From Jonah 4:1-11

^4:1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. ^4:2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ^4:3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

^4:4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

^4:5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. ^4:6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. ^4:7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. ^4:8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

^4:9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

^4:10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. ^4:11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

In Jonah 4:10 and 4:11, the word “concern” appears twice. The Lord said to Jonah, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow […] should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh…”

Was Jonah really concerned about the plant? No, he was actually concerned about himself. Of course, the Lord knew this and so He asked Jonah this question to make him reflect. Jonah’s love was superficial; he loved his country, he loved those who feared God and those who were righteous. As for those fearful and cruel Assyrians, he hoped for their immediate destruction. He did not want to go to Nineveh to preach because he was afraid they would repent and that their repentance would cause God to relent and spare them from the disaster that is His judgment. Jonah 4:2 “He prayed to the Lord, ‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’” It seemed Jonah felt he was totally right in saying this. And so the Lord taught this disobedient prophet lessons by sending the storm, the big fish, the plant, a worm, and the hot east wind.

God’s concern was completely different from Jonah’s concern. God is concerned about each person. Everyone is created in the image of God, but because of sin, we have fallen short of God’s glory. Yet the Lord God prefers to see men come to repentance rather than perish. When God looked at the great city of Nineveh, He saw a city whose numbers run over a hundred and twenty thousand. Can God not be concerned about these poor children?

The Book of Jonah concludes with a question. Jonah 4:11 says, “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” How did Jonah respond? I have reason to believe that Jonah repented because if he hadn’t, the Book of Jonah would not exist. Apart from Jonah, no one else could have known the whole story this clearly.

God not only wanted to save the entire city of Nineveh; more than that, He wanted to save His servant Jonah. Are you Jonah? Are you willing to repent?

Previous Post: The True Meaning of Repentance

你愛惜什麼 | 約拿書 

張國強牧師

約拿書 4:1-11

^4:1 這事約拿大大不悅, 且甚發怒。^4:2 就禱告耶和華說: 耶和華阿, 我在本國的時候, 豈不是這樣說麼? 我知道你是有恩典, 有憐憫的神, 不輕易發怒, 有豐盛的慈愛, 並且後悔不降所說的災, 所以我急速逃往他施去。^4:3 耶和華阿, 現在求你取我的命罷, 因為我死了比活著還好。

^4:4 耶和華說, 你這樣發怒合乎理麼?

^4:5 於是約拿出城, 坐在城的東邊, 在那裡為自己搭了一座棚, 坐在棚的蔭下, 要看看那城究竟如何? ^4:6 耶和華神安排一棵蓖麻, 使其發生高過約拿, 影兒遮蓋他的頭, 救他脫離苦楚, 約拿因這棵蓖麻大大喜樂。^4:7 次日黎明, 神卻安排一條蟲子, 咬這蓖麻, 以致枯槁。^4:8 日頭出來的時候, 神安排炎熱的東風, 日頭曝曬約拿的頭, 使他發昏, 他就為自己求死, 說: 我死了比活著還好。

^4:9 神對約拿說, 你因這棵蓖麻發怒合乎理麼?

他說, 我發怒以至於死, 都合乎理。

^4:10 耶和華說, 這蓖麻不是你栽種的, 也不是你培養的, 一夜發生, 一夜乾死你尚且愛惜, ^4:11 何況這尼尼微大城,其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人, 並有許多牲畜, 我豈能不愛惜呢?

4:10與4:11二次出現「愛惜」這個字; 耶和華問約拿, 這蓖麻不是你栽種的, 也不是你培養的, 一夜發生, 一夜乾死你尚且愛惜; 然後神說: 何況這尼尼微大城,其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人, 並有許多牲畜, 我豈能不愛惜呢?

