2025-02-06

February 6 ¶

Reading for Today:

Exodus 23:1–24:18
Psalm 19:1-6
Proverbs 6:30-31
Matthew 23:23-39

Notes:

Exodus 23:23 My Angel. Usually taken to be a reference to the Angel of Yahweh, who is distinguished from the Lord who talks about Him as another person. Yet, He is identified with Him by reason of His forgiving sin and the Lord’s name being in Him (v. 21). Neither Moses nor some other messenger or guide qualify for such descriptions. The key to victory in the upcoming takeover of the Land would not be Israel’s military skill but the presence of this Angel, who is the preincarnate Christ. 出埃及记 23:23 我的使者
通常被认为是指耶和华的使者，祂与谈论祂的主有所区别，好像是另一个位格。然而，因为祂赦免罪恶并有主的名在祂里面（第21节），祂又与主认同。无论是摩西还是其他使者或向导都不符合这些描述。即将到来的占领迦南地的胜利关键不在于以色列的军事技能，而在于这位使者的同在，祂就是道成肉身前的基督。

Psalm 19:1–6 The testimony of the universe comes forth consistently and clearly, but sinful mankind persistently resists it. For this reason, general revelation cannot convert sinners, but it does make them highly accountable (see Rom. 1:18ff.). Salvation comes ultimately only through special revelation, i.e., as the Word of God is effectually applied by the Spirit of God. 诗篇 19:1-6
宇宙的见证持续且清晰地彰显，但有罪的人类持续抵挡它。因此，普遍启示不能使罪人归正，但确实使他们要负很大的责任（参见罗1:18及以下）。救恩最终只能通过特殊启示来到，即当神的话语被神的灵有效地运用时。

Matthew 23:25 you cleanse the outside. The Pharisees’ focus on external issues lay at the heart of their error. Who would want to drink from a cup that had been washed on the outside but was still filthy inside? Yet the Pharisees lived their lives as if external appearance were more important than internal reality. That was the very essence of their hypocrisy, and Jesus rebuked them for it repeatedly. 马太福音 23:25 你们洗净杯盘的外面
法利赛人注重外在问题是他们错误的核心。谁会想喝从外面洗净但里面仍然肮脏的杯子呢？然而法利赛人过着仿佛外表比内在实质更重要的生活。这正是他们伪善的本质，耶稣反复责备他们这一点。

Matthew 23:39 you shall see Me no more. Christ’s public teaching ministry was over. He withdrew from national Israel until the time yet future when they will recognize Him as Messiah (Rom. 11:23–26). Then Christ quoted from Psalm 118:26. 马太福音 23:39 你们不得再见我
基督的公开教导事工结束了。祂从以色列国民中退出，直到将来他们认出祂是弥赛亚的时候（罗11:23-26）。然后基督引用了诗篇118:26。

DAY 6: What broke Jesus’ heart about His people? 第6天：是什么使耶稣为祂的百姓心碎？

Read Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37: “I wanted to gather your children together,…but you were not willing!” God is utterly sovereign and therefore fully capable of bringing to pass whatever He desires (see Is. 46:10)—including the salvation of whomever He chooses (Eph. 1:4, 5). Yet, He sometimes expresses a wish for that which He does not sovereignly bring to pass (see Gen. 6:6; Deut. 5:29; Ps. 81:13; Is. 48:18). Such expressions in no way suggest a limitation on the sovereignty of God or imply any actual change in Him (Num. 23:19). But these statements do reveal essential aspects of the divine character: He is full of compassion, sincerely good to all, desirous of good, not evil—and therefore not delighting in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:32; 33:11). 阅读耶稣在马太福音23:37中为耶路撒冷的哀叹："我多次愿意聚集你的儿女...只是你们不愿意！"神是完全主权的，因此完全有能力实现祂所愿的一切（参见赛46:10）—包括拯救祂所拣选的人（弗1:4,5）。然而，有时祂会表达出一种愿望，即便这愿望并非祂主权计划中要实现的（参见创6:6；申5:29；诗81:13；赛48:18）。这些表达绝不表示神的主权有限制或暗示祂有任何实际改变（民23:19）。但这些陈述确实揭示了神性格的基本方面：祂充满怜悯，真诚地善待所有人，渴望善而非恶—因此不喜悦恶人灭亡（结18:32；33:11）。

While affirming God’s sovereignty, one must understand His pleas for the repentance of the reprobate as well-meant appeals—and His goodness toward the wicked as a genuine mercy designed to provoke them to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The emotion displayed by Christ here (and in all similar passages, such as Luke 19:41) is obviously a deep, sincere passion. All Christ’s feelings must be in perfect harmony with the divine will (see John 8:29)—and therefore these lamentations should not be thought of as mere exhibitions of His humanity. 在肯定神的主权的同时，必须理解祂对不悔改之人悔改的恳求是真诚的呼吁—祂对恶人的良善是真实的怜悯，旨在促使他们悔改（罗2:4）。基督在这里（和所有类似经文中，如路19:41）显示的情感显然是深切、真诚的热情。基督所有的感受必须与神的旨意完全和谐（参见约8:29）—因此这些哀叹不应被视为仅仅是祂人性的表现。

“Your house is left to you desolate” (v. 38). A few days earlier, Christ had referred to the temple as His Father’s “house”(21:13). But the blessing and glory of God were being removed from Israel (see 1 Sam. 4:21). When Christ “departed from the temple” (24:1), the glory of God went with Him. Ezekiel 11:23 described Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of the Shekinah glory in His day. The glory left the temple and stood on the Mount of Olives, exactly the same route Christ followed here (see 24:3). "看哪，你们的家成为荒场留给你们"（第38节）。几天前，基督称圣殿为祂父的"殿"（21:13）。但神的祝福和荣耀正从以色列中被移除（参见撒上4:21）。当基督"从殿里出来"（24:1）时，神的荣耀与祂同去。以西结书11:23描述了以西结看见他那个时代神的荣光离开的异象。荣光离开圣殿，停在橄榄山上，正是基督在这里所走的相同路线（参见24:3）。

Additional Resources

2025-02-06

February 6¶

February 6 ¶