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出埃及记生命读经 · 第74篇

耶和华的使者引领祂的百姓得著应许之地为业（二）

The Angel of Jehovah for His People to take Possession of the Promised Land (2)
1读经：出埃及记23:20-33。在前一篇信息里，我们从二十三章二十至三十三节来看耶和华的使者引领祂的百姓得著应许之地为业。我们看见耶和华的使者是奉耶和华所差遣的；（20；）耶和华的名在祂里面，（21，）而且实际上，祂就是耶和华自己。（三2，4，6，，16。）此外，我们也指出，祂的话就是耶和华说话，祂走在以色列子民前面，在路上保护他们，领他们进入美地。（二三20，23。）我们也看见应许之地的境界：从红海直到非利士海，就是地中海；又从旷野直到幼发拉底河。我们还看见那地上有异族并外邦偶像的拦阻。最后，我们概括地交通了一些话，说到如何得著那地。在本篇信息和下一篇信息里，我们要注意如何得著那地的细节。我们若没有看见得著那地的路，不论我们对耶和华的使者和美地有多少认识，都是枉然的。得著美地为业是旧约豫表的说法。在新约里保罗是说赚得基督、得著基督、紧握基督。（腓三8。）腓立比书第三章的这几个词，乃是旧约圣经里得著应许之地为业这个豫表的实现。今天我们必须经历美地所豫表的包罗万有的基督。我在本篇信息里的负担乃是与如何得著基督有关，就是与如何经历基督、赢得基督、赚得基督、获得基督、紧握基督、抓夺基督有关。我们若要在这件事上得著帮助，就必须耐心地来看出埃及记二十三章二十至三十三节的细节，挖掘这些经节，好看见它们所包含的丰富。在这一点上我想这么说：我们没有意思要根据某种解释来将旧约圣经灵然解。反之，我们所作的乃是将一段段主的话合式地摆在一起，好看见一幅完整的图画。这并不是灵然解，也不是猜谜。这乃是把主的话中不同的各部分合式地放在一起，好看见一幅属灵事物的图画，否则属灵事物就不能看见。与属灵经历有关的事都是真实的，但它们相当奥秘，而且不能看见。为这缘故，神不仅赐给我们旧约的豫表，也赐给我们新约事实的陈述。旧约的豫表乃是新约中所启示属灵实际的图画。孩子们怎样把拼图一块一块地拼凑在一起，我们也必须照样将圣经各个不同的部分适当地放在一起，来看整幅的图画。
1Scripture Reading: Exo. 23:20-33 In the foregoing message we began to consider from 23:20-33 the matter of the Angel of Jehovah for His people to take possession of the promised land. We saw that the Angel of Jehovah was sent by Jehovah (v. 20), that Jehovah’s name is in Him (v. 21), and that He is actually Jehovah Himself (3:2, 4, 6, 14, 16). Furthermore, we pointed out that His voice was Jehovah’s speaking and that He went before the 14 children of Israel to guard them in the way and to bring them into the good land (23:20, 23). We also considered the boundaries of the promised land: from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, the Mediterranean, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates. We also saw that there were frustraters in the land, the pagan tribes with their idols. Finally, in a very general way we shared a word about how to take possession of the land. In this message and in the message following, we need to pay attention to the details concerning the way to take possession of the land. No matter how much we may know about the Angel of Jehovah and about the good land, this knowledge may be vain if we do not see the way to take possession of the land. Taking possession of the good land is the terminology found in the typology in the Old Testament. In the New Testament Paul speaks of gaining Christ, obtaining Christ, laying hold of Christ (Phil. 3:8). These expressions from Philippians 3 are the fulfillment of the type of possessing the promised land in the Old Testament. Today we need to experience the all-inclusive Christ typified by the good land. My burden in this message is related to the way to take possession of Christ, the way to experience Christ, win Christ, gain Christ, obtain Christ, take hold of Christ, and grasp Christ. As a help in this matter, we need to patiently consider Exodus 23:20-33 in detail, digging into these verses in order to see the riches they contain. At this point I wish to say that we do not intend to allegorize the Old Testament according to a certain interpretation. On the contrary, what we are doing is fitting various portions of the Word together in order to see a complete picture. This is not to allegorize or to guess at the meaning of things. This is to fit different parts of the Word together in order to see a picture of spiritual things, which are otherwise invisible. The matters related to spiritual experience are real, but they are mysterious and invisible. For this reason, God has given us both the types in the Old Testament and statements of fact in the New Testament. The Old Testament types are pictures of the spiritual realities revealed in the New Testament. Just as children put together the pieces of a puzzle, so we need to fit together various parts of the Bible in order to see a picture.
