四十年的预备
因为 Consequence — עֵקֶב
申命记（Deu）： 7:12 – 11:25
以赛亚书（Isa）： 49:14 – 5:13
马太福音（Mat）： 16:13 – 20
希伯来书（Heb）：11:8 – 13
罗马书（Rom）：8:31 – 39
本周妥拉摘要 Portion Summary
“因为” Ekev (עקב)是第45周的妥拉阅读段落的名字，同样也是申命记第三部分的阅读段落的名字。这个希伯来语题目出自本周阅读经文的第一节，申命记7:12提到：“你们果然（希伯来语翻译为因为， Ekev עקב ）听从这些典章，谨守遵行，耶和华你神就必照他向你列祖所起的誓，守约施慈爱。通常，词语”ekev”的意思是“脚后跟”。实际上，这个词和雅各的名字（Yaakov, יעקב）有同样的三个字母词根，雅各的名字也是“脚后跟”的意思，他出生时手抓住了以扫的脚跟。然而，在申命记7:12，单词“ekev”的意思是“紧接着”或者“因为”。申命记此段经文谈及因为遵守神的盟约和诫命，以色列将会得到从神来的奖赏。
The forty-sixth reading from the Torah and the third reading from the book of Deuteronomy is named Ekev (עקב), a word from the first verse of the portion. Deuteronomy 7:12 says, "Then it shall come about, because (ekev, עקב) you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers." Usually the word ekev means "heel." In fact, this word shares the same three-letter root as the name Jacob (Yaakov, יעקב), whose name actually means "heel." He was born holding on to Esau's heel. However, in Deuteronomy 7:12, the word ekev means "on the heels of" or "because of." This portion of Deuteronomy speaks of the rewards that will come to Israel on the heels of keeping God's covenant and commandments.
本周妥拉纲要 Portion Outline
妥拉
申命记 7:12 ｜ 顺服的祝福
申命记 8:1 ｜ 在兴盛中不可忘记神的警告
申命记 9:1 ｜ 反抗神的结果
申命记 10:1 ｜ 第二次赐下的两块法板
申命记 10:12 ｜ 律法的本质
申命记 11:1 ｜ 顺服的奖赏
先知书
以赛亚书 49:8 ｜ 锡安儿女归回
以赛亚书 50:4 ｜ 神仆人的受辱与伸冤
以赛亚书 51:1 ｜ 祝福贮存于神的子民中
TORAH
Deuteronomy 7:12 | Blessings for Obedience
Deuteronomy 8:1 | A Warning Not to Forget God in Prosperity
Deuteronomy 9:1 | The Consequences of Rebelling against God
Deuteronomy 10:1 | The Second Pair of Tablets
Deuteronomy 10:12 | The Essence of the Law
Deuteronomy 11:1 | Rewards for Obedience
PROPHETS
Isaiah 49:8 | Zion's Children to Be Brought Home
Isaiah 50:4 | The Servant's Humiliation and Vindication
Isaiah 51:1 | Blessings in Store for God's People
本周妥拉教导 Portion Teaching
四十年的预备
在我们可以被神大大使用之前，往往必须先证明我们在小事上能忠心。Yeshua主耶稣说，“人在最小的事上忠心，在大事上也忠心；在最小的事上不义，在大事上也不义”（路加福音16:10）。神在带领以色列人进入应许之地前，试验了他们四十年之久，使他们谦卑，查看他们能否对祂的妥拉保持忠心。
“我们进入神的国，必须经历许多艰难。”（使徒行传14:22）
在以色列民流浪旷野的四十年间，神一直供应着他们。天降吗哪、磐石出水，他们的衣服和鞋都没有穿破，这一切是何等奇迹般的保守。通过每日经历神迹，以色列子民学会了在物质需要上信靠神。他们学会了”人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠耶和华口里所出的一切话“（申命记8:3）。
但之后就不同了。他们马上就要进入应许之地，享用那地的出产和丰盛，不用再依靠每日从天而降的吗哪了。
神之所以带领以色列人经历了旷野年间的困苦与试炼，是为了训练他们。”你当心里思想，耶和华－你神管教你，好像人管教儿子一样“（申命记8:5），摩西告诉他们。
这就好比一个富人要将一大笔产业交接给儿子。他很清楚，如果轻轻松松地就把钱给了儿子，这个年轻人会丧失掉很多宝贵的人生功课。所以富人就瞒着儿子，一边把钱放在信托公司，一边让儿子去外头找工作、学技能，努力赚钱养家，在各种待付账单中挣扎，学习理财、节俭。当儿子向他寻求经济帮助时，父亲每次只给他足够当天的分量。终于，儿子学会了在每件事上承担责任，父亲感到很满意，这才把产业交给了他。他说，“好，你这良善又忠心的儿子。你在不少的事情上有忠心，我要把许多事派你管理。只是不要忘记你所学的功课。”
在旷野的四十年中，以色列学会了依靠神来供应他们，维系他们的生活。学成预备好后，他们才获许进入流奶与蜜之地。但是摩西警告他们，不要忘了旷野里宝贵的功课。
Forty Years of Preparation
Before God can entrust us with great things, we must prove faithful with the little things. Yeshua says, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much" (Luke 16:10). God tested the children of Israel for forty years in the wilderness before bringing them into the Promised Land to humble them and to see if they would remain faithful to His Torah.
"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)
During the forty years that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, God provided for their every need. He fed them manna from heaven and water from a rock. He miraculously preserved their clothing and shoes so that they would not wear out. Through these daily miracles, the children of Israel learned to trust in God for all their physical needs. They learned that "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
All of that was about to change. The children of Israel were about to enter the land of promise and enjoy its produce and bounty. They would no longer need to depend on the daily bread from heaven.
God brought Israel through the hardships and trials of the wilderness years in order to train them. "Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son" (Deuteronomy 8:5), Moses told them.
This can be compared to a wealthy man who bequeathed a large inheritance to his son. However, he knew that if he simply gave the money to his son, the young man would forfeit many important life lessons. So the man put the money into a trust and did not tell his son about it. He let his son get a job, acquire a skill, struggle to raise a family, juggle bills, learn to budget and to handle his resources with thrift. When his son asked for financial assistance, the father would give him only a small sum sufficient for the day. When the father was satisfied that the young man had learned to conduct his affairs responsibly, he gave him the inheritance. He said, "Well done, good and faithful son. You were faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Only do not forget the lessons you have learned."
For forty years in the wilderness, Israel learned to rely on God as the source of their provision and sustenance. They were then ready to enter the land of milk and honey. But Moses warned them not to forget the lessons they learned in the wilderness.
First Fruits of Zion