約拿真的愛惜那棵蓖麻樹嗎? 不是的, 他真正愛惜是他自己, 神不是不知, 神發出這個問題, 是要約拿好好反省一下; 約拿的愛是很膚淺的, 他愛他的國家, 他愛那些敬畏神的人, 愛那些公義的人, 但面對亞述那些那怕又殘忍的人, 他巴不得他們馬上滅亡, 他不去尼尼微傳道就是怕他們悔改, 神不降災下來。4:2 就禱告耶和華說: 耶和華阿, 我在本國的時候, 豈不是這樣說麼? 我知道你是有恩典, 有憐憫的神, 不輕易發怒, 有豐盛的慈愛, 並且後悔不降所說的災, 所以我急速逃往他施去。當他說這句話的時候, 他好像一點都沒有錯。神藉著安排大風大浪, 大魚, 蓖麻樹, 一條蟲與炎熱東風來教導這位不順從的先知。

神的愛惜與約拿完全不同, 神愛惜祂所造的人, 他們都是照神的形像被造的, 但因為罪虧欠了神的榮耀, 但神更願意看見人的悔改而不是人的滅亡。當神觀看尼尼微大城的時候, 單單孩童就有 12萬, 神能不愛惜這些可憐的孩子嗎？

約拿書的最後是用一個問題來結束, 4:11 何況這尼尼微大城,其中不能分辨左手右手的有十二萬多人, 並有許多牲畜, 我豈能不愛惜呢? 約拿是怎樣回應的呢? 我個人有理由相信約拿悔改了, 因為如果他悔改, 約拿書根本不會出現, 因為除了約拿以外, 根本沒有第三者那麼的清楚整個故事。我心裡更明白一件事, 神不單要拯救整個尼尼微大城, 神心裡更要拯救的是祂的僕人約拿。你是約拿嗎? 你願意悔改嗎？

The post What Concerns You? | Jonah appeared first on Christian Bible Church of the Philippines.

From Jonah 3:1-10

^3:1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴ Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

⁶ When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷ This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸ But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹ Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

What is repentance? The city of Nineveh is the best example of repentance. The Lord forgave them because of their repentance. Their repentance was genuine and acceptable to the Lord. Let us learn the true meaning of repentance from this chapter:

1. Repentance means to turn around. The Lord asked Jonah to go to Nineveh, but instead, he went to Joppa because he wanted to board a ship and flee to Tarshish. Geographically, these two places were in opposite directions; one was located to the northeast while the other was in the west. However, in Chapter 3, Jonah turned back. Isn’t that what repentance is — a changing of direction? Repentance means to make a U-turn.  This is the first meaning of repentance, turning back from our sins and mistakes.  
2. Repentance is stepping down from the throne. When news about the city’s impending destruction reached the king, he got off his throne, took off his garments, put on sackcloth, and sat down in the dust. The king stepped down from the highest position to the lowest position – is this not the best manifestation of humble repentance?
3. Repentance is a change in behavior. The king commanded everyone to turn around and give up their evil ways and their violence and the people of Nineveh obeyed. True repentance takes place not only in the heart but also in one’s actions. Not only does a person give up his sins, but he will seek to obey God’s will — a true indication of repentance.

When these people repented, God relented and did not bring on the destruction He had threatened.  God is not human that He would change His mind, this is what the Bible says; therefore, we cannot liken God changing his mind to humans regretting and changing their minds. We regret mainly because we made mistakes or judged erroneously, but once we realize our error, we regret it or change our minds.   On the contrary, God does not make mistakes. He does not make mistakes in His judgments and plans because He is an all-knowing and almighty God. God relenting or changing His mind is based on God’s faithfulness and God’s justice. The righteous God rewards good and punishes evil. Good must be rewarded and evil must be punished. 

When a person truly repents, the Lord will — based on His faithfulness and justice — relent and withdraw the foretold disaster. Yet in God’s final judgment, evil will meet retribution and good will be rewarded.  Let us not tarry; instead, let us repent quickly.

