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创世记生命读经 · 第42篇

蒙召者的试炼

The Trial of the Called
1在本篇信息中，我们来看亚伯拉罕受试炼的经历。我们已经看过亚伯拉罕如何蒙神呼召，又如何因神的显现得着加力，答应那呼召。我们也看过，亚伯拉罕因神的显现被带到神要他在的地方。他先被带到示剑，（创十二6，）然后被带到伯特利和艾的中间，就是神的家和废墟之间。（创十二8。）在神的家和废墟之间的这地方乃是高峰，亚伯拉罕应该留在这里。
1In this message we come to Abraham’s experience of trials. We have seen how Abraham was called by God and how, by God’s appearing, he was strengthened to answer that call. We have also seen that, by God’s appearing, Abraham was brought to the very place where God intended him to be. Firstly he was brought to Shechem (12:6) and then to the place between Bethel and Ai, the place between the house of God and the heap of ruins (12:8). That place between the house of God and the heap of ruins was the high point, and Abraham should have remained there.
2然而，亚伯拉罕对神的经历达到这样的高峰以后，却突然继续他的行程，迁往南地。（创十二9。）我花了很多时间研读这一章，要找出亚伯拉罕继续他行程的原因。他为甚么继续前行，不留在神的家和废墟之间？亚伯拉罕已经达到高峰，达到神要他在的地方，他应该靠着神的怜悯留在那里。但是亚伯拉罕竟向南地迁移。那就是说，他走了下坡路。对神的经历达到这样的高峰以后，继续前行就是走下坡路。亚伯拉罕继续他的行程，这是他失败的原因。
2However, suddenly, after such a high attainment in his experience of God, Abraham continued his journey, going toward the south (12:9). In studying this chapter, I have spent much time to find out the reason why Abraham continued his journey. Why did he journey on and not remain there between the house of God and the heap of ruins? Abraham had attained the high point, the place where God intended for him to be. By God’s mercy, he should have remained there. But Abraham journeyed southward. This means that he went downward. After such a high attainment in the experience of God, any journey would be downward. This continuing of his journey was the cause of Abraham’s failure.
3我们曾经看过，亚伯拉罕起初是拖泥带水。末了，他得胜了，一路走到示剑，后来又到了靠近伯特利的地方。那是相当的好。在那两个地方，他都筑了坛。在伯特利和艾的中间，他还呼求耶和华的名，并且支搭帐棚，向全世界宣告，他对巴别的情形是个反见证。亚伯拉罕这样作，不是已经达到经历神的高峰么？
3We have seen that, at the beginning, Abraham dragged his feet through mud and water. Eventually, he was victorious, going all the way to Shechem and afterward to the place near Bethel. That was wonderful. In both of those places he built an altar and at the place between Bethel and Ai he also called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent as a declaration to the whole world that he was an anti-testimony to the situation at Babel. Do you not think that in doing so Abraham had arrived, attained the high point of his experience of God?
4你也许想，如果你是亚伯拉罕，你必定会留在那里。但我们不该这样想，因为我们就是今天的亚伯拉罕。古时的亚伯拉罕正像我们一样。我们在别处曾经指出，亚伯拉罕的经历是我们经历的种子。创世记里亚伯拉罕的记载是他的传记，却是我们的自传。你也许说，“不，那是亚伯拉罕的自传，是我的传记。”但这记载是你的自传，不是你的传记，因为亚伯拉罕的传记是摩西写的，而你的传记是你自己写的。亚伯拉罕的经历与我们的经历相合，我们和他是一。你岂不是和主有过一段美妙的时光，那时你达到了高峰，并且喊说，“阿利路亚！这里真好！没有地方比这里更好。这对我是最好的地方。”你难道没有这样说过么？但是到了第二天，怎么样呢？你开始往下走了。前一天晚上你还说，“阿利路亚，这是我所要的地方。”第二天早晨你就开始往下走，到了埃及的边界；这就是说，你走到了靠近世界的地方，也许是靠近电影院的地方。晚上你还在迦南的高峰，第二天早晨你就往下走到世界的边缘了。你不是有过这种情形么？我听见初中的少年人在聚会中献上那么美妙的祷告，我又喜乐又惊奇。但我需要向他们说句诚实话：我不信任你们。你晚上在聚会中祷告得很好，第二天早晨可能就往下走，到了属世娱乐的边缘。今天你说，“阿利路亚，这对我是最好的地方。”下周末你也许就下到电影院去。请记得，我们是今天的亚伯拉罕。要达到高峰很容易，但要留在那里不容易。在高峰没有多少空间，你稍微移动一点，就会滚下坡去。要保持在神所指定的地方是非常困难的。在高峰周围布满了陷阱，很容易落到其中。蒙召的人通常不会退回老路，但很容易下到埃及。亚伯拉罕从未回到迦勒底，但他的确下到埃及。
4Perhaps you are thinking that if you had been Abraham, you surely would have remained there. But we should not think this way, for we are today’s Abraham. The ancient Abraham was just like us. As we have pointed out elsewhere, Abraham’s experience was a seed of our own experience. The record of Abraham in Genesis is his biography, but it is our autobiography. You may say, “No, it is Abraham’s autobiography and my biography.” But this record is your autobiography not your biography, because the biography of Abraham was written by Moses and your biography is written by yourself. Abraham’s experience corresponds with ours. We and he are one. Have you not had a wonderful time with the Lord in which you reached the high point and shouted, “Hallelujah! How good it is here! No place is better