2/5/2020— Exodus 1-2

By February 5, 2020 Devotion

诗歌: 這世界非我家 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBMQNjNvs1M

每日读经: 出埃及记1-2( https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus+1&version=CUVS )

每日金句:

Exodus 2:22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying“I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

出2:22 西坡拉生了一个儿子,摩西给他起名叫革舜,意思说,因我在外邦作了寄居的。 

每日问题:

1)Why did Moses name his son after the Hebrew word for “foreigner”?

为什么摩西会给他儿子起名字叫 “革 舜”(希伯来语: “外国人”)?

2)What is my response when things don’t go the way I planned?

如果事情没有按照我的计划进行,我的反应是什么?

每日灵修:                                                  

You can tell a lot about what Chinese parents hope for their kids by the name they choose for them. Usually, Chinese parents in America will give their kids an English first name, hoping for them to be able to fit in better with other kids. I also know Chinese parents who will name their children a Chinese first name, hoping that this will remind their children of their heritage and culture. However, Moses chooses a different route. When his firstborn son was born, Moses called him Gershom, which sounds like the Hebrew word for “foreigner”. He even says at his son’s birth “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”. Looking back at Moses’ life so far, you realize that Moses never quite fits in where you would expect. At birth, he is taken from his people to live among the Egyptians. Acts 7:22 says that Moses “was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action”. But instead of staying with the Egyptian royalty, Hebrews 11:25 says “he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin”.When he sees his people mistreated, he killed an Egyptian. Acts 7:25 says that in doing this, “Moses thought that his own people would realize God was using him to rescue them; but they did not.” At that time, Moses thought God would use him to save the Israelites. From man’s perspective, Moses was in the perfect position to plan a revolution. He was young, had position in Egyptian royalty, had Egyptian training and was “powerful in speech and action”. He was in his prime of life, and prime position to save Israel. But, God had different plans. Moses falls dramatically. Pharaoh tries to kill Moses, he runs away to Midian, where he settles down, marries a Midianite woman, and becomes a shepherd of sheep instead of leading his people out of Egypt as he once thought he would do.

However, though his plans to save Israel did not go the way he expected, he never forgot his identity, no matter where he was. When his son is born, you can take a peek into Moses’thoughts about his life so far, saying “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”. Hebrews 11:26 gives us a little more insight saying that Moses “regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as a greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward”. Just as Moses never forgot who he belonged to, we also must remember to whom we belong. Do I regard disgrace for Christ of greater value than the treasures of this world? Am I looking forward to my reward? Do I realize that this world is no longer my home?

当中国父母在美国生小孩的时候, 你可以通过他们为孩子选择的名字, 看到很多他们对孩子的希望。通常,在美国的华裔父母会给孩子一个英文名字,希望他们能够与其他孩子更好地适应。我也认识一些中国父母,会给孩子一个中文名字,希望他们的孩子记住自己的遗产和文化。但是,摩西选择了不同的路线。 当他的长子出生时,摩西却称他为革舜,这听起来像希伯来语中的“外国人”。他儿子出生的时候, 他说“ 我在外邦作了寄居的”。如果回到第二章看摩西的生活, 你会发现摩西成长在一个不属于我们认为他应该在的地方。他原本是以色列, 出生时, 他在埃及人中间长大, 使徒行传7:22说,“摩西学了埃及人 一切的学问,说话行事都有才能”。但是,希伯来书11:25说,”他宁可和神的百姓同受苦害,也不愿暂时享受罪中之乐”。摩西看到他的人民受虐待,他杀死了一名埃及人。使徒行传7:25说,”他以为弟兄必明白神是藉他的手搭救他们; 他们却不明白。”当时,摩西以为神会用他来拯救以色列人。从人的角度来看,摩西正在处于策划一场革命的位置。摩西年轻,曾是埃及王子, 他学了埃及人一切的学问, 说话行事都有才能。他处在人生的巅峰时期,并且是在拯救以色列人的最好位置。但是,神有不同的计划。摩西彻底地跌到了。法老想杀死摩西,他逃到米甸,在那里安顿下来,娶了米甸人为妻。他本来想带领以色列人出埃及,却变成了牧羊人。

虽然他拯救以色列的计划没有实现,无论身在何处,他都从未忘记自己的身份。当他儿子出生时,就可以看到摩西心里的想法,说“因我在外邦作了寄居的”。希伯来书11:26给我们更多的看见,说摩西,“他看为基督受的凌辱,比埃及的财物更宝贵,因他想望所要 得的赏赐”。正如摩西从未忘记他的归宿,我们也必须记住我们的归宿。我是否看为基督受的凌辱比这世界的财物更有价值?我在期待天上的奖赏吗?我是否意识到这个世界不再是我的家?

Prayer:

I pray that the Holy Spirit would convict me when I forget that I am no longer of this world. May He redirect me when I go my own way, bring me back into His presence so that I will not to lose sight of my reward.

祷告:

我祈祷当我留恋在这个世界时,圣灵会给我提醒。 当我偏行己路的时候,让我回到神的面前,不要忘记神要给我的奖赏。奉主名求,阿们!