TO HAVE OR TO BE

放下所有 成為所是

Genesis 48: 1-16

創四十八 : 1-16 節

Genesis 48:1-16

• After this Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," he summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me, 4 and said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers; I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your offspring after you for a perpetual holding.' 5 Therefore your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are now mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 As for the offspring born to you after them, they shall be yours. They shall be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 For when I came from Paddan, Rachel, alas, died in the land of Canaan on the way, while there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). 8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?"

• 9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them." 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, and he could not see well. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, "I did not expect to see your face; and here God has let me see your children also." 12 Then Joseph removed them from his father's knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought them near him. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys; and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude on the earth."

• 我們一生的年日是七十歲，若是強壯可到八十歲；但其中所矜誇的不過是勞苦愁煩，轉眼成空，我們便如飛而去。」（詩篇九十篇 10節）

• The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.(Psalms 90:10)

• 其實明天如何，你們還不知道。你們的生命是甚麼呢？你們原來是一片雲霧，出現少時就不見了。」（雅各書四章 14節）

• Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

Life is mortal!

雅各的一生：從抓取者到祝福者Jacob’s Life: from gripping to blessing

• 「雅各將餅和紅豆湯給了以掃，而且以掃吃了，而且喝了，而且起來，而且走了，而且以掃輕看了他長子的名分。」（創二五： 34 ）

• Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:34)

• 「 aken! 耶和華真在這裡，我竟不知道。這地方何等可畏！這不是別的，乃是上帝的殿，也是天的門。」（創二八 16.17 ）

• Surely the Lord is in His place—and I did not know it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. (Gen. 28:16-17)

• 雅各許願說 ; 「神若與我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又給我食物喫，衣服穿，使我平平安安的回到我父親的家，我就必以耶和華為我的神。我所立為柱子的石頭也必作神的殿；凡你所賜給我的，我必將十分之一獻給你。」 ( 創 28:20-22)

• Then Jacob made a vow, saying”If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you. (Gen. 28:20-22)

雅各生命的改變

The change of Jacob’s life

• 那人說：『天黎明了，容我去吧！』雅各說：『你不給我祝福，我就不容你去。』」（創三二： 26 ）

• Then he said, ”Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (Gen. 32:26)

Goodness and Love

• 「願… .. 一生牧養我直到今日的上帝……，賜福與這……童子。願他們歸在我的名下… . 。」（創四八 15-16 ）

• The God who has been my shepherd … bless the boys… and in them let my name be perpetuated, …(Gen. 48:15-16)

生命中的生命

The Life of life

• 「敬畏耶和華就是生命的泉源，可以使人離開死亡的網羅。」（箴十四 27 ）「人有了神的兒子就有生命，沒有神的兒子就沒有生命。」（約翰一書五 12 ）

• The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, so that one may avoid the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)

• Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)

To Have

To Be

A new Life

Goodness

Love