創世記結晶讀經(42): 生命水的河_1

創二10『有一道河從伊甸流出來滋潤那園子，從那裡分為四道。』

詩四六4『有一道河，這河的支流，使神的城快樂；這城就是至高者支搭帳幕的聖處。』

    隨著〔生命〕樹有一道河（創二10）。樹既是生命的樹，河也必定與生命有關。在聖經的結尾，我們也看見一道生命河在涌流，一棵生命樹在生長（啟二二1~2）。在聖經的開頭和結尾，我們都看見生命樹和涌流著活水的河。在聖經中，河的觀念也很重要。聖經在開頭和結尾提到人的時候，也題到河。人接受神作生命，享受神的肥甘，得著解渴、滋潤，得以生長並喜樂，都在於河（參詩三六8~9，四六4，六五9，出十七1~7，珥三18，亞十四8，約四14，七37~38，啟二二1~2.

    我們必須看見，三一神藉著父、子、靈流到我們裡面。當我們喝這水，這水就在我們裡面成為源。我們都該說，『我裡面有這源！』這源顯出來就是泉，並且這泉涌流出來成為河。…這就是神聖三一的神聖說話、神聖擴展和神聖分賜。父是源，子是泉，靈是河，涌流到我們裡面（約翰福音結晶讀經，一七四頁）。

    神聖生命的流從五旬節那天開始，歷經所有世代，一直涌流到今天，只有一道水流。無論水流往那裡去，無論往那裡涌流，都沒有許多水流，只有一道水流。你讀使徒行傳這卷書，就看見只有一道水流。這水流從耶路撒冷開始，流向安提阿，又從安提阿轉向亞西亞，並在那裡涌流（神聖的水流，一三頁）。

    生命樹和涌流的河指明：每當我們將基督當作食物接受進來，這食物就要分賜神聖的生命，也就是滋潤並涌流的生命。在啟示錄二十二章一至二節，我們看見這道生命河，兩旁長著生命樹，是從神的寶座流出來的。這幅圖畫進一步證明，生命樹和生命河代表生命真實的經歷。每當我們接受在基督里的神作我們的生命，就有這道河在我們裡面涌流，滋潤我們，並在我們裡面作許多的工作。

    這道河是用來滋潤園子的，好使園子長出生命的東西。它必定也解人的乾渴，使人存活。這些都說出，這道河能使生命涌流。為著人的肉身生命，我們必須喝足彀的水，以維持血液的循環。我們肉身生命的流是靠水。照樣，一天過一天，我們必須喝生命的水，以維持在我們裡面神聖生命的流，這使我們有神聖生命之屬靈的循環。

    這道河從伊甸流出來，意思就是說，從神流出來。在二十二章，生命水的河從神的寶座流出來。這河也是流自神自己的流。神這生命乃是活水的源頭，流到我們裡面供我們享受。

    這河只有一道。你有兩道河麼？雖然一地的信徒數目或許有一千，但仍然只有一道河，因為大家都來自相同的源頭─創造者神。因為源頭是一，河道也必須是一。

    這道河分開變為四道（創二10~14）。這是甚麼意思？這是說，這道河從作為源頭和中心的神流出來，臨到各方的人。在聖經中，一是創造者神的數字，因為他是獨一的。四這數字表徵受造的人。因為人居住在四方的每一方，所以這道河從神向每一方流出，流到他們那裡（創世記生命讀經，一七七至一七八頁）。

    參讀：創世記生命讀經，第十一篇；神聖的水流。

  

Gen. 2:10 "And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four branches."

Psa. 46:4 "There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God, the holy place of the  tabernacles of the Most High."

    Along with the tree there is a river (Gen. 2:10). Since the tree is a tree of life,the river must also be related to life. At the end of the Bible we also see a river of life flowing and a tree of life growing (Rev. 22:1-2). At the beginning and the end of the Bible we find the tree of life and a river flowing with living water. In the Scriptures the concept of the river is also crucial. When the Scripture mentions man, both in the beginning and at the end, it also mentions the river.

