八月十二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/08/0812.mp3″]
经文: 虹现在云彩中。（创世记九：14）
上帝与挪亚之约的记号──虹，是我们主耶稣的预表，祂是父上帝向百姓的见证。我们何时能见立约的记号？彩虹唯有在以云为衬底时才会显现出来。当罪人回忆他过去的罪，在上帝前哀伤时，那稣基督以立约的虹向他启示。祂展现祂神圣性格中所有的荣耀色彩，并赐下祂内住深厚的平安。当试验和试探包围信徒时，仰望我们的主耶稣基督，看祂为我们的流血、死亡、复活并为我们代求，那是何等甜美啊！在我们的罪恶、忧伤和灾难的乌云中悬挂着上帝的虹，预告了我们必得释放。单独一片云不会产生虹，必须要有结晶水珠才能反映太阳的光线。忧愁不只是轻微地威胁我们，乃是沉重地落在我们身上。若上帝的忿怒只是一片带威胁的云，我们也得不着救赎。罪人的良心不感到真正的极度痛苦，基督就不会临到他。他若没有感到因鞭打而生的忧伤，就不能见到主耶稣。此外也必须要有太阳。除非有光照射，否则云和雨滴不会形成虹。我门的上帝于我们像阳光，时刻照射，但我们并没有常见祂。云可能掩蔽祂的脸。但是不论雨滴如何落下，乌云如何逼迫，只要祂照亮，就会有虹出现。人常说，当我们见到虹时，表示阵雨已经过去。当我们仰望耶稣，我们的罪恶已被消除，疑惑恐惧也已退去了。当耶稣行走在海面上时，海是何等平静啊！
Evening, August 12
Scripture: “The bow shall be seen in the cloud.”(Genesis 9:14)
The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical of our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord’s witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner’s conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin, and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and betokening peace. To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ－to see him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God’s rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy deliverance. Nor does a cloud alone give a rainbow, there must be the crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun. So, our sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon us. There had been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had been merely a threatening cloud: punishment must fall in terrible drops upon the Surety. Until there is a real anguish in the sinner’s conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement which he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus. But there must also be a sun; for clouds and drops of rain make not rainbows unless the sun shineth. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see him－clouds hide his face; but no matter what drops may be falling, or what clouds may be threatening, if he does but shine there will be a rainbow at once. It is said that when we see the rainbow the shower is over. Certain it is, that when Christ comes, our troubles remove; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!