祂愿意万人得救，明白真道。——提摩太前书2:4
God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
欢迎加入在多伦多神的家，与神的子民一同得着救恩，明白真道。
Welcome to join God’s family in Toronto, to receive salvation and pursue the truth together with God’s people.
第一章 神的计划和神的安息
Chapter One God's Plan and God's Rest
【01 神创造人，是要人掌权】
神为什么创造人？神创造人有什么目的？
这个问题的答案，在创世记一章二十六、二十七节，神已经告诉我们了。这两节圣经是非常重要的。从这两节圣经里面，我们可以看出，神创造人，的的确确是一个特别的创造。在造人以先，“神说，我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜、和全地、并地上所爬的一切昆虫。”这是神创造人的计划。“我们要…，”说出了神所要的人是怎样的一个人，换句话说，这是神造人的“打样”。到二十七节，神就按照祂的计划去造人——“神就照着自己的形像造人，乃是照着祂的形像造男造女。”接下去看二十八节：“神就赐福给他们；又对他们说，要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地；也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、和地上各样行动的活物。”
在这里，我们就看见：神要得着一个人，神要得着一个掌权的人，神要得着一个在这地上掌权的人。这个是神所满意的。
神创造人并没有预定人要堕落。人的堕落是创世记三章里面的事，不是创世记一章里面的事；神在祂创造人的计划中，并没有预定人要犯罪。连救赎也不是神所预定的。不是说救赎不要紧，乃是说救赎并非神所预定的。如果救赎是神所预定的，那么人就非犯罪不可了。可是神并没有这样预定。在神创造人的计划中，神乃是定规人要掌权。这是神在创世记一章二十六节里所给我们的一个启示。神在这里将祂自己的心意打开给我们看，祂把祂计划中的秘密告诉了我们：“我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜、和全地、并地上所爬的一切昆虫。”这是神创造人的目的。
也许有人要问：神为什么有这目的呢？这是因为在神没有创造人之先，有一个光明的天使已经背叛变成魔鬼了，撒但已经犯罪了，已经堕落了，已经从明亮之星变作神的仇敌了。（赛十四12～15。）神就是要把祂管理的权柄夺回来。神要把权柄从撒但的手里夺过来，放到人的手里去。神所以创造人，就是要人掌权，不要撒但掌权。由此可见神创造人的恩典是多么大！
所以，根据创世记一章二十六节：“我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理…全地…”神造人不是偶然的，乃是照着一个明确的计划。“形像”和“样式”是为着彰显神，“管理”“全地”是为着代表神掌权。由此我们知道，神所要得着的，是一个有祂的形像和样式，并能够代表祂在地上掌权的人。这就是神创造人的目的。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-01）
【02 神的目的，是要得着众子】
神造人是怎样造的呢？是照着祂自己的形像造的，意思就是神要人像祂自己。这就明显的给我们看见，人在神的创造里面，有一个特殊的地位。在受造之物中，照着神的形像来造的，只有人。神心意中所要得着的人，是与其他受造之物完全不同的；神心意中所要得着的人，是照着神自己的形像来造的。
在这里我们要注意一件事。二十六节是说，“我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人，”二十七节是说，“乃是照着祂的形像造男造女；”二十六节的“我们”是多数，而二十七节的“祂”是单数。就文法来说，二十六节既然说，“我们要照着我们的形像…造人，”那么，二十七节就应该说，“乃是照着祂们的形像造男造女。”但是希奇，二十七节是说，“乃是照着祂的形像造男造女。”这怎么说呢？这是因为在神格中有父、子、灵三位，而其中只有一位是有形像的，就是子；所以神在神格中设计如何造人的时候，是说照“我们”的形像造人，而去造人的时候，却说照“祂”的形像造人。“祂”，是指着子说的。可见亚当是照着主耶稣的形像造的。不是先有亚当，然后才有主耶稣，乃是先有主耶稣，然后才有亚当。当神创造亚当的时候，是照着主耶稣的形像造的，所以说照着“祂”的形像，而不说照着“祂们”的形像。
神的目的，就是要得着一班人是像祂儿子一样的。我们读罗马八章二十九节：“因为祂预先所知道的人，就预先定下效法祂儿子的模样，使祂儿子在许多弟兄中作长子。”这是神的目的。神要有许多儿子，神要这许多儿子都像祂那一个儿子。这样，祂儿子就不再是独生子，而是在许多弟兄中作长子了。神的目的就是要得着这样的一班人。我们看见了这一个，我们就应当知道人的宝贵，每一次提到人的时候就应当快乐。神是何等看重人，连祂自己都来作人！神的计划是要得着人。神得着了人，神的计划就成功了。
所以，神的目的是要得着人，不但有祂的形像和样式，能够代表祂在地上掌权。而且，神要得着的人，是要成为神的许多儿子——也就是众子，像祂儿子耶稣一样，在地上掌权。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-02）
【03 神要人掌权的范围——全地】
神不只要人掌权，并且要人在一个特别的区域里掌权，就是创世记一章二十六节所给我们看见的，“使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜、和全地。”“全地”，是人管理的范围。神不只要人管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜，并且要人管理“全地”。神所要人管理的范围就是地，人与地是有特别的关系的。神在祂创造人的计划中是注意地，神在把人造好以后，也明明的对他们说，祂要人管理地。二十七至二十八节：“神就照着自己的形像造人，乃是照着祂的形像造男造女。神就赐福给他们；又对他们说，要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地；…”神所着重的是“遍满地面”，“治理这地”，至于“也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、和地上各样行动的活物”，那是次要的。管理别的，是附属的工作，主要的问题是在乎地。
