耶和华的使者试验亚伯拉罕

Rev. Ross Stelljes作/ MLC出版 / Jack译 /Allie校

天使从天上呼叫他说： “亚伯拉罕！亚伯拉罕！”他说：“我在这里。” 天使说：“你不可在这童子身上下手，一点不可害他。现在我知道你是敬畏神的了，因为你没有将你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，留下不给我。” 创世纪 22：11-12

很多时候，当圣经提到“一位天使”或“主的使者”时，指的就是普通的天使，它们也是被上帝所造的，作传达上帝旨意的使者。 然而，有些时候圣经中的“天使”并不是指一个受造的天使，而是指永生上帝的儿子——主自己。今天所读的经文里的“天使”就是这样的情况，在这里，“天使”就是主自己，他说：“你没有把你的儿子留下不给我。”

让我们在这里安静思考一下。 在上帝的儿子降世为人之前的两千年，他亲自与自己肉体上的老祖宗亚伯拉罕交谈，并阻止他将儿子以撒献为燔祭。

上帝以此来试炼亚伯拉罕的信心，上帝曾应许要通过亚伯拉罕的儿子以撒来拯救这个世界上的罪人。但是，当上帝命令亚伯拉罕献以撒时，这显然是违背常理的，也违背了父爱的本能。

然而，亚伯拉罕的内心通过了考验，他愿意牺牲他心爱的儿子。耶和华看到了亚伯拉罕的信心，并及时终止了亚伯拉罕献祭的行动。“现在我知道你敬畏神的了，因为你没有将你的儿子，就是你独生的儿子，留下不给我。“（创世纪 22:12）

我们可以设身处地想一想亚，伯拉罕当时有多么痛苦，要杀死自己年老所生的独生爱子，光是这样的念头，就令人煎熬难当。同理，在我们等待耶稣圣诞的“将临期”，当我们默想神的爱子，他的到来就是要承担献祭的使命，这种牺牲爱子的感触是否更加强烈？

想一想，这位主的“天使”就是神的儿子，他很清楚未来会发生什么：他，上帝的独生子，将由童女所生。他会成为一个完全的人，并献祭牺牲。他会为我们死，为要拯救我们脱离罪。天父上帝不会把他的独生爱子，留下不给我们。 因为神爱世人，不愿一人不被拯救。

亲爱的天父啊：每当我试探你，想要证明你对我的爱时，请用你的慈爱提醒我，你并没有留下你的独生爱子，而是将他献上，为了我们。我已无需任何证明来知晓你的爱。阿门 ！

The Angel of the Lord Tested Abraham

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Genesis 22:11-12

Sometimes when the Bible speaks of “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord,” it refers to “mere” angels: creatures of God who serve as God’s messengers. However, other times we understand that term “angel of the Lord” to refer not to a creature, but to the eternal Son of God himself. This is one of those times. Here the “angel” speaks as God himself: “You have not withheld from me your son.”
Ponder that for a moment. The Son of God, approximately two millennia before he took on human flesh as the Son of Man, speaks to his distant human ancestor Abraham. He stops Abraham from killing his son Isaac and sacrificing him as a burnt offering to the Lord.

The Lord had commanded this to test Abraham’s faith. Earlier God had promised to save this world of sinners through Isaac, Abraham’s son. But now he had commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It made no human sense. It went against every fatherly instinct.

But in his heart, Abraham passed the test. He was going to sacrifice his son. The Lord saw Abraham’s heart and stopped Abraham from carrying it out. “Now I know that you fear God,” he explained, “because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

How difficult it must have been for Abraham even to consider doing this to his only son!

Doesn’t this thought become even more poignant during Advent as we meditate on the coming of Jesus at Christmas? Think about it. This very “angel of the Lord” is the Son of God. He knew full well what would happen in the future. He, God’s only Son, would be born of a woman. He would become a human being and he would be sacrificed. He would die in our place, to save us from our sins. God the Father would not withhold from us his Son, his only Son. God so loved the world.

Dear Father in heaven, whenever I am tempted to test you and demand proof of your love for me, graciously remind me that you did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all. I need no further proof. Amen.