than this place. This is the best place for me to be.” Have you not said this? But what happened the very next day? You began to journey downward. The night before you said, “Hallelujah, this is the place for me,” and the next morning you began to journey downward to the border of Egypt. This means that you journeyed to a place that was so close to the world, close to the movie theaters. One night you were on the high point in Canaan and the next morning you were moving downward to the border of the world. Has this not happened to you? I am so happy and surprised to hear the junior high young people offer such wonderful prayers in the meetings. But I need to say an honest word to them; I do not trust you. After praying such a wonderful prayer one night in the meeting, the next morning you may journey downward to the border of worldly entertainments. Today you may say, “Hallelujah, this is the best place for me,” and next weekend you may move downward to the movie theater. Remember that we are today’s Abraham. It is easy to reach the high point, but it is not easy to remain there. There is not much room on the high point. If you move just slightly, you will fall downhill. It is very difficult to keep the God-appointed position. The high point is surrounded by pits, and it is easy to fall into one of them. The called ones will not usually go backward, but it is easy for them to go downward into Egypt. Abraham never went back to Chaldea, but he did go down into Egypt.
（4） 试炼
4) Trial
5在创世记十二章九节至十三章十八节，我们看见亚伯拉罕的试炼。试炼不是个令人愉快的辞。没有人喜欢经历试炼。你喜欢在生活中有试炼么？虽然没有人喜欢试炼，但试炼是好的经历。亚伯拉罕蒙召开始过信心生活不久，试炼就临到他。不要祷告说，“主阿，你对我真好。不要叫任何试炼临到我。”这种祷告只会叫试炼早一点临到。主会刚好相反的答应你的祷告。如果你说，“主，不要给我任何试炼。”主会说，“我很快就会给你试炼。”我确信没有人能说，自从他蒙主呼召以后，过的都是好日子。没有人能那样说。
5In 12:9—13:18 we see Abraham’s trial. The word trial is not a pleasant word. No one likes to experience trials. Do you like to have trials in your life? Although no one likes trials, they are good experiences. Not too long after Abraham was called and began to live by faith, a trial came to him. Do not pray, “Lord, You are so good to me. Don’t let any trials come to me.” This kind of prayer will only hasten the coming of the trials. The Lord will answer your prayer in just the opposite way. If you say, “Lord, don’t send any trials,” the Lord will say, “I will send a trial very quickly.” I am assured that no one can say that since he was called by the Lord he has always enjoyed good times. No one can say that.
6我们的神不仅是爱的神，也是主宰的神。我们的神是主宰一切的。我们的神不仅是爱的神，光的神，生命的神，也是主宰的神。每一件事都在祂的经纶安排之下。祂乃是为着我们而支配全世界。我们都必须相信，神是为着我们每一个人而支配全宇宙。你也许说，“我太渺小了，主宰的神怎会为我支配全宇宙？”但祂的确为着你支配一切，你必须相信这个。你没有渺小到一个地步，使神不为你主宰安排你的环境。你已经彀大，叫你有神主宰的安排。我从自己的经历中学得这一点。五十年前我不喜欢亚伯拉罕下埃及这段故事，我对那段经历无法感到快乐。那时候我读到一些关于亚伯拉罕下埃及的信息，我不明白，也不觉得好。我甚至对神题出疑问。但是现在，经过多年的经历之后，我非常快乐。我们真需要听这篇亚伯拉罕受试炼的信息！
6Our God is not only the God of love but also the God of sovereignty. Our God is sovereign. Our God is not only the God of love, the God of light, and the God of life, but also the God of sovereignty. Everything is under His dispensation. He manages the whole world just for us. We must all believe that God manages the entire universe for every one of us. You may say, “How small I am! How could the sovereign God manage the universe just for me?” But He does manage it just for you. You must believe this. You are not so small that God does not sovereignly arrange your environment for you. You are big enough to have God’s sovereign arrangement. I have learned this from my own experience. Fifty years ago I did not like this story of Abraham going down to Egypt. I simply could not be happy with that experience. When, at that time, I read some messages on Abraham’s downward experience, I did not understand it and did not feel good about it. I even questioned God. But now, after many years of experience, I am very happy. How we need to hear this message on Abraham’s trial!