创世记一章二节按原文直译是“而地变成空虚混沌；渊面黑暗”。（在希伯来文，“地”字前面有一个连接词。中文可以译作“而”。）“起初神创造诸天和地，”什么难处都没有，什么问题都没有，但是后来发生了问题，“而地变成空虚混沌”了。“地是空虚混沌”的“是”，和创造十九章二十六节罗得的妻子变成一根盐柱的“变成”，是同样的字。罗得的妻子并非生下来就是盐柱，乃是后来才变成的；这里的地，也并非一造出来就是空虚混沌的，乃是后来才变成空虚混沌的。神创造了诸天和地，“而地变成空虚混沌，”可见问题不在诸天，而是在地。
我们再读创世记一章二十六节：“神说，我们要照着我们的形像，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜、和全地…，”好像说到这里话就要完了，可是又加上一句“并地上所爬的一切昆虫。”（“昆虫”照原文直译是“爬物”。）在这里，我们看见爬物是在一个很大的地位上，神把爬物摆在全地之后。要管理全地，就得注意爬物。神的仇敌寄附在爬物里。在创世记三章里有蛇，在路加十章里有蝎子，它们都是爬物。不只有蛇（代表撒但），并且有蝎子（代表犯罪的污秽的邪灵）。蛇的范围在地，蝎子的范围也在地。所有的问题都在这里——地。
在创世记里有两个辞是很有意思的。一个是一章二十八节的“治理”，也可以译作“征服”；一个是二章十五节的“看守”，也可以译作“守卫”。在这里我们能够看见神是派人征服地、守卫地。神的本意是要把地给人居住，而不是要地荒凉。（赛四五18。）神要人不许撒但侵犯地。但是问题就是因为有撒但在地上，撒但要在地上作破坏的工作，所以神要人把地从撒但的手下收回来。
所以地乃是问题的中心，神所争执的就是地。主耶稣所教给我们的祷告乃是说，“愿人都尊你的名为圣。愿你的国降临。愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。”（太六9～10。）照原文的意思，“在地上，如同在天上”这句话，是上面三句公用的，不是末了一句独用的。换句话说，原来的意思是：“愿人都尊你的名为圣，在地上如同在天上。愿你的国降临，在地上如同在天上。愿你的旨意通行，在地上如同在天上。”从这个祷告中，可见“天”没有出问题，问题是在乎“地”。
人堕落之后，神对蛇说，“你必用肚子行走，终身吃土。”（创三14。）意思就是：地是你的范围，你要在地上爬。撒但工作的范围，不是在天，乃是在地。神的国如果要来到，就必须从地把撒但赶走；神的旨意如果要通行，就必须通行在地上；神的名如果要被尊为圣，就必须在地上被尊为圣。所有的问题，都是在地上。
所以，神的目的是要人掌权，并且是在一个特殊的区域——“全地”掌权。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-03）
【04 我们的使命——不只是救人，更是对付撒但】
我们已经看过，神创造人的目的是要得着一班有祂的形像和样式，并能够代表祂在地上掌权的人。这班人要成为神的众子，像祂的儿子我们主耶稣一样。并且，神要人掌权，是在一个特殊的区域——“全地”掌权。下面我们要来看，神要我们掌权，不仅是管理“全地”，更是要对付神的仇敌——撒但。
在神没有创造人之先，有一个光明的天使已经背叛变成魔鬼了，撒但已经犯罪了，已经堕落了，已经从明亮之星变作神的仇敌了。（赛十四12～15。）
有人问说：神为什么不自己把撒但扔到无底坑里去，扔到火湖里去？我们的答复是神能够这样作，但是神自己不作。我们不知道祂为什么自己不作，我们却知道祂要怎么作。神要用人对付祂的仇敌。神为着要对付祂的仇敌，所以造人。神要受造者来对付受造者。神所要用的是受造的人。
所以我们要分别救人的工作和神的工作。许多时候，救人的工作不一定是神的工作。救人，是解决人的问题；而神的工作是要人掌权，是为着治理神自己所造的万物。在神的造物中，需要一个掌权者，神就是拣选人来作这一个掌权者。我们如果只是为着我们人的话，那我们所有的追求，就不过是盼望我这个人能够更爱主，我这个人能够更圣洁，我这个人能够更热心，我这个人能够救人的灵魂。这一切固然都好，但是，这一切太以人为中心了。这些都是顾念人得着好处，并没有顾念到神的工作，神的需要。
我们要看见神有祂的需要，我们在地上不只是为着人的需要，更是为着神的需要。我们感谢神，神将劝人与祂自己和好的职分赐给了我们。但是，另一面，我们就是把全世界的人都拯救来了，我们还有一个神的工作没有作，神的需要还没有满足。在这里还有一件事，叫作神的工作，神的需要。神在造人的时候，就说出了祂的需要是什么。神给我们看见祂的需要就是有人能够掌权，能够管理祂手下的造物。管理不是一件小事，乃是一件大事。神需要有可以托付而不出事情的人，这就是神的工作，这就是神所要得着的。
我们不轻看传福音的工作。但是，如果所有的工作都不过是传福音，救灵魂，就还没有使撒但受到致命的亏损；人如果没有从撒但的手下把地收回来，那就还没有达到神创造人的目的。救人常是为着人的好处，而对付撒但是为着神的好处。救人是为着解决人的需要，而对付撒但是为着满足神的需要。弟兄姊妹们，这是需要代价的！我们知道鬼会说话，鬼曾说，“耶稣我认识，保罗我也知道；你们却是谁呢？”（徒十九15。）问题就在这里：鬼碰着你，它逃不逃？固然，传福音需要代价，但是，对付撒但是更需要代价的。
这并不是一篇道理，这是需要实行的，代价是非常大的。如果神要人去推翻撒但所有的工作和权柄，我们就非得完全的、绝对的顺服主不可。我们作别的工作，为自己留下地位，关系还小，但是，对付鬼魔的工作，是一点没有法子为自己留下地位的。我们能留下自己读圣经，留下自己传福音，留下自己帮助教会，留下自己帮助弟兄，但是，对付撒但，就不能留下自己。你要留下自己，你就推他不动。愿意神开我们的眼睛，使我们看见，神的目的要我们绝对的为着祂。三心二意的人没有法子对付撒但。愿神对我们的心说话。
我们要求神开我们的眼睛，使我们能看见神所做的事，好改变我们的生活，改变我们的工作。我们所有的工作，如果光为着救人，那我们还是失败的，因为我们还不能满足神的心。愿意我们一面宣告神的爱，一面宣告神的权柄；一面看见人的罪、人的堕落，一面要运用属灵的权柄去推翻魔鬼的权柄。教会的使命一面是见证基督的救恩，另一面是见证基督的得胜；一面是使人得益处，另一面是使撒但受亏损。
