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尼希米记生命读经 · 第3篇

神选民之国的重新构成（一）

The Reconstitution of the Nation of God’s Elect (1)
1读经：尼希米记八至十章。
1Scripture Reading: Neh. 8—10
的重新构成
OF THE NATION OF GOD’SELECT
2在本篇信息中，我们要开始来看神选民之国的重新构成。（尼八～十三。）
2In this message we will begin to consider the reconstitution of the nation of God’select (chs. 8—13
一 藉著回到神的律法，就是祂的话，而回到神面前
A. Coming Back to God by Coming Back to His Law, His Word
3我们要被重新构成，需要藉著回到神的律法，就是祂的话，而回到神面前。（八。）堕落的人要回到神面前，就必须回到神的话。没有人不回到神的话，而能回到神面前。
3In order to be reconstituted, we need to come back to God by coming back to His law, that is, His word (ch. 8). Suppose a fallen person wants to come back to God. If he would come back to God, he must come back to God’sword. No one can come back to God without coming back to His word
4神的话将我们重新构成。我们都有自己的个性和习惯性的行为，但神能藉著祂的话将我们重新构成。这就是我们需要读圣经的原因。神的话逐渐改变我们的心思，和我们的思想方式。神的话与那灵是一。（弗六１７。）当神的话在我们里面作工，那灵就藉著话，自然而然将神的性情同神的元素，分赐到我们这人里面。我们甚至不知道这样的分赐正在我们里面进行。藉此，我们就被重新构成。那些被掳到巴比伦而归回耶路撒冷的人，多半不是生在以色列，乃是生在巴比伦，也长在巴比伦。巴比伦的元素已作到他们里面，构成到他们全人里面。所以，他们返回列祖之地，成为以色列的公民后，需要被重新构成。以斯拉在这点上非常有用，因为藉著他，百姓得以用神的话被重新构成。人的构成乃是为著国的构成提供根基。正确的国不仅仅是组织，乃是构成。一国的军队尤其是如此。例如，美国的军队是用许多元素所构成；这些元素提供方法，使个别士兵重新构成为军队的一部分。因此，军队是个构成，而不仅仅是个组织。
4God’sword reconstitutes us. We all have our own kind of disposition and habitual behavior, but God is able to reconstitute us through His word. This is why we need to read the Bible. God’sword gradually changes our mind and our way of thinking. The word of God is one with the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). When the word of God works within us, the Spirit, through the word, spontaneously dispenses God’s nature with God’s element into our being. We may not even be aware that such a dispensing is taking place within us. By this way we are reconstituted. Most of those who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity in Babylon had been born not in Israel but in Babylon, and they were raised in Babylon. The Babylonian element had been wrought into them and constituted into their being. Therefore, after they returned to the land of their fathers to be citizens of the nation of Israel, they needed a reconstitution. Ezra was very useful at this point, for he was one through whom the people could be reconstituted with the word of God. The constitution of a person provides the foundation for the constitution of a nation. A proper nation is not merely an organization but also a constitution. This is especially true of a nation’s army. The army of the United States, for example, is constituted with many elements, and these elements afford the way for the individual soldiers to be reconstituted as parts of the army. Thus, the army is a constitution and not merely an organization.