7我们对神的经历，很容易达到高峰，但不容易留在那里。请看看你周围的环境，那是神在你出生以前就用主宰安排好的。神是主宰一切的。虽然你看自己是个渺小的造物，但就神而论，你是非常重要的人物。在创立世界以前，神就为你安排了一切。甚至你现在会读到这篇信息，也是祂的安排。我们是在神主宰的安排下，不要想逃跑。你如果逃到某一个地方，你会发现那正是神为你安排的地方。到你年老的时候，你会低头敬拜着说，“主，我完全相信，在创立世界以前，你就为我安排了一切。”
7It is easy to reach the high point in our experience with God, but it is not easy to remain there. Look at the environment that surrounds you on every side. It was sovereignly arranged before you were born. God is sovereign. Although you may consider yourself a small creature, as far as God is concerned, you are a very important person. Before the foundation of the world, God arranged everything for you. He even arranged that you would be reading this message right now. We are under God’s arrangement. Do not try to escape. If you escape to a certain place, you will find that place to be the exact place that God arranged for you. When you reach old age, you will bow down and say, “Lord, I am fully convinced that You arranged everything for me before the foundation of the world.”
8亚伯拉罕的试炼乃是为着叫他学功课。我们都需要学功课。我们从父母或老练的弟兄姊妹，学不到这些功课。我们都必须学一些关于神主宰的功课。
8Abraham’s trial was for him to learn a lesson. We all need to learn some lessons. We cannot learn these lessons from our parents or from the experienced brothers and sisters. We all must learn some lessons of God’s sovereignty.
（a）饥荒
a) Famine
9我们看过，亚伯拉罕第二面的经历是凭信而活。他必须凭着信靠神供应他日常的需要而活。在创世记十二章十节我们看到那地遭遇大饥荒。这饥荒是个试验，看看亚伯拉罕在他的生计上，在每日的生活上，是否信靠神。
9As we have seen, the second aspect of Abraham’s experience was living by faith. He had to live by trusting in God for his daily needs. In 12:10 we read that there was a grievous famine in the land. This famine was a test to see whether or not Abraham would trust in God in the matter of making a living, in the matter of his daily living.
10你细读十二章十至二十节，就会看见在这种情况下，亚伯拉罕又软弱又低下。他无法持守在神所指定的地位上，反而下到埃及去了。迦南的后面是巴别，旁边是埃及，附近是所多玛。亚伯拉罕渐渐向南迁移，直至他下到埃及。下文我们会看到，他在埃及说谎犯罪。也许我们没有人相信，亚伯拉罕会这样软弱低下。神曾在吾珥、哈兰、示剑向他显现。在示剑神对亚伯拉罕说，“我要把这地赐给你的后裔。”（创十二7。）神确定的告诉亚伯拉罕，祂要把那地方赐给他的子孙。向亚伯拉罕说话的神是谁？祂是创造主，是拥有天地的一位。这就是那向亚伯拉罕显现的神。发生饥荒的时候，亚伯拉罕应当毫无疑惑的说，“我不忧虑饥荒，因为我有活的神。我不担心缺粮，因为那呼召我，把我带到这里，又再次向我显现，证实我路途的，乃是全能的神。我已经信靠祂，现在我凭着信靠祂供应我日常的需要而活。我不在乎到底有没有食物。”亚伯拉罕应该这样祷告。
10If you examine 12:10-20, you will see that in this situation Abraham was weak and low. He failed to keep the God-appointed position and went down to Egypt. Behind Canaan was Babel, beside Canaan was Egypt, and close to Canaan was Sodom. Abraham moved gradually southward until he went down to Egypt. As we shall see, in Egypt he sinned by lying. Probably none of us would believe that Abraham could be so weak and low. God had appeared to him at Ur, at Haran, and at Shechem. At Shechem, God said to Abraham, “Unto thy seed will I give this land” (12:7). God told Abraham definitely that He was going to give that place to his descendants. Who was the God that spoke to Abraham? He was the Creator, the Possessor of heaven and earth. This was the very God that appeared to Abraham. When the famine came, Abraham should not have had any doubts but should have said, “I don’t care about the famine because I have the living God. I am not concerned about the lack of food because the One who called me, brought me here, and reappeared as a confirmation to my journey is the Almighty God. I have put my trust in Him and now I am living by trusting in Him for my daily need. I don’t care whether there is food or not.” Abraham should have prayed in this way.
