《寄居者的見證》Day01
《見證從立志和堅持開始》
1 猶大王約雅敬在位第三年,巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來到耶路撒冷,將城圍困。2 主將猶大王約雅敬,並神殿中器皿的幾分交付他手。他就把這器皿帶到示拿地,收入他神的廟裏,放在他神的庫中。3 王吩咐太監長亞施毗拿,從以色列人的宗室和貴冑中帶進幾個人來,4 就是年少沒有殘疾、相貌俊美、通達各樣學問、知識聰明俱備、足能侍立在王宮裏的,要教他們迦勒底的文字言語。5 王派定將自己所用的膳和所飲的酒,每日賜他們一分,養他們三年。滿了三年,好叫他們在王面前侍立。6 他們中間有猶大族的人:但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅。7 太監長給他們起名:稱但以理為伯提沙撒,稱哈拿尼雅為沙得拉,稱米沙利為米煞,稱亞撒利雅為亞伯尼歌。
8 但以理卻立志不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己,所以求太監長容他不玷污自己。9 神使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩惠,受憐憫。10 太監長對但以理說:「我懼怕我主我王,他已經派定你們的飲食,倘若他見你們的面貌比你們同歲的少年人肌瘦,怎麼好呢?這樣,你們就使我的頭在王那裏難保。」11 但以理對太監長所派管理但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅的委辦說:12「求你試試僕人們十天,給我們素菜吃,白水喝,13 然後看看我們的面貌和用王膳那少年人的面貌,就照你所看的待僕人吧!」14 委辦便允准他們這件事,試看他們十天。15 過了十天,見他們的面貌比用王膳的一切少年人更加俊美肥胖。16 於是委辦撤去派他們用的膳,飲的酒,給他們素菜吃。17 這四個少年人,神在各樣文字學問上賜給他們聰明知識;但以理又明白各樣的異象和夢兆。18 尼布甲尼撒王預定帶進少年人來的日期滿了,太監長就把他們帶到王面前。19 王與他們談論,見少年人中無一人能比但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅,所以留他們在王面前侍立。20 王考問他們一切事,就見他們的智慧聰明比通國的術士和用法術的勝過十倍。 (但以理書一1-20)
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. 6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (Daniel 1:1-20)
分享:《但以理書》一開首便記載了猶大國亡於尼布甲尼撒王,以色列人被擄到巴比倫。身為以色列的貴族少年,但以理被帶到巴比倫王宮裡接受訓練,學習異國的文字言語,又被賦予了新的名字。就在似乎要無奈地融入異鄉的生活時,但以理卻在一項看似微小的事上作出堅持。
面對王賞賜的飲食,但以理「立志不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己」(但以理書一8)。向太監長懇求不果後,但以理又與委辦協議試吃素菜、飲白開水十天,連朋友哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅也與他並肩作這個測試。結果十天後,四個少年人的面貌比其餘享用王饍的更俊美健壯,最後但以理等獲准繼續只吃素菜。經文後來也記載但以理等四位少年人得到神的祝福,比其他人更聰明和有智慧,受到王的使用。
飲食上的堅持除了為著跟隨以色列人不吃不潔食物的律法外,也避免了巴比倫祭拜過偶像的食物;更重要的是,但以理透過立志為主堅持不在饍食上玷污自己,顯示出其對異教文化的抗拒,拒絕讓世界同化的決心。人家怎樣稱呼你的名字,作為俘虜的但以理沒權選擇,但食物卻是他們能為神擺上的堅持。更重要的是,他們在提出十天測試時的信心滿滿,深信為神持守聖潔會獲得出路,這最後也讓人看到這些以色列少年人的與眾不同。
耶穌曾告誡我們:「人在最小的事上忠心,在大事上也忠心;在最小的事上不義,在大事上也不義。」(路加福音十六10) 身處於敗壞的世代,我們何嘗不是流落他鄉對抗著各式各樣的異文化?你願意從哪件事開始,立志為主作出堅持,並相信主必會使用你作祂的見證?
行動:選定一件讓人分辨到「我是基督徒」的事開始,堅持下去,看看一星期後經歷到怎樣的保守和帶領。
禱告:親愛的天父,感謝祢透過但以理等四位少年人的不妥協,讓我看到寄居在這個世界,還有很多事可以為祢的名作出堅持,經歷到祢的帶領,讓人見證祢的大能。就讓我從一件事開始,為祢立志堅持,不隨波逐流。奉主名求,阿們。
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