Previous Post: Prayer Inside the Belly of a Fish

悔改的真義 | 約拿書 

張國強牧師

約拿書 3:1-10

^3:1 耶和華的話, 二次臨到約拿說, ² 你起來, 往尼尼微大城去, 向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的話。

³ 約拿便照耶和華的話起來, 往尼尼微去。這尼尼微是極大的城, 有三日的路程。⁴ 約拿進城走了一日, 宣告說: 再等四十日, 尼尼微必傾覆了。⁵ 尼尼微人信服神, 便宣告禁食, 從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣。

⁶ 這信息傳到尼尼微王的耳中, 他就下了寶座, 脫下朝服, 披上麻布, 坐在灰中。⁷ 他又使人遍告尼尼微通城說: 王和大臣有令, 人不可嘗甚麼, 牲畜, 牛羊, 不可喫草,也不可喝水。⁸ 人與牲畜都當披上麻布, 人要切切求告神, 各人回頭離開所行的惡道, 丟棄手中的強暴。⁹ 或者神轉意後悔, 不發烈怒, 使我們不至滅亡, 也未可知。

¹⁰ 於是神察看他們的行為, 見他們離開惡道, 他就後悔, 不把所說的災禍降與他們了。

什麼叫悔改? 尼尼微城大城是最好的例子, 神也因為他們的悔改赦免了他們的罪, 可見他們的悔改是真實的, 是蒙神悅納的, 我們就從這章經文來看悔改真正的意思：

1. 從約拿身上看見悔改是方向的回轉。神要約拿去尼尼微, 但他卻去了約帕, 因為他要坐船往他施去。從地理上來看, 這是兩個完全相反的方向, 一個在東北, 一個在西; 但在第三章約拿轉回來了, 悔改不就是改變方向嗎？悔改的意思就是U-turn. 我們要從錯誤的方向轉回, 這是悔改第一個意思。
2. 從尼尼王身上看見悔改是從寶座下來。當全城四十日後要滅亡的消息傳到王的耳中, 他竟然從寶座上下來, 甚至脫下朝服, 披上麻布, 坐在灰中。從最高的位置降到最低的地位, 這不就是悔改最好的解釋嗎? 這叫謙卑認罪。
3. 從尼尼微百姓身上看見悔改是行為的改變。王下命令說: 各人回頭離開所行的惡道, 丟棄手中的強暴。真正的悔改不單在心裡, 也有行動的表示。不單離罪更要遵行神的旨意, 這才是悔改真正的表現。

當他們悔改後, 神就後悔不降災了。神不是人, 神不會後悔的, 這是聖經的教導; 所以我們不能用人的後悔來解釋神的後悔。人的後悔主要是因為作錯了, 想錯了, 後來知道了, 所以後悔了。但神不是作錯, 不會想錯的, 因為祂是全知全能的神。

神的後悔是基於神的信實, 神的公義。公義的神是賞善罰惡的, 善一定要賞賜, 惡一定要罰。當人真正的悔改, 基於神的信實與公義, 祂會改變他的心意, 將災禍拿下, 但在神最終的審判裡, 惡必定會有報應, 善也一定會有賞賜。我們要快快悔改, 不要遲延。

The post The True Meaning of Repentance | Jonah appeared first on Christian Bible Church of the Philippines.

From Jonah 2:1-10

^2:1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. ² He said: 

“In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. ³ You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. ⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ ⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. ⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. ⁷ “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. ⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. ⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” 

¹⁰ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

The second chapter of Jonah is a prayer. It can be said that this prayer is one of a kind because no one has prayed from the belly of a fish before and, I believe, neither will anyone else pray from the belly of a fish in the future. When Jonah had been thrown overboard into the sea, it was supposed to be the end for him, but the Lord arranged for a big fish to swallow him up. Jonah ended up in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. This was a miracle and it was also God’s mercy.

We pray to God in different places, but I do not think any of us will have the opportunity to pray from the belly of a fish as Jonah did. Jonah 2:1 “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.” Praying while in the belly of a fish also means praying in a time of trouble. Jonah also said the same, Jonah 2:2  “In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.”  Are we not also in trouble now? The COVID-19 pandemic that we face is a global disaster; are we not in trouble too? Jonah added in 2:7: “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord.”  The phrase “When life ebbs away” signifies those times when even thinking is difficult and when all that is ahead looks dreadfully bleak. Are we not all in this exact same situation now? Nonetheless, we thank God because we can pray.

There is a very important principle that we must grasp from this prayer, which Jonah mentioned twice: In Jonah 2:4, we read: “I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ In 2:7, we read: “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.”  