5神对以色列的心意，是要在地上得著一班神圣构成的子民，作祂的见证。神的子民要作祂的见证，必须被神的话重新构成。在以斯拉和尼希米带领之下，归回的以色列人藉著神的话，集体的被神并以神构成为一个国，作神的见证。１以色列众人如同一人聚集，
5God’s in tent i on with Israel was to have on earth a divinely constituted people to be His testimony. In order for God’sp eople to be His testimony, they had to be reconstituted with the word of God. Under Ezra and Nehemiah the returned people of Israel were collectively constituted by and with God through His word to be a nation as God’s testimony. 1. All the People of Israel Gathering as One Man
请以斯拉将摩西的律法书带来读给他们听
and Telling Ezra to Bring the Book of the Law of Moses and Read to Them
6照著尼希米八章一至八节，以色列众人如同一人聚集在水门，请以斯拉将摩西的律法书带来读给他们听。以斯拉就这样行，称颂耶和华至大的神，众民都举手应声说，『阿们，阿们，』就面伏于地，敬拜耶和华。这指明背叛的以色列人完全被折服，也完全被神藉摩西所说的话征服。神的话是神的灵扎实的基础；神的灵就是神自己，将神的元素分赐到我们这人里面，使我们被神构成。这该是我们每天亲身的经历。我们来在一起，需要更多读神的话。我们这样作，就是照著神圣构成的方式来在一起。我们要被重新构成，需要一再读圣经的六十六卷书。我读主的话超过六十五年了，我能见证，藉著每天读主的话，我已被重新构成。每天我都更多被重新构成。
6According to Nehemiah 8:1-8 all the people of Israel gathered as one man before the Water Gate and told Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses and read to them. Ezra did it and blessed Jehovah the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands; and they worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground. This indicates that rebellious Israel had been fully convinced and fully subdued by the word of God spoken through Moses. The word of God is the solid base for the Spirit of God, who is God Himself, to dispense God’s element into our being to cause us to be constituted with God. This should be our personal experience day by day. When we come together, we then need to read even more of the Word of God. To do this is to come together according to the way of the divine constitution. In order to be reconstituted, we need to read the sixty-six books of the Bible again and again. As one who has been reading the Word for more than sixty-five years, I can testify that I have been reconstituted through the daily reading of the Word. Every day I am reconstituted a little more
２ 尼希米、以斯拉和利未人，
2. Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites
7嘱咐众民要圣别那日
7Charging All the People to Sanctify That Day
归耶和华他们的神
unto Jehovah Their God
8省长尼希米，作祭司的经学家以斯拉，和帮助百姓明白的利未人，嘱咐众民要圣别那日归耶和华他们的神，不要悲哀哭泣；因为众民听见律法书上的话都哭了。尼希米嘱咐他们去吃筵席，不要忧愁，去吃满了喜乐的筵席。百姓很难这样作，因为他们被话语折服并征服，领悟自己是罪恶的。（９～１０上。）尼希米对他们说，『不要忧愁，因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。』（１０下。）于是众民『都去吃喝，也分给人，大大快乐』。（１２。）３族长、祭司和利未人，都聚集到以斯拉那里，
8Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who helped the people understand charged all the people to sanctify that day unto Jehovah their God and not to mourn or weep, for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Nehemiah charged them to have a feast without grief, a feast full of joy. It was hard for the people to do this, because they had been convinced and subdued by the word to realize they were sinful (vv. 9-10a). Nehemiah said to them, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of Jehovah is your strength” (v. 10b). Then all “went their way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing” (v. 12). 3. The Heads of the Fathers’ Houses, the Priests, and the Levites Being Gathered to Ezra in order
要通悉律法的话
to Gain Insight into the Words of the Law
9次日族长、祭司和利未人，都聚集到经学家以斯拉那里，要通悉律法的话。（１３。）今天许多人读圣经，但不通悉圣经。谁真正通悉圣经的话？在十三节这里，『通悉』是指洞察其内在的意义。我们都需要得帮助，看见圣经话语内在的意义。
