壹 在创世记二章，我们看见在人面前的两个拣选—生命树和善恶知识树—7~9节： |
Ⅰ In Genesis 2 we see two choices before man—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—vv. 7-9: |
一 两棵树表明在这宇宙中，有两个意志、两个源头和两种可能，让人运用自由意志来拣选—参申三十19~20。 |
A The two trees show that in this universe there are two wills, two sources, and two possibilities for man to choose with his free will—cf. Deut. 30:19-20. |
二 生命树表征作三一神具体化身的基督，以食物的形态作人的生命，使人享受祂，并被祂构成，使祂得着荣耀，就是祂团体的彰显，因而成就神照着祂永远经纶之原初的心意—创一26，赛四三7，创二9，启二7，二二14，约一4，十四6上，十10下，六35、57、63，启二一10~11，参四3： |
B The tree of life signifies Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God, as life to man in the form of food for man to enjoy Him and be constituted with Him for His glory, His corporate expression, thus accomplishing God's original intention according to His eternal economy—Gen. 1:26; Isa. 43:7; Gen. 2:9; Rev. 2:7; 22:14; John 1:4; 14:6a; 10:10b; 6:35, 57, 63; Rev. 21:10-11; cf. 4:3: |
１ 生命树，神的树，神树，乃是宇宙的中心。 |
１ The tree of life, the tree of God, the God-tree, is the center of the universe. |
２ 旧约开始于生命树（创二9），新约结束于生命树（启二二2、14）；因此，神作人生命的思想，贯穿整个神圣的启示。 |
２ The Old Testament begins with the tree of life (Gen. 2:9), and the New Testament ends with the tree of life (Rev. 22:2, 14); thus, the thought of God being man's life runs through the entire divine revelation. |
３ 神将人安置在生命树跟前，指明神要人借着生机地吃祂，并新陈代谢地吸收祂，而接受祂作人的生命，使神成为人之所是的构成成分—约六57、63，耶十五16，太四4。 |
３ God's placing man in front of the tree of life indicates that God wanted man to receive Him as his life by eating Him organically and assimilating Him metabolically, so that God might become the very constituent of man's being—John 6:57, 63; Jer. 15:16; Matt. 4:4. |
晨兴喂养
创二8~9 耶和华神……栽植了一个园子，把所塑造的人安放在那里。耶和华神使各样的树从地里长出来，可以悦人的眼目，也好作食物；园子当中有生命树，还有善恶知识树。 神达成祂目的的路，首先是造人为器皿盛装祂自己作生命，然后是将人安置在园中生命树跟前，指明神的用意是要人吃这树的果子。然而，同着生命树的，还有创世记二章九节和十七节所提的善恶知识树。所以，我们需要仔细来看这两棵树的意义。 神虽然要人吃生命树，却没有强迫人，也没有把生命树放到人里面。反之，神给人自由的意志，让人有选择的自由。……神创造人，给人有选择的自由。为什么？因为神是大的，不是小的。只有小的人才强迫别人接受他的意见。……你若是大的，就绝不会强迫别人接受（创世记生命读经，一九七页）。 |
Gen. 2:8-9 And Jehovah God planted a garden…; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, as well as the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God’s way of accomplishing His purpose was first to create man as a vessel to contain Himself as life and then to place him in a garden before the tree of life, indicating that God’s intention was for man to partake of the fruit of this tree. However, along with the tree of life, Genesis 2:9 and 17 mention the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, we need to consider very carefully the significance of these two trees. Although God wanted man to eat of the tree of life, He did not force him to do it. Neither did God put the tree of life into him. Instead, God gave man free will. God created man with freedom of choice. Why did God do this? God is great. He is not small. Only a small man forces people to accept his opinion… If you are a great man, you will never force people to accept you. (Life-study of Genesis, p. 159) |
信息选读
