創32: 8他們快快偏離了我所吩咐的道,為自己鑄了一隻牛犢,向他下拜獻祭,說:『以色列啊,這就是領你出埃及地的神。』」
9耶和華對摩西說:「我看這百姓真是硬著頸項的百姓。10你且由著我,我要向他們發烈怒,將他們滅絕,使你的後裔成為大國。」
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, hit is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that lI may make a great nation of you.”
11摩西便懇求耶和華他的神說:… 12為什麼使埃及人議論說『他領他們出去,是要降禍與他們,把他們殺在山中,將他們從地上除滅』?求你轉意,不發你的烈怒,後悔,不降禍與你的百姓。
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “… 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.
創32:14於是耶和華後悔,不把所說的禍降與他的百姓。
14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
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書 5:4 約書亞行割禮的緣故,是因為從埃及出來的眾民,就是一切能打仗的男丁,出了埃及以後,都死在曠野的路上。
4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: tall the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt
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我們讀聖經,若不從上帝救贖的觀點來了解,就會以為:上帝聽了摩西的禱告,同樣,上帝也會按照我們禱告來成就人的心意。
When we read the Bible, if we do not understand it from the point of view of Gods salvation, we will think that God has listened to Moses prayer, and in the same way, God will fulfill mans will according to our prayers.
事實上,上帝再創造的心意絕不改變,祂必除滅不敬虔的人類,只是,上帝有無限的憐憫,為要人人得救,會延遲祂的審判。對那些出埃及在曠野悖逆、不受教的百姓,上帝恆久忍耐,雖屢屢免除死難,終究無法進入榮耀之地。
In fact, Gods intention to recreate will never change. He will destroy ungodly humans. However, God has infinite mercy and will delay his judgment for everyone to be saved. For those who out of Egypt people were rebellious and uninstructed in the wilderness, God endured for a long time. Although they repeatedly avoided death, they could not enter the land of glory.
基督徒的禱告是需要定睛在參與上帝的再創造裡。
Christian prayer needs to be focused on participating in Gods re-creation.