43.《走永生的道路 Finishing Strong》(詩139:1-24)

神啊，求你鑒察我，知道我的心思，試煉我，知道我的意念，看在我裡面有什麼惡行沒有，引導我走永生的道路。(詩139:23-24)

這是一首在困難時向主呼求的詩歌, 全詩以第一人身的方式唱頌, 叫每一個讀這詩的人得著力量, 結構如下:

A. 標題: 耶和華已經鑒察我，1
  B. 讚耶和華的全知, 2-6
    C. 讚耶和華的遍在, 7-12
      D. 耶和華創造了我, 13-16
    C’ 呼求上主的同在, 17-18
  B’ 求神除去己惡念, 19-22
A’ 結語: 求耶和華鑒察認識, 23-24

耶和華已經鑒察我 (1)：[1] 這是詩歌的標題, 也是呼求神幫助的起點, 神怎樣鑒察我, 認識我？

讚耶和華的全知 (2-6)：為甚麼說你已經「鑒察我」(chaqar),[2] 因為神是一位全知的神, 神對我一切的心思意念都清楚不過, 是我過去常常經驗的, 「我坐下，我起來，你都曉得…」(2-6), 連沒有說出來的話神都知道。

讚耶和華的遍在 (7-12)：為甚麼說「認識我」(yada)？因為耶和華是全在的神, 所以無論往何處去, 無論是上到天上或下到陰間, 到了海的極處, 即使在最黑暗的所在, 神的靈(就是神的手)都與我同在。

呼求上主的同在 (17-18)：藉著1-12節的認信, 這歌的下半引領人向神呼求幫助, 在哪方面呢？這裏說明先是呼求神的同在, 這是基於神已經認識我(yada)而發出的呼求。

求神除去己惡念 (19-22)：詩人呼求除去惡人和惡念, 「…你們好流人血的，離開我去吧…耶和華啊，恨惡你的，我豈不恨惡他們嗎？...」(19-22), 這是基於神已經鑒察我的(chaqar)而發出的呼求。

以色列人可以這樣向耶和華呼求, 基礎在於從前的經歷, 但要比這更重要的, 是「(因為)[3] 我的肺腑是你所造的；我在母腹中，你已覆庇我」(13-16), 是的, 為甚麼神會鑒察和認識我, 因為神創造了我, 也是這歌的中心信息所在。

添布頓(Chuck Templeton), 奇理福(Bron Clifford), 和葛培理(Billy Graham)三人都在第二次世界大戰結束後的1945年, 在美國公開佈道, 帶領許多人信耶穌, 添布頓更被當時基督教界認為是當代最偉大佈道家, 奇理福在各處主領聚會也都出現長長人龍, 叫許多人生命復興, 葛培理雖然和前二人相熟, 但卻沒有多少人談論, 然而過了十多年, 當葛培理名滿天下時, 前二人已沒有人提及了, 因為葛培理的講道恩賜突非猛進超他們了嗎？不是的, 葛培理仍然像起初一樣踏實講道, 宣講簡單信息, 沒有再提及添佈頓和奇理福, 是因為前者已經改當電視評員及報刋專欄作家, 那比當牧師有更豐厚收入, 耶穌？他已經不相信了！而奇理福, 因為生下兩個唐氏孩子後和太太離婚, 不再做牧師了, --Finishing Strong, Steve Farrar

是的, 因為神創造了我, 所以我可以被神使用, 向神呼求, 因為神鑒察我, 認識我, 所以我可以被神使用, 向神呼求, 並且還要繼續如此呼求: 「神啊，求你鑒察我，知道我的心思，試煉我，知道我的意念」(23),[4] 叫我可以在名利引誘面前, 生活磨煉裏頭, 仍然相信, 不疑惑不灰心, 呼求全知全在的神「看在我裏面有甚麼惡行沒有, 引導我走永生的道路」(24), 求主始終施恩憐憫, 叫我跟從主的腳蹤行。

【祈禱】主啊，求你鑒察我，領我走永生的道路，叫我無論得時不得時，甚至軟弱及失敗時，都始終敬拜你，跟從你，阿們。

 【Finishing Strong摘錄】You’ve heard of Billy Graham. But what about Chuck Templeton or Bron Clifford？Have you ever heard of them？

    Billy Graham wasn’t the only young preacher packing auditoriums in 1945. Chuck Templeton and Bron Clifford were accomplishing the same thing – and more. All three young men were in their mid-twenties. One seminary president after hearing Chuck Templeton preach one evening to an audience of thousands called him “the most gifted and talented young man in America today for preaching.”
    Templeton and Graham were friends. Both ministered for Youth for Christ. Both were extraordinary preachers. Yet in those early years, most observers would probably have put their money on Templeton. As a matter of fact, in 1946, the National Association of Evangelicals published an article on men who were “best used of God” in that organization’s five-year existence. The article highlighted the ministry of Chuck Templeton. Billy Graham was never mentioned. Templeton, many felt, would be the next Babe Ruth of evangelism.
    Bron Clifford was yet another gifted, twenty five years old fireball. In 1945, many believed Clifford the most gifted and powerful preacher the church had seen in centuries. In that same year, Clifford preached to an auditorium of thousands in Miami, Florida. People lined up ten and twelve deep outside the auditorium trying to get in.     
Graham, Templeton and Clifford.
    In 1945, all three came shooting out of the starting blocks like rockets. You’ve heard of Billy Graham. So how come you’ve never heard of Chuck Templeton or Bron Clifford？Especially when they came out of the chutes so strong in ’45.
    Just five years later, Templeton left the ministry to pursue a career as a radio and television commentator and newspaper columnist. Templeton had decided he was no longer a believer in Christ in the orthodox sense of the term. By 1950, this future Babe Ruth wasn’t even in the game and no longer believed in the validity of the claims of Jesus Christ.
    What about Clifford？By 1954, Clifford had lost his family, his ministry, his health, and then… his life. Alcohol and financial irresponsibility had done him in. He wound up leaving his wife and their two Down’s syndrome children. At just thirty five years of age, this once great preacher died from cirrhosis of the liver in a rundown motel on the edge of Amarillo. His last job was selling used cars in the panhandle of Texas. He died, as John Haggai put it, “unwept, unhonored, and unsung.” Some pastors in Amarillo took up a collection among themselves in order to purchase a casket so that his body could be shipped back East for decent burial in a cemetery for the poor.
   In 1945, three men with extraordinary gifts were preaching the gospel to multiplied thousands across this nation. Within ten years, only one of them was still on track for Christ.
   In the Christian life, it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish. -- “Finishing Strong”. By Steve Farrar

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[1] O LORD, you have searched me and known me! (139:1, ESV)

[2] 看看有些甚麼是神不喜悅的, 有甚麼罪惡過犯, 就是認定神對人內裏的心思意念尋找查察, 希伯來文chaqar的這字的意本來就是「尋找」, searching。

[3] 希伯來文ki所表達的「因為」意思的這個字在和合本中沒有譯出。

[4] 139:23是重提139:1的認信, 是的, 為那些已經擁有繼續呼求, 好叫我們繼續經驗, 繼續擁有, 畢竟那不是必然的! (當人被環境勝過, 被惡者引誘, 就不再經驗神的全知和全在。)