11但是，在发生饥荒的时候，亚伯拉罕怎么作？他有没有祷告？他有没有向妻子说，“让我们祷告罢”？没有，好像亚伯拉罕忘记祷告了。当这一段的试验临到他的时候，他没有祷告。不要笑亚伯拉罕。当你一切顺利的时候，你很容易祷告。但是当饥荒来的时候，你就忘了你是个基督徒，只记得你是个人。你忘了那曾向你显现的活神，只记得你的肚腹。亚伯拉罕关心自己的肚腹。他看看光景：在那地有饥荒，而在埃及有充足的粮食。亚伯拉罕和他的妻子并没有多谈，二人很快就同意下埃及。我相信他们甚至在作这决定以前，已经在走下坡了。夫妻二人都忘了神。他们没有考虑到神要他们去那里。他们好像没有神似的。
11However, what did Abraham do when the famine came? Did he pray? Did he say to his wife, “Dear, let us pray”? No, it seemed that Abraham forgot to pray. When such a period of testing came to him, he did not pray. Do not laugh at Abraham. When everything is going well, you find it easy to pray. But when the famine comes, you forget that you are a Christian and only remember that you are a human being. You forget the living God who appeared to you, only remembering that you have a stomach. Abraham was concerned about his stomach. He looked at the situation: in the land there was famine, and in Egypt there was plenty of food. Abraham and his wife did not talk very much. Immediately they both agreed to go to Egypt. I believe that even before they made this decision, they were already going downward. Both the husband and the wife forgot God. They did not consider where God wanted them to go. It was as if they had no God.
《一》 说谎犯罪
(1) Sinning by Lying
12当亚伯拉罕和撒拉走到埃及边界的时候，亚伯拉罕对撒拉说，“埃及人看见你必说，这是他的妻子，他们就要杀我，却叫你存活。”（创十二12。）亚伯拉罕害怕埃及人杀他，夺他的妻子；他没有向神祷告，反而向妻子恳求说，“求你说，你是我的妹子，使我因你得平安，我的命也因你存活。”（创十二13。）亚伯拉罕和撒拉都同意，由撒拉说谎，说她不是亚伯拉罕的妻子。亚伯拉罕准备牺牲妻子救自己的性命。似乎他连道德的标准都没有。许多基督徒把亚伯拉罕抬得太高了，实际上他并没有那么高。我们很多人还不会作出那样的事来。但亚伯拉罕竟然那样低，肯牺牲妻子，让她被取去作别人的妻子来救自己的性命。那是多么可耻！你会相信一个蒙神呼召的人，信心之父，会作出这样的事么？从这一点我们看见，亚伯拉罕并不比我们高，最多和我们一样。他为了自己的肚腹，准备出卖妻子，撒拉竟然也服从。撒拉实在是最好的妻子，是所有妻子的模范。她服从亚伯拉罕，接受他的意见，没有责怪他。
12When Abraham and Sarah came to the border of Egypt, he said to her, “It shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive” (12:12). Fearing that the Egyptians would kill him and take his wife, Abraham prayed to Sarah, not to God saying, “Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee” (12:13). Abraham and Sarah agreed that she should lie about being his wife. Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his wife in order to save his life. It seemed that he had no standard of morality. Among Christians, Abraham has been uplifted too highly. He was not that high. Many of us would not have done what Abraham did. But Abraham was so low that he was willing to sacrifice his wife, allowing her to be taken to be the wife of another man, in order to save his own life. How shameful that was! Do you believe that God’s called one, the father of faith, could do such a thing? We see by this that Abraham was not higher than we are. At the most, he was the same as we are. For the sake of his stomach he was prepared to sell his wife, and Sarah submitted to this. She was certainly the best wife, the standard of all wives. She was submissive, took Abraham’s counsel, and did not blame him.
