113.那鴻書1:7
113. The Stronghold The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7 GOD HIMSELF "Jehovah is good." 1. Good in himself essentially and independently. Let us praise him as good in the most emphatic and unlimited sense. II. GOD TO US. "A strong hold in the day of trouble." 1. Under special circumstances our resort.
2. Securing our safety at all times: for a stronghold is always strong, even when there is no immediate war. Let us run to him, as the poor people of the open country fly to the walled towns in the time of war. III. GOD WITH US. "He knoweth them that trust in him." The term "he knoweth them" includes— 1. His intimate acquaintance with their persons, conditions, etc. Let us believe in the goodness of the Lord even when we cannot discern it with the eye of sense. Testimonies The only place of safety in this world is the one in which we are sure to meet God, and to be "under the shadow of his wing." The Bible sets forth, in grand metaphor, this idea, by speaking of a "fortress into which the righteous runneth, and is safe"; and of a strong tower;' and of the shadow of a great rock." When we were in the Yosemite Valley, lately, our driver told us of a series of terrific earthquakes, which visited the valley several years ago. The few inhabitants who dwelt there were thrown out of their beds in the night. Frail cottages were overturned. Loose rocks were hurled down from the precipices into the valley. These shocks were repeated for several days until the people were panic-stricken and ready to despair. "What did you do?" we inquired. The driver (pointing to the mighty and immovable rock, El Capitan, which rises for three thousand feet on the south side of the valley, and has a base of three solid miles) replied: "We determined to go and camp under old Capitan; for if that ever moved we knew the world would be coming to an end." — Dr. Cuyler Tamar may disguise herself, and walk in an unaccustomed path, so that Judah may not know her; Isaac, through the dimness of his sight, may bless Jacob, and pass over Esau; want of time may make Joseph forget, or be forgotten of, his brethren; Solomon may doubt to whom of right the child belongeth; and Christ may come to his own, and not be received: but the Lord knoweth them that are his, and his eye is always over them. Time, place, speech, or apparel cannot obscure or darken his eye or ear. He can discern Daniel in the den; and Job, though never so much changed, on the dung-hill. Let Jonah be lodged in the whale's belly, Peter be put into a close prison, or Lazarus be wrapped in rags, or Abel rolled in blood, yet can he call them by name, and send his angels to comfort them. Ignorance and forgetfulness may cause love and knowledge to be estranged in the creature, but the Lord is not incident to either, for his eye, as his essence, is everywhere; he knoweth all things. — Spencer's "Things New and Old" A safe stronghold our God is still, Many talk of trusting God when indeed they know nothing of real faith. How are we to know who is, and who is not, a believer? This question is hard to answer in times of prosperity, but not in the day of trouble: then the true truster is calm and quiet in his God, and the mere pretender is at his wits' end. Our text seems to hint as much. Everybody can find a bird's nest in winter when the trees are bare, but the green leaves hide them; so are believers discovered by adversity. One thing, however, should*never be forgotten: whether we know believers or not, God knows them. He does not include one hypocrite in the number, nor exclude one sincere truster, even though he be of little faith. He knows infallibly, and universally. Does he know me, even me, as one of those who trust in him? The Lord knoweth them that are his, and they know him as their stronghold. Have I such knowledge? |
113．堅固保障（The Stronghold）「耶和華本為善，在患難的日子為人的保障，並且認得那些投靠他的人。」——那鴻書 1:7 一、神自己「耶和華本為善。」
讓我們以最強烈、最無限的意義來稱頌祂的善。 二、神向我們「在患難的日子為人的保障。」
讓我們奔向祂，如同戰亂時，鄉間的窮人逃入有城牆的城邑。 三、神與我們同在「他認得那些投靠他的人。」「他認得他們」這句話包含——
即使感官看不出來，我們仍要相信主的良善。 見證（Testimonies）這世上唯一的安全之處，就是那個我們確知會遇見神、並「在祂翅膀蔭下」的地方。聖經以壯麗的比喻表達這思想，稱之為「義人奔入便得安全的城堡」、「堅固的高臺」、以及「大磐石的蔭下」。我們前不久在優勝美地山谷時，司機告訴我們，幾年前那裡曾發生一連串可怕的地震。夜裡，居民被從床上震落，簡陋的房屋傾倒，鬆動的巨石從懸崖滾落谷中。地震連續數日，人心惶惶，幾乎絕望。我們問：「你們怎麼辦？」司機指著南側高聳三千英尺、底座延伸三英里的巨大磐石——酋長岩（El Capitan），回答說：「我們決定到老酋長岩底下紮營；因為如果它都會動，那就表示世界要結束了。」—— 柯萊爾博士（Dr. Cuyler） 她瑪可以喬裝改道，使猶大認不出她；以撒因視力昏花，祝福了雅各，忽略了以掃；約瑟可能因時間久遠而忘記或被兄弟遺忘；所羅門曾一度難辨孩子的歸屬；基督來到自己的地方，卻不被接待。但主認得屬祂的人。祂的眼目時常看顧他們。時間、地點、言語、衣著，都不能遮蔽祂的眼或耳。祂能在獅子坑中認出但以理；也能在糞堆上辨認被苦難改變的約伯。約拿在魚腹中，彼得在嚴密的監牢裡，拉撒路裹著破布，亞伯倒臥血泊——祂仍能呼喚他們的名字，差遣天使安慰他們。受造之物會因無知與健忘而使愛與認識疏離，但主不受此限制；祂的眼如同祂的本質，無所不在，祂知道萬事。—— 史賓塞《新舊之事》 我們的神仍是堅固保障， 許多人談論信靠神，實際上卻不明白什麼是真信心。那麼，我們如何分辨誰是真信徒、誰不是？在順境中很難分辨，但在患難之日卻不然：真正信靠的人，在神裡面安靜平穩；假冒的人卻驚慌失措。經文似乎暗示了這一點。 |