2把几百块拼图板凑成一个图形非常花时间，也很需要耐心。你必须一块接著一块来尝试。最后，一幅画就逐渐呈现出来。你想在神的话语中看见一幅奇妙、属天、属灵、神圣事物的图画么？你若这么想，就必须有耐心、殷勤地将圣经的『拼图板』排在一起。我再说，我并不是要用甚么方式把旧约圣经灵然解，我乃是把一些片断适当地放在一起，直到整幅画呈现出来。在本篇信息里我要题出另一幅昼，这是我经过耐心的研读并祷告主的话所看见的。我们已经看见，出埃及记二十一至二十三章这些典章的暗示、明示，和意义都非常的丰富。这三章圣经的结语乃是耶和华的使者带著神的百姓到达应许之地，这点实在非常有意义。基督既是奉神差遣的那位，祂就在路上保护我们，带我们进入作为包罗万23:20-有之美地的基督自己里面。此外，二十三章二十至二十三节不仅详详细细地告诉我们如何进入那地，也告诉我们如何得著这地作我们的享受。事实上，这几节圣经说到耶和华的使者或美地的并不多，反倒非常注意那些拦阻的人，就是妨碍神的百姓得著应许之地为业的外族。然而，述说如何得著那地为业比述说拦阻的人更为详尽。这指出，我们若要经历基督，一方面我们必须认识拦阻我们的人；另一方面，我们也必须知道在经历上得著基督，，并赚得基督详细的路。我们在市区里找路的时候，怎样需要一分详尽的地图，照样，我们也需要二十三章二十至三十三节的细节，使我们明白得著美地作为我们享受的路。简图是有帮助的，但还不彀。汽车司机不仅需要鸟瞰全市，也需要详细的了解街道的路况，这样他才能找得到路。在这十四节圣经里有一分详尽的『地图』，帮助我们属灵方面的『开车』，好进入应许之地，就是包罗万有的基督。
2It takes time and patience to assemble a puzzle of hundreds of pieces. First you need to try one piece and then another. Eventually, little by little a picture comes into view. Do you want to see a portrait of the wonderful, heavenly, spiritual, and divine things in the Word of God? If you do, then patiently and diligently you need to put the pieces of the “puzzle” of the Bible together. I repeat, to allegorize the Old Testament in a certain way is not my way. Rather, my way is to fit the pieces together until a picture comes into view. In this message I shall present another picture which I have seen through patient study of the Word and prayer over the Word. We have seen that the ordinances in Exodus 21 through 2 3 are very rich in their implications, indications, and significances. It is indeed significant that these three chapters conclude with a word concerning the Angel of Jehovah bringing God’s people into the promised land. Christ as God’ss entOne guards us in the way and brings us into Himself as the all -inclusive good land. Furthermore, 33 tells us in a detailed way not only how to enter into the land, but also how to take possession of this land for our enjoyment. Actually in these verses not a great deal is said either concerning the Angel of Jehovah or concerning the good land itself. But a good deal of attention is given to the frustraters, the pagan tribes that would keep God’sp eople from possessing the promised land. Yet the description of the way to take possession of the land is even more detailed than that of the frustraters. This indicates that if we would experience Christ we must, on the one hand, know the frustraters and, on the other hand, know the detailed way to take possession of Christ and gain Him experientially. Just as we need a detailed map to find our way around a city, so we need the details in 23:20-33 in order to know the way to possess the good land for our enjoyment. A general sketch is helpful, but it is not adequate. The driver of an automobile needs not only a bird’se ye view of the city, but also a detailed understanding of the streets. Then he will be able to find his way. In these fourteen verses we have a detailed “map” for our spiritual “driving” into the promised land, the all-inclusive Christ.
