QT 05/01/2025 Sun. Nehemiah 4. Handling Taunts. 处理嘲讽.
QT 05/01/2025 Sun. Nehemiah 4. Handling Taunts.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/neh4
Now that Nehemiah's contemporaries have started to turn back to God, God started His work to bring His people out of disgrace and disappointment. Yet their opponents continued to heap words on them with the intention to keep them in that disgrace. Opponents kept jeering at their feebleness, incapacity and out-right name calling ("heaps of rubbish", 4:2).
LESSON (1): Obedience towards God is commanded and desired, thereby enjoying favour and protection from God. But Scripture also teaches that God does not always stop attacks from reaching worshippers even when He could. This lesson is important so as not to stumble over an incorrect understanding of how God works in His universe.
What are we to do in such a situation? (a) Nehemiah's contemporaries pleaded for God to take action (4:4-5). (b) They themselves sprang into action, becoming the people who "had a mind to work" (4:6). (c) They deployed techniques that were practical for protection and also visibly warned their opponents by working and carrying weapons at the same time (4:21).
LESSON (2): In such dangers, God would want His people to engage him in prayer and trust Him, more than devising strategic military plans. In facing such dangers, episodes like these remind us that God did not prevent Jesus Christ from facing the cross—because of the benefits that arise out of the taunts and terrible blows that come on Jesus—the true conditions of hearts will be revealed clearly for all to see. Worshippers of today do well to look to Jesus' example, and continue to obey and trust God to work in His way in His universe.
In the end, from the examples of Jesus and others in OT Scripture, we see that the end results of spiritual growth and resilience were worth the result of facing the taunts, abuse and attacks on their walk with God. We only pray that worshippers today look at the long-term benefits of handling taunts with God's help.
QT 05/01/2025 星期日. 尼希米 4. 处理嘲讽
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/neh/4
既然尼希米同时代的人已经开始回转向神，神就开始了祂的工作，将祂的子民从耻辱和失望中拯救出来。然而，他们的对手却继续对他们大加指责，意图让他们继续蒙羞。他们的对手不断嘲笑他们的软弱、无能，甚至直接骂他们（“土堆里”，4:2）。
学习（1）： 顺服上帝是命令，也是人们所期望的，这样就能得到上帝的眷顾和保护。但圣经也教导我们，即使上帝可以阻止攻击，他也不会总是阻止攻击遇上敬拜者。这一教训非常重要，以免我们对上帝在祂的宇宙中的工作方式产生错误的理解。
在这种情况下，我们应该怎么处理嘲讽？(a) 尼希米同时代的人恳求神采取行动（4：4-5）。(b) 他们自己也行动起来，“百姓专心做工”（4：6）。(c) 他们采用了实用的保护技术，并通过同时工作和携带武器来警告他们的对手（4：21）。
学习（2）： 在这样的危险中，上帝希望祂的子民向祂祷告，信靠祂，而不只是制定战略性的军事计划。在面对这样的危险时，这样的情节提醒我们，上帝并没有阻止耶稣基督面对十字架--因为耶稣受到的嘲讽和可怕的打击会带来益处--人心的真实状况将昭然若揭。今天的敬拜者不妨以耶稣为榜样，继续顺服和信靠上帝，在祂的宇宙中以祂的方式行事。
归根结底，从耶稣和《旧约圣经》中其他人的例子中，我们看到，最终的属灵成长和坚毅不拔的韧性，值得他们勇敢面对与上帝同行时所遭受的嘲讽、辱骂和攻击。我们只祈求今天的敬拜者能看到在神的帮助下应对嘲讽的长期益处。
