叁 以色列人被掳七十年，但因有尼希米这真正的得胜者，神仍能有祂时代的行动；他乃是对神有时代价值之人的榜样—尼一1~11，二9~20，四4~5、9，五10、14~19，八1~10，十三14、29~31： |
Ⅲ When Israel was taken into captivity for seventy years, God still had a dispensational move because of Nehemiah, who was a true overcomer; he is a pattern of someone who has dispensational value to God — Neh. 1:1-11; 2:9-20; 4:4-5, 9; 5:10, 14-19; 8:1-10; 13:14, 29-31: |
一 尼希米记的要点乃是：重建耶路撒冷城及其城墙，乃是继续神选民中间祂见证的恢复，以完成祂的经纶，也是城内神殿的防卫和保护： |
Ａ The crucial point in the book of Nehemiah is that the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem with its wall was both a continual recovery among His elect for His testimony as the accomplishment of God’s economy and a safeguard and protection for the house of God within the city: |
１ 这表征神的殿作为神在地上的居所和家，需要祂的国得建立作范围，以护卫祂在地上行政的权益，使祂能完成祂的经纶—参罗十四17。 |
１ This signifies that the house of God as His dwelling and home on the earth needs His kingdom to be established as a realm to safeguard His interest on the earth for His administration to carry out His economy — cf. Rom. 14:17. |
２ 重建神的殿，预表神恢复堕落的召会；重建耶路撒冷的城墙，预表神恢复祂的国；神建造祂的殿和建造祂的国是并行的—太十六18~19。 |
２ The rebuilding of the house of God typifies God’s recovery of the degraded church, and the rebuilding of the wall of the city of Jerusalem typifies God’s recovery of His kingdom; the building of God’s house and kingdom go together — Matt. 16:18-19. |
二 当我们认识并享受基督作我们的生命，我们就有召会作为神的殿；我们若往前，认识祂作头的身分，殿就要扩大成为城，就是神的国—弗一10、22~23，四15，启二二1。 |
Ｂ When we realize and enjoy Christ as our life, we have the church as the house of God; if we go further and realize His headship, the house will be enlarged to be the city, the kingdom of God — Eph. 1:10, 22-23; 4:15; Rev. 22:1. |
三 尼希米记表明，今天我们在主的恢复里需要有正确的进取： |
Ｃ Nehemiah shows the need for us to have the proper aggressiveness in the Lord’s recovery today: |
１ 摩押人和亚扪人的首领对尼希米为以色列人求好处甚为恼怒；摩押人和亚扪人是罗得不纯洁之扩增的后代，他们恨恶并藐视以色列人—尼二10、19，参结二五3、8。 |
１ The leaders of the Moabites and Ammonites were greatly displeased about Nehemiah’s seeking the good of the children of Israel; these descendants of the impure increase of Lot hated and despised the children of Israel — Neh. 2:10, 19; cf. Ezek. 25:3, 8. |
２ 面临反对者的嗤笑、藐视和凌辱，尼希米乃是非常纯洁且进取的，他并不胆怯—尼一4，二3~8、17~20，四3~5、8~9、14、17~23，五14，十三23~31，参徒四29~31，帖前二2，提后一7~8。 |
２ In relation to the mocking, despising, and reproach of these opposers, Nehemiah was very pure and aggressive, not cowardly — Neh. 1:4; 2:3-8, 17-20; 4:3-5, 8-9, 14, 17-23; 5:14; 13:23-31; cf. Acts 4:29-31; 1 Thes. 2:2; 2 Tim. 1:7-8. |
３ 积极进取的人从神得着帮助；如同尼希米一样，使徒保罗与神联合，并体认神在这联合中的协助—徒二六21~22。 |
３ The aggressive ones receive help from God; like Nehemiah, the apostle Paul was allied with God and realized God’s assistance in this alliance — Acts 26:21-22. |
４ 尼希米的进取作为他属人行为上的美德，表明我们天然的性能、才干和美德需要经过基督的十字架，而被带到复活里，就是带进作为三一神之终极完成的那灵里，好在成就神经纶的事上对神有用。 |
４ Nehemiah’s aggressiveness, as a virtue in his human conduct, shows that our natural capacity, ability, and virtues must pass through the cross of Christ and be brought into resurrection, into the Spirit as the consummation of the Triune God, to be useful to God in the accomplishing of His economy. |
晨兴喂养
太十六18~19 ……我要把我的召会建造在这磐石上， ……我要把诸天之国的钥匙给你，凡你在地上捆绑的，必是在诸天之上已经捆绑的；凡你在地上释放的，必是在诸天之上已经释放的。 罗十四17 因为神的国……乃在于公义、和平、并圣灵中的喜乐。 以斯拉记所载的历史，乃是关于以色列人从被掳中归回，重建神的殿，开始神选民中间照着神的经纶，为着祂在地上见证的恢复。尼希米记所载的历史，乃是关于重建耶路撒冷的城墙，继续神选民中间祂见证的恢复，以完成祂的经纶。 尼希米记的重点是：耶路撒冷城是城内神殿的防卫和保护。这表征神的殿作为神在地上的居所和家，需要祂的国得建立作范围，以护卫祂在地上行政的权益，使祂能完成祂的经纶。重建神的殿，预表神恢复堕落的召会；重建耶路撒冷的城墙，预表神恢复祂的国。神建造祂的殿和建造祂的国是并行的（太十六18~19）（尼希米记生命读经，一至三页）。 |
