各位弟兄姊妹平安，我們今天讀的是申命記第八章的1-10節。這十節經文很短，裡面有非常重要的兩個教訓，讓我們一同來學習。
首先，上帝在第八章提到試煉以色列人的真正目的是什麼呢？ 上帝說："耶和華你的神在曠野引導你這40年，我要苦煉你，試驗你，要知道你心內如何。
第三節是本章的金句，使你知道人活著不是單靠食物，乃是靠耶和華口裡所出的一切話。" 這句話也是耶穌受到魔鬼試煉的時候回應的話。注意上帝可沒有說 “只要靠上帝的話”而是 “不單靠食物”。我們會注意到，有正確的信仰，正確的價值觀比吃飽喝足更重要。如果我們只關注食物，也就是世界上的東西，那麼我們會陷入物質主義。
我在這邊也看到上帝的心意，他要磨練以色列人的本意是父親管教兒子一樣。
這句話的意義，儒學的祖先孟子說過一段經典，出自於“生於憂患死於安樂”的一段話，“故天將降大任於是人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，曾益其所不能。”
其實人啊，在進步的重點上面是要被磨練的，這需要一點痛苦，需要一點不舒服的，在孩子的時後，可能學習並不好玩，但是能夠增加我們的知識，鍛鍊身體肌肉會酸痛，但是能夠增加我們的體力。忍住不要先享受可能心理會不舒服，但是可以教育我們管理事物的能力，增加我們的控制力。很多時候對我有好處的東西不一定給我們好的感受，不一定會讓我們很舒服，但就是因為這個不舒服而讓我們增加了更強大的心智，更有好的性格，並且能夠增加更多的能力。
生於憂患，死於安樂。 如果一個人不懂得積極進取，只想要享福，那這個人很快就會失去活力，不僅身體會失調，心理也會失調。因為他已經失去了積極的意志，無法再進步。 而一個國家如果沒有憂患意識，如果不知道隨時要保持警惕，保護自己，隨時思考周圍的環境，這樣的國家也很容易滅亡。 活在世界上，我們要懷著感恩之心，同時也保持警覺，面對世界上的誘惑。我們不可以掉以輕心，因為我們知道在這個充滿罪惡的世界中，做一個分別為聖的基督徒並不容易。
當我們閱讀聖經時，我們會看到這種出於愛的苦難有是被包裝後的祝福。 就像在我們的童年，我們不喜歡讀書，不喜歡鍛鍊，可能不喜歡做很多事情，只想玩。但是父母或老師會推動我們，要求我們，有時甚至強迫我們做一些我們不喜歡的事情。然而，當我們長大時，我們會回想並感激這些事情，因為正是這些管教和約束，讓我們可以擁有優秀的能力和品德。 這段文字也反映了家庭教育的重要原則，我們雖然要愛護孩子，但千萬不能溺愛孩子，給他們足夠的供應，但不能讓他們予取予求。需要對他們有要求和約束。有時候，甚至需要施加壓力。 在嚴格和寬鬆之間找到平衡，給予孩子要求和原則，讓他們學會掌握，而不僅僅沉溺於玩樂。我們將在家庭教育的篇章中深入討論這個主題。
上帝要賜給以色列人的土地，從第六節到第九節中，非常清楚地描述了這塊土地的特點，它非常適合種植，擁有豐富的礦物資源，是一片非常肥沃和豐盛的土地。上帝早就告訴以色列人，只要他們好好遵守誡命，就能夠豐富地享受這一切。注意，並不是上帝需要他們遵守，而是遵守誡命的最大受益人就是以色列人本身。
因此，第八章的前半部分表達了上帝對待以色列人的方式，就像對待孩子一樣。上帝的心意對待所有人民都是如此，祂希望孩子們能夠健康成長，學習正確的道德，成為有益的人。這種父親般的心態是我們需要理解的。因此，上帝在我們的生活中使用各種方式和手段，來磨練和塑造我們，幫助我們去除雜質，遠離罪惡，並將祂的誡命視為我們生命的指南。
感謝各位的聆聽，明天我們將繼續探討第八章的下半部分，談論人類最大的人性弱點之一——驕傲。
Dear brothers and sisters, Today, we are reading Deuteronomy chapter 8, verses 1-10. These ten verses are short, but they contain two very important lessons for us to learn together.
Firstly, what was the real purpose of God's testing of the Israelites mentioned in chapter 8? God says, "The Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands."
The third verse is the key verse of this chapter, which states, "So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." It's important to note that God didn't say, "rely solely on God's word" but rather "not by bread alone." We can see that having the right faith and values is more important than mere sustenance. If we focus only on material things, we can easily fall into materialism.
Here, I also see God's intention to discipline the Israelites as a father disciplines his children. The meaning of this statement is echoed in the classic words of Confucius, "Man is born for uprightness. If a man loses his uprightness and yet lives, his escape from death is mere good fortune." In other words, adversity and hardship are essential for personal growth.
Learning may not always be enjoyable, just as exercising your muscles can cause discomfort, but it strengthens your body. Enduring discomfort may not be pleasant, but it can develop our ability to manage challenges and increase self-control. Often, the things that benefit us most may not feel comfortable initially, but they build stronger minds and better character while enhancing our capabilities.
"Born in hardship, die in ease." If a person lacks a proactive mindset and only seeks comfort, they will quickly lose their vitality, leading to physical and psychological imbalances. Similarly, a nation that lacks vigilance and fails to protect itself can easily face destruction. Living in this imperfect world, we must approach it with gratitude and remain vigilant against its temptations. We cannot let our guard down because we understand that being a separated and holy Christian in this sinful world is not an easy task.
When we read the Bible, we see that this suffering, born out of love, is often wrapped in blessings. Just as in our childhood, we may not have liked studying or doing certain things, but our parents or teachers pushed us, required us, and sometimes even compelled us to do things we didn't enjoy. However, as we grow older, we look back and appreciate these experiences because it was through this discipline and restraint that we developed valuable skills and character. This passage also reflects essential principles of parenting – loving our children but not spoiling them, providing for them but not indulging their every desire. Sometimes, it even requires applying pressure. Finding a balance between strictness and leniency is crucial, offering children requirements and principles they must master, rather than letting them indulge in play alone. We will delve deeper into this topic in the chapter on family education.
God's promise of a land for the Israelites, described clearly from verse 6 to verse 9, is fertile and abundant. God had already told the Israelites that if they obeyed His commands, they would be able to enjoy all these blessings. It's important to note that it's not God who needs them to obey; it's the Israelites themselves who benefit the most from obedience.
Therefore, the first half of chapter 8 expresses God's treatment of the Israelites as a father does to his children. God's intention is to discipline them, just as a father disciplines his son.
Thank you for listening, and tomorrow we will continue to explore the second half of chapter 8, discussing one of the greatest weaknesses of human nature – pride.
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