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以斯拉记生命读经 · 第2篇

介言

An Introductory Word
1读经：以斯拉记一章一至五节。在本篇信息中，我们要说到以斯拉
1Scripture Reading: Ezra 1:1-5 In this message we will give an introductory word to
I. EZRA, NEHEMIAH, AND ESTHER
壹 以斯拉记、尼希米记、以斯帖记，是旧约神选民历史的末后三卷书
BEING THE LAST THREE BOOKS OF THE HISTORY OF GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
2以斯拉记、尼希米记、以斯帖记，是旧约中历代志上、下之后，神选民历史的末后三卷书。这三卷书都与被掳中神的选民有关。头两卷公开说到神的子民从被掳中归回，（参但以理书、哈该书、撒迦利亚书、玛拉基书，）末一卷陈明一个榜样，给我们看见这位隐藏的神如何在祂的选民被掳时，秘密的照顾他们。
2Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are the last three books of the history of God’s chosen people in the Old Testament after 1 and 2 Chronicles. These three books all are related to God’s chosen people in their captivity. The first two cover in a public way the return of God’sp eople from their captivity (cf. Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi), and the last one presents to us a pattern of how the hidden God, in a secret way, takes care of His chosen people in their captivity
贰 作者
II. THE WRITER
3以斯拉记的作者是以斯拉，这名的意思是『帮助』或『帮助者』。他是亚伦的后裔，（七１～５，）是祭司和通达摩西律法的经学家。（６，１１～１２。）圣经里有三个以斯拉：一个是与所罗巴伯一同归回的祭司，（尼十二１，）一个是迦勒的子孙，（代上
3The writer of the book of Ezra was Ezra, whose name means “help” or “helper.” He was a descendant of Aaron (7:1-5), a priest and a scribe skilled in the law of Moses (vv. 6, 11-12). There are three Ezras in the Bible: one was a priest who returned with Zerubbabel (Neh. 12:1), one was a descendant of Caleb (1 Chron. 4:15-17), and one was the writer of this book
4四１５～１７，）一个是本书的作者。
4
参 时间
III. THE TIME
5关于写作时间，本书内容涵盖的时536-期约八十年，从主前五三六年到主前四五七年。
5Regarding the time of writing, the contents of this book cover a period of about eighty years, from 457 B.C.
肆 内容
IV. THE CONTENTS
6我们认识以斯拉记的内容是非常重要的。本书记载以色列人从被掳中的两次归回。第一次归回是在大卫王室后裔所罗巴伯带领之下。（一～六。）所罗巴伯该是继承大卫王位的人，但他被古列立为犹大省长。第二次归回是在亚伦后裔祭司以斯拉带领之下。（七～十。）所罗巴伯属于君王支派（犹大支派），以斯拉是祭司家族的后裔，这是很有意义的。祭司顾到神的说话，君王顾到神的治理。神所作的一切，主要是在于说话和治理这两件事。
6It is very important for us to know the contents of the book of Ezra. This book gives us a record of the two returns of the children of Israel from their captivity. The first return was under Zerubbabel, a descendant of the royal family of David (chs. 1—6). Zerubbabel should have been the one to succeed the throne of David, but he was appointed to be the governor of Judah by Cyrus. The second return was under Ezra, a priest as the descendant of Aaron (chs. 7—10). It is significant that Zerubbabel was of the royal tribe (Judah) and that Ezra was a descendant of a priestly family. The priests took care of God’s speaking, and the kings took care of God’s ruling. All that God has been doing is mainly in these two matters of speaking and ruling.
伍 重要的点
V. THE CRUCIAL POINTS
7以斯拉记强调以色列人从被掳中归回。这次归回有四个重要的点。一以色列人从被掳中归回，
7The book of Ezra stresses the return of the children of Israel from their captivity. This return is crucial in four points. A. The Return of the Children of Israel from Their Captivity
恢复神呼召他们的目的
Recovering the Purpose of God’sCall ing of Them
8以色列人乃是蒙神呼召，被神分别出来归祂自己作祂的见证。他们的被掳废掉了这目的。以色列人从被掳中归回，就恢复了神呼召他们的目的。以色列人这班子民，被认为是神的见证。以色列如何成为神的见证？我们若要答覆这问题，就需要看见，藉摩西所颁赐的律法称为见证，（出二五１６，２１，原文，）因为律法是神的描绘。神这位颁赐律法者，在律法里照著祂的所是被描绘出来。尤其，十条诫命是神的见证。约柜称为见证的柜，（二五２２，二六３３，原文，）帐幕称为见证的帐幕。（民一５０，５３，原文。）
8The children of Israel were called by God and separated by God unto Himself as His testimony. Their captivity had annulled this purpose. The return of the children of Israel from their captivity recovered the purpose of God’scall ing of them. As a people, the children of Israel were supposed to be a testimony of God. In what way was Israel to be a testimony to God? If we would answer this question, we need to see that the law given through Moses was called the testimony (Exo. 25:16, 21) because it is a portrait of God. As the Giver of the law, God is portrayed in the law according to what He is. In particular, the Ten Commandments are God’s testimony. The ark was called the ark of the testimony (25:22; 26:33), and the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of testimony (Num. 1:50, 53
9刻在两块石版上的十条诫命，分为两组，每组五条诫命，如我们双手的十个手指。每组的五条诫命又可分为四加一。在第一组里，前三条诫命与神有关，嘱咐我们在神以外，不可有别的神，不可敬拜偶像，也不可妄称耶和华的名。神对我们必须是独一的神。第四条诫命与守安息日有关。守安息日真正的意义，是我们必须停下自己，好与神成为一。不守安息日的人也许为自己得著一天，却失去了神。关于安息日的诫命也与神有关。因此，前四条诫命都与神有关。