13在这件事上，亚伯拉罕是个好先知，因为在埃及所发生的事正像他豫测的一样。埃及人把他的妻子带到法老的宫中。（创十二14～15。）从某种意义说，亚伯拉罕真是出卖了他的妻子。因着撒拉，法老给了亚伯拉罕许多东西－牛、羊、骆驼和仆婢。（创十二16。）亚伯拉罕成了富翁。我一直不懂，亚伯拉罕眼看着自己的妻子被取去，怎能安心从法老收下这些东西。但他竟然收下了。他没有禁食，也没有说，“哦，我不能接受这些东西，我要撒拉！”没有，他让撒拉走了。我信亚伯拉罕确知他的妻子丢定了。按照他的推断，撒拉是完了。他收下这些牛、羊、仆婢，多少是作为丢失妻子的代价。
13In this matter Abraham was a good prophet, for things happened in Egypt exactly as he had predicted. The Egyptians took his wife away to Pharaoh’s palace (12:14-15). In a sense, Abraham did sell his wife. Because of Sarah, Pharaoh gave Abraham many things—sheep, oxen, camels, menservants, and maidservants (12:16). Abraham became rich. I have been unable to understand how Abraham, seeing that his wife had been taken, could have had the peace to receive all of these things from Pharaoh. But he did receive them. He did not fast. He did not say, “Oh, I can’t accept this. I want Sarah!” No, he let Sarah go. I believe that Abraham was certain that his wife was lost, that she was gone. According to his figuration, Sarah was gone. More or less, he received as the price of letting her go the cattle, oxen, and servants.
《二》 蒙神保守
(2) Being Kept by God
14但神不让亚伯拉罕过去。神来了，不是对付亚伯拉罕，乃是对付法老。创世记十二章十七节说，“耶和华因亚伯兰妻子撒莱的缘故，降大灾与法老和他的全家。”圣经说，有大灾降与法老和他的全家。虽然圣经没有明言，但我相信法老取了撒拉之后得了重病，病得几乎要死。经上说，有大灾降与法老和他的全家。那是甚么灾？是大火烧了皇宫么？我信不是。经过多方考虑，我深信那是某一种疾病临到了法老和他家中的每一个人，只有撒拉例外。全宫中都在谈论所发生的事，奇怪为甚么每个人都病了。法老甚至病得要死，只有撒拉不生病。也许他们在问：“这女人是谁？她为甚么不生病？”也许他们去问撒拉。撒拉看见整个情形，就明白过来。她就告诉法老，她是亚伯拉罕的妻子。我想事情可能就是这样发生的。神的手为撒拉的缘故临到法老。祂进来保守了亚伯拉罕和他的妻子。
14But God would not let Abraham go. God came in, not to deal with Abraham but to deal with Pharaoh. Verse 17 says, “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” The Bible says that great plagues came upon Pharaoh and his house. Although it is not confirmed by the word in the Bible, I believe that from the time Pharaoh took Sarah he became seriously ill, becoming sick to such an extent that he was about to die. We are told that great plagues were upon him and his house. What were these plagues? Did a fire burn the palace? I do not believe that. After much consideration, I strongly believe that the plagues were certain diseases that came over Pharaoh and over everyone in the house with the exception of Sarah. The whole palace might have talked about what was happening, wondering why everyone had become sick, why Pharaoh was dying, and why only Sarah had been spared. Perhaps they said, “Who is that woman? Why is she not sick?” They might have asked Sarah the reason. Sarah, seeing the whole situation, began to understand. Then she told Pharaoh that she was Abraham’s wife. I believe that this is the way it might have happened. God’s hand was on Pharaoh for Sarah. He came in to preserve Abraham and his wife.
15当我们信徒对神有信心的时候，所有周围的人都得到好处。但是如果我们对神没有信心，就要叫周围的人受损。神是主宰一切的，法老因此受了苦。我虽然不能说，神从法老手中把财物取过来给亚伯拉罕，但实际的情况差不多就是那样。至终亚伯拉罕不但没有失去妻子，反而得到许多财富。
15When we, the believers, have faith in God, all of the surrounding people receive the benefits, but when we fail to have faith in God, we may bring harm to the people in our surroundings. God was sovereign and Pharaoh suffered. Although I do not say that God took things out of Pharaoh’s hand and passed them on to Abraham, the real situation was somewhat like that. Eventually, Abraham did not lose his wife but instead gained great riches.
16亚伯拉罕在埃及的时候，经历了神保守的恩典。没有这保守的恩典，谁也不能留在经历的高峰。我们都需要保守的恩典。不要信靠你的经历，要信靠祂保守的恩典。就着神保守的恩典来说，甚至当亚伯拉罕在埃及出卖妻子的时候，他仍然在高峰。不管他是在高处，或是在低处，他一直都在神保守的恩典中。从好的一面说，亚伯拉罕根本没有碰到埃及，因为保守的恩典一直在他下面托着他。他虽然下了埃及，还是在保守的恩典中。即使你跌倒了，你还是在保守的恩典中，这保守的恩典要把你带回到高峰。保守的恩典可以对亚伯拉罕说，“亚伯拉罕，不要再任性了。你给了我机会向你显示我的主宰，不过你最好还是信靠我。”
16While he was in Egypt, Abraham experienced God’s keeping grace. Without the keeping grace, none of us can remain on the high point of our experience. We all need the keeping grace. Do not trust in your experience—trust in His keeping grace. As far as God’s keeping grace was concerned, Abraham was still on the high point even when he was selling his wife in Egypt. Whether he was on the top or on the bottom, he was always in God’s keeping grace. In a very good sense Abraham never touched Egypt, for the keeping grace was under him all the time. Although he went down to Egypt, he was still in the keeping grace. Even if you have fallen, you are still in the keeping grace, and the keeping grace will bring you back to the high point. The keeping grace could say to Abraham, “Abraham, don’t be naughty anymore. You gave me an opportunity to show you my sovereignty, but it is better for you to trust in me.”