（一） 听从耶和华的使者
A. By Obeying the Angel of Jehovah
3我们若要得著应许之地为业，就必须学习听从耶和华的使者，就是听从神那里差来的那位。这位使者，这位奉差遣的，就是耶稣基督。神差遣基督到我们这里来包含了许多步骤：道成肉身、为人生活、钉十字架、埋葬、复活、升天、得荣、登宝座。藉著这种种步骤，神就差遣了基督，祂的使者，到我们这里来。现在祂既与我们同在，我们就必须听从祂。我们若要赚得基督，就必须晓得祂乃是一个活的人位与我们同在，甚至在我们里面。这意思是说，我们所该有的不是系统的道理，而是活的基督自己。这活的人位现今在我们里面。（西一27。）罗马书八章九节说：『人若没有基督的灵，就不是属基督的。』若没有基督在我们里面，我们就不是属基督的。相反地，我们是属乎撒但、魔鬼和世界的。赞美主！耶稣基督在我们里面！我们得著这位奉差遣的，耶和华的使者，祂经过了道成肉身、为人生活、钉十字架、埋葬、复活、升天、得荣、登宝座这奇妙的过程，到我们这里来。何等美妙！这样的一位已经奉差遣来与我们同在！今天许多基督徒不明白基督这活的人位与他们同在，并且在他们里面。他们关心的是圣经的道理，却不注意那活的人位。在一篇名为『教会中基督权柄的式微』的文章里，陶恕（A.W.Tozer）强烈地指出，今天信徒们忽略了活的基督和祂的主权。基督徒关心他们的宣教工作、传福音、圣经以及神学的教导，实际上却没有注意耶稣这活的人位。
3If we would take possession of the promised land, we must learn to obey the Angel of Jehovah, the One sent to us from God. This Angel, this sent One, is Jesus Christ. God sent Christ to us in a way that involves many steps: incarnation, human living, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension, glorification, and enthronement. By means of all these steps, God has sent Christ, His Angel, to us. Now that He is with us, we must obey Him. In order to take possession of Christ, we need to realize that we have Him with us, even within us, as a living Person. This means that we have the living Christ Himself, not a system of doctrines. This living Person is now in us (Col. 1:27). Romans 8:9 says, “If anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him.” If we do not have Christ in us, we do not belong to Him. Instead, we belong to the Devil, the demons, and the world. Praise the Lord that Jesus Christ is in us! We have Him as the sent One, the Angel of Jehovah, who has come to us through the wonderful process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension, glorification, and enthronement. How marvelous that such a One has been sent to be with us! Many Christians today do not realize that the living Person of Christ is with them and in them. They may care for biblical doctrines, but they may not pay attention to the living One. In an article entitled “The Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches” A. W. Tozer strongly points out that believers today neglect the living Christ and His lordship. Christians may care for their mission work, gospel preaching, or teaching of the Bible and theology, but may pay virtually no attention to the living Person of Jesus Christ
4在二十三章二十一至二十二节，神并没有说：『你们要遵守我所赐给你们的教训。』不，主在这里乃是题到使者：『你们要在祂面前谨慎，听从祂的话…听从祂的话，照著我一切所说的去行。』（直译。）这里两次告诉我们要听从使者的话，因为祂的话就是神的说话。这意思是，基督是作为使者、奉差遣的那位，祂代表
4In 23:21 and 22, God does not say, “I have given you teachings to follow.” No, here the Lord says of the Angel, “Take ye heed before him, and obey his voice...obey his voice, and do all that I speak” (lit.). Twice we are told to obey the voice of the Angel, for His voice is God’s speaking. This means that as the Angel, the sent One, Christ speaks for God. How crucial, then, that we obey His voice!
