1. Welcome our listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，欢迎你收听，
2. What a joy it is to know that you are enjoying this series of messages from the life of Abraham.
很高兴知道你喜欢亚伯拉罕生平的这一系列的信息。
3. We are so glad to hear from so many of you.
我们很高兴接到你的来信。
4. In our last broadcast, we learned that fear… in one form or another comes to all of us.
在上一次的节目里，我们学习到每一个人都具有不同形式的恐惧。
5. And that fear does not come to each of us at the same time… or under the same circumstances.
而恐惧会在不同的时间，不同的情况下来临。
6. We learned that although it might seem contradictory, there are fears that hit after a great victory.
我们也学习到，虽然有点矛盾，但恐惧竟然是随着一个了不起的胜利而来。
7. There are fears that only move in… after great achievements and accomplishments.
有些恐惧则紧随着一个重大的成就而来。
8. The Bible reveals to us that this kind of fear must have struck Abraham.
从圣经里我们可以看到，亚伯拉罕就曾经遇到这样的恐惧。
9. That is why God said to him in chapter 1 verse 15 of the book of Genesis, “I am your shield, your very great reward”
这就是为什么神在创世记第十五章第一节那里对他说：“我是你的盾牌，必大大的赏赐你。”
10. Most likely by the time Abraham got home... he was devastated physically… mentally… and emotionally.
当亚伯拉罕回到家时，极有可能他的身心灵都已经彻底的瓦解了。
11. You will only appreciate the way Abraham felt if you have experienced what it is to have victory over Satan.
唯有当你经历了什么叫作胜过撒但，你才能体会亚伯拉罕的感受。
12. You will understand the drain that takes place after the victory.
你才能了解那种在胜利之后的筋疲力尽。
13. And I said in the last broadcast that some of you may be saying, “How can you have fear after victory”
上次我曾提过，你以许会说：“怎么可能在得胜之后，还会产生恐惧呢？”
14. And I also said that the wonderful thing about our Lord is that he knows even our unspoken needs
我也说过，我们的主真是奇妙，甚至连我们没有说出来的需要祂都知道。
15. I also mentioned that the moment when you and I are most vulnerable to sin is the moment after the flush of victory.
我同时也提到，你我对罪最脆弱、最容易遭受攻击的时刻，就是在我们沉醉于胜利的那一瞬间。
16. That is why God says to Abraham; “Don't be afraid… because I am your shield.”
那就是为什么神对亚伯拉罕说：“你不要惧怕， 我是你的盾牌。”
17. Listen to what Abraham said in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 15 of the book of Genesis.
让我们看看在创世记十五章第二、第三两节里，亚伯拉罕怎么说。
18. He was yearning for reassurance.
他渴望得到神一再的保证，以消除恐惧。
19. Let us read those two verses.
让我们读一次这两节的经文。
20. But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
亚伯兰说：“主耶和华阿，我既无子，你还赐我甚么呢？并且要承受我家业的，是大马色人以利以谢。”
21. And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” (Gen 15:2-3 NIV)
3 亚伯兰又说：“你没有给我儿子，那生在我家中的人，就是我的后嗣。”
22. You would think that after verse 1 where God assured Abraham not to be afraid… that Abraham would fall on his knees and thank the Lord.
你也许以为在第一节里，神向亚伯拉罕保证，叫他不要惧怕之后，他应该立刻跪在地上大大地感谢神才对。
23. But that is not the case.
然而事情并非如此，
24. In fact all you hear from Abraham… after the great word of assurance is a note of despair.
事实上，在神给亚伯拉罕这么大的保证之后，我们所听到的只有绝望的话。
25. You might say; “that doesn't make sense.”
你或许会说：“这似乎不太合理。”
26. Oh, yes it does.
当然合理。
27. Put yourself in Abraham's place just for a minute.
暂时把你自己放在亚伯拉罕的地位想想，
28. God made a promise to Abraham…
神当初给了亚伯拉罕一个应许，
29. and 10 years later the promise had not been fulfilled.
然而十年过去了，这应许却还没有成就。
30. Any of us would have panicked after 10 days not 10 years.
不要说十年，我们任何一个人过了十天就会开始担心。
31. Think of how embarrassing… and humiliating it is for Abraham.
想想看，亚伯拉罕多么的羞愧和丢脸呀！
32. For 10 years, Abraham had been introducing himself to people… as the man whose descendants would be as the dust of the earth.
十年来，亚伯拉罕一直自称将会多子多孙，甚至像地上的尘土那样多。
33. Some may have asked him, “Oh Abraham… by the way… how many children do you have now?”
有些人也许会问他说：“亚伯拉罕啊，那么你现在有几个孩子呀？”
34. “Uh… um… none… not yet.”
“嗯，没，还没有。”
35. “Oh, but God made me a promise.”