Both Jonah 2:4 and Jonah 2:7 mention the same thing – prayer rising from the belly of the fish toward the temple of God. What kind of prayer is this? This is the prayer of Solomon when he dedicated the temple to the Lord. Solomon prayed, “When we, your people, sin in the future, when we are taken captive and become scattered in various places, if we turn back to you in repentance, and pray to you, may our prayers reach your temple.”  He prayed that their prayers may reach the Lord. Now Jonah is in the belly of a fish. Why was he in there? It was because he had disobeyed God. But now that he is repenting, he remembered Solomon’s prayer.  He confessed his sins to God from the belly of the fish. He asked God for mercy and the Lord God heard his prayer. Jonah 2:10 says, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”

It is not important where we, the Church, pray but what is most important is our attitude in prayer. Let us come to God in humility and come to Him with a repentant heart!

Previous Post: God’s Provision

魚腹裡的禱告 | 約拿書 

張國強牧師

約拿書 2:1-10

^2:1 約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華他的神, ² 說, 我遭遇患難求告耶和華,你就應允我, 從陰間的深處呼求, 你就俯聽我的聲音。³ 你將我投下深淵, 就是海的深處, 大水環繞我, 你的波浪洪濤, 都漫過我身。⁴ 我說, 我從你眼前雖被驅逐, 我仍要仰望你的聖殿。⁵ 諸水環繞我,幾乎淹沒我, 深淵圍住我, 海草纏繞我的頭; ⁶ 我下到山根, 地的門將我永遠關住。耶和華我的神阿, 你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。⁷ 我心在我裡面發昏的時候, 我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿, 達到你的面前。⁸ 那信奉虛無之神的人, 離棄憐愛他們的主, ⁹ 但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭與你, 我所許的願, 我必償還。救恩出於耶和華。¹⁰ 耶和華吩咐魚, 魚就把約拿吐在旱地上。

約拿書第二章可以說是一個空前絕後的禱告, 因為從來沒有人曾在魚腹裡禱告, 我想將來也不會有人在魚腹裡禱告。約拿被掉在大海裡, 本來就是死路一條, 但神卻安排一條大魚將他吞了, 結果他在魚腹裡三日三夜, 這是一個神蹟, 這也是神的恩典。

我們會在不同的地方禱告神, 但在魚腹裡禱告, 我想我們都沒有這個機會, 但約拿卻有。2:1 約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華他的神。在魚腹裡禱告也是困難中的禱告, 約拿也是這樣說的, 2:2 說, 我遭遇患難求告耶和華, 你就應允我, 從陰間的深處呼求, 你就俯聽我的聲音。我們現在也不是在困難中嗎? 我們現在面對的COVID-19是全球性的災難, 我們不也是在困難中嗎？約拿又說2:7 我心在我裡面發昏的時候, 我就想念耶和華。發昏的時候就是連思想都困難的時候, 對前途根本也沒有把握的時候, 這也不是我們現在的情況嗎? 但感謝神, 我們仍可以禱告。

在這個禱告裡, 有一個很重要的原則我們要把握, 約拿二次提到一件事: 2:4 我說, 我從你眼前雖被驅逐, 我仍要仰望你的聖殿。2:7 我心在我裡面發昏的時候, 我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿, 達到你的面前。2:4/2:7 都提到一件事, 禱告從魚腹中達到神的聖殿, 這是什麼的禱告。這是所羅門獻殿的時候的禱告, 所羅門王說, 將來如果我們犯了罪, 我們被分散到各地, 但只要我們認罪悔改, 在各地向你禱告, 願我們的禱告達到你的聖殿, 其實意思是達到神的面前。現在約拿在魚腹中, 為什麼他會在魚腹中? 因為不順服神, 現在他悔改了, 他想到所羅門的禱告, 他在魚腹中向神認罪, 求神憐憫, 神也垂聽了。2:10 耶和華吩咐魚, 魚就把約拿吐在旱地上。 

教會在什麼地方禱告不是最重要, 用什麼的態度來禱告才是最重要的原則, 以謙卑的心來到神面前, 以認罪悔改的心來到祂面前吧!

