Article #31 the series: You Are God’s Masterpiece: The Genesis Notes.
你是神的杰作:《创世记手记》系列第三十一篇
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When you have to make a decision in the middle of a big problem, how do you handle it? Jacob was in the middle what seemed to be two bad options: stay in a hostile environment with Uncle Labon or leave and return into a hostile environment where his brother wanted to kill him. How would you decide what to do?
当你必须要在一个头痛的问题上做决定时，会如何处理呢？雅各就好象陷在一个进退两难的处境之中：要么和舅舅拉班同住在敌对的环境中，要么离开，回到他哥哥想杀他的敌对环境中。你会决定怎么做?
Have you ever found yourself having to make a decision, but it seems both options will put you in a difficult situation? Jacob is facing this dilemma. He has to make a decision to stay with Uncle Laban or return home. But if he stays with Uncle Laban, he will have to face his cousins who are complaining and Laban’s bad attitude towards Jacob. Plus, if he stays with Laban, Jacob will continue to be cheated. But if he goes home, he will be forced to face his brother, Esau, who wants to kill him.
你是否经历过这样的处境——你必须做出一个决定，但好似每个抉择都会使你陷入困境？雅各正面临着进退两难的境地。他得做出决定，是继续跟舅舅拉班同住，还是返回家乡。可是，如果他继续跟舅舅拉班同住，他将不得不面对怨恨他的堂兄弟们，还有拉班对他的恶劣态度。并且，如果他继续跟拉班同住，他会继续被骗做工。如果他返回家乡，又要被迫面对想要杀死他的哥哥。
Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me. “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’ ” Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.” Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.”
Genesis 31:1-18 NIV
雅各听见拉班的儿子们有话说：“雅各把我们父亲所有的都夺了去，并藉着我们父亲的，得了这一切的荣耀（注：”荣耀“或作”财“）。”雅各见拉班的气色向他不如从前了。耶和华对雅各说：“你要回你祖你父之地，到你亲族那里去，我必与你同在。”雅各就打发人，叫拉结和利亚到田野羊群那里来，对她们说：“我看你们父亲的气色向我不如从前了，但我父亲的神向来与我同在。你们也知道，我尽了我的力量服侍你们的父亲。你们的父亲欺哄我，十次改了我的工价，然而神不容他害我。他若说：‘有点的归你作工作’，羊群所生的都有点；他若说：‘有纹的归你作工价’，羊群所生的都有纹。这样，神把你们父亲的牲畜夺来赐给我了。”羊配合的时候，我梦中举目一看，见跳母羊的公羊都是有纹的、有点的，有花斑的。神的使者在那梦中呼叫我说：“雅各！‘我说：’我在这里。‘他说：’你举目观看，跳母羊的公羊都是有纹的、有点的、有花斑的，凡拉班向你所做的，我都看见了。我是伯特利的神，你在那里用油浇过柱子，向我许过愿。现今你起来，离开这地，回你本地去吧！”拉结和利亚回答雅各说：“在我们父亲的家里还有我们可得的分吗？还有我们的产业吗？我们不是被他当作外人吗？因为他卖了我们，吞了我们的价值。神从我们父亲所夺出来的一切财物，那就是我们和我们孩子的。现今凡神所吩咐你的，你只管去行吧！”雅各起来，使他的儿子和妻子都骑上骆驼。又带着他在巴旦亚兰所得的一切牲畜和财物，往迦南地他父亲以撒那里去了。
创世记31:1-18
Have you ever had to make a hard decision like Jacob? How did you make the decision? How did God or other people help you decide what to do?
你是否曾经像雅各一样必须做出一个艰难的决定？你是如何做决定的呢？神或者他人是如何帮你决定该做些什么呢？
Jacob has to make a big decision about his future. How does he do it?
雅各不得不为了他的将来做一个重大决定，他是怎么做的？
Jacob looks around at the current situation; he is aware of Laban’s attitude
雅各环顾他当前所处的环境；他察觉出拉班的态度有变
- He waits
他安静等候 - God speaks to him and he follows immediately
神对他说话，他立即跟随 - The battle against sin
与罪争战
Once Jacob knows what to do from God. Does everything go smoothly? Does Laban throw Jacob a big good-bye party? No. We see as this family faces more and more pressure and arguing, their human sinful sides all start to show. Often in the pressure moments the sin in our hearts, we have carefully hidden, starts to be exposed.