5神发言。因此。听从祂的话是何等重要！
5
6今天基督从我们里面以活的方式替神说话。约翰福音第十章非常强调听主的声音。主耶稣题到自己是好牧人的时候说：『羊也听祂的声音。』（3。）在十六节主接著说：『我另外有羊，不是这圈里的；我必须领他们来，他们也要听我的声音。』在二十七节祂清楚地作见证说：『我的羊听我的声音。』我有把握说，我们里面都有主的声音。甚至年轻人，连十几岁的少年人，也能听到活在他们里面那一位的声音。因著他们能听到主的声音，许多时候就不用他们的父母或别人告诉他们要作甚么。基督，那活的人位，比他们的父母更主观。年轻人的父母不能与他们一同上学，然而，内住的基督不仅与他一同上学，还永远住在他里面。因著我们里面有基督，有神所差来的那位，所以我们必须听从祂。我们尤其应当听从祂的声音。
6Today Christ speaks for God in a living way from within us. In John 10 there is strong emphasis on hearing the Lord’s voice. Speaking of Himself as the good shepherd, the Lord Jesus says, “The sheep hear his voice” (v. 3). In verse 16 the Lord goes on to say, “I have other sheep which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice.” In verse 27 He testifies clearly, “My sheep hear My voice.” I have the assurance that we all have the voice of the Lord within us. Even the young people, those who are still teenagers, have heard the voice of the living One in them. Because they hear the Lord’s voice, many times it is not necessary for their parents or anyone else to tell them what to do. Christ, the living One, is more subjective to them than their parents. The parents of a young person cannot go to school with him, whereas the indwelling Christ not only goes with him to school, but remains in him all the time. Because we have Christ, the sent One of God, within us, we must obey Him. In particular, we should obey His voice
1 不要惹祂发怒
1. Not Provoking Him
7出埃及记二十三章二十一节说：『你们要在祂面前谨慎，听从祂的话，不可惹祂发怒，因为祂必不赦免你们的过犯。』（直译。）这里有四个点详细论到我们与作为耶和华使者之基督的关系。这些细节与在祂面前谨慎、听从祂、不可惹祂发怒、祂必不赦免我们的过犯有关。重要的是，我们要听主的声音，并且不要违背祂。从这节圣经来看，我们若违背主，祂必不赦免我们的过犯。我们若仔细考量这些点，就要看见这节圣经与我们的经历一致。真正说来，内住的基督是个和蔼、温柔的人。然而，我们很容易惹祂发怒。即使我们在小事上违背祂，也会惹动祂。结果，我们感觉祂的笑脸不再向我们欣欣放。我们里面深处知道，祂对我们不满意。因著我们里面的主不高兴，我们也高兴不起来。也许晨更的时候，在主的话中与主同在的那段时光，我们在主里很愉快。我们喜乐，并且满了赞美。然而，当天稍晚的时候，我们因著不顺服而惹动了祂。突然之间，我们就失去了喜乐。我们不再喜乐的事实指出我们触犯了主，使祂不喜悦。也许祂没有生我们的气，但祂的确不高兴。内住的基督非常敏感，我们必须小心不要惹祂发怒。
7Exodus 23:21 says, “Take ye heed before him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions” (lit.). Here we have four details concerning our relationship to Christ as the Angel of Jehovah. These details are related to taking heed to Him, obeying Him, not provoking Him, and not being pardoned by Him of our transgressions. It is important that we listen to the Lord’s voice and not provoke Him. According to this verse, if we provoke the Lord, He will not forgive our transgressions. If we consider this carefully, we shall see that this verse corresponds to our experience. In a very real sense, the indwelling Christ is a pleasant, gentle person. Nevertheless, it is rather easy for Him to be provoked by us. Even if we are disobedient in a small matter, we provoke Him. As a result, we sense that He is no longer smiling upon us. We realize deep within that He is not happy with us. Because the Lord within us is not happy, we cannot be happy either. Perhaps during our time with the Lord in the Word at morning watch we are happy in the Lord. We rejoice and are full of praise. However, later in the day we may provoke Him by our disobedience. Suddenly our joy is gone. The fact that we are no longer happy indicates that we have provoked the Lord and that He is displeased. He may not be angry with us, but He definitely is not happy. The indwelling Christ is very sensitive, and we must be careful not to provoke Him.