The post Prayer Inside the Belly of a Fish | Jonah appeared first on Christian Bible Church of the Philippines.

From Jonah 1:17

¹⁷ Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

In the book of Jonah, the word “provided” appears four times. 

• Jonah 1:17 “the Lord provided a huge fish”
• Jonah 4:6 “Then the Lord provided a leafy plant” 
• Jonah 4:7 “But at dawn the next day God provided a worm.” 
• Jonah 4:8 “When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind.” 

In the original text, the word “provide” means to appoint or assign, just like leaders do with their subordinates, giving them charge to do something. In addition to these four incidences of God’s provision, there is one more incident (though the Bible does not use the word `provide’) — the emergence of the storm on the sea. Jonah 1:4 “Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” The great wind and violent waves on the sea were no coincidences. Why? Because we see in Jonah 1:15: “Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.” 

It’s no coincidence that the storm was calmed for the Lord is indeed the God who made the sea and the dry land! The storm had been appointed by God to teach this disobedient prophet a lesson. Once the prophet was thrown overboard, the storm immediately stopped, because it had completed its mission. The leafy plant was appointed by God to grow up overnight, shielding the prophet from the sun; but then it was eaten up by the worm, because its mission had been accomplished. The worm was appointed by God to eradicate the leafy plant, and the worm did its best to eat and chew. I think it would have been crushed to death too. What is most important is that the worm had also fulfilled its mission. The scorching east wind was appointed by God to shine upon Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. The east wind also fulfilled its mission. 

Each of these elements — the storm, the big fish, the leafy plant, the worm, the east wind — fulfilled the mission assigned by God. Only the prophet appointed by God disobeyed and left without fulfilling his mission. What irony this is for us humans who had been made in the image of God. May the Lord have mercy on us. Let us not consider our own ego more important than the mission assigned by God. May God forgive us for our disobedience!

Previous Post: Fear and Awe

神的安排 | 約拿書 

張國強牧師

約拿書 1:17

¹⁷ 耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿, 他在魚腹中三日三夜。

在約拿書中, 「安排」這個字先後出現了四次。

• 1:17安排一條大魚; 
• 4:6 耶和華神安排一棵蓖麻;
• 4:7 次日黎明, 神卻安排一條蟲
• 4:8 日頭出來的時候, 神安排炎熱的東風。

安排這個字原文意思是委派, 委派是上級給下屬的使命。除了這四次的安排, 還有一樣, 雖然聖經沒有用安排這個字, 但照聖經的記載, 這也實在是神的安排, 那就是海中的風浪。1:4 然而耶和華使海中起大風, 海就狂風大作, 甚至船幾乎破壞。這海中所起的大風大浪不是偶然的, 為什麼? 因為當約拿被掉在大海後, 1:15 他們遂將約拿抬起, 拋在海中,海的狂浪就平息了。這絕對不是偶然的, 因為神是創造滄海天地的主啊!

大風被神委派要教訓這位不聽話的先知, 當先知下海後, 大風就停止了, 因為大風的使命完成了。蓖麻被神委派一夜之間長大起來, 可以為先知遮蔽太陽, 但當被蟲咬下就一了, 它的使命也完成了, 可以回去了。蟲被神委派要咬死蓖麻機, 蟲就盡力去吃去咬, 我想牠也要被撐死了, 但最重要是使命完成了。東風被神委派要曬約拿的頭, 約拿頭都發昏了。東風的使命也完成了。

神所委派的, 大風大浪, 大魚, 蓖麻樹, 蟲, 東風, 他們都順服神的委派, 完全神給他們的使命, 只有被神委派的先知不聽話, 使命沒有完成就走了。這對我們這些被稱為照神形像所造的人是何等的諷刺, 求主憐憫我們, 我們的自我比神委派的使命更重要, 求神赦免我們的不順服啊!

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From Jonah 1:4-16

^1:4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. 