雅各从神得知如何做之后，是否每件事都进展顺利呢？拉班为雅各准备了盛大的欢送会吗？没有。我们看到，随着这个家族面临越来越多的压力和争吵，他们人性中罪的一面都开始显现出来。我们心里那些小心翼翼掩盖起来的罪，往往在压力下开始暴露出来。
When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?” Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods. So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods. Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us. “I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.” Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed. It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.” Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
Genesis 31:19-55 NIV
当时拉班剪羊毛去了，拉结偷了她父亲家中的神像。雅各背着亚兰人拉班偷走了，并不告诉他，就带着所有的逃跑。他起身过大河，面向基列山行去。到第三日，有人告诉拉班：“雅各逃跑了。”拉班带领他的众弟兄去追赶，追了七日，在基列山就追上了。夜间，神到亚兰人拉班那里，在梦中对他说：“你要小心，不可与雅各说好说歹！”拉班追上雅各。雅各在山上支搭帐棚；拉班和他的众弟兄也在基列山上支搭帐棚。拉班对雅各说：“你做的是什么事呢？你背着我偷走了，又把我的女儿们带了去，如同用刀剑掳去的一般。你为什么暗暗地逃跑，偷着走，并不告诉我，叫我可以欢乐、唱歌、击鼓、弹琴地送你回去？又不容我与外孙和女儿亲嘴，你所行的真是愚昧！我手中原有能力害你，只是你父亲的神昨夜对我说：”你要小心！不可与雅各说好说歹！‘现在你虽然想你父家，不得不去，为什么又偷了我的神像呢？”雅各回答拉班说：“恐怕你把你的女儿从我夺去，所以我逃跑。至于你的神像，你在谁那里搜出来，就不容谁存活，当着我们的众弟兄你认一认，在我这里有什么东西是你的，就拿去。”原来雅各不知道拉结偷了那些神像。拉班进了雅各，利亚并两个使女的帐棚，都没有搜出来，就从利亚的帐棚出来，进了拉结的帐棚。拉结已经把神像藏在骆驼的驮篓里，便坐在上头。拉班摸遍了那帐棚，并没有摸着。拉结对她父亲说：“现在我身上不便，不能在你面前起来，求我主不要生气。”这样，拉班搜寻神像，竟没有搜出来。雅各就发怒斥责拉班说：“我有什么过犯，有什么罪恶，你竟这样火速地追我？你摸遍了我一切的家具，你搜出什么来呢？可以放在你我弟兄面前，叫他们在你我中间辨别辨别。”我在你家这二十年，你的母绵羊、母山羊没有掉过胎。你群中的公羊，我没有吃过；被野兽撕裂的，我没有带来给你，是我自己赔上。无论是白日，是黑夜，被偷去的，你都向我索要。我白日受尽干热，黑夜受尽寒霜，不得合眼睡着，我常是这样。我这二十年在你家里，为你的两个女儿服侍你十四年，为你的羊群服侍你六年，你又十次改了我的工价。若不是我父亲以撒所敬畏的神，就是亚伯拉罕的神与我同在，你如今必定打发我空手而去。神看见我的苦情和我的劳碌，就在昨夜责备你。”拉班回答雅各说：“这女儿是我的女儿，这些孩子是我的孩子，这些羊群也是我的羊群；凡在你眼前的都是我的。我的女儿并她们所生的孩子，我今日能向他们做什么呢？来吧！你我二人可以立约，作你我中间的证据。”雅各就拿一块石头立作柱子，又对众弟兄说：“你们堆聚石头。”他们就拿石头来堆成一堆，大家便在旁边吃喝。拉班称那石堆为伊迦尔撒哈杜他，雅各却称那石堆为迦累得（注：都是“以石堆为证”的意思）。拉班说：“今日这石堆作你我中间的证据。”因此这地方名叫迦累得，又叫米斯巴，意思说：“我们彼此离别以后，愿耶和华在你我中间鉴察。你若苦待我的女儿，又在我的女儿以外另娶妻，虽没有人知道，却有神在你我中间作见证。”拉班又说：“你看见我在你我中间所立的这石堆和柱子。这石堆作证据，这柱子也作证据。我必不过这石堆去害你；你也不可过这石堆和柱子来害我。但愿亚伯拉罕的神和拿鹤的神，就是他们父亲的神，在你我中间判断。”雅各就指着他父亲以撒所敬畏的神起誓，又在山上献祭，请众弟兄来吃饭。他们吃了饭，便在山上住宿。拉班清早起来，与他外孙和女儿亲嘴，给他们祝福，回往自己的地方去了。
创世记31:19-55
In this story, we see the sin of Jacob, Laban and Rachel all exposed. The Bible says we all have a sinful nature. Even from the moment we are born we have a sinful nature our father Adam has passed on to us. This sinful nature in us unfortunately pulls us towards sin. When receive salvation from Christ, we receive a new nature from Him. Though we are a new creation in Christ, we can still battle the pull of sin in our flesh. As Christians we might feel we have a war going on inside of us. We want to do the right thing, but it seems the wrong thing is there in front of us, calling us.
