第29章 火蛇
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第29章 火蛇
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Chapter29. - Fiery Serpents.
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百姓从何珥山起行，往红海那条路走，要绕过以东地时，因路难行而大大灰心抱怨。就埋怨上帝和摩西说：“你们为什么把我们从埃及领出来、使我们死在旷野呢？这里没有粮，没有水，我们的心厌恶这淡薄的食物。”“于是耶和华使火蛇进入百姓中间，蛇就咬他们。以色列人中死了许多。百姓到摩西那里，说：‘我们怨讟耶和华和你，有罪了。求你祷告耶和华，叫这些蛇离开我们。’于是摩西为百姓祷告。耶和华对摩西说：‘你制造一条火蛇，挂在杆子上；凡被咬的，一望这蛇，就必得活。’摩西便制造一条铜蛇，挂在杆子上；凡被蛇咬的，一望这铜蛇就活了”（民21:5-9）。{1SP 314.2}[1]
§4
As the people journeyed from Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom, they were much discouraged, and complained of the hardships of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned; for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. {1SP 314.2}[1]
§5
以色列人的怨言是不合理的，而不讲理的人总是走极端。他们说没有粮没有水，这完全是谎言。上帝怜悯的奇迹已把粮和水都给了他们。为了惩罚他们忘恩负义，埋怨上帝，主就允许火蛇咬他们。这些蛇称为火蛇是因为人被咬伤以后会疼痛发炎，很快死去。直到那时，以色列人一直得蒙保守不被旷野中的这些蛇咬，这本身就是一个连续的奇迹，因为们所经过的旷野里遍地都是毒蛇。{1SP 315.1}[2]
§6
The murmurings of the children of Israel were unreasonable; and the unreasonable always go to extremes. They uttered falsehoods in saying that they had no bread nor water. They had both given them by a miracle of Gods mercy. To punish them for their ingratitude, and complaining against God, the Lord permitted fiery serpents to bite them. They were called fiery, because their bite produced painful inflammation and speedy death. The Israelites, up to this time, had been preserved from these serpents in the wilderness by a continual miracle; for the wilderness through which they traveled was infested with poisonous serpents. {1SP 315.1}[2]
§7
摩西告诉百姓，上帝至今都在保护他们，他们此前一直没有被蛇咬过，乃是上帝照顾他们的一个证据。他还告诉他们，正是因为他们不必要的抱怨，抗议旅程中的艰苦，上帝才允许他们被蛇咬了。这是要向他们表明，上帝已保护他们脱离了许多大害，要是祂曾允许这些大害临到他们，他们原会遭受他们所称为艰难困苦的事。然而上帝在他们前面预备了道路。他们中间没有生病的人。他们在一切的旅程中脚没有肿，衣服也没有穿破。上帝把天使的食物赐给他们，并从坚硬的磐石中流出最纯净的水给他们喝。他们既有这一切祂关爱的证据，还发怨言，祂就因他们的忘恩负义而报应他们，使他们认识到祂过去对他们的慈怜照顾，那是他们所没有留心的。{1SP 315.2}[3]
§8
Moses told the people that God had hitherto preserved them, that they had not been harmed by the serpents, which was a token of his care for them. He told them it was because of their needless murmurings, complaining of the hardships in their journey, that God had permitted them to be bitten of serpents. This was to show them that God had preserved them from many and great evils, which if he had permitted to come upon them, they would have suffered that which they could call hardships. But God had prepared the way before them. There was no sickness among them. Their feet had not swollen in all their journeys, neither had their clothes waxed old. God had given them angels food, and purest water out of the flinty rock. And with all these tokens of his love, if they complained, he would send his judgments upon them for their ingratitude, and make them to realize his past merciful care for them, of which they had been unmindful. {1SP 315.2}[3]
§9
以色列人受到了惊吓，因被蛇咬而谦卑下来，承认了自己发怨言的罪。摩西蒙指示把铜蛇挂在杆子上，凡被咬的，一望那蛇，就必痊愈。{1SP 316.1}[4]
§10
The Israelites were terrified and humbled because of the serpents, and confessed their sin in murmuring. Moses was directed to erect the brazen serpent upon a pole, and if those who were bitten looked upon that, they should be healed. {1SP 316.1}[4]
§11