2 不赦免我们的过犯
2. Not Pardoning Our Transgressions
8二十一节嘱咐我们不可惹耶和华的使者发怒，接著又说：『祂必不赦免你们的过犯。』我们从经历中知道，我们一旦惹了主发怒，祂必不赦免我们，直等到我们认罪。祂是严厉的，我们的举动稍有不顺服都会惹动祂。我们应当听祂的声音，绝不与祂争论。我们与他争吵都会惹动了祂，那么祂就不再以笑脸向著我们，我们也不再有喜乐的灵。我们承认自己作错了，求祂饶恕，但是祂并不立刻赦免我们。也许要过了好几天，我们才又感觉到主高兴了，向我们微笑。
8After charging us not to provoke the Angel of Jehovah, verse 21 says, “He will not pardon your transgressions.” From our experience we know that once we have provoked the Lord, He will not pardon us until we confess. He is strict and is troubled by even a slight act of disobedience. We should obey His voice and never argue with Him. We may provoke Him even by arguing with Him. Then His face no longer smiles on us, and we no longer have a rejoicing spirit. We may confess our wrongdoing and seek His forgiveness, but He may not pardon us immediately. It may take a few days before we sense that the Lord is once again happy with us and is smiling on us
9我很高兴二十一节并没有说使者永远不赦免我们的过犯。这里并没有详细记载特定的时间。也许只要几分钟，祂就赦免我们；也许几天，一星期，甚至更久。从我们对祂的经历中，我们知道，有时候祂并不立刻赦免我们。这使我们非常的痛苦。这种时候，我们也许想大喊：『阿利路亚，基督是得胜者！』虽然我们大喊，想要喜乐起来，但是主仍然缄默，还是对我们不高兴，仍然扣住祂的赦免。最后，经过一段时间之后，我们突然觉察到我们里面又喜乐起来了。我们想唱出：『耶稣是我主，祂活在我里；现今我真是快乐无比。』我们有真实的喜乐，因为住在我们里面的主喜乐了。我们必须晓得，我们若不听从主的声音而违背了祂，祂不会立刻赦免我们的过犯。在这件事上应当小心，不要以为我们违背主之后可以说：『主耶稣，我错了。请赦免我。』你以为这样祷告就甚么事都没有了，但是在你里面主的感觉并不是这样。祂不会立刻赦免你。这些论到惹动主，以及不能立刻得著赦免的话，并不光是道理，这非常合乎我们属灵的经历。我可以作见证说，我对主的经历与二十一节的细节一致。
9I am glad that verse 21 does not say that the Angel will not pardon our transgressions forever. No particular time is specified. Perhaps He will wait just a few minutes before forgiving us, perhaps several days, a week, or even longer. From our experience with Christ we know that sometimes He does not pardon us immediately. This causes us to be miserable. At such times we may try to shout, “Hallelujah, Christ is Victor!” Although we may shout and try to rejoice, the Lord is silent, still unhappy with us and continuing to withhold His pardon. Eventually, after a certain period of time, we suddenly realize that we are inwardly happy once more. We may even feel like singing, “Jesus is the Lord and He lives in me; now I’mas happy as I can be.” We are genuinely happy because the Lord who dwells within us is happy. We need to realize that if we provoke the Lord by not obeying His voice, He may not pardon our transgression right away. In this matter we should not be careless, thinking that after we have disobeyed the Lord we can say, “Lord Jesus, I was wrong. Please forgive me.” You may think that after praying like this everything is all right, but this may not be the feeling of the Lord within you. He may not pardon you until later. This word about provoking the Lord and about not receiving His forgiveness immediately is not a mere doctrine. This is according to our spiritual experience. I can testify that my experience with the Lord corresponds to the details in verse 21
10从旧约来看，耶和华的使者一直与以色列子民同在。新约也给我们看见，基督─神所差来的那位─永远与我28:20们同在。马太福音二十八章二十节主耶稣说：『我就常与你们同在。』然而，主永远与我们同在的事实并不是说甚么就都没有问题。我们与主的关系是双向的，有主的那一面，还有我们的这一面。我们必须与主配合。与主合作可以用『两人三脚竞赛』为例来说明。比赛的时候，两个同伴各有一条腿没有束缚，另一条腿却绑在一起。他们赛跑的时候，必须有很好的配搭；两方面都必须合作。原则上，我们与主的关系也是这样。在主那一面，祂一切都作好了；但是，我们与祂的配合却非常不彀。因著我们的缺欠，我们必须再来探讨二十三章二十至三十三节得著应许之地的细节。
10According to the Old Testament, the Angel of Jehovah was always with the children of Israel. We know from the New Testament that Christ, God’s sent One, is with us all the time. In Matthew the Lord Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you all the days.” However, the fact that the Lord is always with us does not necessarily mean that everything is all right. Our relationship with the Lord is a two-way matter. There are two sides, the Lord’ss i de and our side. There is the need for us to cooperate with Him. Cooperating with the Lord may be illustrated by a three-legged race. The partners in such a race have one leg free and one leg bound together. They must run the race with good coordination. Both parties must cooperate. In principle, the same is true in our relationship with the Lord. On His side, He always does everything well; but we are extremely poor in cooperating with Him. Because of our lack, we need to consider further details in 23:20-33 about possessing the promised land.