“不过，神曾经应许我。”
36. After ten years his neighbors were snickering behind his back.
十年过去了，他的邻居在他背后窃窃私语。
37. As they watch him and Sarah get older… they probably begin to wonder about his state of mental health.
当这些人看着亚伯拉罕和撒拉的年纪愈来愈大，他们开始怀疑他的精神状况大概有问题。
38. You know… when I was 19 years of age…
当我十九岁的时候，
39. I told my Christian friends about something the Lord had promised me.
我告诉我的基督徒朋友，关于神应许我的一些事。
40. which seemed absolutely impossible at the time.
在当时，人们觉得这种事简直是完全不可能的。
41. And they were genuinely… I mean genuinely, concerned about the state of my mind.
他们非常真诚的关心我的心理状态。
42. They went and talked with some of my family members with real concern.
他们到我家，跟我的家人谈起他们所担心的。
43. They said they were deeply concerned about my mental health.
他们表达了对我精神健康的深切忧虑。
44. How can he pray, they asked… and claim the impossible.
他们问：“他怎能祷告并且要求那不可能的事呢？”
45. Very simply…
非常简单，
46. God said it… that's all!!
神说了就算数！
47. Within 6 months God did it.
不到六个月的时间，神成就了祂所应许的。
48. What probably was happening with Abraham at that point…
当时发生在亚伯拉罕身上的情况，可能是这样的，
49. was that the battle was waging in his heart and mind.
他的头脑和心里正在争战着，
50. And he began to ask the Lord
他开始问主，
51. Lord… have I misunderstood your promises?
主啊，我对你的应许是否会错了意呢？
52. Lord… have I misheard you?
主啊，是我听错了吗？
53. Lord… I am becoming concerned about my reputation.
主啊，我开始有点担心我的名声。
54. My listening friends, listen to me very carefully, this is very important!
亲爱的朋友，这里很重要，请你仔细的听！
55. God's delays are never His denials.
神的迟延，绝不是祂出尔反尔！
56. Just because God delays the fulfillment of His promise to you does not mean He is denying that promise.
神延迟成就祂对你的应许，并不代表祂否定那应许。
57. But you better be absolutely certain that it is God's promise… and not a promise you made in the flesh to yourself.
但是你最好完全肯定那是神的应许，而不是你凭着血气自己给自己的应许。
58. Because if it is God's promise then you can be sure of this;
因为如果它真是神的应许，那么这方面你就可以确定；
59. During the waiting times… God is enrolling you in the school of spiritual growth.
在等待的期间，神把你放在灵命长进的学校里。
60. Solomon understood this heavenly educational principle and said years later in Ecclesiastes 3:11;
所罗门王了解这个属天教育的原则，多年之后，他在传道书三章十一节这么说；
61. He has made everything beautiful in its time… (NIV)
神造万物， 各按其时成为美好。
62. During the waiting process we often go through the following stages.
在等待的过程中，我们往往会经过以下的一些阶段。
63. Stage number 1.
第一个阶段，
64. What is wrong with me?
我到底怎么了？
65. Why God is not fulfilling His promises to me?
为什么神没有成就祂对我的应许呢？
66. Stage number 2.
第二个阶段，
67. We question our motives.
我们怀疑自己的动机。
68. why am I seeking after this thing?
为什么我会去追求这些事呢？
69. Stage number 3.
第三个阶段，
70. We lift up our souls to the Lord and begin to agonize in prayer with Him.
我们把心灵交在主的手里，然后开始向祂祷告，并在痛苦中煎熬着。
71. And that's exactly where God wants us to be.
主就是要把我们摆在这个地方。
72. A few of you my radio friends might be asking:
你们有些人或许会问：
73. “You mean God wants to see me agonize in prayer?”
“你的意思是说，神希望看到我在祷告中痛苦？”
74. Oh, yes sir.
是的。
75. Yes, that’s exactly what He wants.
那正是祂想要的。
76. When delay occurs in our lives…
当我们生命中有些事延迟了，
77. we give the Lord much more attention than we have ever given Him before.
我们会比以往对主有更多的注意力，
78. During the delay…
当事情迟迟不成就时，
79. as we speak to the Lord. . . He speaks to us.
我们对主说话，主也对我们说话。
80. He begins to teach us if we have a teachable heart.
如果我们有一颗受教的心，祂就开始教导我们。
81. You make it difficult for yourself… if you consciously or unconsciously refuse to learn God’s lesson
如果你有意无意的拒绝神的教导，你是自找麻烦。
82. until you have come to the place of agonizing before the Lord… you are not able to hear His voice…
直到你在主的面前感到痛苦的地步，不然你无法听到祂的声音。
83. or hear the things He wants to say to you.
