书四10　　抬约柜的祭司站在约但河中，直到耶和华吩咐约书亚告诉百姓的事办完了，…于是百姓急速过去了。

　　约十二24　　我实实在在地告诉你们，一粒麦子不落在地里死了，仍旧是一粒；若是死了，就结出许多子粒来。

　　神把祭司放在死里，好叫以色列人有一条路，到生命之地。祭司是首先下水去，末后从水里上来的。他们是神的得胜者。神今日找一班象当日的祭司的人，叫他们先下水，先进入死。他们乐意先受十字架的对付，站在死里，好叫召会有一条生命的路。神必须先把我们摆在死里，好叫别人得着生命。神的得胜者，就是神的开道者（倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，一二八页）。

　　Josh. 4:10 And the priests who carried the Ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that Jehovah had commanded Joshua to speak to the people…. And the people hurried and crossed over.

　　John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

　　God put the priests in the place of death so that the Israelites would have a way to the land of life. The priests were the first ones to go into the water and the last ones to come up out of the water. They were the overcomers of God. Today God is seeking for a group of people who, like the priests of old, step into the water, that is, walk into death first. They are willing to be dealt with by the cross first, to stand in the place of death in order that the church will find the way of life. God must first put us in the place of death before others can receive life. The overcomers of God are the pioneers of God. (CWWN, vol. 11, p. 764)

　　不是祭司能成功什么，乃是因为他们抬着约柜。他们必须抬着约柜，下到河底。我们必须让基督作中心，必须披着基督，下到水里。祭司的脚站在河底，肩抬着约柜。站在死地，高举的是基督。

　　在河底是死的地位，不是舒服的，不是好看的，不是安息的，不是坐着，不是躺着，乃是站着。我发脾气活着，基督在别人身上就不能活着。我站在河底，别人就得以过约但河去得胜。死在我身上发动，生命就在别人身上发动。我作出死来顺服神，就有生命在别人身上发动，叫他们也顺服神。基督的死，使祂的生命发生在我们身上。没有死，就没有生命。

　　在河底抬约柜，是顶苦的。需要小心战兢，恐怕一不小心，圣别的神就来灭绝他们。他们站在这里，看着一个一个的以色列人都过去，他们竟被撇在末后。所以使徒说，“神把我们使徒显列在末后，…成了世界上的污秽，万物中的渣滓”（林前四9~13）。他愿别人信福音，却不愿别人象他有手上的锁链（徒二六29）。我要得着美名呢？通达呢？同情呢？还是要叫神的召会得着生命呢？愿我们能祷告说，“主啊，让我死，好叫别人得生命。”神明说，这并非一件容易的事。但是，唯有这样，才能成功神永远的计划。…在河底，直等到神的百姓都过了河，才能出来。国度还没有进来，我们不能出死。但终有…我们得胜的约书亚，必要叫我们从水里上来（书四17）。这是在国度起始的时候。

　　许多人不是不顺服，乃是不够顺服。…未经过十字架，就不能到客西马尼。不经过十字架的对付，就不能说，“愿你的旨意成就。”许多人喜欢亚伯拉罕的蒙召，不喜欢摩利亚山上的奉献。

　　神放我在河底，作祂的得胜者。神叫我带锁链，好叫别人得福音。死在我身上发动，生命在别人身上发动。这是唯一的生命的运河。…主的死先使我们充满生命，而后使这生命流到别人身上（林后四10~12）。

　　神的得胜者所作的事，就是站在基督的死上，好叫别人得着生命。…神先叫祂的得胜者看见一个真理，叫他们证实这个真理，好得着一些人来顺服这个真理（倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，一二八至一三○页）。

　　参读：倪柝声文集第一辑第十一册，神的得胜者，一二七至一三一页。

　　The priests could not do much by themselves; they merely bore the Ark. They had to bear the Ark of the Covenant and go down into the midst of the water. We have to let Christ be the center, to put on Christ, and to go down to the water. The feet of the priests were standing on the riverbed while their shoulders were bearing the Ark. They were standing in death, while lifting up Christ.

　　The bottom of the river is the position of death; it is not comfortable, attractive, or restful. They were not sitting there, nor lying there, but standing there. If I live in my temper, Christ cannot live in others. If I stand at the bottom of the river, others will cross over the Jordan victoriously. Death works in me, but life works in others. If I die in submitting to God, life will work in others to make them also submit to God. The death of Christ works His life into us. Without death, there is no life.

　　To bear the Ark of the Covenant at the bottom of the river is a great suffering. They needed to be very careful. If they were not careful, the holy God would destroy them. They stood there watching the Israelites crossing one by one. Yet they were set to be last. The apostle said, “God has set forth us the apostles last”; “we have become as the offscouring of the world, the scum of all things, until now” (1 Cor. 4:9, 13). He wished all would believe in the gospel but not be like him with chains on his hands (Acts 26:29). Do I want a good report, an easy life, or sympathy? Or do I want the church of God to gain life? May we be able to pray, “Lord, let me die so that others can gain life.” God has said clearly that this is not an easy matter. Yet only in this way will God accomplish His eternal plan. Before they could come out, they waited at the bottom of the river for all of God’s people to cross over. We cannot come out of death before the kingdom comes. Eventually, …our triumphant Joshua will tell us to come up out of the water [cf. Josh. 4:17]. This will happen at the beginning of the kingdom.

　　Many people are not disobedient; they are merely not obedient enough….Without going through the cross, one cannot reach Gethsemane. Without dealing with the cross, one cannot say, “Your will be done.” Many people like the calling of Abraham, yet they do not like the consecration on Mount Moriah.

　　God has put us at the river bottom in order that we would be His overcomers. He put us in chains in order that others can receive the gospel. Death works in me but life in others. This is the only channel of life….The Lord’s death first fills us with life, and then this life flows to others (2 Cor. 4:10-12).

　　The work of God’s overcomer is to stand upon Christ’s death so that others can gain life…. His overcomers first see a truth and confirm such truth before He gains some others to obey this truth. (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 764-766)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 763-767