祂的配偶。这在耶利米二章二节，何西阿二章十九至二十节，以赛亚五十四章五节，和
13Because God was the Beloved seeking His people to be His love, He dealt with them as His spouse. This is indicated clearly in Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:19-20; Isaiah 54:5; and Ezekiel 16:8.
14以西结十六章八节，很清楚地说到。
14D. Revealing to Them What He Is By Giving Them His Law in a Courting Way
（四） 藉著求婚的方式将祂的律法颁赐给他们，向他们启示祂的所是
15我们已一再地指出，神的律法是以求婚的方式颁赐的。神这样将律法赐给祂的百姓，使他们认识祂是怎样的一位神。在前五条诫命中，每一条祂都亲密地说到祂自己是『耶和华你的神』。祂启示自己是一位忌邪的神，要求他们除了祂以外，不可有别的神、别的良人。祂寻求他们的爱，使他们遵守祂的诫命来彰显祂。在约翰十四章二十一节和二十三节看见同样的观念。二十一节说：『有了我的命令又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；爱我的必蒙我父爱他，我也要爱他，并且要向他显现。』正如出埃及记二十章一至十二节，在这里我们看见主的爱；向我们求婚，并且寻找一班爱祂的人。在约翰十四章二十三节主继续说：『人若爱我，就必遵守我的话；我父也必爱他，并且我们要到他那里去，与他造一个住处。』（直译。）在新约里和旧约里是一样，神都向人20:1-求婚。在二十章一至十二节的诫命，不是以律法的方式，乃是以求婚的方式颁赐的。神颁赐律法给祂的百姓，要他们成为祂的爱人。
15We have pointed out again and again that God’s law was given in a courting way. By giving His people the law in such a way, God made known to them what kind of God He is. In each of the first five commandments, He referred to Himself intimately as “Jehovah thy God.” Revealing Himself as a jealous God, He requested that they have no other god, no other beloved, besides Him. He was seeking their love so that they would keep His commandments to express Him. The same concept is found in John 14:21 and 23. Verse 21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” As in Exodus 20:1-12, here we see the Lord’s love in courting us and in seeking a people to love Him. In John 14:23 the Lord continues, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him.” In the New Testament as well as in the Old Testament, God is courting man. The commandments in 12 were given not in a legal way, but in a courting way. In giving the law to His people, God wanted them to become His lovers.
16倘若我们不爱神，我们就不会遵守祂的诫命，因此就不能彰显祂。订婚的目的在使两个人合而为一。结婚时，人和他的妻子就成为一体。同样地，神和祂的选民藉著在出埃及记二十章所举行的订婚成为一了。这种在神和祂的百姓之间，以及丈夫和妻子之间的合一，乃是圣经中的一个基本原则。然而，许多圣经教师忽略了颁赐十诫的这一方面。反而，他们强调神和祂的百姓之间的距离，以及神要他们遵守诫命的事实。但我们不能否认这个事实：十诫当作订婚证书，以及神和百姓的订婚使他们进入合一里。
16If we do not love God, we shall not be able to keep His commandments, and thus we shall not be able to express Him. The goal of engagement is to bring two people into oneness. In marriage a man and his wife become one flesh. In like manner, God and His chosen people became one through the engagement which took place in Exodus 20. This oneness both between God and His people and between husband and wife is a basic principle in the Scriptures. However, many Bible teachers neglect this aspect of the giving of the Ten Commandments. Instead, they emphasize the distance between God and His people and the fact that God wanted them to keep the commandments. But we cannot deny the fact that the Ten Commandments served as an engagement paper and that the engagement of God and His people brought them into oneness
17在正确的婚姻中，当年日过去，人和他的妻子愈过愈合一。他们逐渐在习惯、特征和表现上合而为一。同样地，神的选民最终要和神一样一式，因而真实地彰显祂。我们需要被主作我们的丈夫所注入，愈过愈像祂。然后我们将成为祂的彰显。根据圣经，这个基本原则适用于人的婚姻，也适用于神和祂百姓之间爱的关系。
17In a proper marriage, a man and his wife become more and more one as the years go by. Gradually they become one in habit, characteristics, and expression. Likewise, eventually God’s chosen people will become the same as He is and thus will truly express Him. We need to be infused with the Lord as our Husband, becoming more and more like Him. Then we shall become His expression. According to the Bible, this basic principle applies both to human marriage and to the love relationship between God and His people.
18订婚证书的作用是在使男女双方成为一。同样的原则，神话语的功用是在使我们与神成为一。神说，祂聘以色列人归祂自己，意思是说，祂使祂的百姓与祂成为一，就好像妻子与她的丈夫成为一。神的话使祂的配偶与祂成为一。律法最高的功用，就是使神的选民进入与神合一的里面。十诫不仅仅是神所颁布作为宇宙中最高权柄的规则。律法乃是订婚证书，带我们归向神，并使我们与神合一。圣经也是如此。圣经的主要功用乃是带领我们归向神，并使我们与神合一。因著我们爱神，我们也爱神的话。当祂的话将祂自己注入我们里头，我们就在生命、性情和彰显上与祂合一。这种把律法和圣经领会作神活的话，显明了律法和圣经─神的话的实际功用。
18The function of an engagement paper is to make the two parties, the man and the woman, one. In the same principle, the function of the Word of God is to make us one with God. For God to say that He betrothed Israel unto Himself means that He has caused His people to become one with Him as a wife is one with her husband. God’swords cause His spouse to be one with Him. The highest function of the law is to bring God’s chosen people into oneness with Him. The Ten Commandments are not simply regulations decreed by God as the highest authority in the universe. The law is an engagement paper which brings us to God and makes us one with Him. This is also true of the Bible. The primary function of the Bible is to bring us to God and make us one with Him. Because we love God, we also love His word. As His words infuse Himself into us, we become one with Him in life, nature, and expression. This understanding of the law as God’s living word and of the Bible shows forth the intrinsic function of the law and of the Bible, the Word of God