1/5/2013巴別塔與分散各國

經文:創世記10－11章

中心思想:創世記11：1－9，27－32

提要

        第十章、十一章談論的是洪水之後萬國的起源。一開始提到的是挪亞和他三個兒子，接著是上帝使地上的人口眾多起來，但由於個人心中的罪根未除，罪的惡果很快的就再度成為驕傲、悖逆的行為，上帝以變亂口音，使人四散到世界各地來整治人類的錯敗──就像起初上帝的命令一樣！經過幾世代人類自給自足的描述之後，故事的重心轉移到一個特別的人身上──亞伯拉罕──上帝要從這個人再建立一個新的國度。

每日與主同行

        順服上帝為什麼那麼重要？
        祂的忍耐與饒恕，永遠都會給你新的機會，對不對？
        回想創世記開頭幾章，在伊甸園中，上帝給亞當和夏娃一座森林，他們可以盡情享受林中的果子，只有一棵樹不在此列，結果如何？他們竟吃了禁果，立刻遭到放逐。
        洪水過後，上帝給挪亞的後裔一條命令：「生養眾多、遍滿了地」（創9：1）。就是要人類遍佈全球之上，但他們的回應是什麼呢？「我們要建造一座城，和一座塔，塔頂通天，為要傳揚我們的名，免得我們分散在全地上」（創11：4）。審判於是隨著悖逆而來。
        上帝頒佈一道命令的時候是很認真的，這道命令不是用來分析、辯論或是置之不理的，而是要我們順服不渝！你相信這個觀念嗎？完成下列的句子：「如果我今天順服上帝（如何？），就能讓自己脫離憂愁。」

默想

巴別塔事件的四千年後
        你想在今天這個世界上有多少種語言？根據威克里夫聖經譯者的統計，約有6,170種語言－不過只有262種語言有自己的聖經，有些國家向聖經譯者提出極大的挑戰，比方說：新幾內亞有849種語言：印尼有669種：印度有381種：墨西哥有241種：單單一個非洲就有1,918種不同的語言呢！

金言

沒有所謂的新罪──人類只是一再的重犯舊罪！

Babel and the Spread of Nations

Scriptures:Genesis 10-11

Heart of the Passage:Genesis 11:1-9,27-32

Overview

        Chapters 10 and 11 explain the origin of nations after the Flood. Beginning with Noah and his three sons, God repopulates the world. But since the root of sin has not been removed from individuals' hearts, the fruit of sin soon becomes apparent once again in proud, disobedient actions. God deals with human failure by scrambling the languages, causing humanity to disperse over the face of the earth—as God had originally commanded! After describing generations of self-serving humans in general, the narrative shifts to one man in particular—Abram—from whom God will build a new nation.

Your Daily Walk

        What's so important about obeying God?
        He's patient and forgiving. And He will always give you another chance. Right?
        Think back over the opening chapters of Genesis. In die Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve a forest of trees to enjoy, and only one tree to avoid. What happened? They ate fruit from the forbidden tree and were promptly evicted.
        After the Flood God gave Noah's descendants one command: "Replenish Ifill] the earth" (9:1). Spread out and repopulate the world. How did they respond? "Let us build us a city and a tower ... lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (11:4). Once again, divine judgment followed disobedience.
        God means business when He gives a command. It is not there to be analyzed or debated or disregarded. It is there to be obeyed. Do you believe that? Then complete this sentence: "I will save myself some grief if 1 obey God today [how?] _____."

Insight

Four Thousand Years after Babel — 
        How many languages are there in the world today? According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, there are nearly 6,170—only 400 of which have a Bible translation. Some countries represent enormous challenges for Bible translators. There's Papua , New Guinea , with 849 languages; Indonesia with 669; India with 381; Mexico with 241. On the African continent alone there are 1,918 different languages!

Adage

There are no new sins—we just keep rerunning the old ones.