【双语灵修】从皇宫到旷野FROM THE PALACE TO THE WILDERNESS
出埃及记 2:11-25
后来，摩西长大，他出去到他弟兄那里，看他们的重担，见一个埃及人打希伯来人的一个弟兄。 他左右观看，见没有人，就把埃及人打死了，藏在沙土里。 第二天他出去，见有两个希伯来人争斗，就对那欺负人的说：“你为什么打你同族的人呢？” 那人说：“谁立你做我们的首领和审判官呢？难道你要杀我，像杀那埃及人吗？”摩西便惧怕，说：“这事必是被人知道了。” 法老听见这事，就想杀摩西，但摩西躲避法老，逃往米甸地居住。
一日，他在井旁坐下。米甸的祭司有七个女儿，她们来打水，打满了槽，要饮父亲的群羊。 有牧羊的人来把她们赶走了，摩西却起来帮助她们，又饮了她们的群羊。 她们来到父亲流珥那里，他说：“今日你们为何来得这么快呢？” 她们说：“有一个埃及人救我们脱离牧羊人的手，并且为我们打水饮了群羊。” 他对女儿们说：“那个人在哪里？你们为什么撇下他呢？你们去请他来吃饭。” 摩西甘心和那人同住，那人把他的女儿西坡拉给摩西为妻。 西坡拉生了一个儿子，摩西给他起名叫革舜，意思说：“因我在外邦做了寄居的。”
过了多年，埃及王死了。以色列人因做苦工，就叹息哀求，他们的哀声达于神。 神听见他们的哀声，就记念他与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各所立的约。 神看顾以色列人，也知道他们的苦情。
星期五
三月二十日
从皇宫到旷野
“神听见他们的哀声，就记念他与亚伯拉罕 … 所立的约。” - 出2:24
在皇宫的生活是有特权的，摩西便享有这些特权，他可以随意出去看他要看的，然后又回来享受皇宫的舒适生活。
但是有一天，摩西看到一个埃及人殴打一个希伯来人（摩西的同胞）。摩西觉得需要介入，就杀了那埃及人，把他藏在沙土里。但这暴行逼使摩西要离开法老和逃命到旷野去。
摩西与我们一样，会做好事也会做错事。他杀了一个人，虽然这人打他的一个希伯来同胞，但这仍是一件错事。在旷野，摩西救了米甸祭司的几个女儿，这善举使他成为这个家庭的一份子，他娶了那祭司其中一个女儿，后来更得了儿子，成为父亲。
但摩西仍然感到失落，他替儿子取名为革舜，意思是：“因我在外邦作了寄居的。”虽然有了新的家庭，摩西并不是与同胞以色列人同住。在埃及时，摩西住在皇宫中，他也不是与同胞同住的。
摩西还未得到神的呼召，这些旷野的年日是他的预备期，神听见与祂立约的子民的哀声，祂正在安排拯救他们。
祷告
亲爱的神，求你帮助我们知道，虽然身处在旷野中，你仍是与我们同在的。无论我们身在何处，愿我们聆听你对我们生命的呼召。阿们。
Exodus 2:11-25
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
FROM THE PALACE TO THE WILDERNESS
God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham. . . . —Exodus 2:24
Life in the palace was a privilege. Moses had a privileged position, and he could go out to see whatever he wanted to. Then he could return to enjoy the comforts of palace living.
One day, however, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew— an Israelite (one of his own people)—and he felt compelled to step in. Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. But that violence became the reason why Moses had to separate from Pharaoh and run for his life out into the wilderness.
Like all of us, Moses could do bad things as well as good things. He had killed a person— and that was bad, even if the man he killed was beating a fellow Hebrew. Moses also came to the rescue of the daughters of a priest in Midian. And that kindness led him to become part of a family, marrying one of the priest’s daughters and becoming the father of a baby boy.
Yet something was missing. Moses named his son Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.” Though he had a new family, Moses was not living with his people, the Israelites. Back in Egypt, while he lived in the king’s palace, Moses had not lived with his people either. He had not yet received his calling from God.
These wilderness years were a time of preparation for Moses, as God heard the cries of his covenant people and arranged to deliver them.
Dear God, help us know that when we are in the wilderness, you are still with us. May we listen to your call on our lives, wherever we are. Amen.