所以，我们的使命，不只是救人，更是要对付撒但。我们要站在教会的地位上，来对付撒但，胜过仇敌，这才能真正满足神的心意，成就神造人的目的。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-04）
【05 神的目的永不改变】
神要得着一个在地上掌权的人，可是，人没有达到神这个目的，到创世记三章，堕落进来了，犯罪进来了，人在撒但的权下了，好像所有的事情都完了，撒但好像得胜了，神好像失败了。但是，除了创世记一章这一段圣经以外，还有两段圣经，就是诗篇八篇和希伯来二章，也是和这个问题有关的，都是说出神的目的永不改变。
诗篇八篇给我们看见，神的预定和神的计划从来没有改变过。人堕落之后，神对于人的旨意，神对于人的要求，仍然是那样，并没有改变。在创世记一章神创造人的时候，神对于人的旨意是怎样，等到人犯罪堕落了，神对于人的旨意还是怎样。诗篇八篇是在堕落之后写的。人已经堕落了，但是，写诗的人还能够在那里赞美，他的眼睛还是看创世记一章。圣灵没有忘记创世记一章，圣子也没有忘记创世记一章，神自己也没有忘记创世记一章。
诗篇八篇的第1节和第9节都说：“耶和华我们的主阿，你的名在全地何其美！”作诗的人就是这样赞美，至于人的堕落，好像连看都没有看见。亚当虽犯了罪，夏娃虽犯了罪，但是亚当和夏娃不能抵挡神的计划。人能够堕落，人能够犯罪，但是人不能推翻神的旨意。人堕落之后，神对于人的定规还是照旧，神还是要人掌权去推翻撒但的权柄。哦，神是永远不改变的！神的那一条路是一直走的，是从来没有改变的。我们要知道神是打不倒的。世界上有人受过打击，却没有一个人像神那样天天受打击，一直受打击，但是，神的旨意从来没有被打倒过。人堕落之前，神是怎样，人堕落之后，罪来到世界之还，神还是怎样。祂从前所定规的是怎样，今天还是怎样，祂没有改变。
创世记一章是说到神创造的时候所预定的旨意，诗篇八篇是说到人堕落之后神的旨意，希伯来二章是说到神在救赎里的旨意。现在我们来看希伯来二章，在救赎的得胜里，神还是要人得着权柄去对付撒但。
希伯来书二章10节：“…（神)要领许多的儿子进荣耀里去。”感谢神，神创造的目的并没有改变。在创造的时候，神的定规是怎样；在人堕落之后，神的定规还是怎样；在救赎里，神的定规也还是怎样。神没有因为人堕落的缘故而改变祂的计划。感谢神，祂还是“要领许多的儿子进荣耀里去，”祂要众子得着荣耀，祂要得着一班新的人是和祂儿子一样的。主耶稣作一个代表的人，祂这一个人怎样，其余的人也必定怎样，都要和祂一样的“到荣耀里去。”
我们是神的众子，结局就是被神领进荣耀里去。救赎没有更改神的目的，相反的，救赎正好达到了在创造里所没有达到的目的。神原是定规人应当掌权，人应当管理地，可惜人堕落了。但是，并不因为第一个人堕落了，就什么都了了。神在第一个人（亚当）身上所不能得着的，神要在第二个人（基督）身上得着。神定规要人掌权，要人将地收回来。神定规要受造者（人）来败坏受造者（撒但）。因此就有伯利恒的降生。主耶稣来作人，祂特地来作人，祂的的确确是一个人。
我们看见第一个人没有成功神的目的，第一个人已经堕落了，犯罪了。他不只没有把地收回来，并且已经给撒但掳去了；他不只不能掌权，并且已经落在撒但的权下了。创世记二章说人是用土造的，三章说蛇的食物是土，换句话说，人成了撒但的粮食。人没有办法去对付撒但，人已经完了。这怎么办呢？难道神永远的旨意就达不到了么？难道神就不能得着祂所要得着的么？难道神就不能收回地么？不。祂打发祂自己的儿子来作人。主耶稣的的确确是神，同时祂也的的确确是人。
在整个世界中，有一个人是要神的，有一个人能够说，“这世界的王…在我里面是毫无所有。（约十四30）”换句话说，在主耶稣里头是找不出一点是属乎这世界的王的。我们要注意，主耶稣来到地上，并不是作神，乃是作人。神所需要的是人。如果神要自己来对付撒但的话，快得很，只要一下子，撒但就站不住。但是，神自己不作，神要人去对付撒但，神要受造之物去对付受造之物。主耶稣来作人，祂所受的试探和人一样，祂所经历的和人一样。今天，这一个人已经升到天上去了，这一个人已经坐在神的右边了，这一个人已经得着荣耀了。
主耶稣在复活的时候将祂的生命分给我们。我们相信祂，就得着祂的生命。我们都作神的儿子，我们都是属乎神的人。因为我们有这一个生命在里面，我们这一班人就能够受神的托付来达到神的目的。所以说要带领众子进荣耀里去。掌权就是荣耀，荣耀就是掌权。众子被领进荣耀里，就是因为有权柄，就是因为众子把地挽回过来了。
所以，我们千万不要以为神所有的目的，不过是要救我们不下地狱，进入天堂享福而已。我们要记得，神是要人继续祂的儿子掌权，要人在地上掌权。虽然有撒但的破坏，有人的堕落，但神的目的永不改变。
神要成就一件事情，但神自己不做，要我们做。我们做了，神就得着。神的目的永不改变，神一定要得着一班人，在地上做神的工作，让神借着人在地上掌权。这是神的目的，是神永不改变的目的。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-05 ）
【06 救赎与创造的关系】
我们已经看过，神创造人的目的是要得着一班有祂的形像和样式，并能够代表祂在地上掌权的人。这班人要成为神的众子，像祂的儿子我们主耶稣一样。并且，神要人掌权，是在一个特殊的区域——“全地”掌权。不仅是管理“全地”，更是要对付神的仇敌——撒但。我们也看过，神的目的是永不改变的，虽然有堕落的情形出现，神的计划好像被打岔，但是神还是有救赎。
我们要注意救赎与创造的关系。我们千万不要以为全部圣经除了救赎之外，就什么都没有了。我们感谢神，在救赎之外还有创造。神的心意是在神的创造中表明出来的。神的目的、神的计划、神预定的旨意，都是在神的创造中表明出来的。创造表明了神永远的旨意，创造表明了神到底要什么东西。
救赎的地位不能比创造更高。什么叫作救赎？救赎就是恢复神在创造中所没有得着的。救赎没有把新的东西给我们，救赎就是把已经有的给我们。神借救赎达到创造的目的。救赎是挽回的、是恢复的；创造是立志的、是定意的。救赎不过是后一步，叫神创造的目的达到就是。但愿神的儿女不轻看创造，但愿神的儿女不以为救赎是所有的事。救赎是与我们发生关系的，救赎使我们得救，使我们得永生，使我们得好处。
而创造是与神发生关系的，是与神的工作发生关系的。我们和救赎的关系是人的利益的问题，我们和创造的关系是神的利益的问题。愿意神在地上行一件新的事情，使人不只注意福音，并且能注意神的工作，神的事情，神永远的计划。我们不作基督徒则已，如果要作基督徒，一面既得着救赎的好处，另一面还要达到神创造的目的。如果没有得着救赎，就永远不能和神发生关系；如果得着了救赎，就还得奉献给神，要达到神当初创造人的目的。