Matt. 16:18-19 …Upon this rock I will build My church…. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in the heavens. Rom. 14:17 For the kingdom of God is... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The book of Ezra is a history of the return of Israel’s captivity and the rebuilding of the house of God as the initiation of God’s recovery among His elect for His testimony on the earth according to His economy. The book of Nehemiah is a history of the rebuilding of the wall of the city of Jerusalem as a continual recovery among His elect for His testimony for the accomplishment of His economy. The crucial point of the book of Nehemiah is that the city of Jerusalem was a safeguard and protection for the house of God, which was in the city. This signifies that the house of God as His dwelling and home on the earth needs His kingdom to be established as a realm to safeguard His interest on the earth for His administration, to carry out His economy. The rebuilding of the house of God typifies God’s recovery of the degraded church, and the rebuilding of the wall of the city of Jerusalem typifies God’s recovery of His kingdom. God’s building of His house and His building of His kingdom go together (Matt 16:18-19). (Life-study of Nehemiah, pp. 1-2) |
信息选读
摩押人和亚扪人的首领对尼希米为以色列人求好处甚为恼怒（尼二10）。……尼希米二章十七至二十节说到耶路撒冷城墙的重建。摩押人和亚扪人的首领嗤笑、藐视以色列人，问他们这样作，是否要背叛王（19）。尼希米回答他们说，“天上的神必亲自使我们亨通；所以我们作祂仆人的，要起来建造。 你们却在耶路撒冷无分、无权、无记念。”（20）这答复指明尼希米并不胆怯，反而非常进取。任何胆怯的人，都无法作神的仆人。 仇敌发怒，大大恼恨，嗤笑犹大人，藐视他们的建造（四1~3）。……尼希米信靠神，祷告神使〔仇敌〕的凌辱归于他们自己；这样，犹大人建造城墙，城墙就都连接起来，高至一半，因为他们用心作工（4~6）。今天无论我们多么受讥诮并藐视，我们都该有心建造，也该进取。 一面，以色列人预备好争战；另一面，他们信靠神，相信神要为他们争战。在这事上他们也是进取的。胆怯的人也许说，神既为我们争战，我们就不需要作什么。但实在说来，神要帮助那些帮助自己的人。你若不帮助自己，神就不会帮助你。照着历史，神不帮助胆怯的人。从神得着帮助的，乃是进取的人。 在〔旧约的〕预表里，许多人照着他们天然的性能和天然的美德，暂时为神所用，这有属灵的含意。这事的例子是尼希米和他的进取，就是他属人行为上的美德。……在新约……里，一切天然的美德和性能都该被带到十字架上。这些需要被置于十字架，并被除去。 照着基督十字架真正的意义，十字架的意思不仅仅是某样事物被带到尽头，乃是天然的事物被除去，好被带到复活里（尼希米记生命读经，四至六、一五至一六页）。 参读：尼希米记生命读经，第一至二篇。 |
The leaders of the Moabites and Ammonites were greatly displeased about Nehemiah’s seeking the good of the children of Israel (Neh. 2:10). Nehemiah 2:17-20 is a word concerning the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. The leaders of the Moabites and Ammonites mocked and despised the children of Israel and asked whether they would rebel against the king by doing this (v. 19). Nehemiah answered them by saying, “The God of heaven Himself will make us prosper; therefore we His servants will rise up and build. But you have no portion nor right nor memorial in Jerusalem” (v. 20). This answer indicates that Nehemiah was very aggressive. He surely was not cowardly. Anyone who is cowardly cannot be a servant of God. The enemies became angry and greatly enraged, and again they mocked the Jews and despised their building (4:1-3). Nehemiah trusted in God by praying that God would return their reproach to themselves. Thus the Jews built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for they had a heart to work (vv. 4-6). Today, no matter how much we may be mocked and despised, we should have a heart to build and should be aggressive. On the one hand, the children of Israel were prepared to fight; on the other hand, they trusted in God that He would fight for them. In this matter also they were aggressive. Those who are cowardly might say that, since God will fight for us, there is no need for us to do anything. But in a very real sense, God will help those who help themselves. If you do not help yourself, God will not help you. According to history, God does not help the cowardly. It is the aggressive ones who have received help from God. In the typology in the Old Testament... many persons were temporarily used by God according to their natural capacity and natural virtues to signify something spiritual. An example of this is Nehemiah and his aggressiveness, which was a virtue in his human conduct…. In the New Testament, all the natural virtues and capacities should be brought to the cross. They need to be put to the cross and crossed out. According to the real significance of the cross of Christ, the cross does not mean merely that something is put to an end but that the natural things are crossed out in order to be brought into resurrection. (Life-study of Nehemiah, pp. 3-5, 12-13) Further Reading: Life-study of Nehemiah, msgs. 1-2 |