（二） 耶和华剪除信奉异教的外族
B. By Jehovah’s Cutting Off the Pagan Tribes
11照著二十三节所说，耶和华的使者在百姓前面行，领他们到异族所占领的地去。论到这些信奉异教的外族，主应许说：『我必将他们剪除』。（23。）在二十七节主说：『我要使那里的众民，在你面前惊骇、扰乱，又要使你一切仇敌，转背逃跑。』在此我们看见，主应许信奉异教的外族从应许之地被剪除。我认为『信奉异教的』一词比『外邦的』更为恰当。『外邦的』是指外邦人，而『信奉异教的』所指的多少与鬼魔、魔鬼以及拜偶像的有关。拦阻以色列子民的各族都是信奉异教的。
11According to verse 23, the Angel of Jehovah would go before the people and bring them into the land occupied by the pagan tribes. Concerning these tribes, the Lord promised, “I will cut them off” (v. 23). In verse 27 the Lord says, “I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come; and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.” Here we see that the Lord promised to cut off all the pagan tribes from the promised land. I prefer the word pagan rather than the word heathen. The heathen may denote the Gentiles, whereas pagan indicates something demonic, devilish, and idolatrous. All the tribes which were frustraters to the children of Israel were pagan
1 击败他们
1. Defeating Them
12二十三节以及二十七至三十一节清楚地给我们看见，神应许要击败信奉异教的外族。祂甚至应许要打发黄蜂在祂百姓前面，把异族撵出去。（28。）此外，主还应许说：『我要将那地的居民交在你手中，你要将他们从你面前撵出去』。（31。）
12It is clear from verses 23 and 27 through 31 that God promised to defeat the pagan tribes. He even promised to send hornets before His people to drive out these tribes (v. 28). Furthermore, the Lord promised, “I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee” (v. 31
2 渐渐的将他们撵出去
2. Driving Them Out Little by Little
13虽然神应许将异族撵出去，祂却说：『我不在一年之内，将他们从你面前撵出去，恐怕地成为荒凉，野地的兽多起来害你。我要渐渐的将他们从你面前撵出去，等到你的人数加多，承受那地为业。』（29～30。）在此我们看见，神根据以色列人的增多和长大，将拦阻的人撵出去。这指出祂百姓增加有多少，神撵出那地的居民就有多少。他们的成长若是缓慢的，神就慢慢地撵出各族。
13Although God promised to drive out the pagan tribes, He said, “I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land” (vv. 29-30). Here we see that God would drive out the frustraters according to the increase, the growth, of Israel. This indicates that the degree of God’s driving out of the inhabitants of the land is measured by the increase of His people. If their growth was slow, God would drive out the tribes slowly.