《三》 学了功课，知道神凡事负责，一切在神手中
(3) Having Learned the Lesson That God Takes Care of Him in Everything and That Everything Is in God’s Hand
17在埃及的这次经历使亚伯拉罕学了功课，知道呼召他的神也是看顾他的神，并且一切都在祂的手中。以下我们要看见，下一章证明亚伯拉罕已经学了这个功课。藉着这次经历，亚伯拉罕受了管教，不但信靠神，更认识神是真实可信的。
17By this one experience in Egypt Abraham learned that the God who called him also took care of him and that everything was in His hand. As we shall see, the next chapter proves that Abraham had learned this lesson. Through this experience Abraham was disciplined not only to trust in God but to know that God is real and faithful.
18只要你是一个神所呼召的人，不管你是否相信祂或信靠祂，祂都会看顾你。你留在高处，祂餧养你。你跌到低处，祂更餧养你。我们留在高处或跌到低处，这是我们的事，对祂没有两样，因为不管我们在高处或在低处，祂都餧养我们。这是亚伯拉罕的故事，也是我们的故事。我能从经历中向你们作见证，神是真实可信的。我们的父是真实可信的，那呼召我们的是真实可信的。不管世界的经济是好是坏，神总是看顾我们。
18As long as you are one of God’s called ones, He will take care of you whether or not you believe in Him or trust in Him. If you stay on the high point, He feeds you. If you fall to the bottom, He feeds you the more. Whether we stay on the high point or fall to the bottom is up to us. It does not make any difference to Him, for whether we are on the top or on the bottom, He takes care of us. This is our story as well as the story of Abraham. I can testify to you from my experience that God is real and faithful. Our Father is real and faithful. The One who has called us is real and faithful. Regardless of whether the economy of the world is good or bad, God takes care of us.
19我们这些蒙召的人能享受神。我们也许出卖妻子，神还是在看顾我们。当我们正计画怎样出卖妻子救自己性命的时候，神也在计画怎样保守我们的妻子，还叫我们得着许多东西，并且带着得来的财富，回到祂的地方。当我初次读这段故事的时候，我很不以为然；但至终发现呼召我们的神是这么好，不禁笑了起来。正当亚伯拉罕计画出卖他妻子的时候，神却准备赐福给他，保守他的性命，并给他许多财富。如果那时我是亚伯拉罕，我要说，“神阿，我能说甚么呢？我没有脸向你说甚么。”如果我是亚伯拉罕，我看看我的妻子、牛羊、仆婢，我甚至会没有脸面说，“父阿，感谢你。”我会对撒拉说，“亲爱的，我们回去罢。这些仆婢跟不跟我们没有关系。我不配得着神所赐我们的这些财富，我觉得享用这些很羞耻。我是不配的，但神白白的赐给。撒拉，当我出卖你的时候，神给了我们这许多东西。你也许会说，这很好；但我觉得羞耻。撒拉，请你祷告，替我感谢神。我简直没有脸面为自己祷告。”我相信亚伯拉罕当时就是这样作。
19We, the called ones, can enjoy God. While we may be selling our wives, our God is taking care of us. While we may be planning to sell our wives to save our lives, God is planning how to preserve our wives, to gain many things for us, and to send us back to His place with all of the riches that we have acquired. When I read this story at first, I did not agree with it. Eventually, I was laughing because our calling God is so good. When Abraham was planning to sell his wife, God was preparing to bless him, preserve his life, and give him many riches. If I had been Abraham at that time, I would have said, “God, what can I say? I have no face to say anything to You.” If I had been Abraham and had looked at my wife, cattle, and servants, I would not even have had the face to say, “Father, thank You.” I would have said to Sarah, “Dear, let us go back. It doesn’t matter whether the servants want to come with us or not. I don’t deserve any of these riches that God has given us and I feel ashamed to enjoy them. I am not worthy, but God gives so freely. Sarah, while I was selling you, God gave all of these things to us. You may say that it is good, but I feel ashamed. Sarah, you pray and thank God for me. I just don’t have the face to pray for myself.” I do believe that this happened to Abraham.