9On the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe in order to gain insight into the words of the law (v. 13). Today many read the Bible without insight. Who has genuine insight into the word of the Bible? Here in verse 13 “insight” refers to the intrinsic significance. We all need to be helped to see the intrinsic significance of the word of the Bible
10十四至十八节告诉我们，他们见律法上写著，耶和华吩咐以色列人要在七月节（住棚节）住在棚里；他们就在各城和耶路撒冷宣传报告，当上山将橄榄树和别种树的枝子取来搭棚。于是全会众就这样行，共七日，极其喜乐，以斯拉每日念神的律法书。第八日照著典章有严肃会。这指明他们照著完整的律法，同诫命、律例（诫命的补充）和典章（判决）作每件事。他们有了复兴，并成为新的国，是藉著并用主的话构成的。二为著已往，向神清楚的认罪，
10Verses 14 through 18 tell us that they found in the law that Jehovah commanded the children of Israel to dwell in booths during the feast in the seventh month (the Feast of Tabernacles) and to publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem to go out to the mountain and bring olive branches and other kinds of branches to make booths. All the assembly did it accordingly for seven days with great rejoicing, and day by day Ezra read in the book of the law of God. On the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance. This indicates that they did everything according to the complete law, with the commandments, the statutes (the supplements to the commandments), and the ordinances (the judgments). They had a revival and became a new nation, constituted through and with the word. B. Making a Clear Confession to God of Their Past
并与神立确实的约
and Making a Firm Covenant with God
11在九至十章，百姓为著已往，向神清楚的认罪，并与神立确实的约。
11In chapters nine and ten the people made a clear confession to God of their past and made a firm covenant with God
１ 以色列的后裔与一切外邦人离绝
1. The Descendants of Israel Separating Themselves from All Foreigners
12以色列的后裔与一切外邦人离绝，站著承认自己的罪，和列祖的罪孽，并且念耶和华的律法书。（九１～４。）
12The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood, confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers and reading the book of the law of Jehovah (9:1-4
２ 赞美神是独一的神
2. Praising God as the Only God
13他们赞美神是独一的神，祂造了天上的天、地、海、和海中所有的；祂曾拣选亚伯拉罕，领他出迦勒底，与他立约，应许把迦南地赐给他和他的后裔。（５～８。）他们这样认识神，也这样赞美祂。
13They praised God as the only God, who created the heaven of heavens, the earth, and the seas with all that is in them, and who chose Abraham, brought him forth from Chaldea, and made a covenant with him to give him and his seed the land of Canaan (vv. 5-8). They knew God in this way and praised Him accordingly.
３ 数算神为他们列祖所施的一切恩
3. Enumerating All the Good That God Had Done for Their Forefathers
14接著，他们数算神为他们列祖所施的一切恩；尽管他们行事狂傲，硬著颈项不听从神的诫命，神仍领他们出埃及，经过旷野进入美地，将祂的律法赐给他们。（９～２５。）甚么能对付我们行事狂傲、硬著颈项不听从神的诫命？惟有神的话能对付这些丑恶的事。神的话能废除我们的狂傲，折服我们的强项，并使我们听从神的诫命。
14Next, they enumerated all the good that God had done for their forefathers, bringing them out of Egypt through the wilderness into the good land and giving them His law in spite of their arrogance and their stiffened neck and their refusing to listen to His commandments (vv. 9-25). What can deal with our arrogance, our stiffened neck, and our refusal to listen to God’s commandments? Only the word of God can deal with these ugly things. The word of God can annul our arrogance. The word of God also can bend our stiff neck and cause us to listen to God’s commandments
４ 进一步承认他们的不顺从，竟然背叛
4. Making a Further Confession of Their Disobedience and Rebellion
15此后，他们进一步承认他们的不顺从，竟然背叛。（２６～３７。）他们承认硬著颈项，扭转倔强的肩头，将神的律法丢在背后，杀害祂的申言者。因此，他们惹神忿怒，将他们的美地交给列国压迫，使他们被掳到外邦之地。结果，从亚述列王的时候直到那时，他们一直遭遇苦难。
