【双语灵修】在园中行走 Walking In The Garden
我们瞥见了神对堕落人类救赎的应许,祂将使他们恢复与自己、与他人、与世界的相交
“天起了凉风,耶和华神在园中行走。那人和他妻子听见神的声音,就藏在园里的树木中,躲避耶和华神的面。” - 创3:8
在阿巴拉契亚山道徒步旅行时,我观赏到四月初盛开的野花。我特别注意到一种好看的白色早春花。但是,它的茎不幸断了,向一边耷拉着。这让我想起了《圣经》中记载的第一处行走的场景。
亚当和夏娃本该很喜欢在“天起凉风的时候”与神在园子里散步。但是在今天的创世记第3章里,他们却显得非常焦虑。在这一天的起头,他们违背了神的命令,做了一件神禁止他们做的事。
神创造了亚当和夏娃,让他们与自己、与他人、与这地和地上的万物和睦相处。然而,因着他们的悖逆,他们试图躲避神,随着故事的发展,我们看到他们彼此分裂,也与其他一切美好的创造物疏离。
当神来邀请他们同行时,却发现亚当和夏娃羞愧得畏缩不前。神向他们说明了罪的后果。但在神对蛇的审判中,我们瞥见了神对堕落人类救赎的应许,祂将使他们恢复与自己、与他人、与世界的相交。
我在四月份徒步穿越阿巴拉契亚山脉时,发现傍晚的天气通常凉爽舒适,这使我对与神和属神子民在祂应许救赎的世界中一同行走充满了期待。
祷告
主啊,你造我们是为了使我们与你相交。感谢你藉着耶稣救赎我们,让我们爱你,爱人,爱你所造的世界。阿们。
创世记 3:1-15
1耶和华神所造的,唯有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇对女人说:“神岂是真说,不许你们吃园中所有树上的果子吗?”
2女人对蛇说:“园中树上的果子我们可以吃,
3唯有园当中那棵树上的果子,神曾说:‘你们不可吃,也不可摸,免得你们死。’”
4蛇对女人说:“你们不一定死!
5因为神知道你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了,你们便如神能知道善恶。”
6于是女人见那棵树的果子好做食物,也悦人的眼目,且是可喜爱的,能使人有智慧,就摘下果子来吃了;又给她丈夫,她丈夫也吃了。
7他们二人的眼睛就明亮了,才知道自己是赤身露体,便拿无花果树的叶子,为自己编做裙子。
8天起了凉风,耶和华神在园中行走,那人和他妻子听见神的声音,就藏在园里的树木中,躲避耶和华神的面。
9耶和华神呼唤那人,对他说:“你在哪里?”
10他说:“我在园中听见你的声音,我就害怕,因为我赤身露体。我便藏了。”
11耶和华说:“谁告诉你赤身露体呢?莫非你吃了我吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子吗?”
12那人说:“你所赐给我与我同居的女人,她把那树上的果子给我,我就吃了。”
13耶和华神对女人说:“你做的是什么事呢?”女人说:“那蛇引诱我,我就吃了。”
14耶和华神对蛇说:“你既做了这事,就必受咒诅,比一切的牲畜野兽更甚!你必用肚子行走,终身吃土。
15我又要叫你和女人彼此为仇,你的后裔和女人的后裔也彼此为仇,女人的后裔要伤你的头,你要伤他的脚跟。”
Walking In The Garden
"The man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day. . . ." - Genesis 3:8
While hiking the Appalachian Trail, I enjoyed the early April wildflowers blooming along the pathway. I particularly noticed a crocus with a beautiful white flower. Sadly, its stem had broken, and it drooped sideways. It reminded me of the first walking scene in the Bible.
Adam and Eve must have enjoyed walking with God “in the cool of the day” in their garden home. But in today’s story from Genesis 3, they were deeply anxious. Earlier in the day, they had disobeyed God, doing the one thing God had told them not to do.
God had created Adam and Eve to live in fellowship with himself, with each other, and in harmony with the earth and its creatures. In their disobedience, however, they tried to hide from God, and, as the story continues, we see their alienation from each other and from the rest of God’s good creation.
When he comes to walk with them, God finds Adam and Eve cowering in shame. God explains the consequences of their sin. But in his judgment on the serpent, we glimpse God’s promise to redeem fallen humanity back to fellowship with himself, with each other, and with his world.
As I hiked through Appalachia in April, I found it was often comfortably cool late in the day, and this drew me to look forward to walking with God and all his family in the world he has promised to redeem.
Prayer
Lord, you have made us for fellowship with you. Thank you for redeeming us through Jesus—to love you, others, and your world. Amen.
Comments powered by Talkyard.