“约瑟醒了,起来,就遵着主使者的吩咐,把妻子娶过来。” – 太 1:24
你有没有在梦中遇见过天使吩咐你做某些事情呢?我曾做过一些严肃的梦,但却从来没有试过梦醒后肯定神在梦中吩咐我做某些事情的。
然而约瑟却做了一个这样的梦。约瑟已经与一个名叫马利亚的年轻女子定了亲,但后来他发现她竟怀了孕,而他知道他不是孩子的父亲。约瑟是一个敬虔和正直的人,所以他决定暗暗的把她休了,他是按照他的信心带来的智慧和怜悯这样行的。但是,不久他便在梦中知道神已为他定了一个特别的计划。在约瑟仍未采取行动之前,主的使者吩咐他去迎娶马利亚为妻。天使说他要给她的孩子起名叫耶稣,因衪要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。约瑟醒来后,便遵照神的吩咐,迎娶马利亚为妻。
约瑟也做过其他彰显神奇妙的能力的梦(参看马太福音 2),而每一次约瑟都遵从主的吩咐。
神可以用同样的方式对我们说话吗?当然可以,然而神会用很多不同的方式 – 普通的和不寻常的 – 来呼召我们在日常生活中服从衪的旨意的。当我们像约瑟那样信靠和服从时,我们的顺服便能荣耀神和祝福世人了。
祷告
父啊,我们为你以奥妙和大能的方式在世上作工感谢你。求你帮助我们服从和尊崇你,藉此彰显你的荣耀。阿们。
马太福音 1:18-25
18耶稣基督降生的事记在下面:他母亲马利亚已经许配了约瑟,还没有迎娶,马利亚就从圣灵怀了孕。
19她丈夫约瑟是个义人,不愿意明明地羞辱她,想要暗暗地把她休了。
20正思念这事的时候,有主的使者向他梦中显现,说:“大卫的子孙约瑟,不要怕,只管娶过你的妻子马利亚来,因她所怀的孕是从圣灵来的。
21她将要生一个儿子,你要给他起名叫耶稣,因他要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。”
22这一切的事成就,是要应验主藉先知所说的话说:
23“必有童女怀孕生子,人要称他的名为以马内利。”(“以马内利”翻出来就是“神与我们同在”。)
24约瑟醒了,起来,就遵着主使者的吩咐把妻子娶过来,
25只是没有和她同房,等她生了儿子,就给他起名叫耶稣。
Joseph’s Dream And Obedience
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. . . .” – Matthew 1:24
Have you ever dreamed that an angel commanded you to do something? I’ve had some serious dreams, but I’ve never had a dream where I awoke convinced that God had told me to do something.
Joseph had that kind of a dream, though. He had become engaged to a young woman named Mary, but then he discovered she was pregnant—and he knew that he wasn’t the father. Being both a devout and decent man, Joseph decided to end the engagement quietly. In this way he was responding to the wisdom of his faith and the compassion in his heart. But he soon learned in a dream that God had a special plan for him. Before Joseph could act, an angel of the Lord commanded him to take Mary home as his wife. The angel said that her child was to be named Jesus because he would save the people from their sins. When Joseph awoke, he obeyed what God had commanded, taking Mary as his wife.
Joseph also had some other dreams that revealed God’s mysterious power (see Matthew 2). And in each case Joseph did as the Lord commanded.
Can God speak to us in the same way? Certainly he can, but God calls us in many ways, ordinary and extraordinary, to be obedient to his will in our daily lives. And when we trust and obey, as Joseph did, our obedience glorifies God and blesses the world.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the mysterious and powerful ways you work in our world. Help us to obey and honor you, reflecting your glory. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