10月28日

標　　題：歷史

經　　節：你們這追求公義、尋求耶和華的，當聽我言！你們要追想被鑿而出的磐石，被挖而出的岩穴。（以賽亞書五十一章1節）

身為基督徒，我們永遠不要忽視自己所承繼的產業。瞭解自己所承繼的產業，幫助我們瞭解自己的身分與神的帶領。

以色列人是擁有豐盛產業的民族。這個國家始於亞伯拉罕與撒拉的信心，他們的後世跟隨著以撒、雅各和約瑟這些信心領袖的腳蹤。神豐富地祝福祂的百姓，使他們繁榮。神愛他們，領他們出埃及，進入祂所賞賜的富饒之地。神在歷史上行了一些最威嚴可畏的奇跡，來創建自己的國度。神不斷提供堅強的領袖給以色列民族，如：摩西、約書亞、基甸、底波拉、撒母耳、大衛和所羅門。祂差遣大能先知給以色列人，如：以利亞、以賽亞和耶利米。不幸地，在以賽亞時代，以色列百姓已經忘記自己所承繼的產業。他們像屬靈的乞丐，不像龐大產業的繼承者，也不像皇家祭司的成員。

你的屬靈產業，遠比以賽亞時代以色列百姓所承繼的更富裕。你的屬靈前輩，包括耶穌的肉身母親馬利亞、施洗約翰、十二使徒、使徒保羅，以及許許多多曆世歷代的聖徒。更重要的是，你有創始成終的耶穌作你的榜樣（希伯來書十二：2）。你也許擁有可追溯數代的家族信心史。

你是否看到神整個救贖計劃？神的計劃包括你，誠如這個計劃包括了曆世歷代的基督徒。神要你參與祂這份已在曆世歷代展開的救贖大工，拯救失喪的靈魂。你今日的順服會成為後世信心的遺產，讓後世可跟隨你的榜樣。

History

Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. (Isaiah 51:1)

As Christians, we ought never to overlook our heritage. An awareness of our Christian heritage helps us to understand our identity, and it gives us a sense of where God is leading us. The Israelites had a rich heritage. Their nation began as a result of Abraham and Sarah’s faithfulness. The generations that followed included Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph as their faithful leaders. God richly blessed His people and made them prosper. God continued to show favor on the Israelites by leading them out of Egypt into a prosperous land of their own. God established His nation through some of the most awesome miracles in history. God continued to provide strong leaders, such as Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Deborah, Samuel, David, and Solomon. He sent mighty prophets such as Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Unfortunately, in Isaiah’s day, God’s people had reached a point where they had forgotten their heritage. They lived as spiritual paupers rather than as heirs to a rich heritage and members of a royal priesthood.

Your spiritual heritage is even richer than that of Isaiah’s generation. Your spiritual ancestors include Mary the mother of Jesus, John the Baptist, the disciples, the apostle Paul, and a host of saints down through the ages. Even more important, you look to Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith (Heb. 12:2). You may have a family history of faithfulness that goes back several generations.

Do you see the full picture of God’s redemptive work? God’s plan involves you, just as it has included each Christian throughout the centuries. God wants you to participate in His continuing work to redeem a lost world. Your obedience today will provide a legacy of faithfulness to the generations that follow.