如果我们所注意的只是福音，这不过是一半的事。神所要的还有一半，就是要人为着神掌权，要人掌权在这个地上，不让撒但再存留在地上。这一半，教会也得有。希伯来二章给我们看见，救赎不光是为人的罪得赦免，不光是人得救的问题，救赎乃是要挽回人到当初创造的目的里去。
救赎好像两个山峰中间的谷。这边下去，那边上来，救赎就在那山谷中顶低的地方。救赎就是不让人再堕落下去，救赎就是要把人提高起来。一方面神的旨意是永远的、一直的，连波动一下都不会，创造的目的必定要达到；但是另一方面有一件事情发生，就是人堕落了，人离开神，人和神永远的旨意距离越来越远了。神的旨意从永世到永世是一条线。但是人堕落了下来，就没有法子再跟上去。感谢神，在这里有一个救法，叫作救赎。救赎来了，就不让人再往下走。有了救赎之后，人就改变了，人往上去了。人一直往上去，有一天人又要摸着那一条线，摸着的时候，就是国度到了。
感谢神，我们有救赎。若没有救赎，我们越过越低，越过越下去，越过越受撒但的压制，没有方法起来。感谢神，有救赎使我们回头，使我们回到神永远的旨意里去。神在创造里所没有得着的，在人的堕落里所失去的，在救赎里挽回了。
求神开我们的眼睛，使我们能看见神所作的事，好改变我们的生活，改变我们的工作。我们所有的工作，如果光为着救人，那我们还是失败的，因为我们还不能满足神的心。救赎和创造都是为着得荣耀，都是为着要把魔鬼所有的势力推翻。
所以我们要清楚认识救赎与创造的关系。创造是表明神的目的，救赎是恢复神的目的。赞美神，祂的目的永不改变，祂的目的必定要达到。救赎就是为着把人挽回，回到神创造的目的里去。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-06 ）
【07 神的安息】
在神六日的创造工作中，创造人的工作是特别的。在这六日之中，神所有的工作，都是为着人的创造。神的目的是创造人。为着要创造人的缘故，神就必须修造已经败坏的地天。（创二4照原文直译：“创造天地的来历，在耶和华神造作地天的日子，乃是这样。”这里的“创造天地”，是指起初的创造说的，因为当初是先造天后造地；而“造作地天”是指修造恢复说的，因为在修造的时候是先地后天。）神把这个败坏的地天修造好了之后，才创造祂所要造的人。六日以后，就是第七日，到了这一日，神就歇了祂一切的工，安息了。
安息是在工作之后。先是工作，后是安息。并且需要工作完成了，工作做得满意了，才有安息。工作如果做得不完备，不如意，不称心，就不能安息。必须做得完备了，做得如意了，然后才有安息。所以我们不要以为神在那六日创造之后的安息是一件小事情。神有安息，是一件大事情。必须有一件东西被祂得着了，祂才能安息。要这一位创造的神安息下来，那一个力量，不知要有多大。要这一位有计划，充满了生命的神得着安息，就需要有一个最大的力量。
创世记二章给我们看见神在第七日安息了。神为什么能安息？在创世记一章末了给我们看见，这是因为“神看着一切所造的都甚好”。（31。）
神在第七日安息了。在第七日以前，神有工作；在神工作之前，神有一个目的。罗马十一章说到主的心，主的判断，主的踪迹。以弗所一章说到神有祂旨意的奥祕，有祂的美意，有祂的预定。以弗所三章也说到祂有祂预定的旨意。所以神不只是一位工作的神，祂并且是一位有旨意的神，是一位有计划的神。因为祂喜欢作，所以祂去作；因为祂心里要作，所以祂去作。祂作得满意了，所以祂安息了。
我们若要认识神的心意，神的计划，神的美意，神所预定的旨意，我们只要看见神所安息的，就能知道。我们看见神在某一件事上安息了，我们就知道神当初就是要这一件东西。人不能安息在他不满意的事情上。人必须得着了他所要得着的，他才有安息。
我们不要轻看这安息，安息的意义很大。神在前六日都没有安息，到第七日才安息了。这安息所启示的，是神做了一件称心的事，神做了一件欢喜快乐的事，所以神安息了。
（未完待续 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-07 ）
【08 神的安息——人的掌权】
创世记二章给我们看见神在第七日安息了。神能安息是因为“神看着一切所造的都甚好”（31）。
要注意这里的“看着”。什么叫作“看着”呢？比如我们买一件东西回来，很称心的一直翻它，看它，这就叫“看着”。神不是“看”一切所造的都甚好，神乃是“看着”一切所造的都甚好。要注意祂在那里“看着”。换句话说，“安息了”是宣告神的称心，是宣告神的喜悦，是宣告神已经达到了祂的目的，是宣告神的美意已经成全到不能再成全了，神的工作已经完全了。
所以神对以色列人说，要世世代代守安息日。意思就是说，有一件东西是神所盼望的，是神所要求的，神现在已经得着了，所以安息了。安息日的意思不是要人少买几件东西，少走几里路；安息日的意思乃是说，神有一个心意，神有一个要求，必须作到那个地步才能达到神的心意，才能满足神的要求，现在神得着了，所以神安息了。安息并不是那日子的问题，安息乃是说神完成了祂的计划，神达到了祂的目的，神就能心满意足。神是一位需要满足的神，神也是一位能得到满足的神。神得着了祂所要得着的，祂就安息了。
那么，神是安息在什么上面呢？神到底因着什么而心满意足呢？在六天的创造之中，有了光，有了空气，有了青草、菜蔬、树木，有了日月星辰，有了鱼和飞鸟，有了牲畜、昆虫、野兽，神还没有安息；末了，有了人，神才歇了祂一切的工，安息了。在人以前的创造，都不过是神的预备。神所有的盼望都在人身上。神得着了人，就满意了，就安息了。
我们再读创世记一章二十七至二十八节：“神就照着自己的形像造人，乃是照着祂的形像造男造女。神就赐福给他们；又对他们说，要生养众多，遍满地面，治理这地；也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、和地上各样行动的活物。”底下一章三十一节至二章三节就说，“神看着一切所造的都甚好；…神赐福给第七日，定为圣日，因为在这日神歇了祂一切创造的工，就安息了。”神有一个目的，这一个目的就是要得着人，要得着一个掌权的人，要得着一个掌权的人来管理这个地。这件事，能够使神的心满足。这件事让神得着了，就什么都好了。第六天达到了神的目的，“神看着一切所造的都甚好，”所以神“就在第七日歇了祂一切的工，安息了！”（二2。）
神的定规，神的盼望都已经达到了，所以神能够歇下来，安息下来。神的安息，是安息在人的掌权上。
（分享完毕 * 摘自《荣耀的教会》第一章 神的计划和神的安息 * 08-08）
【01 GOD CREATED MAN TO RULE】
Why did God create man? What was His purpose in creating man?