这里要求以色列人要做些事。他们若要得活，就必须望那铜蛇。许多人已经被蛇咬死了。当摩西把铜蛇挂在杆子上时，有些人既没有那种只要仰望便能得医治的信心，就死了。母亲、父亲、兄弟姐妹都急忙帮助他们受苦将死的亲友，让他们将无力的眼睛盯住那铜蛇。他们在昏晕将死的时候，只要能看一眼那蛇，就能恢复精神，得医治脱离中毒伤口的一切影响。那铜蛇本身并没有什么使仰望它的人立刻产生这种改变的功效。他们因仰望那蛇而得到的医治的效能惟独来自上帝。祂本着自己的智慧选择以这种方式显示祂的能力。人们对上帝所做的安排持有的信心，才是蒙上帝悦纳的。藉着这种简单的方法，便使百姓意识到，上帝之所以允许这些蛇伤害他们，是因为他们发怨言和对祂缺乏信心。他们若是愿意顺从上帝，就没有理由害怕，因为祂必作他们的朋友，保护他们脱离在旷野中不断容易遭受的种种危险。{1SP 316.2}[5]
§12
Here the Israelites were required to do something. They must look upon the brazen serpent if they would live. Many had died by the bite of the serpents. When Moses raised the serpent upon the pole, some had no faith that merely looking at that would heal them, and they died. Mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, were all anxiously engaged in helping their suffering, dying relatives and friends, to fix their languid eyes upon the serpent. If they could only once look while fainting and dying, they revived, and were healed of all the effects of their poisonous wounds. There was no virtue in the serpent of brass to cause such a change immediately in those who looked upon it. The healing virtue received by their looking upon the serpent was derived from God alone. He chose, in his wisdom, this manner to display his power. It was the faith of the people in the provision made, which was acceptable to God. By this simple means, the people were made sensible that God had permitted these serpents to afflict them because of their murmurings and lack of faith in him. If they would obey God, they had no reason to fear; for he would be their friend, and preserve them from dangers to which they were continually exposed in the wilderness. {1SP 316.2}[5]
§13
受苦的希伯来人不能救自己脱离火蛇的影响。惟独上帝才能用祂无限的能力拯救有罪反叛的以色列人；可是，以祂的智慧，祂认为不试验以色列人的悔改和信心就饶恕他们的过犯是不合适的。他们受命藉他们自己的一个行动来表明他们的悔改和对上帝为使他们复原所做规定的信心。他们这一方必须行动。他们必须仰望，才能得活。仰望的举动表明他们对铜蛇所象征的上帝儿子的信心。高举铜蛇是要给以色列人一个教训。他们曾把自己的供物献给上帝，并且感到这么做就充分地补赎了自己的罪。他们并没有凭信心依赖那要来之救赎主的功劳，他们的供物不过是预表祂的。那做得象火蛇的铜蛇要被放在营中间，挂在杆子上。这是要向以色列人表明，他们的供物本身并不比铜蛇更有拯救的效能，那不过是要将上帝儿子将来的牺牲活画在他们面前。所以，他们的供物也要以折服的意志和痛悔的心献上，表明他们对上帝爱子有功效的奉献有信心。谁也没有被迫仰望那铜蛇。人人都可仰望而得生，要么就因不信上帝所做简单的规定，拒绝仰望而死去。{1SP 316.3}[6]
§14
The Hebrews in their affliction could not save themselves from the effect of the fiery serpents. God alone could save sinful, rebellious Israel, by his infinite power; yet, in his wisdom, he did not see fit to pardon their transgressions without testing their repentance and faith. They were required, by an act of their own, to show their penitence, and faith in the provision that God had made for their recovery. They, on their part, must act. They must look, in order to live. The act of looking showed their faith in the Son of God, whom the serpent represented. The lifting up of the brazen serpent was to teach Israel a lesson. They had presented their offerings to God, and felt that in thus doing they had made ample atonement for their sins. They did not, by faith, rely upon the merits of the Redeemer to come, of which their offerings were only the type. The serpent, made of brass to resemble the fiery serpent, was to be placed in the midst of the camp, lifted upon a pole. This was to show to Israel that their offerings, of themselves, had no more saving virtue or power than the serpent of brass, which was to revive in their minds the future sacrifice of the Son of God. So, also, their offerings were to be brought with subdued wills and penitent hearts, they having faith in the meritorious offering of Gods dear Son. None were compelled to look upon the brazen serpent. All could look and live, or disbelieve the simple provision God had made, refuse to look, and die. {1SP 316.3}[6]
