8/30/2020 活水的泉源 (Fountain of Living Water)

by 鍾卓權牧師 (Rev. Bernie Chung)

撒迦利亞書第十三章有三次耶和華提到在「那日」將要實行的事。第一次的「那日」，(第1 節) 是同先前一章，撒迦利亞書第十二章書中他們的痛苦悲哀有關，目的是要為他們除去罪惡和不潔，所以必有一個泉源為他們預備。(第2-3 節) 第二次的「那日」，是敘述當時敬拜偶像的人與假先知都要被除去。第三次的「那日」，指出假先知因為對眾人的欺騙而自覺羞愧，又因為恐懼受到報應而否認自己是先知，當時敬拜偶像的人多有自殘的舉動，傷害自己的身體，

藉此取悅偶像假神，用刀或其他利器刺割自己的身體，為了掩飾身上留下的傷痕，所以他們解釋說是與親友爭執的結果。

現在讓我們回到本章第一次的「那日」，我們看到上帝對以色列子民的憐憫，寬恕和潔淨的恩典，祂將要開一個泉源、洗除他們的罪惡與污穢。其實主耶穌豈不是在十架上獻上自己作為永恆的贖罪祭嗎？ 主耶穌豈不是也將活水泉源供應給我們嗎？只要我們祈求，我們的乾渴就就會得到滿足。

約翰福音 4:10 節耶穌對著在井旁邊的撒瑪利亞婦人說：「你若知道 神的恩賜、和對你說給我水喝的是誰、你必早求他、他也必早給了你活水」。

詩篇84:6 節說：「他們經過流淚谷、叫這谷變為泉源之地．並有秋雨之福、蓋滿了全谷。」

箴言14:27 節說：「敬畏耶和華、就是生命的泉源、可以使人離開死亡的網羅。」

弟兄姊妹們，主耶穌與婦人在撒瑪利亞井旁的對話、是好一個活水泉源的畫像，描繪了上帝豐盛的恩典能夠滿足人心深處的乾渴，也就是上帝對人的寬恕。主耶穌「活水」的泉源，完全可以滿足我們的乾渴。我們可以捫心自個問題：「我的屬靈生命乾涸嗎？我的情感枯竭嗎？我的精神萎靡嗎？ 讓我們到主基督那裏求他將那早已預備好的泉源「活水」，洗滌我們的不義和不潔正如祂的應許，我們的乾渴就必會得到滿足。阿們！

Translation:

In Chapter 13 of Zechariah, Jehovah mentions something to be done on "that day” three times. The first "that day" in v.1 relates to His people’s pain and sorrow as described earlier in Chapter 12 of Zechariah. God declares: “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” The second "that day" (vv.2-3) is about the removal of idolaters and false prophets. The third "that day" points out that the false prophets were consciously ashamed for deceiving everyone, and they would deny being prophets for fear of retribution. At that time, idol worshipers often would self-mutilate and hurt their own bodies. To please the idols and false gods, they would stab themselves with knives or other sharp tools. To conceal the true reasons for the scars left on their bodies, they would say that they were the result of disputes with relatives and friends.

Now let us return to the first "that day" in this chapter. We see God's mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing grace for the people of Israel. He will open a fountain to wash away their sin and filth. In fact, didn't our Lord Jesus sacrifice Himself on the cross as an eternal offering for our sins? Didn’t our Lord Jesus also supply us with a spring of living water? As long as we continue to pray for His saving grace, we shall thirst no more.

In John 4:10, Jesus says to the Samaritan woman by the well, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Psalms 84:6 says, “As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”

Proverbs 14:27 says, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death."

Brothers and sisters, the dialogue between our Lord Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well tells us about a fountain of living water that can quench the deep thirst in people’s hearts. It also represents God’s abundant grace of forgiveness to His people. Truly, the Lord Jesus’ fountain of the "living water" can satisfy our thirst. We can ask ourselves these questions: Is my spiritual life dried up? Am I emotionally exhausted? Is my spirit sluggish? If any of these are true, let’s go to our Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to cleanse us with “living water” of which He is the source. As He washes away our sin and impurity, our thirst will be satisfied as He has promised. Amen!