20在创世记十三章一节，我们看见亚伯拉罕“从埃及上南地去。”他回到高峰所在之处，“到了伯特利和艾的中间，就是从前支搭帐棚的地方，也是他起先筑坛的地方；他又在那里呼求耶和华的名。”（创十三3～4，另译。）亚伯拉罕回到他当初筑坛并支撘帐棚的地方。当亚伯拉罕在埃及计画出卖妻子的时候，他没有祭坛，没有帐棚，也没有呼求耶和华的名。在那里他没有宣告他向巴别作相反的见证。当他在埃及的时候，他失去了这一切。但亚伯拉罕回到了起初，回到了筑坛的地方，在那里他恢复呼求耶和华的名。
20In 13:1 we see that Abraham “went up out of Egypt.” He went back to the very place where the high point was, “unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai; unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord” (13:3-4). Abraham returned to the place where he had built an altar and pitched his tent. When Abraham was planning to sell his wife in Egypt, there was no altar, tent, or calling on the name of the Lord. There was no declaration of his anti-testimony to Babel. When he was in Egypt, he lost all of this. But Abraham came back to the beginning, to the place of the altar, and there he recovered his calling on the name of the Lord.
（b） 弟兄之争
b) The Striving of the Brother
21经过创世记十二章的经历以后，无论是亚伯拉罕或是我们都很容易说，“赞美主，我已经学了功课。”然而，仍需要一些试验来证明，我们是否真的学了功课。其中一个试验是弟兄之争。（创十三5～13。）亚伯拉罕因试图出卖妻子成了富足，这些财富给他带来一些麻烦。他太富足了。罗得也得了财富，那地就不彀容纳他们。十三章六节告诉我们：“那地容不下他们，因为他们的财物甚多，使他们不能同居。”因此亚伯拉罕的牧人和罗得的牧人相争。（创十三7。）这成了亚伯拉罕的另一试炼。许多时候，第二次的试炼是出于第一次试炼的祝福。你会说，“赞美主！当我走出埃及的时候，我没有脸面感谢主；但现在过了三个月，我能为着祂善待我赞美祂。祂保守了我的妻子，并且给了我这一切的财物。”如果你这样说，你不久就会遇到麻烦，因为第一次试炼的祝福会带来第二次的试炼。这是我们的经历。
21After passing through the experience in chapter twelve, it might be easy for Abraham or for us to say, “Praise the Lord, I have learned the lesson!” But some tests are needed to prove whether or not we have truly learned the lesson. One test is the striving of the brother (13:5-13). Abraham had become rich by trying to sell his wife, and these riches caused him some trouble. He became too rich. Lot also acquired riches, and the land was too small to bear them both. In 13:6 we are told that “the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.” So there was “strife between the herdmen of Abraham’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle” (13:7). This became another trial for Abraham. Many times the second trial comes out of the blessing of the first trial. You may say, “Praise the Lord! When I was walking out of Egypt, I didn’t have the face to thank the Lord, but now after three months I can praise Him for His goodness to me. He preserved my wife and has given me all of these riches.” If you say this, you may soon find yourself in trouble, for the second trial will come from the blessing of the first trial. This is our experience.
22创世记十三章指明亚伯拉罕已经学了功课。这一次他没有失败；他得胜了，因为他在第一次试炼里学了功课。你如果仔细研读，你会看见这一次亚伯拉罕没有错，错是在罗得。亚伯拉罕学了功课，不为自己争，不为自己拣选，只信靠神的看顾。他知道他在神的手中，在神的看顾之下。你在十三章看不到亚伯拉罕这一方有甚么失败的迹象，他是完全的成功。“亚伯兰就对罗得说，你我不可相争，你的牧人和我的牧人也不可相争，因为我们是骨肉。遍地不都在你跟前么？请你离开我，你向左，我就向右，你向右，我就向左。”（创十三8～9。）亚伯拉罕似乎告诉罗得说，“罗得，我们是希伯来弟兄，在这地上只有我们是希伯来人，其余都是外邦人。他们在看我们。我们之间不可相争，因为这会羞辱我们所信靠的神。罗得，请你看看这地，拣选你所喜欢的地方。我绝不争，也不选。”在亚伯拉罕的深处，他必定说，“我的拣选是在于神。我因着下埃及，已经学了功课。现在我知道我是在神的看顾之下，在祂底下一切都是我的。我不需要拣选。我要让罗得去拣选。”罗得拣选了，就离开亚伯拉罕，“渐渐挪移帐棚，直到所多玛，”并不在意所多玛的罪恶。（创十三12～13。）
22Chapter thirteen indicates that Abraham had learned a lesson. This time he did not fail; he was prevailing because he had learned the lesson in the first trial. If you read carefully, you will see that in this case the fault was not with Abraham but with Lot. Abraham learned the lesson of not striving for himself and of having no choice for himself but of trusting in God’s care. He knew that he was in the hand of God and under the care of God. There is no hint in chapter thirteen of any kind of failure on the part of Abraham. He was completely successful. “And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou will take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left” (13:8-9). Abraham seemed to be telling Lot, “Lot, we are Hebrew brothers, the only Hebrews in the land. All of the others are Gentiles. They are looking at us. There should be no strife between us, for that would be a shame to the God in whom we trust. Lot, look over the land and choose the place where you would like to be. I will not strive or have any choice.” Deep within, Abraham must have said, “My choice is with God. I have learned the lesson by going down to Egypt. Now I know that I am under the care of my God and that under Him everything is mine. I don’t need to choose. I will let Lot make his choice.” Lot made his choice, departed from Abraham, and “pitched his tent toward Sodom,” not caring about the wickedness of Sodom (13:12-13).