§15
上帝的要求不一定会得到祂子民的赏识，许多人不能明白上帝待他们的作为；可是他们的本分并不是质疑上帝的目的，而是要献上谦恭的顺从；因为上帝在祂一切的要求中都有一个目的，那个目的我们在今生可能不会完全看清楚，但在来生会看清楚。{1SP 317.1}[7]
§16
The requirements of God may not always be appreciated by his people, and many are unable to understand the dealings of God with them; yet it is not their part to question the purposes of God, but to yield submissive obedience; for God has a purpose in all his requirements, which we may not fully see here, but shall see hereafter. {1SP 317.1}[7]
§17
以色列人在旷野旅行的每一天都由上帝恩典的神迹保守着。那行在他们前面的大能的使者就是上帝的儿子。祂使他们的道路平坦，以致他们的脚没有肿。是天上的至尊制服和约束了森林中危猛的野兽和旷野中大批滋生的毒蛇。以色列人并没有认识到他们在旅行中蒙保护脱离了千般的危险。他们有疑惑不信的刚硬的心，不甘心受上帝带领和约束。他们想象恶事。他们细想威胁着他们的种种危险，尽管他们并没有经历那些危险。主允许蛇来使他们受苦，好让他们认识到，要不是上帝满有恩慈地四围保护着他们，使他们免遭痛苦和死亡，他们原会多受苦害。主刚刚才使他们奇妙地胜过了他们的敌人，应允了他们的祷告。主考验了他们，要看他们在困境中是否愿意指望祂，信靠祂。但他们没有经受住考验；他们却抱怨上帝，抗议摩西要饿死他们。主便惩罚了他们，允许他们所抱怨的死亡临到他们身上。{1SP 318.1}[8]
§18
Israel had been preserved by a miracle of Gods mercy during every day of their travels in the wilderness. The mighty Angel who went before them was the Son of God. He evened their path, so that their feet did not swell. It was the Majesty of Heaven who subdued and restrained the strong and dangerous beasts of the forest, as well as the poisonous serpents that infested the wilderness. The children of Israel did not realize the thousand dangers they were preserved from in their travels, because they were kept from them. They had hard hearts of unbelief, and were unreconciled to be guided and controlled by God. They imagined evils. They dwelt upon the dangers which threatened them, although they experienced them not. The Lord permitted the serpents to distress them, that they might realize how much they might have suffered if God had not mercifully encompassed them, and preserved them from affliction and death. The Lord had just given them a wonderful victory over their enemies, in answer to prayer. The Lord proved them, to see if they would look to him, and trust in him, if brought into strait places. But they did not stand the test; they complained of God, and of Moses killing them with hunger. The Lord punished them, by permitting the death they had complained of to come upon them. {1SP 318.1}[8]
§19
挂在杆子上的铜蛇象征将要死在十字架上的上帝的儿子。遭受罪恶后果的百姓惟有在上帝所做的安排中才能得到盼望和拯救。以色列人怎样藉着仰望铜蛇而得活，罪人也照样能仰望基督而得活。祂与那铜蛇不同的是，祂自己就有医治受苦、悔改、信主之罪人的功效和能力。基督论到祂自己说：“摩西在旷野怎样举蛇，人子也必照样被举起来，叫一切信祂的都得永生”（约3:14,15）。{1SP 318.2}[9]
§20
The brazen serpent, lifted upon a pole, illustrates the Son of God, who was to die upon the cross. The people who are suffering from the effects of sin can find hope and salvation alone in the provision God has made. As the Israelites saved their lives by looking upon the brazen serpent, so sinners can look to Christ and live. Unlike the brazen serpent, he has virtue and power in himself to heal the suffering, repenting, believing sinner. Christ says of himself, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. {1SP 318.2}[9]