【双语灵修】单单敬拜神WORSHIPING GOD ALONE
出埃及记 20:1-3；历代志上 16:25-30
8月4日
单单敬拜神
“外邦的神都属虚无，惟独耶和华创造诸天。” - 历代志上 16:26
多年前在埃及开罗，我曾见过一尊拉（Ra）的像，他是埃及的太阳神。“拉”被描绘成一个色彩鲜艳、引人注目的形象：他长着猎鹰的头颅，头顶上方高悬着一轮耀眼的烈日。在古埃及众神中，拉被尊为最重要、最有权能的一位。但他并非唯一的神明；埃及人崇拜的神明不下两千位。
在埃及为奴四百多年后，以色列人聚集在西奈山下，他们对太阳神拉（Ra）和其他埃及神明并不陌生。因此，在神赐给他们的第一条诫命，神说：“除了我以外，你不可有别的神”，这并不令人意外。
这位将以色列领出埃及（《出埃及记》12-14章）、供应他们一切所需，并向他们赐下应许的耶和华神，也呼召祂的子民向祂献上绝对的忠诚。作为独一的真神，这位创造天地的主，呼召以色列视祂为独一的真神，单单敬拜祂。耶和华命令他们惟独敬拜祂，单单信靠祂，仰望祂赐予的一切美善，并尽心、尽性、尽意，谦卑且恒久地爱祂、敬畏祂并尊崇祂。
我在博物馆陈列的尘封古史中，见到了古埃及的太阳神拉。拉不过是埃及人虚构出来的偶像。然而，这位今日仍与我们同在的耶和华独一真神，却始终活着，始终行事；祂命令我们要像耶稣那样，以我们的全部生命，单单爱祂，并事奉祂。
祷告
父神，你造我们是为了让我们专一敬拜你。求你保守我们的心，使我们惟独仰望你。奉耶稣的名祷告。阿们。
Exodus 20:1-3; 1 Chronicles 16:25-30
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
WORSHIPING GOD ALONE
“All the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.” —1 Chronicles 16:26
Some years ago in Cairo, Egypt, I saw an image of Ra, the Egyptian sun god. Ra is portrayed as a colorful, striking figure with a falcon’s head and a sun disk perched above him. Ra was worshiped as the most important and powerful of the gods of ancient Egypt. But he wasn’t the only one; the Egyptians worshiped over 2,000 gods and goddesses.
Gathered at Mount Sinai after more than 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites were familiar with Ra and other Egyptian gods. So it’s no surprise that in the first of the commandments God gave them, he said, “You shall have no other gods before me.”
The God who had brought Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 12- 14), who provided for their every need and made promises to them, also called his people to give him their sole allegiance. As the one true God, the Lord who made the heavens and the earth called Israel to worship him as their only God. He commanded them to worship him alone, trust only in him, look to him for every good thing, and humbly and patiently love him, fear him, and honor him with all of their heart, soul, and mind.
I saw Ra, the old sun god of Egypt, in a museum display of dusty, ancient history. Ra was just a figment of the Egyptians’ imagination. But the one true God, who is still with us today, is as living and active as ever, and he commands us to love and serve only him, with our whole being, as Jesus did.
Father God, you made us to worship you alone. Keep our hearts focused on you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.