1. Hello, listening friends. We are so glad that you joined us today.
亲爱的朋友，你好，很高兴你能收听我们今天的节目。
2. We are studying God’s grace in this series of messages entitled, “Portrait of Grace;”
我们正在学习有关神丰盛恩典的系列信息，称之为“恩典的描绘”；
3. and, today, we will focus on the passage from Genesis 32, verses 1 to 32.
今天我们要集中来看创世记32章1到32节的信息。
4. Most people see that surrendering to their enemy is a sign of weakness;
大多数人把投降敌人视为一种软弱的标志；
5. but, today, I want to tell you about a kind of surrender that is a sign of strength.
但今天我要跟你分享的这种降服，却是一种力量的标志。
6. I am talking about surrendering to God.
我所讲的是向神降服。
7. Like Jacob, so many of us want to do our own thing.
正如雅各一样，我们许多人都想做自己的事。
8. We want to chart our own course.
我们想规划自己的前程。
9. We want to captain our own ships.
我们想掌管自己的航船。
10. We want to handle our own problems;
我们想靠自己来解决难题；
11. and we want to leave God out of our plans.
我们想把神排除在自己的计划之外。
12. That is, of course, until we hit an iceberg and our ship starts taking water.
直到撞到了冰山，我们的船开始漏水为止。
13. Often, we are happy to leave God out of our plans, until we find ourselves in the sort of situation that Jacob was in.
通常，我们喜欢把神排除在自己的计划之外，直到我们发现自己处于雅各的境况之中。
14. In Genesis, Chapter 32, we find Jacob in what we call in English, “between the rock and the hard place;”
在创世记32章，我们发现雅各处在进退两难的处境。
15. and, at that point, we say to ourselves, “Everything else has failed. Maybe, I’ll try prayer.”
在那一时刻，我们会想：“反正每一种办法都失败了，也许可以试试祷告。”
16. My listening friend, prayer should always be the first option, not the last resort.
亲爱的朋友，祷告应该成为你第一的选择，而不是最后一个。
17. Prayer should begin by seeking God’s plan;
祷告应该以寻求神的计划来开始；
18. and, in Genesis 32, we find Jacob in a predicament.
在创世记32章，我们看到雅各处在困境之中。
19. His Uncle Laban was behind him and his brother, Esau, is in front of him.
前面有他的哥哥以扫，后面有他的舅舅拉班。
20. In Genesis 32, verses 1 and 2, Jacob sees an angel of the Lord going before him.
在创世记32章1到2节，雅各见到神的使者在他面前显现。
21. In the past six years of his life, Jacob was blessed and prospered supernaturally by the Lord.
在过去的六年当中，雅各得到了神用超自然的力量所带来的繁荣和赐福。
22. Twenty years earlier, Jacob saw a vision of God in Bethel.
二十年前，雅各在伯特利看到了神的异象。
23. Way before all of this, he was aware of the prophecy about him before he was even born --
其实早在这些之前，他已经知道一个他出生前已有的预言。
24. that he would be the fulfillment of God’s promise to his grandfather, Abraham;
那就是，神对他祖父亚伯拉罕的应许，会在他身上实现；
25. and, yet, all of these facts were lost on Jacob in a moment of crisis.
然而，当雅各身处危机之中的时候，所有这些事实都被遗忘了。
26. All that Jacob could think of at the time of the crisis was his own fear.
当雅各身处危机之中的时候，他满脑子只有恐惧。
27. Isn’t that what we all do, my listening friend?
亲爱的朋友，我们不也正是如此吗？
28. A moment of crisis in our lives seems to obliterate all of the evidence of God’s past blessings.
在我们生活当中出现危机的时刻，似乎就把过去我们所蒙的福都抹掉了。
29. Jacob was so terrified of his brother, Esau, that his scheming, manipulative, strategizing old nature got the best of him again.
雅各如此地惧怕他的哥哥以扫，以至于他从前诡计多端的旧秉性又占了上风。
30. Have you ever been there, my listening friend?
亲爱的朋友，你有没有这样的经历呢？
31. When you know in the past that God provided for you and blessed you and protected you and ministered to you?
你明明知道在过去的年月里，神供应你，赐福你，保护你，照顾你。
32. When God proved His faithfulness to you again and again in the past?
神一次又一次向你显明了祂的信实。
33. And, yet, all of a sudden, some little gossip makes you panic.
然而，突然之间，一句闲话就会使得你惊慌起来。
34. As soon as you hear half the facts, you get yourself into a frenzy.
事情只听了一半，你就惊慌失措，激动不已。
35. In Genesis 32:9, Jacob prays one of those telegraphic prayers;
在创世记32章9节，雅各做了一个简短的祷告；
36. but he wasn’t sure if God was going to answer his prayer or not;
他不知道神会不会响应他的祷告；
37. so he goes into full strategy mode and he says to himself, “Oh, I remember my brother Esau as a greedy and covetous man.
