第九十八天:201213(Tevet 8,5772)

「摧毀黑暗的祭壇」

當那些米甸侵略者逃回到他們的避難所時,基甸仍努力不懈地在追趕他們的眾首領,沒有任何事情能夠阻止基甸去看到那個結構被摧毀,就是那曾經嚴重毀壞他的生活以及他的家族的人。有長達七年的時間,米甸人在耗竭與壓迫基甸他們,甚至到了一個令人難以忍受的地步,迫使他們在山上挖洞穴居住,以躲避那些壓迫者的肆虐欺壓。當他們呼求耶和華時,神就差遣一位先知到他們那裡,向他們解釋他們遭受災難的根源,而黑暗權勢就是在他們拒絕聽從神的話、並建立假祭壇給假神時就生根了。

我已經從我的經驗中學到教訓,當毀滅的模式隨著時間持續進行著,而某種假的祭壇就會在我的生命中生根。神一開始就非常清楚地告訴以色列祂的百姓,那就是我們只能以祂所告訴我們的方式來單單地敬拜祂。祂恨惡我們敬拜假神、或是以錯誤的方式敬拜祂,如果我們容讓任何人或事物,而不是讓神自己來引導或掌控我們的生活、喜好、心態或命運,那麼我們就是在敬拜假神。祂希望我們將自己完全地獻給祂,因為祂要將祝福澆灌給我們,然而當我們聽從家族傳統、宗教、愛國主義、民族主義、個人的意見看法等等時,就會建立起一種祭壇是神所憎惡的,並會招致詛咒的結果。

同樣的,當我們錯誤地敬拜神時也是如此,當亞倫塑造出金牛犢,並宣稱:「這就是將我們從埃及拯救出來的神的樣子!」這不是他從神那裡所領受到的。而當我們敬拜神是根據我們對祂的想像時,神就憎惡這樣的事。當我們敬拜神是用我們自己的方式來仿造出祂的樣子,而非以祂真實的樣子來敬拜祂,你就會覺得為何我們這麼多人要浪費這麼多生命,要去忍受聽從那些生命與我們一樣、是毫無能力的人所講的毫無意義的信息?神就不一樣,祂在我們的地方也不會忍受這種情形,當祂進到耶路撒冷的聖殿時,祂所做的第一件事情就是推翻在殿裡面做買賣的桌子,因為那些不是神所吩咐的。

基甸深知黑暗祭壇的力量,在從詛咒轉變到祝福之路上,神所要求他的第一件事情,就是摧毀一個假的家庭祭壇與偶像,我知道那像什麼樣子,很多年前毀滅就曾在某一方面緊緊抓住了我。神對我說,我是一個偶像崇拜者,而當我從那令人震驚的警告中恢復之後(畢竟我已經是一個二十多年的牧師),祂就告訴我,我必須拆毀我所建立起的假祭壇。就像基甸一樣,神必須告訴我、並向我顯明我該如何去行,最後我做到了,而當我這樣做時,詛咒就變為祝福,而那不僅影響到我,也影響了我的家人。

這對我而言並不難以理解,就是基甸為何不放棄追趕那最後的二個米甸王。他們的名字是西巴–「假的祭壇」和撒慕拿–「黑暗籠罩」。基甸努力地追趕他們,即使那些應該要幫他的人,卻都沒有幫助他,而當西巴和撒慕拿最後落在他的手裡時,他要他年幼的兒子參與毀滅他們的事,但因他的兒子太過年幼而害怕做這種事,神就將摧毀假祭壇的事交在基甸的手中,並且將摧毀敵人的事交在他的手中,即使西巴和撒慕拿在最後一刻嘲笑他,而基甸就拿起刀刺進他敵人的喉嚨裡。

沒有任何事情能夠阻止基甸,他打完最後的12.5%戰役,正如他在打最初的12.5%時一樣地勇敢,他從未放棄或鬆懈,直到完成追趕。

那你呢?

亞倫.佛比恩(Allen Faubion)牧師

錫安的榮耀國際事工(Glory Of Zion International)

Day 98 of 100 Days: “Destroying Altars of Darkness”

 

Chuck Pierce 寫於 2012年1月3日 2:41

Gideon relentlessly pursued the leaders of the Midianite invaders as they fled back to their places of refuge.  Nothing could stop him from seeing the destruction of the structure that had destroyed so much of his life and the lives of his extended family.  For a seven year season the Midianites impoverished and oppressed Gideon’s people to such an unbearable degree that lived in caves and mountain clefts as a way to avoid their oppressors’ plague.  When they cried out God sent them a prophet to explain the root of their calamity.  The darkness was rooted in the fact they had refused to listen to God and had erected false altars to false gods.

 

I have learned from my own experience that when patterns of destruction persist over time it is rooted in some kind of false altar in my life.  From the time God first constituted the sons of Israel as His people He has made it very clear that we are to worship Him alone in the manner that He has revealed.  God hates it when we worship false gods and when we worship him falsely.  We worship false gods when we allow anyone or anything other than God Himself to lead or control our lives, affections, mindsets, or destiny.  He wants us to pour out ourselves wholly to Him because He wants to infuse us with blessing.  When we listen to family tradition, religion, patriotism, nationalism, personal opinions, etc., it erects an altar that God hates and results in curse. 

 

The same is true when we worship God falsely.  When Aaron fashioned the golden calf he declared: “This is what the God who saved us from Egypt looks like!”  He didn’t get this from God.  God hates it when we worship Him according to our image of Him.  When we worship God on our terms we create a caricature of Him rather than worshipping Him as He really is.  Why else do you think so many of us have spent much of our lives sitting in uncomfortable chairs listening to meaningless messages from people whose lives are just as powerless as our own?  God isn’t like that nor would he tolerate it were he in our place.   After Jesus addressed the people in his home synagogue in Nazareth they wanted to kill him.  The first thing he did when entering the temple in Jerusalem was knock over all the furniture God had not commanded to be there.

 

Gideon knew the power of altars of darkness.  One of the first things God required of him on the path from curse to blessing was to destroy a false family altar and idol.  I know what that is like.  Several years ago at a point where destruction was laying hold of me, the Lord told me I was an idolater.  Once I recovered from that shocking announcement (after all I had been a pastor for 20+ years) He told me I would have to destroy the false altar I had erected.  Like Gideon, God had to tell me and show me how to do this.  Eventually I did it and when I did curse turned to blessing that impacted not only me but also my family.

 

It is not difficult for me to understand why Gideon so relentlessly pursued the last two kings of Midian.  Their names were Zebah “false altar” and Zalmunnah “covered in darkness.  Gideon pursued them even when others who should have helped him wouldn’t help him.  When Zebah and Zalmunnah were finally in his hands he tried to involve his youthful son in their destruction but he was too young and afraid to do so.  God put it in Gideon’s hands to destroy the false altars and He put it in his hands to destroy the enemies.  Even as Z&Z mocked him one last time Gideon took the sword and cut the throat of his enemy.

 

Nothing could stop Gideon.  He fought the final 12.5% just as valiantly as he fought the first 12.5%.  He never gave up or let up until the pursuit was finished.

 

What about you?

 

 

Allen Faubion

Pastor

Glory Of Zion International

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