15Following this, they made a further confession of their disobedience and rebellion (vv. 26-37). They confessed that, with a stiffened neck and a stubborn shoulder, they had cast God’s law behind their back and had slain His prophets. Thus, they provoked God’s wrath to give their good land to the oppression of the nations and give them, the people of Israel, into captivity to foreign lands. As a result, since the days of the kings of Assyria until that day, they had been in great distress
５ 他们立确实的约，并且写定
5. Making a Firm Covenant in Writing
16因这一切的事，他们立确实的约，并且写定；他们的首领、利未人和祭司，都盖印签名。（九３８～十２７。）
16Because of all this they made a firm covenant in writing, and upon the sealed document were the names of their rulers, their Levites, and their priests (9:38—10:27
６ 其余的民都发咒起誓
6. The Rest of the People Entering into a Curse and an Oath
17其余的民、祭司、利未人、守门的、歌唱的、殿役、和一切离绝邻邦居民归服神律法的，都发咒起誓。（十２８～３９。）他们发咒，意思是他们若不守约，会咒诅自己。他们起誓，意思是不能取消所立的约。
17The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God entered into a curse and an oath (vv. 28-39). For them to enter into a curse meant that they would curse themselves if they did not keep the covenant. For them to enter into an oath meant that they could not cancel the covenant which they had made
ａ遵行神的律法
a. To Walk in the Law of God
18二十九至三十一节告诉我们，他们发咒起誓，必遵行神藉摩西所赐的律法，谨守遵行耶和华他们主的一切诫命、典章和律例；不将他们的女儿嫁给那地的民，也不为他们的儿子娶那民的女儿；必守安息日不作买卖，每逢第七年必不耕种。不耕种就是放弃耕种。照著神在祂律法上的典章，第七年要放弃撒种和收成，使地得著安息。然后那地本身要为贫穷和缺乏的人生长东西。这条关于第七年的律法启示，神这位立法者满了爱，顾到寡妇、孤儿、缺乏的人和外人。
18In verses 29 through 31 we are told that they entered into a curse and an oath to walk in the law of God, which was given through Moses, and to keep and do all the commandments of Jehovah their Lord as well as His ordinances and statutes, not giving their daughters to the peoples of the land nor taking their daughters for their sons, keeping the Sabbath by not doing business, and foregoing the crops of the seventh year. To forego means to give up. According to God’so rd i nation in His law, in the seventh year they were to give up sowing and reaping so that the land would have rest. Then the land would grow something by itself for the poor and the needy. This law concerning the seventh year reveals that God, the Lawgiver, is full of love, caring for the widows, the orphans, the needy ones, and the strangers.
19百姓也同意必不追讨人欠的债。他们不强迫别人还债。所以，在第七年他们不可使用地，也不得追讨人欠的债。富人必须借给穷人，穷人若无法偿还，富人必不追讨人欠的债。对那些不愿意借给穷人的人，神有许多方法在富人和穷人中间平衡社会财富。神在祂的智慧和爱里，平衡祂子民的财富。这事也与神选民之国的重新构成有关。
19The people agreed also to forego the exaction of every debt. They were not to force others to pay their debts. Therefore, in the seventh year they were not allowed to use the land, and they were not permitted to exact payment for every debt. The rich had to lend to the poor and then forego the exaction of the debt if the poor were unable to pay. For those who were unwilling to lend to the poor, God had many ways to balance the social wealth among the rich and the poor. In His wisdom and love God balances the wealth of His people. This matter also is related to the reconstitution of the nation of God’select
ｂ为自己定例，将地的出产献给神为祭物
b. Laying upon Themselves Obligations to Offer Their Produce from the Land for Their Sacrifices
20不但如此，他们又为自己定例，将地的出产献给神为祭物，并供给殿中事奉的需用。（３２～３９。）
20Furthermore, they laid upon themselves obligations to offer their produce from the land for their sacrifices to God and to provide for the service of the temple (vv. 32-39
21这些事都与以色列人的重新构成有关。『野』的以色列人被神圣的构成所重新构成，成为分别、特别、圣别的子民，作神在地上的见证。
21All these matters are items of the reconstitution of the people of Israel. The “wild” Israel was reconstituted with a divine constitution to be a separate, particular, sanctified people as a testimony of God on earth