【双语灵修】耶和华的应许 The Promise
“我的慈爱仍不离开他。” - 撒下 7:15
宫殿已经建造好，神又“使他安靖，不被四围的仇敌扰乱。”这时大卫便有时间反省一下现实了。神的约柜只不过被暂时安置在幔子里，大卫或许因此感到有点儿羞愧不安。
然而，神藉着先知拿单晓谕大卫，他有更伟大的计划要启示他。
大卫的（和我们的）计划往往太微小了。神告诉拿单，天上地下没有任何地方足以成为耶和华的居所，无论祂的子民往哪里去、在什么地方安居，祂都是一位与他们同行的神，而事实上，祂是无所不在的神。单单一座建筑物，岂能成为耶和华的居所呢？
在《跳过墙垣》这本书中，尤金·毕德生指出，在神吩咐拿单传达给大卫的信息中，有23个动词是以神作为第一人称主动态的。耶和华是主动、作工、说话、存在、应许、建立、永活、和永远信实的神。
神应许衪的慈爱永远不离开大卫，而耶和华应许要作大卫后裔的父，这在继承大卫王位的耶稣基督身上得以应验了。“我要作他的父，他要作我的子”这句话，为神的儿子我们的救主耶稣降世作好准备。这便是真正永恒的慈爱。
祷告
主我的神啊，你的救赎事工既广大又完备。今天求你帮助我们，欣然接受你在基督里赐给我们这份厚礼，就是你对我们信实的慈爱。阿们！
撒母耳记下 7:1-17
1王住在自己宫中，耶和华使他安靖，不被四围的仇敌扰乱。
2那时，王对先知拿单说：“看哪，我住在香柏木的宫中，神的约柜反在幔子里！”
3拿单对王说：“你可以照你的心意而行，因为耶和华与你同在。”
4当夜，耶和华的话临到拿单说：
5“你去告诉我仆人大卫说：‘耶和华如此说：你岂可建造殿宇给我居住呢？
6自从我领以色列人出埃及直到今日，我未曾住过殿宇，常在会幕和帐幕中行走。
7凡我同以色列人所走的地方，我何曾向以色列一支派的士师，就是我吩咐牧养我民以色列的，说：“你们为何不给我建造香柏木的殿宇呢？”’
8现在你要告诉我仆人大卫说：‘万军之耶和华如此说：我从羊圈中将你召来，叫你不再跟从羊群，立你做我民以色列的君。
9你无论往哪里去，我常与你同在，剪除你的一切仇敌。我必使你得大名，好像世上大大有名的人一样。
10我必为我民以色列选定一个地方，栽培他们，使他们住自己的地方，不再迁移。凶恶之子也不像从前扰害他们，
11并不像我命士师治理我民以色列的时候一样。我必使你安靖，不被一切仇敌扰乱。并且我耶和华应许你，必为你建立家室。
12你寿数满足与你列祖同睡的时候，我必使你的后裔接续你的位，我也必坚定他的国。
13他必为我的名建造殿宇，我必坚定他的国位直到永远。
14我要做他的父，他要做我的子。他若犯了罪，我必用人的杖责打他，用人的鞭责罚他。
15但我的慈爱仍不离开他，像离开在你面前所废弃的扫罗一样。
16你的家和你的国必在我面前永远坚立，你的国位也必坚定直到永远。’”
17拿单就按这一切话，照这默示，告诉大卫。
The Promise
"My love will never be taken away from him." - 2 Samuel 7:15
King David had time to reflect on things after his palace was built and God had given him “rest from all his enemies around him.” Maybe he felt a tinge of shame that the home of God’s ark of the covenant was merely a tent.
Through the prophet Nathan, though, God revealed that he had bigger plans to share with his servant.
David’s (and our) plans are often much too small. God told Nathan that nothing in the heavens above or on the earth below could be big enough to house the Lord. He is the God who moves with his people wherever they might go, wherever they might be. Actually, he is the God who is everywhere at once. How could a mere building be the Lord’s residence?
In the book Leap Over the Wall, Eugene Peterson notes that God is the first-person subject of 23 verbs in the message that he gave Nathan to share with David. The Lord is the active, working, speaking, being, promising, establishing, eternal God who is faithful forever.
God promised that his love would never leave David. The Lord’s promise to be the father of his offspring would be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ as the heir to David’s throne. The statement “I will be his father, and he will be my son” set the stage for the coming of Jesus as God’s Son, our Savior. That’s real love.
Prayer
Lord and God, your work of salvation is vast and comprehensive. Help us to embrace the tremendous gift of your faithful love for us in Christ today. Amen!