God has given us the answer to these questions in Genesis 1:26 and 27. These two verses are of great significance. They reveal to us that God’s creation of man was indeed an exceedingly special one. Before God created man, He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This was God’s plan in creating man. “God said, Let us...” This speaks of the kind of man God wanted. In other words, God was designing a “model” for the man He was to create. Verse 27 reveals God’s creation of man: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Verse 28 says, “God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
From these verses we see the man that God desired. God desired a ruling man, a man who would rule upon this earth; then He would be satisfied.
When God created man, He did not predestine man to fall. Man’s fall is in chapter three of Genesis, not chapter one. In God’s plan to create man, He did not predestine man to sin, neither did He foreordain redemption. We are not minimizing the importance of redemption, but only saying that redemption was not foreordained by God. If it were, then man would have to sin. God did not foreordain this. In God’s plan to create man, man was ordained to rule. This is revealed to us in Genesis 1:26. Here God unveils to us His desire and tells us the secret of His plan. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This is God’s purpose in creating man.
Perhaps some may ask why God has such a purpose. It is because an angel of light rebelled against God before man’s creation and became the devil: Satan sinned and fell; the Daystar became the enemy of God (Isa. 14:12-15). God, therefore, withdrew His authority from the enemy and put it, instead, into the hand of man. The reason God created man is that man may rule in the place of Satan. What abounding grace we see in God’s creation of man!
Therefore, according to Genesis 1:26, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion... and over all the earth... " God's creation of man was not accidental, but according to a clear plan. "Image" and "likeness" are for the manifestation of God, and "have dominion" over "all the earth" is for representing God to exercise authority. From this, we know that what God desires to obtain is a man who possesses His image and likeness, and who can represent Him to exercise authority on earth. This is the very purpose of God’s creation of man.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-01)
【02 GOD’S PURPOSE IS TO OBTAIN MANY SONS 】
How did God create man? He created man in His own image. God wanted a man like Himself. It is very evident then that man’s position in God’s creation is entirely unique, for among all of God’s creatures man alone was created in God’s image. The man that God’s heart was set upon was completely different from all other created beings; he was a man in His own image.
We notice here something quite remarkable. Verse 26 says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...”; but verse 27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” In verse 26 the pronoun “our” is plural, but in verse 27 “his” is singular. During the conference of the Godhead, verse 26 says, “Let us make man in our image”; therefore, according to grammar, verse 27 should say, “So God created man in their own image.” But strangely, verse 27 says, “So God created man in his own image.” How can we explain this? It is because there are three in the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, yet only one has the image in the Godhead—the Son. When the Godhead was designing man’s creation, the Bible indicates that man would be made in “our” image (since They are one, “our image” was mentioned); but when the Godhead was in the actual process of making man, the Bible says that man was made in “his” image. “His” denotes the Son. From this we ascertain that Adam was made in the image of the Lord Jesus. Adam did not precede the Lord Jesus; the Lord Jesus preceded him. When God created Adam, He created him in the image of the Lord Jesus. It is for this reason it says “in his image” rather than “in their image.”
God’s purpose is to gain a group of people who are like His Son. When we read Romans 8:29 we find God’s purpose: “Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers.” God desires to have many sons, and God desires all these sons to be like that one Son of His. Then His Son will no more be the only Begotten, but the Firstborn among many brethren. God’s desire is to gain such a group of people. If we see this, we will realize the preciousness of man, and we will rejoice whenever man is mentioned. How God values man! Even He Himself became a man! God’s plan is to gain man. When man is gained by God, God’s plan is accomplished.
Therefore, God's purpose is to gain people who not only have His image and likeness to represent Him to rule on earth, but moreover, will become His many sons, to rule on earth just like His Son Jesus.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-02)
【03 GOD MARKS OUT A SPECIFIC AREA FOR MAN TO RULE - ALL THE EARTH】
Not only does God desire that man should rule, but He marks out a specific area for man to rule. We see this in Genesis 1:26: “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth...” “All the earth” is the domain of man’s rule. Not only did God give man dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, and the cattle, but He further required that man should rule over “all the earth.” The area where God desired man to rule is the earth. Man is especially related to the earth. Not only in His plan to create man was God’s attention focused upon the earth, but after God made man, He clearly told him that he was to rule over the earth. Verses 27 and 28 say, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it...” What God emphasized here is that man should “replenish the earth” and “subdue it”; it is of secondary importance that man should have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every living thing on the earth. Man’s dominion over these other things is an accessory; the main subject is the earth.
The direct translation of Genesis 1:2 is: “And the earth became [not “was”] waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” In Hebrew, preceding “the earth” there is the conjunction “and.” “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”; there were no difficulties, no problems, but then something happened: “and the earth became waste and void.” The word “was” in Genesis 1:2 (“And the earth was waste and void”) and the word “became” in Genesis 19:26, where Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt, are the same. Lot’s wife was not born a pillar of salt; she became a pillar of salt. The earth was not waste and void at the creation, but later became waste and void. God created the heavens and the earth, but “the earth became waste and void.” This reveals that the problem is not with the heavens but with the earth.
Let us read Genesis 1:26 again: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth...” It seems that the sentence is finished here, but another phrase is added: “...and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Here we see that the creeping things occupy a very great position, for God spoke of it after He finished mentioning “all the earth.” The implication is that in order for man to have dominion over all the earth, the creeping things must not be overlooked, for God’s enemy is embodied in the creeping things. The serpent in Genesis 3 and the scorpions in Luke 10 are creeping things. Not only is there the serpent, representing Satan, but also scorpions, representing the sinful and unclean evil spirits. The domain of both the serpent and the scorpion is this earth. The problem is on the earth.
