三月十三日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/03/0313.mp3″]
经文: 挪亚伸手把鸽子接进方舟来。(创世记八:9)
鸽子因飞翔而疲倦了,最后飞回方舟,因为那是它唯一可以休息的地方。它疲惫地飞,甚至感到快要掉落了,或许永远回不到方舟了,但是它仍挣扎前进。挪亚整天在等待它,准备好要把它接进来。它精疲力尽,使出仅有的一点力气,终于飞到了方舟边缘,挪亚伸出手来,将它抱入怀中。请注意“抱它入怀中”(译者注:中文圣经没有将此片语译出),它自己并没直接飞进方舟中,因为它十分害怕而且疲倦极了。它只是尽力飞到能力所及之处,然后挪亚将手伸出来接住了它。它没有因为在外徘徊太久而受到叱责,反而是被迎接进来。所以你这个罪人,也可以带着你所有的罪,上帝将接纳你。“只要回转”──这就是上帝说的恩典之话。这时,鸽子嘴里并没有叨着橄榄叶子,它只将自己带回来。上帝的信息是“只要回转”,而它就回来了。挪亚伸出手来,把它接进方舟。虽然你的灵魂因罪的污秽如乌鸦般黑,飞回救主身边吧!你所耽延的每一时刻只有增加你的苦难。你企图洁净自己使自己能更满足耶稣的心意,那全是枉然的。你只要像现在这般来到祂面前。“背道的以色列阿,回来吧!”(耶三:12),祂并没有说:“悔罪的以色列阿,回来吧!”(虽然无疑上帝要我们悔改),祂却说“背道的”。耶稣正在等待你!祂将伸出手来。接你接进来,拉你到祂的怀中,到你心的真正家园。
Evening, March 13
Scripture: “Then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.”(Genesis 8:9)
Wearied out with her wanderings, the dove returns at length to the ark as her only resting place. How heavily she flies-she will drop-she will never reach the ark! But she struggles on. Noah has been looking out for his dove all day long, and is ready to receive her. She has just strength to reach the edge of the ark, she can hardly alight upon it, and is ready to drop, when Noah puts forth his hand and pulls her in unto him. Mark that: “pulled her in unto him.” She did not fly right in herself, but was too fearful, or too weary to do so. She flew as far as she could, and then he put forth his hand and pulled her in unto him. This act of mercy was shown to the wandering dove, and she was not chidden for her wanderings. Just as she was she was pulled into the ark. So you, seeking sinner, with all your sin, will be received. “Only return”-those are God’s two gracious words-“only return.” What! nothing else? No, “only return.” She had no olive branch in her mouth this time, nothing at all but just herself and her wanderings; but it is “only return,” and she does return, and Noah pulls her in. Fly, thou wanderer; fly thou fainting one, dove as thou art, though thou thinkest thyself to be black as the raven with the mire of sin, back, back to the Saviour. Every moment thou waitest does but increase thy misery; thine attempts to plume thyself and make thyself fit for Jesus are all vanity. Come thou to him just as thou art. “Return, thou backsliding Israel.” He does not say, “Return, thou repenting Israel” (there is such an invitation doubtless), but “thou backsliding one,” as a backslider with all thy backslidings about thee, Return, return, return! Jesus is waiting for thee! He will stretch forth his hand and “pull thee in”-in to himself, thy heart’s true home.