创世记结晶读经(42): 生命水的河_1

创二10『有一道河从伊甸流出来滋润那园子，从那里分为四道。』

诗四六4『有一道河，这河的支流，使神的城快乐；这城就是至高者支搭帐幕的圣处。』

    随著〔生命〕树有一道河（创二10）。树既是生命的树，河也必定与生命有关。在圣经的结尾，我们也看见一道生命河在涌流，一棵生命树在生长（启二二1~2）。在圣经的开头和结尾，我们都看见生命树和涌流著活水的河。在圣经中，河的观念也很重要。圣经在开头和结尾提到人的时候，也题到河。人接受神作生命，享受神的肥甘，得著解渴、滋润，得以生长并喜乐，都在於河（参诗三六8~9，四六4，六五9，出十七1~7，珥三18，亚十四8，约四14，七37~38，启二二1~2.

    我们必须看见，三一神藉著父、子、灵流到我们里面。当我们喝这水，这水就在我们里面成为源。我们都该说，『我里面有这源！』这源显出来就是泉，并且这泉涌流出来成为河。…这就是神圣三一的神圣说话、神圣扩展和神圣分赐。父是源，子是泉，灵是河，涌流到我们里面（约翰福音结晶读经，一七四页）。

    神圣生命的流从五旬节那天开始，历经所有世代，一直涌流到今天，只有一道水流。无论水流往那里去，无论往那里涌流，都没有许多水流，只有一道水流。你读使徒行传这卷书，就看见只有一道水流。这水流从耶路撒冷开始，流向安提阿，又从安提阿转向亚西亚，并在那里涌流（神圣的水流，一三页）。

    生命树和涌流的河指明：每当我们将基督当作食物接受进来，这食物就要分赐神圣的生命，也就是滋润并涌流的生命。在启示录二十二章一至二节，我们看见这道生命河，两旁长著生命树，是从神的宝座流出来的。这幅图画进一步证明，生命树和生命河代表生命真实的经历。每当我们接受在基督里的神作我们的生命，就有这道河在我们里面涌流，滋润我们，并在我们里面作许多的工作。

    这道河是用来滋润园子的，好使园子长出生命的东西。它必定也解人的乾渴，使人存活。这些都说出，这道河能使生命涌流。为著人的肉身生命，我们必须喝足彀的水，以维持血液的循环。我们肉身生命的流是靠水。照样，一天过一天，我们必须喝生命的水，以维持在我们里面神圣生命的流，这使我们有神圣生命之属灵的循环。

    这道河从伊甸流出来，意思就是说，从神流出来。在二十二章，生命水的河从神的宝座流出来。这河也是流自神自己的流。神这生命乃是活水的源头，流到我们里面供我们享受。

    这河只有一道。你有两道河么？虽然一地的信徒数目或许有一千，但仍然只有一道河，因为大家都来自相同的源头─创造者神。因为源头是一，河道也必须是一。

    这道河分开变为四道（创二10~14）。这是甚么意思？这是说，这道河从作为源头和中心的神流出来，临到各方的人。在圣经中，一是创造者神的数字，因为他是独一的。四这数字表徵受造的人。因为人居住在四方的每一方，所以这道河从神向每一方流出，流到他们那里（创世记生命读经，一七七至一七八页）。

    参读：创世记生命读经，第十一篇；神圣的水流。

  

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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 创世记结晶读经(43): 生命水的河_2

出十七6『我必在何烈的磐石那里，站在你面前；你要击打磐石，就必有水从磐石流出来，使百姓可以喝。摩西就在以色列的长老眼前这样行了。』

林前十4『也都喝了一样的灵水；所喝的是出於随行的灵磐石，那磐石就是基督。』

    创世记里的每一样事物都是种子。种子的生长是在新约，而收割是在启示录。…涌流之江河的种子是撒在创世记二章，此后圣经的各卷是这种子的生长，到启示录就有收成了。我们需要整本圣经来明白创世记二章这一幅图画的真正意义。神在他的儿子耶稣基督里，在食物的形态里，对我们是生命。如果我们将他契进来，我们不只得着满足，而且这生命在我们里面还要成为滋润的江河。这河要在我们里面成为急流，重生我们，变化我们，使我们馨香，并多结果子。借这涌流，我们要变成金子、珍珠和宝石，为着建造神的居所，就是新耶路撒冷。…这是神达成他永远目的的路。

    保罗在林前十章四节继续说，『也都喝了一样的灵水；所喝的是出於随行的灵磐石，那磐石就是基督。』基督这灵磐石随着信徒，为要给他们灵水。四节的灵水是指流自裂开磐石的活水（出十七6），豫表那流自钉死十架而复活之基督的灵，作我们包罗万有的水。基督在他的钉死里，作为活的灵磐石被神律法的权柄击打，好叫生命的水在复活里能从他流出来，并流进他所救赎的人里面给他们喝。从被击打的磐石所流出来的生命水，象征那灵。我们都该喝一样的灵水，不该喝这包罗万有之灵以外的任何东西。

    为着神的选民被击打、裂开、流出活水的磐石，乃是物质的磐石；但使徒称之为灵磐石，因它豫表那被神击打、裂开，流出生命的水（十九34），以解信徒乾渴的基督。因此使徒说，那磐石就是基督〔林前十4〕。它既是表征基督的灵磐石，就能随着以色列人。这指明作真磐石的基督，乃是随着他的信徒（新约总论第十册，一七○至一七一页）。

    这磐石实在是我们的一切。借着成为肉体，基督来到地上作磐石。在所命定之地─加略山，他被钉十字架，受了神的律法及其权能和权柄所击打。他的肋旁被裂开，并且流出活水来。这活水就是那灵，是三一神的终极流出。…这水解我们的乾渴，完全满足我们。

    这水是奥秘的，在於它是从磐石流出来的，而这磐石随着百姓经过旷野的行程。当然，这样的磐石不可能是天然的或是物质的。一块实在的、物质的磐石如何能随着百姓一同旅行？保罗说磐石随着百姓，这事实指明这是活的磐石。因此，这磐石是属灵且奥秘的。当我们来看在复活里生命的水，我们必须对被击打磐石所流出之水属灵和奥秘的方面留下印象。

    从磐石流出的水乃是在复活里生命的水。复活是指一个东西摆在死里又活过来；也是指经过死所长出的生命。

    生命的水是在复活里，所以是得胜且胜利的。这水超越每一件消极的事物。当我们喝这水时，我们就成了在复活里并属於复活的人。

参读：出埃及记生命读经，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

- 未完待续

创世记结晶读经(44):生命水的河_3

生命水的河