神若不给人选择，那祂就是强迫人接受生命树了。神太大了，祂不作这样的事。神是尊贵且满有吸引的。为着显示祂的伟大，并且证明祂的吸引力，祂需要第二棵树。 神今天仍是一样，祂从来不强制任何人接受祂。当主耶稣来的时候，祂不强制人跟从祂。祂将自己摆在人前，总是尊重人选择的自由。主似乎说，“你若喜欢我，就接受我；若不喜欢我，可以把我忘了。”也许有人觉得，我们是被主的怜悯所迫才相信祂的。在某种程度内我也这么觉得；祂的怜悯征服了我们，劝服我们来接受祂。 神在伊甸园中，也是照着同样的原则，将亚当安置在指明两个源头的两棵树跟前。神要人选择作生命树的祂。……生命树是一个表号，表征神是那正确的源头（参诗三六9，约一4，十10下，十一25，十四6，约壹五12，西三4）。我们若只读创世记二章，就不会领会生命树的意义。然而约翰福音却把生命树所表明的生命，具体地启示出来。一章四节说，“生命在祂里面。”十五章五节告诉我们，主耶稣是葡萄树。我们把这两节摆在一起，就领会基督是生命树。主耶稣，神的具体表现，乃是生命树。因此，创世记二章的生命树，乃是神这生命源头的表号。 除了这源头，在宇宙中还有另一棵树，另一个源头—死亡。然而，这树不叫死亡树，而叫善恶知识树。在宇宙中有这样一棵树。这两棵树彼此对抗；生命树指明神这生命的源头，知识树指明撒但这死亡的源头。正如神是生命的源头，撒但乃是死亡的源头。因此，在二章我们看到由两棵树所表征的两个源头（创世记生命读经，一九八至二○○页）。 从创世记到启示录，神作人生命的思想贯穿了整本圣经。……神创造活物，指明神是生命的神。……神按着自己的形像造人（创一26~27），这个行动指明神要人得着祂自己作人的生命，使人能以彰显祂。……人唯有得着神作生命，才能彰显神。……生命树（二8~9）象征神是生命。……所以，我们接受生命树时，就将神接受到我们里面作我们的生命。……所以生命树也可以称为“神的树”（李文集一九九○年第一册，二八一至二八三页）。 参读：历史与启示，第八篇。 |
If God had not given man a choice, He would have forced him to take the tree of life. God is too great to do such a thing. God is honorable and attractive. In order to display His greatness and prove His attractiveness, He needs the second tree. God is the same today. He never forces anyone to accept Him. When the Lord Jesus came, He did not coerce people into following Him. He presented Himself to people, but always respected their freedom of choice. The Lord seemed to say, “If you like Me, you may take Me. If you don’t like Me, you may forget about Me.” Some of us may feel that we have been compelled by the Lord’s mercy to believe in Him. To a certain extent, I feel the same way. His mercy has conquered us, persuading us to receive Him. The same principle operated in the garden of Eden when God placed Adam before the two trees, which denoted two sources. God wanted man to choose Him as the tree of life. The tree of life was a symbol, signifying God as the proper source (cf. Psa. 36:9; John 1:4; 10:10b; 11:25; 14:6; 1 John 5:12; Col. 3:4). If we only read Genesis 2, we will be unable to understand the meaning of the tree of life. However, the Gospel of John reveals the life denoted by the tree of life in a concrete way. John 1:4 says, “In Him was life,” and John 15:5 tells us that the Lord Jesus is a vine tree. If we put these two verses together, we will realize that Christ is the tree of life. Jesus, the embodiment of God, is the tree of life. Therefore, the tree of life in Genesis 2 is a symbol of God as the source of life. Besides this source, there is another tree, another source in the universe—death. However, this tree is not called the tree of death; it is called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There is such a tree in this universe. These two trees oppose one another, the tree of life denoting God as the source of life, and the tree of knowledge signifying Satan as the source of death. As God is the source of life, Satan is the source of death. Therefore, in Genesis 2 we find two sources signified by two trees. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 160-162) The thought of God being man’s life runs through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation…God’s creating of living things indicates that God is the God of life. God’s action in creating man in His own image (Gen. 1:26-27) indicates that God wants man to have Himself as man’s life so that man can express Him… Man can express God only by having God as his life. The tree of life (2:8-9) is a symbol of God as life…Therefore, when we take the tree of life, we take God into us as our life…Therefore, the tree of life can also be called “the tree of God.” (CWWL, 1990, vol. 1, “The Triune God to Be Life to the Tripartite Man,” pp. 237-238) Further Reading: CWWL, 1981, vol. 2, “The History and Revelation of the Lord’s Recovery,” ch. 8 |