9The Ten Commandments, inscribed on two tablets of stone, are divided into two groups of five commandments, like the ten fingers on our two hands. Each group of five commandments is divided into four plus one. In the first group, the first three commandments are concerned with God and charge us not to have any god other than God, not to worship idols, and not to take the name of God in vain. God must be the unique God to us. The fourth commandment concerns the keeping of the Sabbath. The real significance of keeping the Sabbath is that we must stop ourselves in order to be one with God. Those who do not keep the Sabbath may gain a day for themselves, but they lose God. The commandment regarding the Sabbath is also related to God. Thus, the first four commandments are all concerned with God
10第五条诫命是关于孝敬父母，将我们的父母与神并列，并指向神作我们的源头。我们的源头是我们的父母，我们父母的源头是神。我们孝敬父母，就是尊荣神。由此我们看见，孝敬父母是非常有意义的事。
10The fifth commandment, concerning honoring our parents, ranks our parents with God and points to God as our origin. Our origin is our parents, and the origin of our parents is God. When we honor our parents, we honor God. From this we see that honoring our parents is a very significant matter.
11第二组的五条诫命与我们彼此的关系有关。这些诫命是不可杀人，不可犯奸淫，不可偷窃，不可说谎，不可贪婪。倘若没有杀人，没有奸淫，没有偷窃，没有说谎，没有贪婪，我们的社会将是何等美好。倘若每个人都仁爱、纯洁、真实、帮助人，我们的社会将是美妙的地方。遵守后五条诫命的人，必然是神真实的见证，见证他们的神是爱、纯洁、同情、真实的神。这样的人必然是神独特的子民，神的选民，分别归祂，并圣别到极点。神所创造的人堕落以后，人类每下愈况，直到在巴别，他们腐败到了极点。在巴别以后，神放弃了受造族类。然后祂呼召亚伯拉罕，并将律法赐给他的子孙，作神的见证。祂期望亚伯拉罕的子孙成为一班子民，只以耶和华作他们的神，与神一同安息在一里，尊重他们的源头，并且纯洁、诚实的彼此相爱。这样一班人在彰显上与神一样。他们成为神在地上的许多复制，见证天上的一位神。这是神呼召以色列人并分别他们归祂自己的目的。但以色列人失败了，没有达到神的心意，干犯十条诫命的每一条，成为与堕落的人类同样。
11The second group of five commandments is concerned with our relationships one to another. These are the commandments not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to lie, and not to covet. How wonderful our society would be if there were no killing, no adultery, no stealing, no lying, and no coveting. Our community would be a marvelous place if everyone was loving, pure, truthful, and helpful. A people who keep these last five commandments would surely be a real testimony of God, testifying that their God is the God of love, purity, sympathy, and truthfulness. Such a people would surely be God’s particular people, God’select, separated unto Him and sanctified to the uttermost. After the man created by God became fallen, mankind fell lower and lower until, at Babel, they became rotten to the uttermost. God gave up the created race after Babel. Then He called Abraham and gave his descendants the law as the testimony of God. He expected that Abraham’s descendants would be a people who had only Jehovah as their God, who rested with God in oneness, who honored their origin, and who loved one another in purity and honesty. Such a people would be the same as God in expression. They would be the many reproductions of God on earth testifying of the one God in heaven. This was God’s purpose in calling the children of Israel and separating them to Himself. But the children of Israel failed God, breaking every one of the Ten Commandments and becoming the same as mankind
12神的见证是我们有一位神，没有别的神；我们停下自己，为要与神成为一，并享受祂，得著祂作一切；我们尊荣祂作我们的源头，就是由我们的父母所表征的。以色列人被掳，神失去了这样一个见证。他们蒙神呼召，目的是作祂的见证，而他们的被掳废掉了这目的。但以色列人从被掳中归回，就恢复了神呼召他们的目的。
12The testimony of God is that we have one God and no other gods, that we stop ourselves in order to be one with God and to enjoy Him and have Him as everything, and that we honor Him as our origin, which is signified by our parents. Israel was carried away into captivity, and God lost such a testimony. They were called by God for the purpose of being His testimony, and their captivity annulled this purpose. But the return of the children of Israel from their captivity recovered the purpose of God’scall ing of them
二 他们从被掳中归回到耶路撒冷独一的立场，恢复他们的一
B. Their Return from Their Captivity to the Unique Ground of Jerusalem Recovering Their Oneness
13为了要有一个见证，神总是保守以色列人同在一块狭窄的地上，不允许他们人数太多。他们是在独特地方的独特子民，并且是在一里。但以色列人被掳使他们分散，有些到亚述，有些到埃及，大多数到巴比伦。这使他们分裂，因而失去了他们作神见证之子民的一。他们从被掳中归回到耶路撒冷独一的立场，（申十二５，１１～１４，）就恢复了这个一。然而，我们会看见，当他们归回时，被掳的元素也随著他们归回。
13In order to have one testimony, God always kept the children of Israel together in a narrow piece of land, not allowing them to become too great in number. They were a particular people in a particular place, and they were in oneness. But the captivity scattered them, some to Assyria, some to Egypt, and most of them to Babylon. This caused them to be divided and thus to lose their oneness as a people for God’s testimony. Their return from their captivity to the unique ground of Jerusalem (Deut. 12:5, 11-14) recovered this oneness. However, as we will see, in their return elements of the captivity returned with them.
