1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好。
2. We welcome you, once again, to this broadcast.
欢迎你再一次收听这个节目。
3. If you are joining us for the first time,
假如你是第一次收听，
4. we are in the midst of a series of messages on biblical compassion,
我们所讲的“上帝的怜悯”这个系列已经进行到一半了，
5. and we are looking at the Book of Jonah as a model of God’s compassion.
我们要从约拿的故事里面看到，神对人的怜悯。
6. In our last broadcast, I promised you that we would look at four major characteristics of Jonah’s prayer in his place of disobedience.
上一次，我答应你，我们要讨论约拿祷告的四个特征。
7. Let me repeat them for you.
现在，我来重复一次。
8. First,
第一，
9. it was a probing prayer.
这是一次自我反省的祷告，
10. Secondly,
第二，
11. it was a penitent prayer.
这是向神悔改的祷告，
12. Thirdly,
第三，
13. it was a praising prayer.
这是对神的赞美。
14. Fourthly,
第四，
15. it was a prayer of promise.
这是一个许愿的祷告。
16. First,
首先，
17. Jonah began with an honest probing.
约拿用真诚的反省来开始他的祷告。
18. Chapter 2, verses 2 to 6.
二章2-6节，
19. Let us read it together.
我们一起来读。
20. This is a first step.
这是第一步，
21. You cannot make that second step until you take the first.
在没有迈出第一步之前，我们不能跨到第二步上去。
22. The first step is to be honest and probing in your life.
真诚地反省是我们悔改的第一步。
23. That is why the Scripture says, over and over again, “Examine yourself.”
这就是为什么圣经一再地强调，我们需要“省察自己。”
24. You have to be honest in probing for the reasons why you are where you are.
我们必须诚诚实实地检察自己内心的光景如何。
25. This is very important,
这一点相当的重要，
26. not only for the sake of understanding this passage,
不仅只是为了弄懂这段经文，
27. but, also, for proper understanding of all of the Old Testament.
更是为了要全面地掌握整个旧约的资讯。
28. In Old Testament language, when they said, “God did it,”
在旧约里，当人们说：“这是神的作为。”
29. it is not the way we mean today in modern language terms of blaming God.
并不像今天许多人用这句话，把什么责任都推给神。
30. In the Old Testament, they believed that God is so sovereign and in total control
在旧约时代，以色列人相信，神全权掌管一切，
31. that, even the consequences of our disobedience is God’s doing.
甚至包括了我们得罪神以后所受到的报应。
32. They refer to those consequences of disobedience in that way as the "will of God."
他们把违背神而尝到的苦果看成是神的旨意。
33. Let me give you an example from I Samuel 16:14.
我来给你举一个例子，在撒母耳记上16章14节这里，
34. The Bible said
圣经说，
35. that “an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul.”
“有恶魔从耶和华那里来扰乱扫罗。”
36. 3Did God send down an evil spirit?
难道恶魔是耶和华所差来的吗？
37. No.
不是的。
38. Every one of us has a spirit inside of us.
我们每个人里头都有一个灵。
39. If you do not have the Holy Spirit inside of you, then, you have an evil spirit inside of you.
假如不是圣灵，就是邪恶的灵在你里面。
40. You have one of the two;
总之是其中之一；
41. and the people of God understood that whenever you grieve the Holy Spirit,
神的儿女都明白，当我们让神的圣灵为我们担忧时，
42. whenever you quench the Holy Spirit,
当我们消灭圣灵的感动，
43. automatically, the evil spirit takes Its place.
邪灵就会自动取代了圣灵在我们心中的位置。
44. Listen to what Jesus said,
请听耶稣是怎么说的：
45. “…if an evil spirit leaves and if the house is not filled with the Holy Spirit,
主说：“当我们把邪灵赶出去以后，如果不把圣灵接进内心的话，
46. that evil spirit will come back with seven others stronger than the first.”
邪灵就会重新回到我们心中，而且还要带着七个更恶的鬼一同进来。”
47. Saul’s decision to do things his own way caused the Spirit of the Lord to depart.
扫罗一直一意孤行，不听神的话，以至于神的灵离开了他。
48. Jonah was honestly praying,
而约拿在这里诚恳地省察自己的内心，说：
49. "God, I’ve got the consequences I deserved.
“神啊，我所遭遇的是我应该受的。
50. Lord, I know my sins brought me here.
主啊，我深知是我的罪让我落到这种地步。
51. Lord, I know it is my disobedience that you are dealing with…”
主啊，我知道你正在对付我的悖逆”
52. but notice something else very important.