Two words in Genesis are very meaningful. One is “subdue” in Genesis 1:28, which can also be translated “conquer.” The other is “keep” in Genesis 2:15, which can also be translated “guard.” We see from these verses that God ordained man to conquer and guard the earth. God’s original intention was to give the earth to man as a place to dwell. It was not His intention that the earth would become desolate (Isa. 45:18). God desired, through man, to not allow Satan to intrude upon the earth, but the problem was that Satan was on earth and intended to do a work of destruction upon it. Therefore, God wanted man to restore the earth from Satan’s hand.
We see then that the earth is the center of all problems. God contends for the earth. The Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Your name be sanctified; Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth” (Matt. 6:9-10). According to the meaning of the original language, the phrase “as in heaven, so also on earth” is common to all three clauses, not only to the last clause. In other words, the original meaning is: “Your name be sanctified, as in heaven, so also on earth. Your kingdom come, as in heaven, so also on earth. Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.” This prayer reveals that there is no problem with “heaven”; the problem is with the “earth.”
After the fall of man, God spoke to the serpent, “Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life” (Gen. 3:14). This meant that the earth would be the serpent’s sphere, the place upon which he would creep. The realm of Satan’s work is not heaven, but earth. If the kingdom of God is to come, then Satan must be cast out. If God’s will is to be done, it must be done on earth. If God’s name is to be sanctified, it must be sanctified on earth. All the problems are on the earth.
Therefore, God's purpose is that man should rule, and He marks out a specific area - "all the earth" - for man to rule.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-03)
【04 OUR MISSION: NOT ONLY TO SAVE SOULS, BUT EVEN MORE TO DEAL WITH SATAN】
We have seen that God's purpose in creating man is to obtain a group of people who have His image and likeness and can represent Him to rule on earth. This group of people is to become God’s many sons, just like His Son, our Lord Jesus. Furthermore, God wants man to rule in a special area - "all the earth". Next, we will see that God wants us to rule, not only to manage "all the earth," but even more, to deal with God's enemy - Satan.
An angel of light rebelled against God before man’s creation and became the devil: Satan sinned and fell; the Daystar became the enemy of God (Isa. 14:12-15).
Some may ask: Why doesn’t God Himself cast Satan into the bottomless pit or the lake of fire? Our answer is: God can do it, but He does not want to do it Himself. We do not know why He will not do it Himself, but we do know how He is going to do it. God wants to use man to deal with His enemy, and He created man for this purpose. God wants the creature to deal with the creature. He wants His creature man to deal with His fallen creature Satan in order to bring the earth back to God. The man whom He created is being used by Him for this purpose.
Therefore, we must distinguish the difference between the work of saving souls and the work of God. Many times the work of saving souls is not necessarily the work of God. Saving souls solves the problem of man, but the work of God requires that man exercise authority to have dominion over all things created by Him. God needs an authority in His creation, and He has chosen man to be that authority. If we were here just for ourselves as mere men, then all our seeking and longing would be to love the Lord more and to be more holy, more zealous, and save more souls. All of these pursuits are good indeed, but they are too man-centered. These things are concerned simply with the benefit of man; God’s work and God’s need are entirely neglected.
We must see that God has His need. We are on this earth not merely for man’s need but even more for God’s need. Thank God that He has committed the ministry of reconciliation to us, but even if we have saved all the souls in the whole world, we have not yet accomplished God’s work or satisfied God’s requirement. Here is something called God’s work, God’s need. When God created man, He spoke of what He needed. He revealed His need to have man rule and reign over all His creation and proclaim His triumph. Ruling for God is not a small thing; it is a great matter. God needs men whom He can trust and who will not fail Him. This is God’s work, and this is what God desires to obtain.
We do not lightly esteem the work of gospel preaching, but if all our work is just preaching the gospel and saving souls, we are not causing Satan to suffer fatal loss. If man has not restored the earth from the hand of Satan, he has not yet achieved God’s purpose in creating him. Saving souls is often only for the welfare of man, but dealing with Satan is for the benefit of God. Saving souls solves man’s need, but dealing with Satan satisfies God’s need. Brothers and sisters, this requires us to pay a price. We know how the demons can speak. A demon once said, “Jesus I know of, and with Paul I am acquainted; but who are you?” (Acts 19:15). When a demon meets us, will he flee or not? Preaching the gospel demands that we pay a price, but a much greater price must be paid to deal with Satan.
This is not a matter of a message or a teaching. This requires our practice, and the price is extremely great. If we are to be men whom God will use to overthrow all of Satan’s work and authority, we must obey the Lord completely and absolutely! In doing other work it matters less if we preserve ourselves a little, but when dealing with Satan, we cannot leave one bit of ground for ourselves. We may hold on to something of ourselves in our study of the Scriptures, in preaching the gospel, in helping the church or the brothers, but when we are dealing with Satan, self must be utterly abandoned. Satan will never be moved by us if self is preserved. May God open our eyes to see that His purpose demands that we be wholly and absolutely for Him. A double-minded person can never deal with Satan. May God speak this word to our hearts.
We must ask God to open our eyes to see what He has done so that our living and work may have a real turn. If all our work is just to save others, we are still a failure, and we cannot satisfy God’s heart. Let us proclaim the love of God and the authority of God as we see the sin and the fall of man. But at the same time, we must exercise spiritual authority to overthrow the devil’s power. The commission of the church is twofold: to testify the salvation of Christ and to testify the triumph of Christ. On the one hand, the church is to bring benefit to man, and on the other hand, it is to cause Satan to suffer loss.
Therefore, our mission is not just to save souls, but even more, to deal with Satan. We must stand on the ground of the church to deal with Satan and overcome the enemy. Only in this way can we truly satisfy God's desire and fulfill His purpose in creating man.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-04)
【05 THE UNCHANGEABLE PURPOSE OF GOD】
God wanted to have man to rule for Him on this earth, but man did not attain to God’s purpose. In Genesis 3 the fall took place and sin entered; man came under the power of Satan, and everything seemed to come to an end. Satan was seemingly victorious and God was seemingly defeated. In addition to the passage in Genesis 1, there are two more passages in the Scriptures which are related to this problem. They are Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2, both affirming that God’s purpose will never change.