所以他完全回到了过去老谋深算的习惯里，他想：“噢，我记得我哥哥以扫是一个贪得无餍的人。
38. I remember my brother, Esau, as a man who always wants to satisfy his own human appetites;
我记得我哥哥以扫是一个贪饮好食的人；
39. so, let me send him a whole lot of gifts.
因此，我要送他一大堆的礼物。
40. Let me send him one gift after another.
我要一件接一件地给他送礼。
41. I will overwhelm him with gifts.”
我要用礼物来征服他。”
42. Jacob probably was saying to himself, “If Esau does not like goats, then, he will like camels; and, if he doesn’t like camels, he might like donkeys...”
雅各也许在想：“如果以扫不喜欢山羊，就应该喜欢骆驼；如果他不喜欢骆驼，可能会喜欢驴子……”
43. and, in a panic, he sends his brother one gift after another.
于是在惊慌之中，他一件接一件地给他哥哥送礼。
44. What Jacob did not realize was that God would answer his prayer in more ways than he ever dreamed possible.
雅各没有意识到的是，神响应祷告的方式是超过他所能想象的。
45. For example, his brother was going to forgive him;
比如，他哥哥会原谅他；
46. and, in addition, God is going to show up in person.
而且，神还会亲自显现。
47. It never occurred to Jacob that God would answer his prayer so mightily.
雅各想不到神会用如此强烈的方式来响应他的祷告。
48. Let me tell you about four things that you must understand when you find yourself in tough times.
我想告诉你，当你发现自己处于困境的时候，一定要明白下面四点：
49. The first is the cause of trembling.
首先，了解恐惧的原因。
50. Secondly, the necessity of wrestling;
第二，懂得摔跤的必要性。
51. and, thirdly, the blessings of clinging;
第三，执着会带来赐福。
52. and, fourthly, the power of limping.
第四，跛脚是有能力的。
53. First, let’s talk about the cause of trembling.
首先，我们来谈谈恐惧的原因。
54. Most often, what causes our fear and trembling is not even real.
很多时候，让我们害怕和恐惧的因素，其实并不存在。
55. When Jacob heard that there were about 400 men coming toward him from his brother, Esau, he began to panic.
当雅各听说，从他哥哥以扫那里，有400人正迎着他来的时候，他就慌了。
56. What else would they be coming for, but to kill him?
他们除了来追杀他，还能有别的原因吗？
57. Jacob trembled and shook for a whole night. Over what?
让雅各整晚所恐惧颤惊的是什么呢？
58. Erroneous information and his own wrong assumptions.
是错误的信息和他自己不正确的推断。
59. The Bible paints a picture, here, of a restless and agitated, trembling man in the dark, desert night.
圣经在这里为我们描绘了一个景像，在沙漠的黑夜里，一个人辗转难眠，惊恐万状。
60. Nights are very dark in the desert.
沙漠的夜晚是漆黑的。
61. No work can be done in the night.
在晚上人们无事可做。
62. You cannot see anything, except wild and bizarre imaginations;
你什么也看不见，只好胡思乱想；
63. which brings me, secondly, to the necessity of wrestling.
这就带来我要讲的第二点，懂得摔跤的必要性。
64. In verses 9 to 12, Jacob cries out to the Lord and says, “Oh, Lord, my God, deliver me!”
在9到12节，雅各向神哭求：“主啊，我的神，求你救拔我！”
65. My friend, I hope you know what you’re saying when you pray,
亲爱的朋友，当你祷告的时候，我希望你明白自己在讲什么，
66. because I’m going to show you that God may literally show up as an answer to your prayers;
因为，我要告诉你，神可能会按照你所祷告的向你显现；
67. so, in the midst of his terror in the dark of night, it was not Esau who showed up to kill him, but it was God who came to wrestle with him.
当雅各在黑夜里恐惧颤惊的时候，以扫并没有来杀他，而是神来到他面前和他摔跤。
68. The One who showed up in the middle of the night was no other than the pre-incarnate Christ.
那位在夜晚显现的正是即将道成肉身的基督。
69. The pre-incarnate Christ appeared many times in the Old Testament.
即将道成肉身的基督曾在旧约里出现过好几次。
70. Theologians give the appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ a big word. They call it “theophany.”
神学家们非常看重即将道成肉身的基督的出现，他们称之为“神的显现”。
71. Some people read this passage and think that it was Jacob who was wrestling with God;
有些人读这段经文的时候，还以为是雅各要与神摔跤；
72. and they say that you, too, must wrestle with God.
他们会告诉你，一定要与神摔跤。
73. My listening friend, it’s very important for you to understand that God did not show up so that Jacob could have a wrestling match with him.
亲爱的朋友，你要明白，神向雅各显现，不是为了让雅各可以来和祂进行摔跤比赛，
74. No.
不是的。
75. God is the One who showed up to wrestle with Jacob.
神显现，是祂主动来与雅各摔跤。
76. It is true that Jacob asked for a blessing and would not let go until he got it,
没错，雅各向神要赐福，而且是不达目的决不罢休，
77. but it was God who showed up in order to bring Jacob to the point of submission.