14腓立比书二章十三节的话，与旧约里神要渐渐的撵出异族的应许一致。在这节圣经里保罗说：『因为是神在你们里面运行，使你们立志行事，为著成就祂的美意。』（直译。）神在我们里面作工、运行，要剪除我们天然的生命。我们天然的生命是堕落的、犯罪的、坏透了、像鬼魔一般。天然生命表面上看来不论是好是坏，只因著它是天然的，就有这四个非常消极的特点。我们天然的生命拦阻我们经历基督并享受基督。我们看看我们的经历，就会发现，不是别人拦阻我们经历基督，不是我们的丈夫、妻子或家人；而是我们自己天然的生命。有时候我们感觉到我们天然的生命是堕落的，有的时候又觉得它是罪恶的。又有些时候我们发觉我们天然的生命甚至是坏透了、像鬼魔一般。也许你不明白我怎么能说天然生命像鬼魔一般，好像天然人的举止行动就像鬼魔。我问你这个问题：你发脾气的时候，有没有照镜子看看你自己？这个时候，你脸上的表情不像绅士，更不像神的儿子；乃是鬼魔的表情。好多年前，我曾看过几个正在赌博之人的脸孔，那些表情何等凶恶！天然生命有许多不同的方面，有些方面似乎相当不错。但是实际上，这些方面都是假面具，并不真实。即使在人眼中是真实的，在神的眼中却是不真。
14In Philippians 2:13 we find a word which corresponds to God’s promise in the Old Testament to drive out the pagan tribes little by little. In this verse Paul says, “It is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure.” God is working, operating, in us to cut off our natural life. Our natural life is fallen, sinful, devilish, and demonic. Whether the natural life appears to be good or bad, simply because it is natural it has these four extremely negative characteristics. Our natural life frustrates us from experiencing Christ and enjoying Him. If we check our experience, we shall see that it is not others who keep us from experiencing Christ, not our husband or wife or any member of our family; it is our own natural life. Sometimes we sense that our natural life is fallen, and at other times, that it is sinful. On some occasions we become conscious of the fact that our natural life is even devilish and demonic. Perhaps you are wondering how I can say that the natural life is demonic, that it behaves as if it were a demon. I would ask you this question: Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror when you were losing your temper? At such a time your facial expression is not that of a gentleman, much less that of a son of God; it is the expression of a demon. Many years ago I saw the faces of some who were gambling. How demonic were those expressions! The natural life has many different aspects. Certain aspects may seem to be quite good. But in fact these aspects are masks; they are not genuine. Even if they are regarded as true in the sight of men, they are not genuine in the sight of God
15占领应许之地的异族象征天然生命不同的各方面。照圣经所说，那地上有七族。但是，我们里面可能有更多的『族类』。我们堕落的生命已经被败坏、玷污了，年轻的、年长的都不例外。一个年轻姊妹似乎既可爱又良善，但是，天然生命堕落、犯罪、邪恶、鬼魔般的素质都在她里面。我再说，天然生命并它所有的特性都拦阻我们经历基督。但是神已经应许要剪除一切的异族，就是我们天然生命的每一方面。祂要剪除它们、撵走它们。
15The pagan tribes which occupied the promised land signify the different aspects of the natural life. According to the Bible, there were seven tribes in the land. But we may have many more “tribes” in us. Our fallen life is corrupted and polluted. This is true of young and old alike. A young sister may seem to be pleasant and nice. Nevertheless, the fallen, sinful, devilish, demonic element of the natural life is in her. I say again, the natural life with all its characteristics frustrates us from experiencing Christ. But God has promised to cut off all the pagan tribes, all the aspects of our natural life. He will cut them off and drive them out.
