牧者心聲
約伯筆記
周曉暉牧師
2023 年 6 月 10 日 / 11 日
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近來知道有弟兄姊妹的日子過得十分艱苦，但同時也聽聞有些弟兄姊妹大享平安。有人會想，難道神不是保守所有信靠祂的人嗎？我執拾文件時重遇一份多年前的筆記，此際，頗能對應。
年輕時的我把人生簡化為一個接一個必然的階段！但有一個我認為的「必然」卻遲遲沒有到來⋯⋯我為此感到苦澀，不禁問：是不是神不愛我了？為何你賜福給他，而不賜福給我呢？那時，神透過已故楊錫鏘牧師的約伯記課程，助我看清自己掉進了一個怎樣的深坑。
沒有「一分」怎辦：當神賜下「一分」福樂給我，我應如何看待、使用這「一分」？這是傳道書處理的課題，但約伯記卻是處理沒有得到、或失掉「這一分」福樂時，我應怎樣看待自己、以及自己與創造主之間的關係。
在約伯記開首，撒但對耶和華說：「約伯敬畏神，豈是無故呢？你豈不是四面圈上籬笆圍護他和他的家，並他一切所有的嗎？他手所做的都蒙你賜福；他的家產也在地上增多。你且伸手毀他一切所有的；他必當面棄掉你」（伯一 9-11）。
由此我產生更多困惑：1）受苦造成人生遺憾，是否因神不愛我？我是不可愛嗎？2）受苦等於神拿走一些福（或是允許撒但去拿走），如此，我還能持守對神的信靠嗎？3）如果神容讓我受苦，祂還是慈愛的神嗎？
從質疑到堅持：經文教人看清撒但的真面目——既狡猾，又口才好；牠雖不是猛獸，卻很會「放毒」，叫受苦的人懷疑神的慈愛，也懷疑自己對神的忠信。
約伯與朋友的對話卻表現出兩方面的堅持：1）他堅持神是全善的；2）他也堅持自己是忠信的。這破除了撒但在神面前對他的質疑，因他並沒有如撒但所指：人有福才要神，沒有福就不要神。雖然約伯沒有了「一分」，但仍緊緊抓住神，所以是個「完全人」（伯一 1、8，二 3）。
不要自絕於神：在實踐上，經文提醒：1）要真知道，人生是神所造的，有福也有禍。有暗才知光，有虛空才知福樂。2）要緊記，苦難不一定是神要我學些功課！當然，神也可能真的使用苦難叫我學習，因主權在神。3）受苦可以是無故的，蒙福也可以是無故的，因為一切皆神所賜。禍或福都不減神的完全，因此我要持守對神的敬虔。4）我可以真情地向神訴苦、甚至申訴，但千萬不可自絕於神。
智慧之言，苦中帶甘。共勉之！
It recently came to my attention that life is very difficult for some brothers and sisters. On the other hand, I also learned that some other brothers and sisters are enjoying a life of great peace. Some may ask: Doesn't God keep all those who trust in Him? A response to that question was incidentally found in some old notes of mine many years ago, which I came across again when tidying up my documents.
When I was young, I simplified life as being a series of successive, unquestionable stages! But one of such "unquestionable's" in my opinion never came... I felt bitter about that and I had to ask: Has God stopped loving me? Why did You bless him, but not me? Then, God helped me see clearly the sort of deep pit I fell into through a course on the Book of Job by the late Rev. Philip Yeung (楊錫鏘牧師).
What to do when I do not have "a portion": When God gives me "a portion" of blessings, how should I treat and use this "portion"? This is a topic addressed in the Book of Ecclesiastes. But the Book of Job addresses what to do when we do not have or when we have lost “this portion” of blessings, how I should look at myself, and my relationship with the Creator God.
At the beginning of the Book of Job, Satan said to God: ""Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."" (Job 1:9-11)
By this I became more puzzled: 1) When suffering brings regrets in life, is that because God does not love me? Am I not lovable? 2) Suffering means God takes away (or He permits Satan to take away) some blessings. As such, can I still persevere in my faith in God? 3) If God would allow me to suffer, is He still a loving God?
From doubting to insisting: The Scripture teaches us to see clearly the real face of Satan – both cunning and eloquent; he is not a violent beast but knows how to be “lethal,” making sufferers doubt God’s lovingkindness as well as their own faithfulness towards God.
Job's conversation with his friends displayed his insistence in two areas: 1) He insisted that God is all good. 2) He insisted that he is faithful. These rebuked Satan's query about him before God, for Job was not like what Satan said people are like: that they would fear God when they are blessed and desert God when they are not blessed. Although Job had lost his "portion," he nevertheless still held tightly on to God. He was thus "blameless and upright" (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3).
Never cut yourself off from God: The Scripture offers a few reminders in practice: 1) We really need to know that life is created by God, and it comes with both blessings and troubles. There must be darkness before one knows what light is. There must be vanity before one knows what blessings are. 2) We must remember that suffering is not necessarily intended to be a lesson God wants me to learn! But of course, God may use suffering to teach me something, for God has the sovereignty. 3) There may not be a reason for suffering. There may not be a reason for being blessed either, because everything is given by God. Neither troubles nor blessings undermine the perfection of God. That is why I must keep my reverence and faithfulness to God. 4) I can pour out my heart to God about my suffering, even complaints. Nevertheless, I must not cut myself off from God.
Words of wisdom. There is sweetness in bitterness. Let this be our mutual encouragement!
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