23对亚伯拉罕而言，被撇下失去罗得并不是一件小事。亚伯拉罕没有儿子。他的侄儿罗得是他的近亲，对他就像儿子一样。我信亚伯拉罕待罗得，就像待自己的儿子一样。所以罗得一离开，他就孤单了。就在这时候，神又向亚伯拉罕显现。在埃及，神降灾对付法老，但祂没有向亚伯拉罕显现，因为亚伯拉罕那时是在错的地位上。在埃及，亚伯拉罕是在神保守的恩典中，但他没有神的显现。现在到了十三章，亚伯拉罕不仅在神保守的恩典中，更回到原初的地方，在对的地位上。此外，他没有为自己争夺，也没有为自己拣选。由于他在埃及所受的管教，他学了功课，知道他的将来和一切都在神的手中，并且知道他是在神的看顾之下。所以神向他显现，说，“从你所在的地方，你举目向东西南北观看；凡你所看见的一切地，我都要赐给你和你的后裔，直到永远。”（创十三14～15。）亚伯拉罕曾叫罗得拣选土地，现在神进来，似乎告诉亚伯拉罕说，“我不让你拣选。我把一切可拣选的都给你。你举目向东西南北观看－一切都是你的。你曾让罗得拣选，现在我把一切都给你。”我们必须从这里学到功课，在召会生活中不为自己争夺。让你的弟兄去拣选。你如果把拣选让给你的弟兄，神会进来把一切可拣选的都给你。
23It was not a small thing for Abraham to be left without Lot. Abraham did not have a son. His nephew, Lot, a very close relative, was just like a son to him. I believe that Abraham treated Lot as his own son. So when Lot left him, he was alone. But at this point God appeared to Abraham again. In Egypt, God dealt with Pharaoh in the plagues, but He did not appear to Abraham because he was in the wrong position. In Egypt, Abraham was in God’s keeping grace, but he did not have God’s appearing. Now in chapter thirteen Abraham was not only in God’s keeping grace but, having come back to the original place, was also in the right position. Furthermore, he did not strive for himself or choose for himself. As a result of the discipline he underwent in Egypt, he learned that his future and everything were in the hand of God and that he was under God’s care. So God appeared to him and said, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever” (13:14-15). Abraham told Lot to take his choice of the land. Then God came in and seemed to tell Abraham, “I do not allow you to choose. I am giving all the choices to you. Look northward, southward, eastward, and westward—all is yours. You gave the choice to Lot. Now I am giving everything to you.” We must learn from this never to strive for ourselves in the church life. Let your brother have all the choices. If you give the choice to your brother, God will come in and give all the choices to you.
24这一次神在祂的显现中，坚定了创世记十二章七节美地的应许，和十二章二节子孙增多的应许。我们在任何试炼中的得胜，总是坚定神对我们的应许。这就发生在亚伯拉罕身上。并且，亚伯拉罕因为在这次试炼中得胜，就被引到他对神经历的顶峰。他搬了帐棚，来到希伯仑居住，（创十三18，）他余生大部分的时间，就住在那里，住在与神的交通中。（创十八1。）
24This time in His appearing God confirmed the promise concerning the good land in 12:7 and the promise concerning the increase of his seed in 12:2. Our prevailing over any trial always confirms God’s promises to us. This happened to Abraham. Moreover, Abraham’s prevailing over this trial ushered him to the peak of his experience of God. He removed his tent and came to dwell in Hebron (13:18) where he dwelt for most of the remainder of his time in the fellowship with God (18:1).