Proverbs 4 – Live in the Darkness
Monday, 27th February 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-9 Don’t Abandon & Don’t Forget
When we see problems, the first thing we would do is to run away. It’s so easy to run away from our problems, but it’s difficult to face it. Jesus wants to make a new covenant with us, His power and authority can cover all our sins and help us overcome all difficulties. We can especially overcome our old self, because when we believe in Jesus, the old has gone and the new is here. Our old self is dead so don’t let what was in the past affect us to look into the future.
If we want to survive in the darkness, you must not abandon or forget. We often choose to escape when problems come, but we forget that the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross has made our “old self” die, and we are now new creations. Do not listen to Satan’s lies, but humbly seek God’s truth. V1-3 “Teaching” sounds uncomfortable, but King Solomon taught his children to pay attention. He had seen his brothers do things that humiliated his father, but he himself chose to honour his father. He also chose to allow his own mother to be comforted after the loss of her first son.
V4-6 Solomon saw the weakness of his father and his brothers and sisters from birth, but he chose to memorize and abide by the words of wisdom spoken by his father. It is so easy to blame others, judge our authority, and even judge God, so that we can plunge ourselves into total darkness without God. However, God has chosen us so that we can arise and shine, bear the fragrance of Jesus Christ, and survive the darkness.
Section Two V10-19 To Take Hold & To Keep
If we don’t rely on God, it’s easy to release the beast-like emotions inside, so that when we encounter things that we can’t go through with our own strength, we will collapse. V10 It turns out that “listening” is very important. King Hezekiah’s father was an absent father, and there was no father’s cover in their house, so all Hezekiah heard was gossip about his father, but when he searched humbly, it was in King Solomon’s proverbs, which he found the words spoken by the real Father.
V13 We should not avoid the teachings we have heard, and we should not feel tired of the teachings of authority because we think we have already heard them. The Book of Proverbs reminds us to hold fast to the teaching, and do not let it go, which is the teaching of the tree of life – when we are willing to do this, we will receive life. V14 The seemingly easy paths we see before us are actually “the paths of the wicked”, chosen by this world, but we must choose to walk God’s path.
V15-17 This is the life of people in the world, they live in sin without God. Are we, like the world, dreaming of life and death, looking for happiness in this world, and expanding our desires infinitely? Our faith is not the faith of suffering, but our choice is to follow Jesus. How do we overcome these enjoyment mindsets? Only hold fast to the Word of God.
V18 The path of the righteous is the path that allows the light of God to shine without hindrance. Sin separates us from God, so what we have to choose is to live a holy life and let God’s light shine into our lives. V19 Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, we do not know why we stumble, allowing ourselves to be filled with worry and panic.
Section Three V20-27 To Guard the Heart & To Focus
V22 When we receive wise words, we will receive life and heal our illnesses. We are not willing to be humble and obedient, and we are not on the path of pleasing God, so we are prone to many physical problems. V23 When we do anything, we must ensure that our hearts are right, and we must not allow our hearts to be negative. When we are listening to the teaching, pay attention and if any sound disturbs our mind, we command it to be silent in the Name of Jesus.
V24-27 We must not only guard our hearts, but also focus. When we pray in the morning, do we do our own thing while listening to the teaching? What Hezekiah longed for was the Word of God. What does our heart long for? In this dark world, if we want to arise and shine, we must not forsake the word of God, but hold on and focus.
箴言 4 – 黑暗得存活
2023年2月27日 星期一
潘锡安牧师
一、v.1-9 不离弃 不忘掉
若要在黑暗中存活，就要不离弃、不忘掉。我们常会在问题来临的时候选择逃避，却忘了耶稣基督在十字架上流出的宝血已经让我们的“老我”死去，如今的我们是新造的人。我们不要听撒旦的谎言，只要谦卑寻找神的真理。
V1-3 “教训”听上去是不舒服的，然而所罗门王教导他的儿女要去留心听。他曾经眼看着兄弟们做出羞辱父亲的事，但他自己选择尊荣父亲。他也选择让自己的母亲得恩惠，让她在失去第一个儿子之后因着所罗门得安慰。
V4-6 所罗门从出生就看到自己父亲和兄姐生命的软弱，但他选择去存记、遵守父亲口中智慧的话语。我们很容易怨天尤人、论断我们的权柄甚至论断神，以至于让自己陷入没有神的完全黑暗当中。然而，神拣选我们，我们就可以兴起发光，带着耶稣基督的香气，并且在黑暗中得存活。
二、v.10-19 要持定 要谨守
我们若没有倚靠神，就很容易将里面如穷凶猛兽般的情绪释放出来，以至于当我们遇到那些靠自己力气无法走下去的事情时，我们就会崩溃。
V10 原来“听”是很重要的。希西家王的父亲是一个缺席的父亲，他们家没有父亲的遮盖，于是希西家听到的只是关于父亲的闲言闲语，然而当他谦卑寻找的时候，就在所罗门王的箴言中找到真正的父亲说的话语。
V13 我们不要逃避所听到的教训，不要觉得已经听过了就厌烦权柄的教导。箴言提醒我们要“持定训诲，不可放松；必当谨守”，这就是生命树的教导 – 当我们愿意这样的时候，就得到真正的生命。
V14 我们眼前所看见的那些似乎容易走的路其实是“恶人的路”，是这个世界所选择的，然而我们要选择走神的道路。
V15-17 这就是世界上的人的生活，他们在没有神的罪当中。我们是否也像世人一样醉生梦死、寻找今世的安乐、使自己的欲望无限扩大？我们的信仰不是受苦的信仰，但我们所选择的是跟随耶稣。我们如何胜过这些享受的心态？唯有持定、谨守神的话语。
V18 义人的路 就是能 让神的光能毫无阻拦的照耀在里面的路。罪使我们与神隔绝，所以我们要选择的是过着圣洁的生活，让神的光照进我们生命中。
V19 没有圣灵的同在，我们就不知道自己为何跌倒，让自己被忧虑和恐慌充满。
三、v.20-27 要保守你的心 要专注
V22 得着智慧的言语就得着生命，也让我们的病得医治。我们不愿意谦卑顺服，没有走在讨神喜悦的道路上，就容易有很多身体上的毛病。
V23 我们做任何事情时都要确保我们的心是对的，不能让我们的心有一丝的负面。当我们在听教导的时候，要专心，若有任何声音影响我们的心思意念，我们就要奉耶稣的名命令它们安静。
V24-27 我们不仅要保守自己的心，也要专注。当我们在晨祷的时候，是否一边听教导一边做自己的事？希西家渴慕的是神的话语，我们的心渴慕什么呢？在这个黑暗的世界，我们若要兴起发光，就不要离弃神的话语，而要持定、专注。