第五週 • 週四

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晨興餧養

出三一15  六日要作工，但第七日是完全安息的安息日，是歸耶和華為聖的；凡在安息日作工的，必要被處死。

　　　17  這是我與以色列人之間永遠的記號；因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。

創世記和出埃及記都告訴我們，神在第七日便安息了。但是出埃及三十一章十七節加上『舒暢』這辭，啟示出連神也需要得着舒暢。…安息是一回事，但得着舒暢是更進一步的。我們要安息，並不需要甚麼特別的東西，只要坐下或躺下就彀了。但我們要得着舒暢，就需要一些喫或喝的東西。在英文裏，我們常把食物和飲料說成令人舒暢之物（refreshment）。這裏的點是說，我們若要得着舒暢，就需要一些東西成為我們的舒暢。神也是這樣，神需要一些東西使祂舒暢。…到底甚麼能使神舒暢？（出埃及記生命讀經，二○九一頁）。

信息選讀

也許你讀過出埃及三十一章許多次，卻從來沒有對這事實有印象：神需要得着舒暢。…聖經啟示出神創造的工完畢以後，便安息舒暢了。神安息在甚麼事上？神安息在祂的創造上。舉例來說，假設一名工匠花了很長的時間製作一張非常別緻的椅子。工作完成時，他就安息的坐在他所製作的椅子上，享受並思想它。…我寫完了一些東西，就往後靠，看看自己所寫的，並享受它。我特別享受藉着主的話從主所得着的亮光。照樣，自己作衣服的姊妹作好一件特別的衣服以後，也可以享受美好的安息。同樣的原則，神把人造好以後，就安息了。祂能看着祂手的工作，看看諸天，看看大地，

看看所有的活物，特別看看人，就說，『甚好！』然後神就能安息舒暢了。…神因甚麼得着舒暢？神是因着人而得着舒暢。人就是神的舒暢。神愛人，祂按着自己的形像造人，有一個靈，使人能與祂有交通。因此，人是神的舒暢。

神說，『那人獨居不好，我要為他造一個幫助者作他的配偶。』〔創二18〕這話有豫表上的意義，指明神獨居不好。神創造人以前，好比是個單身漢。有些人會批評我們用單身漢這辭來說到我們聖別的神，但我相信神歡喜聽見我們用這辭說到祂自己。也許神會說，『我的孩子，這話摸着我的心，我造人以前，的確是個單身漢。』聖經啟示出，在已過的永遠裏，神是個『單身漢』。但在將來的永遠裏，祂要得着一個妻子，就是新耶路撒冷，稱為羔羊的妻（啟二一9~10）。因此，按照聖經裏新耶路撒冷是羔羊的妻這個啟示，我有膽量用單身漢這辭來說到神。

神看見祂所創造的人，便安息舒暢了。人就像一種令人舒暢的飲料，解除神的乾渴，並使祂滿足。神結束祂的工作，開始歇息時，就有人作祂的同伴。對神而言，第七日是安息與舒暢的日子。然而，對作神同伴的人而言，安息與舒暢的日子是第一日。人的第一日乃是享受的日子。

在我們得着享受以前，神不會要求我們作工，這乃是一個神聖的原則。神首先以享受來供應我們，等到我們與祂一同有完滿的享受，並對祂有完滿的享受以後，就能與祂同工了。我們若不知道如何與神一同有享受，以及如何享受神自己，就不會知道如何與祂同工。我們不會知道如何在神聖的工作上與神是一（出埃及記生命讀經，二○九二至二○九三頁）。

參讀：出埃及記生命讀經，第一百七十二篇。

WEEK 5 — DAY 4

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Morning Nourishment

Exo. 31:15 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to Jehovah; whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.

Both Genesis and Exodus tell us that God rested on the seventh day. But in Exodus 31:17 the words and was refreshed are added. This reveals that even God needs to be refreshed. To rest is one thing, but to be refreshed is something further. For us to rest we do not need anything in particular. It is sufficient either to sit down or to lie down. But to be refreshed we need something to eat or drink. We often refer to food and drink as refreshment. The point here is that if we would be refreshed, we need something to be a refreshment to us. The same is true of God. God needs something to refresh Him…What is it that refreshes God? (Life-study of Exodus, 2nd ed., p. 1761)

Today’s Reading

Perhaps you have read Exodus 31a number of times without ever being impressed by the fact that God needs to be refreshed…The Bible reveals that after God’s work of creation was completed, He rested and was refreshed. On what did God rest? He rested on His creation. To illustrate, suppose a craftsman spends a long time making a very special chair. When his work is finished, he may rest on the very chair he has made, enjoying it and thinking about it… When I have finished writing something, I may sit back, look at what I have written, and enjoy it. I particularly enjoy the light I have received from the Lord through His Word. Likewise, sisters who make their own clothing may enjoy a good rest after they have finished making a particular garment. In the same principle, after God created man, He rested. He could look upon His handiwork, at the heavens, the earth, and all the living things, especially at man, and say, “Very good!” Then God could rest and be refreshed. With what was God refreshed? God was refreshed with man. Man was God’s refreshment. God loved man. He created him in His own image with a spirit so that man could have fellowship with Him. Man, therefore, was God’s refreshment.

God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart” [Gen. 2:18]. This word has a significance in typology and indicates that it was not good for God to be alone. Before God created man, God could be compared to a bachelor. Some may criticize us for using the word bachelor to speak of our holy God. But I believe that God is happy to hear this word used with respect to Himself. Perhaps God would say, “My child, this word touches My heart. I truly was a bachelor before I created mankind.” The Bible reveals that in eternity past God was a “bachelor.” But in eternity future He will have a wife, the New Jerusalem, which is called the Lamb’s wife (Rev. 21:9-10). Therefore, according to the revelation of the Bible that the New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb, I have the boldness to use the word bachelor with respect to God.

When God saw the man created by Him, He could rest and be refreshed. Man was like a refreshing drink to quench God’s thirst and satisfy Him. When God ended His work and began to rest, He had man as His companion. To God, the seventh day was a day of rest and refreshment. However, to man, God’s companion, the day of rest and refreshment was the first day. Man’s first day was a day of enjoyment.

It is a divine principle that God does not ask us to work until we have had enjoyment. God first supplies us with enjoyment. Then after a full enjoyment with Him and of Him, we may work together with Him. If we do not know how to have enjoyment with God and how to enjoy God Himself, we will not know how to work with Him. We will not know how to be one with God in His divine work. (Life-study of Exodus, 2nd ed., pp. 1761-1762)

Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msg. 172