Psalm 8 shows that God’s purpose and plan have never changed. After the fall, God’s will and requirement for man remained the same without any alteration. His will in Genesis 1, when He created man, still holds good, even though man has sinned
and fallen. Even though Psalm 8 was written after man’s fall, the psalmist was able to praise; his eyes were still set upon Genesis 1. The Holy Spirit did not forget Genesis 1, the Son did not forget Genesis 1, nor did God Himself forget Genesis 1.
Both Psalm 8:1 and 8:9 state, “O Jehovah our Lord, How excellent is Your name In all the earth!” He continues to praise, as though he were not even aware of man’s fall. Though Adam had sinned and Eve had also sinned, they could never withstand God’s plan. Man can fall and man can sin, but man cannot overthrow the will of God. Even after man fell, God’s will toward man remained the same. God still requires man to overthrow the power of Satan. Oh, what an unchangeable God He is! His way is unswerving and utterly straightforward. We must realize that God can never be overthrown. In this world there are some who receive many hard blows, but no one has been attacked daily and received continual blasts like God. Yet His will has never been overthrown. What God was before man’s fall, He is after man’s fall and after sin entered into the world. The decision He affirmed aforetime is still His decision today. He has never changed.
Genesis 1 speaks of the will of God at creation, Psalm 8 speaks of God’s will after man’s fall, and Hebrews 2 speaks of God’s will in redemption. Let us look at Hebrews 2. We will see that in the victory of redemption God still desires man to obtain authority and deal with Satan.
Hebrews 2:10 speaks of God “leading many sons into glory.” Praise God, He has not changed His purpose in creation! What God ordained at creation He continued to ordain after man’s fall. In redemption His purpose remains the same. God did not change His purpose because of man’s fall. Praise God, He is “bringing many sons into glory”! He is glorifying many sons. God purposed to gain a group of new men who have the likeness and the image of His Son. Since the Lord Jesus is the representative man, the rest will be like whatever He is, and they will enter with Him “into glory”.
We are God’s many sons, which will ultimately result in God bringing us into glory.
Redemption did not change God’s purpose; on the contrary, it fulfilled the purpose that was not accomplished in creation. God’s original purpose was that man should rule, especially over the earth, but man regrettably failed. Yet all things did not come to an end because of the first man’s fall. What God did not obtain from the first man, Adam, He will obtain from the second man, Christ. There was the eventful birth in Bethlehem because God ordained man to rule and restore the earth and because God determined that the creature man should destroy the creature Satan. This is why the Lord Jesus came to become a man. He did it purposely, and He became a true man.
The first man did not accomplish God’s purpose; rather, he sinned and fell. He not only failed to restore the earth, but he was captured by Satan. He not only failed to rule, but he was brought into subjection to Satan’s power. Genesis 2 says that man was made of dust, and Genesis 3 points out that dust was the food of the serpent. This means that fallen man became the food of Satan. Man could no longer deal with Satan; he was finished. What could be done?Did this mean that God could never achieve His eternal purpose, that He could no longer obtain what He was after? Did it mean that God could never restore the earth? No! He sent His Son to become a man. The Lord Jesus is truly God, but He is also truly man.
In the whole world there is at least one man who chooses God, a person who can say, “The ruler of the world is coming, and in Me he has nothing” (John 14:30). In other words, in the Lord Jesus there is not a trace of the prince of this world. We must note carefully that the Lord Jesus came to this world not to be God but to be man. God required a man. If God Himself dealt with Satan, it would be very easy; Satan would fall in a moment. But God would not do it Himself. He wanted man to deal with Satan; He intended that the creature would deal with the creature. When the Lord Jesus became a man, He suffered temptation as a man and passed through all the experiences of man. This man conquered; this man was victorious. He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus has been “crowned with glory and honor” Heb. 2:9). He has been glorified.
When the Lord Jesus was resurrected, He imparted His life into us. When we believe in Him, we receive His life. We all become God’s sons, and as such, we all belong to God. Because we have this life within us, as men we can be entrusted by God to fulfill His purpose. Therefore, it says that He will bring many sons into glory. To rule is to be glorified, and to be glorified is to rule. When the many sons have obtained authority and restored the earth, then they will be brought triumphantly into glory.
We should never presume that God’s purpose is merely to save us from hell that we may enjoy the blessings of heaven. We must remember that God intends for man to follow His Son in the exercise of His authority on the earth. Despite Satan’s sabotage and man’s fall, God’s purpose never wavers.
God wants to accomplish something, but He will not do it Himself; He wants us to do it. When we have done it, then God will have attained His purpose. God’s purpose will never change; He is determined to gain a group of men who will do His work here on this earth, thereby ruling the earth through man. This is His purpose, the unchangeable purpose of God.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-05)
【06 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REDEMPTION AND CREATION】
We have seen that God's purpose in creating man is to obtain a group of people who have His image and likeness and can represent Him to rule on earth. This group of people is to become God’s many sons, just like His Son, our Lord Jesus. Furthermore, God wants man to rule in a specific domain - "all the earth." Man is not only to manage "all the earth," but even more crucially, to deal with God's enemy - Satan. We have also seen that God's purpose never changes. Although the fall occurred and His plan seemed interrupted, God still provided redemption.
We need to note the relationship between redemption and creation. We should by no means consider that the Bible speaks of nothing but redemption. Thank God that in addition to redemption there is also creation. The desire of God’s heart is expressed in creation. God’s goal, God’s plan, and God’s predetermined will are all made known in His creation. Creation reveals God’s eternal purpose; it shows us what God is truly after.
The place of redemption cannot be higher than that of creation. What is redemption?
Redemption recovers what God did not obtain through creation. Redemption does not bring anything new to us; it only restores to us what is already ours. God through redemption achieves His purpose in creation. To redeem means to restore and recover; to create means to determine and initiate. Redemption is something afterward, so that God’s purpose in creation may be fulfilled. Oh, that the Lord’s children would not despise creation, thinking that redemption is everything. Redemption is related to us;
it benefits us by saving us and bringing us eternal life.
But creation is related to God and God’s work. Our relationship with redemption is for the benefit of man, while our relationship with creation is for the economy of God. May God do a new thing on this earth, so that man will not only stress the gospel but go beyond that to take care of God’s work, God’s affairs, and God’s plan. In fact, our preaching of the gospel should be with a view to bringing the earth back to God. We must show Christ’s triumph over the kingdom of Satan. If we are not Christians, that is something else. But once we have become Christians, we should not only receive the benefit of redemption but also achieve God’s purpose in creation. Without redemption we could never be related to God. But once we have been saved, we need to offer ourselves to God to attain the goal for which He first made man.
