Psalm 116 – See Light in the Darkness 詩篇116 – 在幽暗中看見光
Friday, 24th February 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-4 To Call Upon the Lord 要求告耶和華
This Psalms talks about how God led the Israelites out of Egypt and enter the land flow with milk and honey. At the very beginning the psalmist talks about the love for the Lord. The Israelites were being surrounded by the enemy so how can they still see the love of God? V1 ‘I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications.’ We can love because God loves us first, we must have this trust in God, to know that God loves us. Do we believe God loves us in our darkness, our hurt, our depression, or hopelessness…?
V2 ‘Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.’ Do we see God’s ear inclined to us? In deep darkness, the psalmist saw that God’s ear listening to their prayers. Why can’t we love? Because we don’t believe that God hears us. V3-4 ‘The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”’ In pain of death, trouble, and sorrow, the psalmist cried out to the Lord. When we face difficulties, injustice, troubles, challenges… what is our attitude? Do we feel sorry for ourselves or do we proclaim the Name of God? We should not magnify our problems, but to see light in the darkness.
If we seek to be understood and to be loved, then there is nothing and no one in this world that can do this. Even we cannot fully understand ourselves! It’s our soul that is dissatisfied, do we live on this world as it is in Heaven? The world is lying to us, the world is deceiving us, and we must pray for God to save our souls! Stop looking at the things on this world that will vanish, but to seek God, to call upon Him in the deep darkness.
Section Two V5-11 To Trust in the Lord 要相信耶和華
V5-6 ‘Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.’ The psalmist understand that God is righteous and merciful, He preserves the simple, who easily trust in God. We must return like little children, to believe everything God says to us, and to stop doubting. We fear that when we spend more time to worship God, then the things on our to do list will not be complete. Do we believe that God treats us with great blessings? God is not giving us a dead end, but He is showing us the way to life.
V8 ‘For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.’ When we walk in the way of the world, we see hopelessness and we see pain. But when we walk in the way of God, then He will lead us. His eyes will become our eyes and His feet will become our feet. We will be walking on the land of living, not the path of death! The world gives us darkness, but God brings light, we are not in the desert and we are not in the wilderness. He will lead a way for us always.
V10-11 ‘I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.”’ When we rely on people then we will be discouraged, we will be tripped over, therefore we must rely on God, God is faithful, He is full of peace, no matter what happens He will protect us to the end.
V12-18 To Praise the Lord 要讚美耶和華
V12 ‘What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?’ We don’t know what we have to walk in the way of God, we feel this is too difficult and we want to give up at the very beginning. The worldly teaching tells us that we can never be good enough and we have nothing to give back to God. But here the psalmist said in V13 ‘I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.’ When we follow God, we can be renewed every day, when we trust in Him, then we don’t need to worry. Stop believing in the old-self but to rebuke it. When we take the communion, we remember the love of Jesus and the salvation in our lives. The old has gone and the new is here! Only God can make the old goes away and brings the new.
V14 ‘I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.’ When we share the testimonies of God, His signs and wonders will happen again and again. We must always proclaim and speak of what God has done in our lives. Get rid of our old-self and speak our low point in front of people. He will reveal His Glory in us in front of people, and people can see the great work of God in our lives. We must let God arise.
诗篇 116 – 在幽暗中看见光
2023年2月24日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
一、v.1-4 要求告耶和华
V1“我爱”- 这是一个何等有信心的宣告，正如新婚夫妻在婚礼上的誓言一样。在与家人、与权柄的关系上，我们相信神吗？当我们里面充满黑暗的时候，仍要相信神。我们爱耶和华，因为是他先听我们的祷告。当时的以色列已经亡国了，但他们仍相信神爱他们。
V2 “侧耳”一词形容神将耳朵伸延到我们生活中的方方面面，即使是在幽暗处，耶和华神都听到我们。我们若无法爱神，说明我们不相信神在听我们。
V3-4 诗人并不是在一个天下太平、生活舒适的地方或开心快乐的时候说自己爱耶和华神。他是在遭遇极大的患难时向耶和华求告。我们在遭遇逆境时，是否将自己的问题放大？在幽暗中，我们不要只看到环境和自己软弱，而要宣告耶和华神的名。我们的祷告常常是在物质层面要神满足自己，然而这是一个无底洞，因为我们的欲望永远不能被世界满足，所以我们要求神“救我的灵魂”！我们的灵魂要苏醒，不要只看到地上这些会消失的事物。即使处在重重问题中，我们都要相信神仍然在，要求告耶和华的名。
二、v.5-11 要相信耶和华
V5 诗人相信即使是在患难困苦中，神都是“有恩惠，有公义，…以怜悯为怀”。
V6 “愚人”就是单纯的人。我们感觉过得困难，是因为我们不相信神。我们要回转像孩子一样单纯相信神。当我们落到“卑微的地步”时，神就拯救我们。我们不要自己作王，我们所吃的苦是从世界来的，若能单纯相信主，我们就很容易喜乐。
V7 我们不仅要单纯，也要有平安。不要在宣告神的名的时候还去担心那些做不完的事，而要归回安息，“因为耶和华用厚恩待你”。
V8 神给我们的不是死亡的路，而是拯救我们。当我们走世界的路时，看见的都是死亡、失望，但当我们走神的道路时，神会带领我们，他的眼和脚就成为我们的眼和脚，我们不再走在旷野中，因神能在旷野中开道路。
V10-11 无论前方光景如何，神都是带领我们的神，他赐给我们平安。
三、v.12-18 要赞美耶和华
V12 我们有时会疑惑，若选择神的道路，将来无法“报答”神。我们被撒旦欺骗，以为跟从神很困难。
V13-14 真正的“报答”就是“举起救恩的杯，称扬耶和华的名”。原来跟从神很简单，正如我们每逢守圣餐的时候所宣告的那样，就是相信“旧事已过、一切都变成新的了”。一切的更新不是靠我们自己的努力，而是神的作为。我们要在众人面前见证神的大作为。
V15 我们是否愿意在众人面前承认自己的低点？别人是否只看到我们分享大道理，却看不见神如何在我们的低点翻转我们的生命？我们愿意在众人面前降卑，让耶和华上升吗？
V17 不要以为自己什么都好，要求告耶和华。
V18 我们要在众民之中“死”去，让神在我们的低点中拯救我们，让耶和华上升，在黑暗中看见光！