For man to receive God as life, to enjoy the fatness of God, to quench thirst, to be watered, to grow, and to rejoice, all depends on the river (cf. Psa. 36:8-9;46:4; 65:9; Exo. 17:1-7; Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8; John 4:14; 7:37-38; Rev. 22:1-2).(Life-study of Genesis, pp. 141-142)

    We need to see that the Triune God is flowing through the Father, the Son,and the Spirit into us. When we drink of this water, it becomes a fountain in us. We all should say, “The fountain is in me!” This fountain emerges as a spring, and the spring flows out as a river....This is the divine speaking, divine spreading, divine dispensing, of the Divine Trinity. The Father as the fountain, the Son as the spring, and the Spirit as the river flow into us. (Crystallization-study of the Gospel of John, pp. 141-142)

    The flowing of the divine life, which started on the day of Pentecost and has been flowing throughout all generations to this very day, is only one stream. Wherever it goes, wherever it flows, it is not many streams; it is only one. Read the book of Acts, and you will see that there is one stream, one current. This stream started from Jerusalem and flowed to Antioch, and from Antioch it turned to Asia and was flowing there. (The Divine Stream, p. 12)

    The tree of life and the flowing river indicate this: whenever we take Jesus into us as food, that food will impart divine life, a life that is a watering and flowing life. In Revelation 22:1-2 we see that the river of life with the tree of life growing in it proceeds out of the throne of God. This picture is a further proof that the tree of life and the river of life represent the genuine experience of life. Whenever we take God in Christ as our life, we will have this river flowing within us to water us and work many things within us.

    This river was made to water the garden that the garden might grow things of life. Surely it also quenched man's thirst that he might survive. All this means that this river caused life to flow. In our physical life we must drink enough water to maintain the circulation of our blood. The flow of our physical life depends on water. Likewise, day by day we must take the water of life to maintain the flow of the divine life within us. This gives us the spiritual circulation of the divine life.

The river flows out of Eden, meaning that it flows out of God. In Revelation 22, the river of the water of life proceeds out of the throne of God. It is also a flow out of God Himself. God as the very life is the source of the living water, flowing into us for our enjoyment. This river is one river. Do you have two rivers? Although the believers here may number a thousand, we still have one river because we all are of the same source─God the Creator. Since the source is one, the course also must be one.

    This one river was parted and became four heads (Gen. 2:10-14). What does this mean? This means that the river flows out of God as the source and the center to reach men in every direction. In the Bible the number one is the number of God, the Creator, for He is unique. The number four signifies man, the creature. Because men live in each of the four directions, the one river flows out of God in every direction to reach them. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 142-143)

    Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 11; The Divine Stream

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 創世記結晶讀經(43): 生命水的河_2

出十七6『我必在何烈的磐石那裡，站在你面前；你要擊打磐石，就必有水從磐石流出來，使百姓可以喝。摩西就在以色列的長老眼前這樣行了。』

林前十4『也都喝了一樣的靈水；所喝的是出於隨行的靈磐石，那磐石就是基督。』

    創世記里的每一樣事物都是種子。種子的生長是在新約，而收割是在啟示錄。…涌流之江河的種子是撒在創世記二章，此後聖經的各卷是這種子的生長，到啟示錄就有收成了。我們需要整本聖經來明白創世記二章這一幅圖畫的真正意義。神在他的兒子耶穌基督里，在食物的形態里，對我們是生命。如果我們將他契進來，我們不只得着滿足，而且這生命在我們裡面還要成為滋潤的江河。這河要在我們裡面成為急流，重生我們，變化我們，使我們馨香，並多結果子。借這涌流，我們要變成金子、珍珠和寶石，為着建造神的居所，就是新耶路撒冷。…這是神達成他永遠目的的路。

    保羅在林前十章四節繼續說，『也都喝了一樣的靈水；所喝的是出於隨行的靈磐石，那磐石就是基督。』基督這靈磐石隨着信徒，為要給他們靈水。四節的靈水是指流自裂開磐石的活水（出十七6），豫表那流自釘死十架而復活之基督的靈，作我們包羅萬有的水。基督在他的釘死里，作為活的靈磐石被神律法的權柄擊打，好叫生命的水在復活里能從他流出來，並流進他所救贖的人裡面給他們喝。從被擊打的磐石所流出來的生命水，象徵那靈。我們都該喝一樣的靈水，不該喝這包羅萬有之靈以外的任何東西。

    為着神的選民被擊打、裂開、流出活水的磐石，乃是物質的磐石；但使徒稱之為靈磐石，因它豫表那被神擊打、裂開，流出生命的水（十九34），以解信徒乾渴的基督。因此使徒說，那磐石就是基督〔林前十4〕。它既是表徵基督的靈磐石，就能隨着以色列人。這指明作真磐石的基督，乃是隨着他的信徒（新約總論第十冊，一七○至一七一頁）。

