弗三9 并将那历世历代隐藏在创造万有之神里的奥秘有何等的经纶，向众人照明。

　　提前一3~4 ……嘱咐那几个人，不可教导与神的经纶不同的事，也不可注意虚构无稽之事，和无穷的家谱；这等事只引起辩论，对于神在信仰里的经纶并无助益。

　　按照约伯记三十八章七节，当神立大地根基的时候，神的天使（神的众子）都欢呼。这些天使可能不明白神造大地和造人的定旨是什么。亚当自己也不知道，神为什么按着自己的形像，照着自己的样式造他（创一26）。神历世历代以来将祂的目的隐藏起来，没有告诉以诺、挪亚、亚伯拉罕、摩西、大卫、所罗门、以赛亚或任何一位申言者。创造主在祂的创造中作了许多，但在新约时代以前，没有向任何人揭示祂的定旨（约伯记生命读经，五八至五九页）。

　　Eph. 3:9 And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.

　　1 Tim. 1:3-4 …Charge certain ones not to teach different things nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.

　　According to Job 38:7 the angels of God (the sons of God) shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth. The angels might have wondered what God’s purpose was in creating the earth and man. Adam himself did not know why God created him in His image after His likeness (Gen. 1:26). God kept His intention hidden throughout the ages, not telling Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, or any of the prophets. The Creator did a lot in His creation, but before the New Testament time He did not unveil to anyone what His purpose was. (Life-study of Job, p. 51)

　　约伯记四十二章七节告诉我们，神定罪约伯的三个朋友，因为他们议论祂，不如祂的仆人约伯说的是。约伯说他的受苦不是因受神的审判，这样说是对的。照着他的良心，约伯觉得他并未作任何事，以致要神审判他或惩罚他。但他的确在受苦，所以他要与神探究他的处境。然而，约伯的三个朋友却坚持约伯的受苦是证明他作错了事，并且受神审判。因此，神进来定罪约伯的三个朋友，并且在某种程度上为约伯表白。

　　就着神对付祂子民的目的这点，约伯的三个朋友是不对的，因为他们的观念乃是基于善恶的原则，基于善恶知识树，在生命树这主线之旁的侧线上。约伯是对的，因为大体而言，他的观念不是基于善恶的原则；然而，就着神对付祂子民的目的这点，他是在摸索。在消极一面，他是对的；在积极一面，他缺少神圣的启示，不知道神对付祂子民的目的，乃是要祂的子民越过越多地得着祂、有分于祂、拥有祂并享受祂，而不是其他一切的事物，直到他们的享受达到最完满的地步，如新约里神圣启示至终所揭示的，就是祂的子民至终要成为新耶路撒冷。新耶路撒冷乃是神的扩大；我们都要成为新耶路撒冷的一部分。

　　在约伯的时候，神在祂渐进的启示上，还没有对约伯清楚启示祂对付祂子民的目的；然而，神却在新约里清楚启示给信徒。……神在祂回答约伯的话里，没有在意以利户，因为他的观念虽然没有错，但也没有达到神终极标准的水平。以利户这个青年人以为他是重要人物，但事实上他什么也不是。

　　神用这一切物质的福分祝福约伯，乃是在约伯晚年向他显明神的慈爱和信实〔伯四二10~17〕。这指明神在对付爱祂之人的事上是完全的、恩慈的。甚至今天，神借着剥夺和销毁来对付我们之后，并在祂的目的完成之后，神也给我们物质的福分。然而，神对付祂子民的目的，不是要给他们物质的福分，乃是要把祂自己给他们，作他们的永分，至终完成于新耶路撒冷（启二一~二二）（约伯记生命读经，一八六至一八九页）。

　　参读：约伯记生命读经，第三十篇。

　　Job 42:7 tells us that God condemned Job’s three friends for not speaking concerning Him that which was right, as His servant Job had. Job was right in saying that his sufferings were not a matter of God’s judgment. Job felt that, according to his conscience, he had not done anything that required God to come in to judge him or to punish him. Nevertheless, he was suffering and he wanted to investigate his situation with God. Job’s three friends, however, insisted that Job’s sufferings were a proof that he had done something wrong and was being judged by God. Thus, God came in to condemn the three friends and to vindicate Job to a certain extent.

　　Job’s three friends were not right concerning God’s purpose in dealing with His people, because their concept was based on the principle of good and evil, on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the sideline alongside the tree of life as the main line.

　　Job was right because his concept in general was not based on the principle of good and evil. However, he was groping in relation to the purpose for which God deals with His people. On the negative side, he was right; on the positive side, he was devoid of the divine revelation, not knowing that God’s purpose in dealing with His people is that He wants His people to gain Him, to partake of Him, to possess Him, and to enjoy Him more and more, rather than all things, until their enjoyment reaches the fullest extent, as the divine revelation ultimately unveils in the New Testament, that His people may ultimately become the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is the enlargement of God. We all will become parts of the New Jerusalem.

　　God, in His progressive revelation, did not make His purpose in dealing with His people clear to Job at his time. However, God did make this clear in the New Testament to the believers. In His reply to Job, God paid no attention to Elihu because his concept had not come up to the level of God’s ultimate standard, though it was not wrong. Elihu, a young man, thought that he was somebody, but he actually was nobody.

　　All the physical blessings with which God blessed Job were to show Job God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness in his latter days [Job 42:10-17]. This indicates that God is perfect and kind in dealing with those who love Him. Even today, after God deals with us by stripping us and consuming us, and after His purpose is accomplished, God gives us His physical blessings. However, God’s purpose in dealing with His people is not to give physical blessings to them but to give Himself to them as their eternal portion, which ultimately consummates in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21——22). (Life-study of Job, pp. 158-160)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Job, msg. 30