16不过，重要的是，我们要了解神撵走天然生命，由两件事来决定。第一，我们必须长大、增多、复制、繁增。我们愈长大，神就愈多撵走天然的生命。第二，神撵走异族在于我们率先把这些族类撵走。在二十九节神指出祂要撵走各族，但在三十一节祂说：『你要将他们从你面前撵出去。』不错，神应许要撵出它们，但是我们必须先将它们撵出去。我们寻求主的时候，也许这么祷告：『哦，主阿，我恨恶自己；我恨恶我的情欲和天然生命。主，求你把它们从我身上赶出去。』我们愈这样迫切地祷告，主似乎愈没有反应。事实上，主根本不成就这个祷告。我们祷告，求主清除我们天然生命的各方面，使我们成为属灵的人，但是祂不应允我们。在这一点上，这几节圣经中的豫表、图像说得很清楚，对我们也很有帮助。根据豫表所说，主要撵出异族，就是天然的生命；但是祂撵出异族有多少全在于我们长大得有多少。我们若不长大，主就不会撵走各族。有些基督徒因著恨恶天然生命，祷告求主叫他们不要受它的辖制。但是，他们后来又遭受『野兽』的攻击。二十九节说，野地的兽多起来害他们。这些野兽比异族更凶恶，因为兽象征鬼魔。天然生命是可憎的；但是鬼魔，就是邪灵，更为可怕。这表明我们里面的人成为真空状态的危险。剪除天然的生命必须与我们在基督里的长大相符合。我们愈在主里长大，也愈在祂里面加增，祂就愈要取代我们天然的生命。这是神根据以色列人数加多而将异族撵出去的属灵意义。神的百姓在那地人数愈加添，神剪除并撵出那地异族的人数也愈多。这指出基督在我们里面愈加增。祂就愈取代我们天然的生命。基督在我们里面长大有多少，全在于天然的生命可以被剪除有多少。
16However, it is important for us to realize that God’s driving out of the natural life depends on two matters. First, it depends on our growth, on our increase, reproduction, and multiplication. The more we grow, the more God drives away the natural life. Second, God’s driving out the pagan tribes depends on our taking the initiative to drive out these tribes. In verse 29 God indicates that He will drive out the tribes, but in verse 31 He says, “Thou shalt drive them out before thee.” Yes, God promises to drive them out, but we must take the initiative. In our seeking after the Lord we may pray, “O Lord, I hate myself. I hate my lust and my natural life. Lord, I ask You to drive these things out of me.” But the more fervently we pray in this way, the less the Lord seems to respond. In fact, there seems to be no answer at all. We pray that the Lord will clear away all the aspects of our natural life so that we may be spiritual people, but He does not answer us. At this point the type, the picture, in these verses is clear and helpful. According to the type, the Lord will drive out the pagan tribes, the natural life, but the extent of His driving out of the tribes is determined by the pace of our growth. If we do not grow, the Lord will not drive out the tribes. Some Christians, hating the natural life, pray to be free from it. But then they are attacked by “beasts.” In the words of verse 29, the beasts of the field multiply against them. These beasts are even worse than the pagan tribes, for the beasts signify demons. The natural life is terrible, but demons, evil spirits, are even worse. This underscores the danger of being vacant in our inner being. The cutting off of the natural life must correspond to our growth in Christ. The more we grow in the Lord and increase in Him, the more He will replace our natural life. This is the spiritual significance of God’s driving out the pagan tribes according to the increase of Israel. The more God’sp eople increased in the land numerically, the greater would be the number of pagans God would cut off and drive out of the land. This indicates that the more Christ increases in us, the more He will replace our natural life. The degree of the growth of Christ in us determines the measure of how much the natural life can be cut off.
17若没有属灵的经历，我们无法了解撵出天然的生命与基督在我们里面的加增成正比。从经历中我们知道，在我们基督徒的生活里，我们必须让基督加增。这个加增就会取代天然的生命。我们不该盼望神立刻撵出天然生命的每一个成分。神从我们里面撵出异族是基于我们生命的长大，就是我们里面基督的加增。神撵出的天然生命若与基督的加增不相称，我们就会成为真空。那么，更恶的野兽、鬼魔就要进来占有我们。因此，神的路乃是：根据基督在我们里面加增的程度，来了结我们天然的生命。
17Without spiritual experience it is not possible to understand that the driving out of the natural life is in proportion to the increase of Christ within us. We know from experience that in our Christian life we must have the increase of Christ. This increase is what replaces the natural life. We should not expect God immediately to drive out every element of the natural life. God’s driving out of the pagan tribes from within us depends on our growth in life, on the increase of Christ in us. If God were to drive out the natural life without a corresponding increase of Christ, we would become vacant. Then something worse— the beasts, the demons—would enter in to take possession of us. Therefore, God’sway is to terminate the natural life according to the increase of Christ within us