三 他们从被掳中归回，恢复他们对神所应许美地之分的享受
C. Their Return from Their Captivity Recovering Their Enjoyment of the Portion of the Good Land Promised by God
14神藉著祂的救赎和拯救，将以色列人带进祂所应许的美地，使他们有分于美地，并在神的经纶中享受美地作他们的分。因著他们的失败，他们在被掳中失去了这美地的分。但他们从被掳中归回，就恢复了他们对神所应许美地之分的享受。今天在公会里的人不强调对基督的享受；他们没有受教导、指导并指引来享受基督。我在公会时，对基督没有任何的享受。我离开公会以后，才开始享受基督。那些被掳的人离开美地，就是离开基督。在巴比伦作俘虏的以色列人离开了美地。同样，在公会里的基督徒被许多事物扣留，也离开了对基督的享受。他们有基督的名，却没有对基督的享受。他们若要得著对基督的享受，就必须离开被掳之地，回到基督，就是美地所在的正确立场。
14God brought the children of Israel into His promised good land through His redemption and salvation that they might partake of the good land and enjoy it as their portion in God’secon o my. Because of their failure, they lost this portion of the good land in their captivity. Their return from their captivity recovered their enjoyment of the portion of the good land promised by God. Those who are in today’s denominations do not stress the enjoyment of Christ, and the denominational people are not taught, instructed, and directed to enjoy Christ. When I was with the denominations, I did not have any enjoyment of Christ. Only after I left the denominations did I begin to enjoy Christ. Those who are in captivity are away from the good land, away from Christ. The Israelites who were captives in Babylon were away from the good land. Likewise, the Christians in the denominations are kept away by many things from the enjoyment of Christ. They have the name of Christ but not the enjoyment of Christ. If they would have the enjoyment of Christ, they must leave their captivity and come back to the proper ground where Christ, the good land, is
四 神的目的是要祂的殿得以建造，祂的国得以建立在地上
D. God’sIn tent i on to Have His House Built and His Kingdom Established on the Earth
15神的目的是要藉著以色列人有分于并享受美地，使祂的殿得以建造，祂的国得以建立在地上。除非以色列人从被掳中回到美地，否则这事就无法完成。今天神的殿和祂的国在那里？神的仇敌撒但霸占了地，使地成为他的殿和他的国。这造成很大的难处。为甚么今天神需要一班子民？神需要一班子民，因为祂要得著一个家（殿），祂要在其中作父；祂也要得著一个国，祂要在其中作王。主需要祂的家和祂的国，以完成祂永远的经纶。这是神需要祂的子民从被掳中归回的原因。神需要一个家和一个国，为此祂需要恢复。
15God intended to have His house built and His kingdom established on the earth through Israel’s participation in and enjoyment of the good land. There would have been no way to accomplish this unless the children of Israel returned to the good land from their captivity. Where is God’sho use and His kingdom today? Satan, the enemy of God, has usurped the earth. He has kept the earth as his house and as his kingdom. This has caused a great problem. Why does God need a people today? God needs a people because He wants a house where He is the Father and a kingdom where He is the King. The Lord needs His house and His kingdom in order to carry out His eternal economy. This is the reason God needs a return of His people from their captivity. God needs a house and a kingdom, and for this He needs the recovery.
16前面一切重要的点都是豫表，豫表今天召会生活的恢复，这恢复乃是召会从大巴比伦被掳之地出来，（启十七１～６，）回到神所拣选的独一立场上。
16All the foregoing crucial points are types typifying today’s recovery of the church life, which is a recovery out of the church’s captivity in the great Babylon (Rev. 17:1-6) back to the unique ground of God’s choice
陆 分段
VI. THE SECTIONS
17以斯拉记有两段：被掳之人在所罗巴伯的君王领导之下归回，（一～六，）和被掳之人在以斯拉的祭司领导之下归回。（七～十。）
17The book of Ezra has two sections: the return of the captivity under the kingly leadership of Zerubbabel (chs. 1—6) and the return of the captivity under the priestly leadership of Ezra (chs. 7—10