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” 

⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

⁹ He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” 

¹² “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” 

¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴ Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

In this passage, we see fear and awe emerge one after the other. Jonah 1:5 “All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god.” The wind and waves raged with such intensity that even sailors who were used to the sea all their lives were terrified. We can just imagine how terrible the wind and the waves must have been. Jonah 1:9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This is what Jonah told those who were on the ship. He claimed to be a man who worships the Lord. Jonah 1:10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” This was the sailors’ response when Jonah told them that the Lord is the God who created the sea and the dry land and therefore, this terrible storm came from His hand. Jonah 1:16 “At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.” And this was the response of the men by the end, their great fear turned to great awe. 

Actually, fear and awe are the same word in the original text, but there are obvious differences in this case. The men began with fear but ended in awe, and in their awe, they responded by making vows and sacrifices to the Lord. The fear of God thrust them towards establishing a relationship with God. However, if it had only been fear, that would simply be like the devil’s belief of God. The apostle James says even the demons believe and shudder. We however believe in awe and reverence.

This passage shows us that there can be two completely different attitudes towards God: one is fear and the other is awe. Fear because He is truly a formidable God, and awe because we now know Him and we have a relationship with Him. What is your heart’s response to the Lord? Is it fear or is it awe? 

Previous Post: Fleeing from the Lord 

 懼怕與敬畏 | 約拿書 

張國強牧師

約拿書 1:4-16

^1:4 然而耶和華使海中起大風, 海就狂風大作, 甚至船幾乎破壞。⁵ 水手便懼怕, 各人哀求自己的神, 他們將船上的貨物拋在海中, 為要使船輕些。約拿已下到底艙, 躺臥沉睡。⁶ 船主到他那裡對他說,你這沉睡的人哪, 為何這樣呢? 起來, 求告你的神, 或者神顧念我們, 使我們不至滅亡。

⁷ 船上的人彼此說: 來罷, 我們掣籤, 看看這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故, 於是他們掣籤, 掣出約拿來。⁸ 眾人對他說: 請你告訴我們, 這災臨到我們是因誰的緣故, 你以何事為業, 你從那裡來, 你是哪一國, 屬那一族的人。

⁹ 他說: 我是希伯來人, 我敬畏耶和華, 那創造滄海旱地之天上的神。

¹⁰ 他們就大大懼怕, 對他說, 你作的是甚麼事呢? 他們已經知道他躲避耶和華, 因為他告訴了他們。

¹¹ 他們問他說, 我們當向你怎樣行, 使海浪平靜呢? 這話是因海浪越發翻騰。

¹² 他對他們說: 你們將我抬起來, 拋在海中, 海就平靜了, 我知道你們遭這大風, 是因我的緣故。

¹³ 然而那些人竭力盪槳,要把船攏岸卻是不能, 因為海浪越發向他們翻騰。¹⁴ 他們便求告耶和華說, 耶和華阿, 我們懇求你, 不要因這人的性命使我們死亡, 不要使流無辜血的罪歸與我們, 因為你耶和華是隨自己的意旨行事。¹⁵ 他們遂將約拿抬起, 拋在海中, 海的狂浪就平息了。¹⁶ 那些人便大大敬畏耶和華, 向耶和華獻祭, 並且許願。 

在這段經文裡, 我們看見懼怕與敬畏交接的出現。1:5 水手便「懼怕」, 各人哀求自己的神。風浪太可了, 連一生與海為伴的水手都害怕了, 可想這場風浪是何等的可怕。1:9 他說: 我是希伯來人, 我「敬畏」耶和華, 那創造滄海旱地之天上的神。這是約拿對眾人說的一句話, 他自稱是敬畏神的人。1:10 他們就大大「懼怕」對他說, 你作的是甚麼事呢? 這是水手們對約拿所說的話的反應, 約拿告訴他們, 耶和華是創造滄海旱地之天上的神。那這場可怕的風浪就是從祂而來的。1:16 那些人便大大「敬畏」耶和華, 向耶和華獻祭, 並且許願。這是船上的人最後的反應, 他們從大大的懼怕變成大大的敬畏。其實懼怕與敬畏原文是同一個字, 但在這裡明顯有不同去地方, 那些人從懼怕開始到敬畏結束, 而且還有敬畏的行動, 他們向耶和華獻祭, 並且許願。敬畏神使他們與神建立了關係, 但如果只是懼怕, 這與魔鬼信神的信心是一樣, 雅各說: 魔鬼也信卻是懼怕。我們信卻是敬畏。

在這裡也讓我們看見有二種對神完全不同的態度, 一是懼怕, 一是敬畏。懼怕因為神真是可畏的, 但敬畏卻因為與神有了認識, 有了關係。請問你對神的存心是「懼怕」或是「敬畏」呢？

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From Jonah 1:1-5

^1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because its wickedness has come up before me.”

³ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

⁴ Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

We all know the story of Jonah well, and we also like the plot because it’s like watching a movie with exciting scenes. But what we must ask ourselves is this: Why did Jonah flee from the Lord and what are the consequences of doing so?

Jonah was a servant of the Lord, he knew the Lord well, as evidenced by what he said.

• Jonah 1:9 “He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This is what he said to those on the ship. Since God is the God who created the sea and the dry land, can he run away from such a God?
• Jonah 4:2 “He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” He said that God is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love —that is why he fled to Tarshish. We discover in this passage that Jonah only had a “head knowledge” of God. His heart and his life did not show a true understanding of the Lord. Isn’t this also our problem? We know the Lord with our minds but do our hearts truly understand God’s heart?

From the moment the prophet fled from the Lord, we see how his situation kept going from bad to worse. He left God’s presence, left Israel, and proceeded to Tarshish. He boarded a ship and went below the deck. Finally, he fell into the belly of a big fish and sank below the deep waters of the sea. How apt that the circumstances he found himself in mirrors the state of his life! In the second chapter, Jonah acknowledged that he was in the realm of the dead, that God is omnipresent, He is everywhere. Where can we hide from His presence? Turn around! He is waiting for us.

Next post: Fear and Awe

躲避耶和華 | 約拿書 

張國強牧師

約拿書 1:1-5

^1:1 耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿, 說: ² 你起來往尼尼微大城去, 向其中的居民呼喊, 因為他們的惡達到我面前。

³ 約拿卻起來,逃往他施去躲避耶和華, 下到約帕, 遇見一隻船, 要往他施去。他就給了船價, 上了船, 要與船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和華。

⁴ 然而耶和華使海中起大風, 海就狂風大作, 甚至船幾乎破壞。⁵ 水手便懼怕, 各人哀求自己的神, 他們將船上的貨物拋在海中, 為要使船輕些。約拿已下到底艙, 躺臥沉睡。

約拿的故事我們都非常的熟識, 而且也很喜歡裡面的情節, 因為好像看電影一樣, 非常的精彩; 但我們要問的是為什麼先要躲避神, 我們也要問躲避神的結果又是什麼？

約拿是神的僕人, 他對神有非常深的認識, 我們可以從他說的話來証明。

• 1:9 他說, 我是希伯來人; 我敬畏耶和華, 那創造滄海旱地之天上的神。這是他對船上的人說的話, 但既然神是那創造滄海旱地之天上的神, 他可以躲避這樣的神嗎?
• 4:2 耶和華阿, 我在本國的時候,豈不是這樣說麼? 我知道你是有恩典, 有憐憫的神, 不輕易發怒, 有豐盛的慈愛, 並且後悔不降所說的災, 所以我急速逃往他施去。他說神是有我有恩典, 有憐憫的神, 不輕易發怒, 有豐盛的慈愛的神, 但他卻逃往他施去。我們發現一件事, 先知只是在頭腦上, 知識上認識神, 但他的心, 他的生命卻不了解神, 這也不是我們的問題嗎? 頭腦上認識神, 但我們的心真的體會神的心嗎？

當知先離開神, 躲避神的那一刻開始, 我們發現他的情況真是每況愈下, 他離開了神的面, 他離開以色列往他施去, 他先在船上, 後又下到船的底艙, 最後下在大魚的腹裡, 沉在深水之下。環境是這樣, 他的生命也不是如此嗎? 在第二章他說他在陰間的深處。神是無所不在的, 我們又可以在那裡躲到祂的面呢? 回頭吧! 祂在等候我們。

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