音频

“‘你必汗流满面才得糊口,直到你归了土。’” - 创 3:19

起初,神把遍地上一切结种子的菜蔬,全都赐给亚当和夏娃作食物(创世记 1:29)。然而,他们犯罪堕落后,神告诉他们,他们犯罪所带来的一个后果,就是必须要劳苦工作才有食物糊口。这个被翻译为“食物”的字(英文是“food”),是希伯来文的lehem,意思是“面包。”可见面包是非常重要的,它基本上代表一切维持生命的能量;它实质上是在指所有粮食,而不是单指面包。在这句严厉的判语中,粮食象征我们的脆弱,甚至包括我们生命的有限,因为我们本是从土而出的,我们的身体终必归回尘土。

在今天,人们仍然需要努力通过耕种和购买来获得食物 - 或在某些情况下,需要排长队,经过等待后才能得到食物。

不过,请留意,虽然地受了咒诅,虽然蛇受了咒诅,然而人类和粮食却没有受咒诅。尽管我们要因罪所带来的影响和后果而受苦,但我们在其中仍然会经历到某种程度上的福气:地仍然能长出粮食来。我们的肉身既不会永远活着,我们需要为食物劳碌的周期也是有限的,这也可算是隐藏在背后的怜悯。这个现存的困境也预表神赐充足的食物是何等丰厚的恩惠,毕竟归根结底,神自己就是我们生命的粮。

祷告

主啊,求你怜悯我们。在今世活着不容易,我们需要忍受在我们所处世界中的罪的后果。求你赦免我们,又求你赐我们日用的饮食。阿们。

创世记 3:1-19


1耶和华神所造的,唯有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇对女人说:“神岂是真说,不许你们吃园中所有树上的果子吗?”
2女人对蛇说:“园中树上的果子我们可以吃,
3唯有园当中那棵树上的果子,神曾说:‘你们不可吃,也不可摸,免得你们死。’”
4蛇对女人说:“你们不一定死!
5因为神知道你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了,你们便如神能知道善恶。”
6于是女人见那棵树的果子好做食物,也悦人的眼目,且是可喜爱的,能使人有智慧,就摘下果子来吃了;又给她丈夫,她丈夫也吃了。
7他们二人的眼睛就明亮了,才知道自己是赤身露体,便拿无花果树的叶子,为自己编做裙子。
8天起了凉风,耶和华神在园中行走,那人和他妻子听见神的声音,就藏在园里的树木中,躲避耶和华神的面。
9耶和华神呼唤那人,对他说:“你在哪里?”
10他说:“我在园中听见你的声音,我就害怕,因为我赤身露体。我便藏了。”
11耶和华说:“谁告诉你赤身露体呢?莫非你吃了我吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子吗?”
12那人说:“你所赐给我与我同居的女人,她把那树上的果子给我,我就吃了。”
13耶和华神对女人说:“你做的是什么事呢?”女人说:“那蛇引诱我,我就吃了。”
14耶和华神对蛇说:“你既做了这事,就必受咒诅,比一切的牲畜野兽更甚!你必用肚子行走,终身吃土。
15我又要叫你和女人彼此为仇,你的后裔和女人的后裔也彼此为仇,女人的后裔要伤你的头,你要伤他的脚跟。”
16又对女人说:“我必多多加增你怀胎的苦楚,你生产儿女必多受苦楚。你必恋慕你丈夫,你丈夫必管辖你。”
17又对亚当说:“你既听从妻子的话,吃了我所吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子,地必为你的缘故受咒诅,你必终身劳苦,才能从地里得吃的。
18地必给你长出荆棘和蒺藜来,你也要吃田间的菜蔬。
19你必汗流满面才得糊口,直到你归了土,因为你是从土而出的。你本是尘土,仍要归于尘土。”

"By The Sweat Of Your Brow"

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground. . . ." - Genesis 3:19

In the very beginning, God gave to Adam and Eve all the seed-bearing plants for food (Genesis 1:29). But after the fall into sin, God tells them that one of the consequences of their sin is that they will have to work hard for their food. The word translated here as "food" is the Hebrew word lehem, which means "bread." This means bread is so vital that it basically refers to everything that sustains life. Essentially this refers to all food, not just what we call bread. In the context of these sobering words, bread symbolizes our vulnerability and even our mortality as our bodies go back to the very dust we are made from.

Today people still have to work hard to grow and buy food—or in some cases, to wait in long lines for food.

Notice, however, that the ground is cursed and the serpent is cursed but that the people and the food are not cursed. Though we suffer the impacts and consequences of sin, we still experience some measure of blessing: the ground still produces food. And because our mortal bodies will not live forever, the time needed to work hard for food is limited. This is a kind of mercy in disguise. This difficulty also foreshadows the tremendous gift it is that God provides bread, and that in the end God himself is our bread.

Prayer

Lord, have mercy on us. Life is not easy, and we endure the consequences of sin all around us. Forgive us, we pray, and give us this day our daily bread. Amen.

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