旧约 - 创世记(Genesis)第37章

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.
创世记第卅七章   第 37 章 

  约瑟 

  创 37:3> 父母爱儿女是不争的事实,只是在中国人的家庭中,却有点难以启齿……你,是这样吗? 

  37:3 当时,人人都有一件长袍或外衣,穿在身上可保暖,旅行时可以当包袱把杂物包在里面,又可用来包裹婴孩,或者用来当坐垫,甚至在急需时可作为当头向人借钱。大多数外衣很朴素,短袖、长及膝,约瑟的外衣则可能是王子所穿──长袖、长及脚踝、色彩鲜艳的那一种。这件外衣成为雅各宠爱约瑟的标记,约瑟与哥哥们的关系已经不融洽,这件彩衣就使他们的关系更趋恶化了。偏心尽管难以避免,但是作父母的应当把子女们分裂的可能性减至最低;对所偏爱的儿女的感觉或许难以改变,但是父母可以改变对其他儿女的态度。 

  创 37:6-11> 因自夸而伤害了身边的人,又忘了将荣耀归给神…… 

  37:6-11 约瑟的哥哥们对他已经怀恨在心,不想让这个弟弟来管治他们。约瑟不成熟和趾高气昂的态度,更使他们火上加油,为了去除这根眼中钉,愤怒的哥哥们把约瑟卖到埃及去作奴隶。没有人喜欢吹牛的人,约瑟受了多年的磨炼,终于明白才能和知识都是从神而来,人应当感谢神,而不应自夸。后来,他也学会将荣耀归给神( 41:16 )。 

  创 37:19-20> 妒忌总是无孔不入,一不小心就钻进我心…… 

  37:19-20 妒忌曾叫你想杀人吗?在你回答“当然没有”以前,请先看看这个故事。哥哥们只因为约瑟的外袍和他所做的梦就要杀他,他们已被嫉妒和怒气所蒙蔽了。妒忌是很难辨别的,因为我们妒忌的原因看来十分合理。但一不留神,妒火中烧,就叫我们犯大错了。妒忌越深越难根除,所以,发现自己开始介意别人的成就时,就是该对付妒忌的时候了。 

  吕便 

  创 37:26-27> 有时候,人但求安心,而不计较所用的手段。我曾这样行吗? 

  37:26-27 约瑟的哥哥们不想承担杀害约瑟的罪,犹大就提出另一个可以除去杀人者内疚的不正确方法。我们有时为了解决问题,就在两种恶行中权衡,虽然取其较轻的一种,但仍然是不当的。当有人提出似乎是可行的解决办法时,我们要先想想:“这件事对不对?” 

  约瑟探望哥哥及被卖 

  创 37:28> 在无助时,神仍在约瑟身边;在危难时,你对神可有信心? 

  37:28 虽然约瑟的哥哥们没有立刻把他杀死,但是他们估计把他卖作奴隶的话,他也不会活多久。他们要借刀杀人。约瑟要在旷野走三十天的路程,大概是给锁链绑着步行往埃及,他只会被视为一件行李。一到埃及,他就会变成一件货物被出售。他的哥哥们以为再也不会见到他了,但是神掌管着约瑟的生命。 

  创 37:29-30> 吕便是关心约瑟,还是害怕?在困境中,我所关心的是…… 

  37:29-30 吕便回到坑边找约瑟,见弟弟已经不在坑里。虽然他撕裂衣服,但实际上他所关心的不是约瑟会怎样,而是他自己会如何。在困境中,你是否只顾自己呢?考虑最受影响的人,我们能较易找到解决问题的方法。 

  创 37:31-35> 当我知道罪的恶果是怎样时,我还能不谨慎吗? 

  37:31-35 约瑟的哥哥们为掩饰自己的恶行,就欺骗父亲,使他以为约瑟已经死了。雅各曾经多次欺骗别人,也包括他的父亲( 27:35 )。他虽然蒙神祝福,但仍然要面对犯罪的报应。雅各欺骗别人,神没有即时惩罚他,但他始终要承受犯罪的恶果,这恶果将一直伴随着他的余生。 

  创 37:34> 撕裂衣服表示什么? 

  37:34 撕裂衣服、束上麻布是哀悼的表示,跟今天我们穿丧服十分相似。 

  创 37:36> 面对异地文化的辉煌,约瑟仍看到人最需要的是神;今天,我们看什么是最重要的呢? 

  37:36 我们可以想像约瑟刚到埃及时所受到的文化冲击是多么的大。他本来过着游牧的生活,随家庭在乡间逐水草而居,照顾羊群。突然被迫进入当时最文明的世界里,看到雄伟的金字塔和美丽的房屋,接触老于世故的百姓和新的语言。当他看到埃及人最好的技艺与才智时,也看到他们在灵性上的愚蒙无知:他们敬拜无数的假神,只要跟生活有关的,他们就拜。──《灵修版圣经注释》