在这里，我们需要注意一点，
53. Jonah did not try to explain or excuse his misery.
那就是，约拿没有试图为自己辩解什么。
54. Jonah did not say, “The circumstances got me here.”
他没有说：“是环境把我推到今天的光景。”
55. Jonah did not say, "The sailors threw me out.”
约拿没有说：“是那些水手把我丢进海里头的。”
56. Jonah did not say, “If I stay strong and wait long enough, things are going to get better.”
约拿也没有说：“假如我再坚持一会儿的话，说不定事情会有好转。”
57. No. Jonah is done with technicalities and rationalizations and explanations.
约拿曾经尝试过要投机取巧，或是找理由为自己辩解，但他现在不再这样了。
58. Jonah is in desperate condition and, yet, his prayer was not only an honest probing;
虽然约拿处在极其危险和令人绝望的环境当中，但他的祷告却不仅是一个深刻的自我反省，
59. but, secondly,
还有第二点，
60. it was a penitent prayer.
那就是，他的祷告也是一个向神的忏悔。
61. Look again at the Scripture of Jonah 2:7-8.
请看圣经约拿书 2：7-8节。
62. "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered You, LORD, and my prayer rose to You, to Your holy temple.
我心在我里面发昏的时候，我就想念耶和华。我的祷告进入你的圣殿，达到你的面前。
63. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."
那信奉虚无之神的人，离弃怜爱他们的主。”
64. Penitence is a word that means "showing genuine sorrow for and repentance from sin."
认罪悔改的意思就是“为着所犯的罪而真诚地忏悔”。
65. This is a higher level than just acknowledging that his disobedience brought him here.
这要比单单知道“是自己违背了神，才落到如此下场”要深刻得多。
66. Why is this important?
为什么这一点相当重要呢？
67. The first step is necessary;
虽然第一步是必要的；
68. but it is useless without the second step.
但，如果少了第二步的话，还是无济于事。
69. My listening friends, please listen carefully.
我亲爱的朋友，请仔细听我说。
70. Because it is possible to be honest about your situation and acknowledge your own disobedience,
因为，你极有可能坦承你的处境和悖逆，
71. and, yet, be unrepentant of it.
但却不知悔悟。
72. Jonah not only acknowledged his disobedience, but he also repented.
约拿不但承认他的过错，而且在神面前悔改。
73. How?
怎么悔改的呢？
74. We see this in two ways.
从以下两方面可以看出来。
75. In Verse 8 is one of the great verses in the Book of Jonah.
第八节是约拿书很重要的一节经文。
76. "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."
“那信奉虚无之神的人，离弃怜爱他们的主。”
77. An idol is anything and anyone who takes God’s rightful place;
所谓虚无的假神，就是那些取代真神的任何人或任何事物；
78. and Jonah is saying that, whenever a believer focuses on something else,
约拿的意思是说，当信徒把指望放在除神以外的事物上时，
79. or someone else, other than God,
或是，看任何人比神更重要的时候，
80. they place themselves out of the mercy of God.
他们就失去了神的怜悯。
81. At that point, it does not mean that God is less merciful.
这并不是说，神不再怜悯他们。
82. No;
决不是的；
83. but the believer turns his back on God’s mercy by having an idol in his life.
乃是信徒因着自己心中的偶像而背弃了神的怜悯。
84. Also, Jonah’s prayer was a penitent prayer because Jonah did not ask God for anything.
约拿在这里的祷告是一个诚挚的悔改，因为约拿并没有向神要求什么。
85. Had Jonah asked God for something, we would have suspected an ulterior motive.
如果约拿对神有所要求，我们就会猜测他别有用心。
86. Jonah was genuinely sorry for his disobedience;
约拿乃是为着自己的背逆而真诚忏悔；
87. so, Jonah’s prayer is a probing prayer.
因此我们说，这是约拿自我反省的祷告。
88. Jonah’s prayer is a penitent prayer;
也是约拿忏悔的祷告。
89. and, thirdly,
第三，
90. Jonah’s prayer was a praising prayer.
约拿的祷告是他对神的赞美。
91. Jonah’s prayer was a prayer of thanksgiving.
是约拿对神感恩的祷告。
92. Why praise and thanksgiving in the midst of sheer misery?
为什么在困苦绝望的时候要感谢赞美呢？
93. Well, if you are looking for a physical reason for praise, you will not find it;
假如你只看外在的环境，你不会觉得有什么值得你赞美的；
94. but, if you are looking for spiritual reasons for thanksgiving and praise, then, you will find plenty.
但是，如果你用属灵的眼光，你就会看到有千万个理由促使你发出感谢和赞美。
95. Let’s look at verse 9.
我们来看第9节。
96. "But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you…."