或听到祂想对你说的事。
84. In verse 3, Abraham proceeded to remind the Lord of his preferred plan:
在第三节里，亚伯拉罕不断的提醒神他自己理想中的计划：
85. Namely, that Eliezer of Damascus his servant whom he adopted will inherit him and that's just as good.
那生在他家的仆人，大马色人以利以谢作他的后嗣也还不错。
86. That was very pragmatic on the part of Abraham.
这在亚伯拉罕这方面来说是很实际的。
87. This was very good problem solving.
看来，这是解决问题的上策。
88. Abraham probably thought it would help God “save face.”
说不定亚伯拉罕以为这么作会替神“留点面子”。
89. Is that kind of thinking right?
这种想法对吗？
90. No, it’s wrong!
不对，这种想法是错的！
91. God is so patient… He is so loving and in His love and He tells Abraham No.
神是非常有耐心和爱心的，祂以爱来告诉亚伯拉罕，这样不对。
92. I am the God of miracles.
我是行神迹的神。
93. I am the God of the supernatural.
我是超自然的神。
94. I am the God of the impossible.
我是无所不能的神。
95. I am the God of the undoable.
我是能扭转乾坤的神。
96. You will have a son who will come out of your body.
你将会有一个儿子，是你本身所生的。
97. Verse 6 is a very important verse of chapter 15 of the book of Genesis.
第六节，是创世记十五章里面非常重要的经文。
98. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Gen 15:6 NIV)
亚伯兰信耶和华，耶和华就以此为他的义。
99. It was by faith… not by works that Abraham was saved.
亚伯拉罕的得救，是因着信，不是借着行为。
100. Then God does something to assure Abraham… using the very custom of those days.
然后神使用在当时的习俗来使亚伯拉罕确信。
101. In the days when they did not have lawyers looking over the fine print in a contract before it was signed
那时候，还没有律师替人们在签约以前，先查看合约上的细节。
102. Contractual agreements were performed in a certain ritual.
合约性的协定，都是以某种仪式来完成的。
103. They would take a designated animal depending on the size of the contract…
他们会按着合约的大小来选定一只牲畜，
104. and they would cut it in half…
然后把这只牲畜切成两半，
105. then arrange the pieces in such a way that between them there was an empty space.
一半对着一半摆列，在两半之间留一间隔。
106. That space would be like an aisle… or a corridor between the two halves.
这中间的间隔就像一条巷子或是一条通道。
107. The men who are making the contract would walk together between the two halves of the animals.
立合约的两个人一起从这两半的动物中间走过。
108. While they were walking each man would declare that… if he broke his half of the contract….
当他们走的时候，每一个人都会郑重声明，如果他毁了他那一部分的约，
109. what happened to the sacrificed animals would happen to him.
那么发生在这只被宰的动物身上的事，也会发生在他的身上。
110. To put it bluntly;
直接了当的说；
111. both men are actually sealing the covenant with their own blood.
这两个人实际上是以他们自己的血来起誓立约。
112. If one partner broke the covenant…
如果其中一个人毁了约，
113. he would have to be ready to give his life as a payment or restitution.
他就要以自己的性命来赔偿损失。
114. How about that for a binding agreement?
以这种方式来确保一项协定，你认为如何？
115. Some of you who have been cheated wish that this method is still operative today.
若有人曾经被欺骗，一定会希望今天仍然使用这种方式。
116. There was no government arbitration back then
在那个时代虽没有政府的仲裁，
117. Or courts of law
或法庭的律法，
118. And there was no wiggling out of contracts.
但也没有随意摆脱合约，悔约的事。
119. But here in Genesis 15;
而在创世记十五章这里，
120. there was one most important twist in this covenant.
这个约，有一个非常重要的转折点。
121. The Lord alone walks down that corridor.
是神独自走过那条中间的通道。
122. The Lord alone walks between the two halves.
是神独自走在那两半牲畜之间的。
123. The Lord alone obligated himself unconditionally to this servant Abraham.
神让自己单方面的，毫无条件的向祂的仆人亚伯拉罕守约负责。
124. And that was the sign that Abraham was looking for.
而这就是亚伯拉罕所寻求的征兆。
125. Abraham had no part in the transaction.
亚伯拉罕不需要在这项交易中作什么。
126. Abraham had no obligation to meet.
亚伯拉罕不需要负任何责任。
127. Abraham did not walk between the sacrificed animals.
亚伯拉罕并没有走过被宰杀的牲畜中间。
128. Abraham was only to trust… and God would fulfill His promises.
亚伯拉罕只需要信赖神，神就会成全祂的应许。
129. Chapter 15 closes with the Lord giving Abraham a final reminder and restating the promises.
在十五章结束的地方，神最后提醒亚伯拉罕并重申祂的应许。
130. my listening friends, as I leave you today I want to tell you something very important
亲爱的朋友，在节目结束之前我要告诉你一件非常重要的事。
131. you do not have to fear because the Lord is in control,
你不需要恐惧，因为神掌管一切。
132. you do not have to be anxious because all things in your life will occur according to God’s timing,
你不需要忧虑，因为你生命中的每一件事都会按着神所定的时间发生。
133. you don’t have to fear because God’s delay does not mean God’s denial,
你不需要害怕，因为神的延迟并不是神出尔反尔。
134. you don’t have to live in uncertainty because God’s covenant is unconditional.
你不需要活在不确定的日子里，因为神的约是无条件的。
135. In our next broadcast, we will find out what happens when our lives are lived in disobedience to God.
在下一次的节目里，我们要谈到当我们不顺服神的旨意而活时，将会发生什么事。
136. Until then, I wish you God’s richest blessings.
愿神大大的赐福给你，下次再见。