If we pay attention only to the gospel, that is only half of the matter. God requires the other half, that man may rule for Him upon the earth and not allow Satan to remain here any longer. This half is also required of the church. Hebrews 2 shows us that redemption is not only for the forgiveness of sins, that man may be saved, but also to restore man back to the purpose of creation.
Redemption is comparable to the valley between two peaks. As one descends from
one peak and proceeds to ascend the other, he encounters redemption at the lowest
part of the valley. To redeem simply means to prevent man from falling any further and to uplift him. On the one hand, God’s will is eternal and straightforward, without any dip, so that the purpose of creation may be achieved. On the other hand, something happened. Man has fallen, and man has departed from God. The distance between him and God’s eternal purpose has become farther and farther apart. God’s will from eternity to eternity is a straight line, but ever since his fall, man has not been able to attain to it. Thank God, there is a remedy called redemption. When redemption came, man did not need to go down anymore. After redemption man is changed and begins to ascend. As man continues to rise the day will come when he will again touch the one straight line. The day that line is reached is the day the kingdom will come.
We thank God that we have redemption. Apart from it we would plunge lower and
lower; we would be suppressed by Satan more and more until there would be no way to rise. Praise God, redemption has caused us to return to God’s eternal purpose. What God did not obtain in creation and what man lost in the fall are completely regained in redemption.
We must ask God to open our eyes to see what He has done so that our living and
work may have a real turn. If all our work is just to save others, we are still a failure,
and we cannot satisfy God’s heart. Both redemption and creation are for the obtaining
of glory and the overthrowing of all the power of the devil. Let us proclaim the love of God and the authority of God as we see the sin and the fall of man. But at the same time, we must exercise spiritual authority to overthrow the devil’s power.
Therefore, we need to clearly understand the relationship between redemption and creation. Creation reveals God's purpose, while redemption restores it. Praise God, His purpose never changes, and it will surely be accomplished. Redemption is for bringing people back, returning them to the purpose of their creation.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-06)
【07 GOD'S REST】
In all six days of God’s work of creation, His creation of man was distinct. All His work throughout the six days was for this. His real aim was to create man. In order to do this, God first had to repair the ruined earth and heaven. (Genesis 2:4 says, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” “The heavens and the earth” refer to the creation in the beginning, since at that time it was the heavens that were first formed and then the earth. But the second part, “in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,” refers to His repair and restoration work, since in this work the earth was cared for first and then the heaven.) After God restored the ruined earth and heaven, He created the man of His design. After the sixth day, there was the seventh day; on this day God rested from all His work.
Rest comes after work: work must be first, and then rest may follow. Moreover, work must be completed to entire satisfaction before there can be any rest. If the work has not been done completely and satisfactorily, there can never be any rest to the mind or heart. We should not, therefore, esteem lightly the fact that God rested after six days of creation. For God to rest is a great matter. It was necessary for Him to have gained a certain objective before He could rest. How great the power must be which moved such a Creator God to rest! To cause such a God, who plans so much and who is full of life, to enter into rest requires the greatest strength.
Genesis 2 shows us that God rested on the seventh day. How is it that God could rest? The end of Genesis 1 records that it was because “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (v. 31).
God rested on the seventh day. Before the seventh day, He had work to do, and prior to His work, He had a purpose. Romans 11 speaks of the mind of the Lord and His judgments and ways. Ephesians 1 speaks of the mystery of His will, His good pleasure, and His foreordained purpose. Ephesians 3 also speaks of His foreordained purpose. From these Scriptures we gather that God is not only a God who works, but a God who purposes and plans. When He delighted to work, He proceeded to work; He worked because He wished to work. When He found satisfaction with His work, He rested.
If we desire to know God’s will, His plan, His good pleasure, and His purpose, we have only to look at that which caused Him to rest. If we see that God rests in a certain thing, then we may know that is something He was originally after. Man too cannot rest in that which does not satisfy him; he must gain what he is after and then he will have rest.
We must not regard this rest lightly, for its meaning is very great. God did not rest in the first six days, but He rested in the seventh day. His rest revealsthat God accomplished His heart’s desire. He did something which made Him rejoice. Therefore, He could rest.
(To Be Continued * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-07)
【08 GOD'S REST - MAN’S RULE】
Genesis 2 shows us that God rested on the seventh day. God could rest because “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (v. 31).
We must note the word “behold” in Genesis 1:31. What is its meaning? When we have purchased a certain object with which we are particularly satisfied, we turn it around with pleasure and look it over well. This is what it means to behold. God did not just casually “look” upon all that He had made and see that it was good. Rather, He “beheld” everything which He had made and saw that it was very good. We need to take note that God was there at the creation “beholding” what He had made. The word “rested” is the declaration that God was satisfied, that God delighted in what He had done; it proclaims that God’s purpose was attained and His good pleasure was accomplished to the fullest. His work was perfected to such an extent that it could not have been made better.
For this reason God commanded the Israelites to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations. God was after something. God was seeking something to satisfy Himself, and He attained it; therefore, He rested. This is the meaning of the Sabbath. It is not that man should purchase fewer things or walk less miles. The Sabbath tells us that God had a heart’s desire, a requirement to satisfy Himself, and a work had to be done to fulfill His heart’s desire and demand. Since God has obtained what He was after, He is at rest. It is not a matter of a particular day. The Sabbath tells us that God has fulfilled His plan, attained His goal, and satisfied His heart. God is One who demands satisfaction, and He is also One who can be satisfied. After God has what He desires, He rests.
What then brought rest to God? What was it that gave Him such satisfaction? During the six days of creation there were light, air, grass, herbs, and trees; there were the sun, the moon, and the stars; there were fish, birds, cattle, creeping things, and beasts. But in all these God did not find rest. Finally there was man, and God rested from all His work. All of the creation before man was preparatory. All of God’s expectations were focused upon man. When God gained a man, He was satisfied and He rested.
Let us read Genesis 1:27-28 again: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Now read Genesis 1:31 with Genesis 2:3: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good....And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” God had a purpose, and this purpose was to gain man—man with authority to rule over the earth. Only the realization of this purpose could satisfy God’s heart. If this could be obtained, all would be well. On the sixth day God’s purpose was achieved. “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...and he rested on the seventh day from all his work.”
God’s purpose and expectation were attained; He could stop and rest. God’s rest was based upon man who would rule.
(The End * From THE GLORIOUS CHURCH By WATCHMAN NEE CHAPTER ONE - GOD’S PLAN AND GOD’S REST * 08-08)