“但我必用感谢的声音献祭与你。”
97. Jonah was thankful for his salvation through the grace of God.
约拿因着神的救恩而献上感谢。
98. Jonah was thankful for being able to call upon the name of the Lord.
约拿因能够呼求神的名而献上感恩的祭。
99. Jonah had no idea that he was going to be saved physically.
约拿一点也没有想到，他这辈子还有生还的希望。
100. I want you to listen very carefully because this is important.
请仔细听，这一点相当的重要。
101. Jonah had no idea that he was going to be physically delivered;
约拿根本没想到，连他肉身的生命都会被救活；
102. but, when he thanked God for God
但是，当他一直感谢神的时候，
103. that was the beginning of his physical deliverance.
就是他身体得蒙拯救的开始。
104. It is when your focus is on the praising of God for His salvation,
当你单单思想神的救赎而赞美祂，
105. it is when your focus is the thanksgiving to God for His grace,
当你单单为着神的恩典而献上感谢，
106. it is when your focus is for the gift of eternal life,
当你专心注目神所赐给你永生的盼望时，
107. it is at that point when your physical deliverance will be added.
你的身体也要得蒙救赎和释放。
108. Not only is this is a prayer of honest probing,
约拿的祷告不仅是一个诚实的自我反省，
109. not only is this a prayer of genuine penitence,
不仅是一个真诚的悔改，
110. not only is this a prayer of true praise and thanksgiving,
也不仅仅是约拿发自内心的赞美和感谢，
111. but, fourthly, this is a prayer of promise.
而且，约拿的祷告也是向神的许愿。
112. Verse 9
第九节，
113. of Chapter 2.
第二章第九节，说：
114. "I … will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."
“我所许的愿，我必偿还。救恩出于耶和华。”
115. You may ask the question,
也许你会问：
116. "How is Jonah going to offer sacrifices in the belly of the great fish?"
“约拿在大鱼肚子里怎么能向神还愿呢？”
117. He is saying that “…in the future, I will not approach You as I did before.
他的意思乃是说：“以后，我再也不会抱着以前的心态来到你面前。
118. I will not approach You as a person who feels that he has special privilege;
在你面前，我不再认为自己是个了不起的人物；
119. but I will approach you as a sinner who is asking for forgiveness.”
我乃是一个罪人，来到你面前，恳求你的饶恕。”
120. My friend, if you come to God in your most desperate situation, saying something like this,
亲爱的朋友，假如你在急难中，向神这样说：
121. “Lord, I did this and this and this for You.
“主啊，我已经为你做出了许许多多，
122. I gave You this and this and this.
我付出了这么多的代价。
123. I deserve this and this and this…”
我应该得到你的报酬了”。
124. if you pray like that, you will never make yourself right with God.
假如你这样说的话，你永远都不能与神和好。
125. If you approach God on your own merits, you are a lost cause;
如果你认为自己在神面前有可夸的功劳，那你已经失败了；
126. but, if you come to Him, acknowledging that you deserve nothing,
但如果你来到祂面前，承认自己一无是处，
127. if you promise to serve Him and be faithful to Him until your life’s end,
如果你下决心忠心服侍神一直到底的话，
128. then, He will deliver you;
神才能救你；
129. and He will bring you into the deep experience of His grace that you have never understood before.
祂也要让你经历祂那深不可测的恩典，
130. My listening friend, listen carefully as I conclude this message.
我亲爱的朋友，在结束的时候，请仔细听我说。
131. The Psalmist said
在诗篇上，诗人曾经说，
132. that a broken and contrite heart, God will not despise;
忧伤痛悔的心，神必不轻看；
133. so, when you come to Him in brokenness and humility,
因此，当你存着谦卑﹑破碎的心来到祂面前时，
134. He will never reject you.
祂绝不会拒绝你。
135. It is your obedience that He is waiting for.
祂一直都等待着你的顺从。
136. It is your surrender that He is waiting for.
祂一直都盼望着你能够降服。
137. Will you do that,
你愿意吗？
138. as we pray,
我们一起祷告：
139. "Lord Jesus Christ,
“主耶稣基督，
140. I surrender my life to You.
我把自己的生命交托在你的手中。
141. I repent of my sins.
我要向你悔改。
142. I have nothing to boast about.
在你面前，我丝毫没有可夸之处。
143. I desperately need Your forgiveness.
我迫切需要你的饶恕。
144. I need Your strength;
求你赐我力量；
145. so that I can walk faithfully with You.
好叫我能忠心地跟随你前行。
146. In the name of Jesus.
奉耶稣的名祷告。
147. Amen."
阿们。”
148. Until next time, I wish you God's richest blessing.
好，我们下次再见，愿神大大地赐福给你。