但是，神显现是为了把雅各带到降服的地步。
78. Here is what you must understand, my listening friend.
亲爱的朋友，你一定要明白，
79. God will wrestle with us until we surrender.
神会与我们摔跤，直到我们顺服为止。
80. When you and I are persistent in stubbornness, God will wrestle with us until we surrender.
当你我固执己见的时候，神会与我们摔跤，直到我们顺服为止。
81. This is a paradox that the world will never understand;
这个似乎矛盾的论点，是这个世界所无法理解的；
82. but, just as the camel cannot be loaded with goods until he kneels,
就好比一匹骆驼，只有当它跪下的时候，才能将货物放上去，
83. you and I cannot be blessed until we bend our knees.
你我也只有屈膝跪下，才能得到赐福。
84. There can be no real blessing without surrender.
没有顺服就得不到真正的赐福。
85. There can be no true success without submission.
没有降服就不会有真正的成功。
86. There can be no true victory without relinquishing.
没有放弃就不会有真正的胜利。
87. There can be no true effectiveness without yielding.
没有顺从就不会有真正的果效。
88. There can be no power without obedience;
没有服从就不会有能力；
89. and, so, we saw the cause of trembling,
现在，我们看过恐惧的原因，
90. the necessity of wrestling.
懂得了摔跤的必要性。
91. Thirdly, the blessing of clinging.
第三是，执着会带来赐福。
92. Jacob kept up the struggle and would not surrender until daybreak;
雅各不断地挣扎直到拂晓也不投降；
93. but, because God did not want Jacob to see Him at daybreak,
由于神不愿让雅各在天亮的时候见到祂，
94. He was about to leave, when Jacob insisted on a blessing.
神正准备离去时，雅各执意要得到神的赐福。
95. Jacob knew that God was wrestling with him for his own good and blessing, so he clung to God.
雅各知道神与他摔跤是为了让他得到益处和福分，因此他抓住神不放 。
96. What God wanted Jacob to learn is this:
神想要雅各学会的功课是：
97. all of his struggles against men got him nowhere.
他与人的争斗是徒劳无功的。
98. Now, he must struggle against God and lose;
他必须与神角力并且降服；
99. and, here, he clings to the pre-incarnate Christ for a blessing;
此时，他抓住即将道成肉身的基督，要求得到赐福；
100. but Christ was not going to bless him until he surrendered;
而只有当他顺服的时候，基督才会赐福于他；
101. and, so, we saw the cause of trembling,
我们看到了恐惧的原因，
102. the necessity of wrestling,
懂得了摔跤的必要性，
103. the blessing of clinging.
也明白了执着会带来赐福。
104. Fourthly, the power of limping.
第四，我们来看跛脚的能力。
105. The last thing we see in Genesis, Chapter 32, is Jacob limping on his way to see his brother, Esau.
在创世记32章的最后，我们看到雅各跛着脚，去见他的哥哥以扫。
106. This is a power limp,
这就是跛脚的能力。
107. because it is a limp that made Jacob small and God very big.
因为跛脚，使得雅各显为渺小，神显为高大。
108. It is a limp that says, “I am decreased and God is increased.”
跛脚的人才会说：“他必兴旺，我必衰微。”
109. It is a limp that says, “I am walking, not in my own strength anymore, but in His.”
跛脚的人才会说：“我不再靠自己行走，而是靠主”。
110. Jacob had contended with God successfully and lost.
雅各成功地与神角力，却向神认输了。
111. The world will never understand that our success is in losing to God.
这个世界永远也无法理解，我们的成功就在于向神认输。
112. The world will never understand that our victory is in surrendering to God.
这个世界永远也无法理解，我们的胜利就在于向神投降。
113. For years, Jacob contended, and cheated, and won,
从前，雅各与人争斗、欺诈并且取得了胜利，
114. or, at least, he thought he did.
至少他自己是这么认为的 。
115. He contended and cheated his brother, Esau, and grabbed the birthright.
他与哥哥以扫争斗，欺骗他，抢夺了长子的名分。
116. He contented and cheated his blind father, Isaac, and got his blessing;
他与瞎眼的父亲艾萨克争斗，欺骗他，获得了他的祝福；
117. but, in reality, none of these were real victories,
但实际上，这些都不是真正的胜利，
118. because, here he is, 20 years later, and he is terrified.
因为20年后，他感到了惊恐。
119. My listening friend, listen very carefully, as I conclude.
亲爱的朋友，在即将结束的时候，请仔细听。
120. The real victory was when Jacob contended with God and lost to God.
当雅各与神角力并且向神认输的时候，才获得了真正的胜利。
121. When it comes to wrestling with God,
当我们与神摔跤的时候，
122. our purpose must always be surrender.
我们的目的应该是为了降服。
123. For true success in life, there has to be surrender to God.
要想在生活中取得真正的成功，唯有向神降服。
124. My listening friends, seek God’s plan for your life and, then, surrender to Him
亲爱的朋友，你应该去寻求神在你生命中的计划，然后向祂降服。
125. so that you, too, can have true victory and success in your life.
这样，你才能在自己的生命中获得真正的胜利和成功。
126. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大地赐福给你，下次节目再会！