    這磐石實在是我們的一切。借着成為肉體，基督來到地上作磐石。在所命定之地─加略山，他被釘十字架，受了神的律法及其權能和權柄所擊打。他的肋旁被裂開，並且流出活水來。這活水就是那靈，是三一神的終極流出。…這水解我們的乾渴，完全滿足我們。

    這水是奧秘的，在於它是從磐石流出來的，而這磐石隨着百姓經過曠野的行程。當然，這樣的磐石不可能是天然的或是物質的。一塊實在的、物質的磐石如何能隨着百姓一同旅行？保羅說磐石隨着百姓，這事實指明這是活的磐石。因此，這磐石是屬靈且奧秘的。當我們來看在復活里生命的水，我們必須對被擊打磐石所流出之水屬靈和奧秘的方面留下印象。

    從磐石流出的水乃是在復活里生命的水。復活是指一個東西擺在死里又活過來；也是指經過死所長出的生命。

    生命的水是在復活里，所以是得勝且勝利的。這水超越每一件消極的事物。當我們喝這水時，我們就成了在復活里並屬於復活的人。

參讀：出埃及記生命讀經，第四十至四十二篇。

Exo. 17:6 "I will be standing before you there upon the rock in Horeb;and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel."

1 Cor. 10:4 "And all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ."

    Everything found in the book of Genesis is a seed, the growth of the seed is in the New Testament, and the harvest is in the book of Revelation. The seed of the flowing river is sown in Genesis 2, the growth occurs in the following books of the Bible, and the harvest is in the book of Revelation. We need the whole Bible to give us the true meaning of the picture in Genesis 2. God in His Son Jesus Christ is life to us in the form of food. If we take Him in, we not only have satisfaction, but this life will become a watering river within us. This water will be a torrent flowing within us to regenerate us, transform us, and to make us sweet and fruitful. By this flow we will become gold, pearl, and precious stones for the building of God's habitation, the New Jerusalem....This is God's way to fulfill His eternal purpose. (Life-study of Genesis, p. 146)

    In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul goes on to say, “All drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ.” As the spiritual rock, Christ follows the believers to give them the spiritual drink. The spiritual drink in verse 4 refers to the living water that flowed out of the cleft rock (Exo. 17:6), typifying the Spirit, who flowed out of the crucified and resurrected Christ, as our all-inclusive drink (John 7:37-39; 1 Cor. 12:13). In His crucifixion Christ, as the living, spiritual rock, was smitten by the authority of God's law in order that the water of life in resurrection could flow out of Him into His redeemed people for them to drink. The water of life flowing out of the smitten rock signifies the Spirit (John 7:37-39). We should all drink the same spiritual drink and should not drink anything other than the all-inclusive Spirit.

    The rock that was smitten and cleft to flow out the living water for God's chosen people was a physical rock. Yet the apostle called it a spiritual rock because it typified Christ, who was smitten and cleft by God to flow out the water of life (John 19:34) to satisfy the thirst of His believers. Hence, the apostle said that the rock was Christ. Since it was a spiritual rock  signifying Christ, it was able to follow the children of Israel. This indicates that Christ as the real rock is following His believers. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3154-3155)

    This rock is truly everything to us. Through incarnation, Christ came to earth as the rock. At Calvary, the appointed place, He was crucified, smitten by God's law with its power and authority. His side was cleft, and living water flowed forth. This living water is the Spirit, the ultimate issue of the Triune God....This water quenches our thirst and fully satisfies our being.

    The water is mysterious in that it flowed out of a rock which followed the people in their journey through the wilderness. Surely such a rock could not have been physical or material. How could a literal, physical rock travel with the people? The fact that Paul says that the rock followed the people indicates that it was a living rock. Hence, this rock was spiritual and mysterious. As we consider the matter of the water of life in resurrection, we must be impressed with the spiritual and mysterious aspects of the water from the smitten rock.

    The water which came out of the rock is the water of life in resurrection. Resurrection denotes something which has been put to death and which is alive again. It also denotes life which springs forth out of something that has passed through death.

    Because the water of life is in resurrection, it is victorious and triumphant. It transcends every negative thing. When we drink this water, we become people in resurrection and of resurrection. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 474, 488, 491)

    Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 40-42

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創世記結晶讀經(44):生命水的河_3

生命水的河