2025-04-21

4月21日 ¶

Reading for Today: 今日读经：

Judges 7:1–8:35
士师记 7:1–8:35
Psalm 49:10-20
诗篇 49:10-20
Proverbs 14:22-24
箴言 14:22-24
Luke 15:11-32
路加福音 15:11-32

Notes:
注解：

Judges 7:18 The sword of the LORD and of Gideon! Here was the power of God in harmony with the obedience of man. Such shouts reminded the enemies that the threat of the sword of Gideon and of God was for real. The impression was one of doom and terror.
士师记 7:18 耶和华和基甸的刀！ 这里体现了神的大能与人的顺服和谐协作。这样的呼喊提醒敌人，基甸之刀与神之刀的威胁确实存在。这给敌人留下了毁灭与恐惧的印象。

Judges 8:24–27 Gideon made...an ephod. This was certainly a sad end to Gideon's influence as he, perhaps in an expression of pride, sought to lift himself up in the eyes of the people. Gideon intended nothing more than to make a breastplate as David did (1 Chr. 15:27) to indicate civil, not priestly, rule. It was never intended to set up idolatrous worship, but to be a symbol of civil power. That no evil was intended can be noted from the subduing of Midian (v. 28), quietness from wars (v. 28), and the fact that idolatry came after Gideon's death (v. 33), as well as the commendation of Gideon (v. 35).
士师记 8:24–27 基甸制造了...以弗得。 这无疑是基甸影响力的悲哀结局，他可能出于骄傲，想在百姓眼中抬高自己。基甸的本意只是制造一个胸牌，如同大卫所做的（代上15:27），表明他的民事而非祭司的统治权。他并非有意设立偶像崇拜，而是要作为民事权力的象征。他无恶意的证明在于：制伏了米甸人（28节），国中太平（28节），偶像崇拜是在基甸死后才出现（33节），以及对基甸的称赞（35节）。

Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul...He shall receive me. This is one of the greatest affirmations of confidence in God in the Psalms. Although the faithless person cannot buy his way out of death (v. 7ff.), the faithful one is redeemed by the only Redeemer, God Himself. (On the significance of the word "receive," see Gen. 5:24; 2 Kin. 2:10; Ps. 73:24; Heb. 11:5.) So in v. 15 the psalmist expresses his confidence in God, that He would raise him to eternal life.
诗篇 49:15 只是神必救赎我的灵魂...他必接待我。 这是诗篇中对神信心的最伟大宣告之一。虽然无信心的人无法用钱财赎回自己脱离死亡（第7节及以下），但忠信之人却被唯一的救赎主——神自己所救赎。（关于"接待"一词的意义，参见创5:24；王下2:10；诗73:24；来11:5。）因此在第15节中，诗人表达了他对神的信心，相信神必使他复活得永生。

Luke 15:29 I never transgressed your commandment at any time. Unlikely, given the boy's obvious contempt for his father, shown by his refusal to participate in the father's great joy. This statement reveals the telltale problem with all religious hypocrites. They will not recognize their sin and repent. The elder son's comment reeks of the same spirit as the words of the Pharisee in 18:11. you never gave me a young goat. All those years of service to the father appear to have been motivated too much by concern for what he could get for himself. This son's self-righteous behavior was more socially acceptable than the younger brother's debauchery, but it was equally dishonoring to the father—and called for repentance.
路加福音 15:29 我从来没有违背过你的命令。 考虑到这儿子明显藐视父亲，拒绝参与父亲的大喜事，这话不太可能是真的。这种说法揭示了所有宗教伪善者的典型问题。他们不承认自己的罪，也不悔改。大儿子的言论散发着与18:11法利赛人相同的气息。你从来没有给我一只山羊羔。 这些年来他对父亲的服事似乎过于受到个人所得的驱使。这个儿子自以为义的行为虽比弟弟的放荡在社会上更容易被接受，但同样不尊重父亲——同样需要悔改。

DAY 21: What is the main feature of the parable of the prodigal son?
第21天：浪子的比喻主要特点是什么？

The parable in Luke 15:11–32, unlike most parables, has more than one lesson. The prodigal is an example of sound repentance. The elder brother illustrates the wickedness of the Pharisees' self-righteousness, prejudice, and indifference toward repenting sinners. And the father pictures God, eager to forgive and longing for the return of the sinner. The main feature, however, is the joy of God, the celebrations that fill heaven when a sinner repents.
路加福音15:11-32的这个比喻与大多数比喻不同，包含多个教训。浪子是真诚悔改的典范。大儿子则表明法利赛人的自义、偏见和对悔改之罪人的冷漠。而父亲则描绘了神，祂渴望饶恕并热切盼望罪人归回。然而，这个比喻的主要特点是神的喜乐，是当一个罪人悔改时充满天堂的庆典。

For the son to demand "the portion of goods that falls to me" (v. 12) is tantamount to saying he wished his father were dead. He was not entitled to any inheritance while his father still lived. Yet the father graciously fulfilled the request, giving him his full portion, which would have been one-third of the entire estate—because the right of the firstborn (Deut. 21:17) gave the elder brother a double portion. This act pictures all sinners (related to God the Father by creation), who waste their potential privileges and refuse any relationship with Him, choosing instead a life of sinful self-indulgence. The Greek word for "prodigal" means "dissolute" and conveys the idea of an utterly debauched lifestyle. "To feed swine" (v. 15) was the worst sort of degradation imaginable for Jesus' Jewish audience; swine were the worst sort of unclean animals. His situation could hardly have been more desperate.
儿子要求"把我应得的家业分给我"（第12节）无异于说他希望父亲已死。在父亲活着时，他没有权利得到任何遗产。然而父亲仍慷慨地满足了他的要求，给了他完整的一份，这大约是全部家产的三分之一——因为长子的权利（申21:17）赐给长兄双份产业。这一行为描绘了所有罪人（因被造而与父神有关），他们浪费潜在的特权，拒绝与祂建立关系，反而选择罪恶自私放纵的生活。"浪子"的希腊词意为"放荡"，传达完全堕落生活方式的概念。"放猪"（第15节）对耶稣的犹太听众来说是能想象的最严重的堕落；猪是最不洁净的动物。他的处境几乎不能更绝望了。

Nevertheless, when "his father saw him he had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him" (v. 20). Clearly, the father had been waiting and looking for his son's return. The father's eagerness and joy at his son's return is unmistakable. This is the magnificent attribute of God that sets Him apart from all the false gods invented by men and demons. He is not indifferent or hostile, but a Savior by nature, longing to see sinners repent and rejoicing when they do. From Genesis 3:8 to Revelation 22:17, from the Fall to the Consummation, God has been and will be seeking to save sinners, and rejoices each time one repents and is converted.
然而，当"他父亲看见他，就动了慈心，跑去抱着他的颈项，连连与他亲嘴"（第20节）。显然，父亲一直在等待并盼望儿子归来。父亲对儿子回归的渴望和喜悦是毋庸置疑的。这是神的宏伟属性，使祂区别于人类和魔鬼发明的所有假神。祂并非冷漠或敌对，而是本性为救主，渴望看到罪人悔改，并为之欢喜。从创世记3:8到启示录22:17，从堕落到成全，神一直并将继续寻找拯救罪人，每次有一个人悔改归正，祂就欢喜。

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2025-04-21

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