我们从这个故事中看到雅各、拉班和拉结的罪全都暴露无疑。圣经上说我们都有原罪。从我们出生的那一刻起，我们就有了从祖先亚当流传下来的原罪。不幸的是，我们的罪性常让我们陷入罪中。当我们接受基督的救恩，我们就有了从他而来的新的本性 。尽管 我们是在基督里新造的人，依然要与肉体的罪争战。作为基督徒，我们可能感觉到内心会有争战。我们想做正确的事，但是错误的事好象就在我们眼前，召唤我们！
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 7:21-25a NIV
“我觉得有个律，就是我愿意为善的时候，便有恶与我同在。因为按着我里面的意思（原文是人），我是喜欢 神的律；但我觉得肢体中另有个律和我心中的律交战，把我掳去，叫我附从那肢体中犯罪的律。我真是苦阿！谁能救我脱离这取死的身体呢？”
罗马书 7:21-25a
Even though Jacob wanted to follow God, he still struggled with sin that was pushed along by his own fears. When the difficulties came the sin in Jacob’s life often was exposed.
虽然雅各想要跟随 神，他依然在罪中挣扎，这罪性被他自己的惧怕驱使着。当困难临到，雅各生命里的罪就常显露出来。
Do you have similar struggles? When you face pressure, does the sin in your heart become exposed like Jacob’s? In these situations what happens? How do you handle this?
你是否也有类似的挣扎？当面对压力时，你心中的罪也像雅各的一样显露出来吗？这种时候会发生什么？你是怎样应对的呢？
Jacob, Rachel and Laban – All Facing Problems
雅各，拉结和拉班—— 都面临着各自的困难
Let’s learn from Jacob, Rachel and Laban. What to do and what not to do when faced with a problem.
让我们从雅各、拉结和拉班身上有所学习，当你面对一个困难时，该做什么，不该做什么。
Jacob 雅各 ▪ Problem 难题
Unfair wages from Laban, Laban and his sons are turning against Jacob
拉班不公平的工价，拉班和他的儿子们敌对雅各
▂
Positive reaction 积极的反应:
- He was aware of the problem
他知道这些问题 - He waited
他等候 - Jacob listened to God and obeyed
雅各听了神的话，并且顺服 - In the end Jacob made an agreement with Laban
最后，雅各跟拉班立约
▂
Negative reaction 消极的反应:
- Jacob let fear push him to be deceptive
雅各任由恐惧所逼而行诡诈 - Because he didn’t want to face the conflict, he tried to sneak away
因为他不想面对冲突，他试着偷跑
▂
Sinful behavior 犯罪的行为:
- He allowed fear to push him, he was deceptive
他允许恐惧逼使他，行事诡诈
Rachel 拉结 ▪ Problem 难题
Rivalry with sister, no inheritance from father, maybe worried about the future
跟姐姐竞争，在父家没有产业，或许也为未来担忧
▂
Positive Reaction 积极的反应:
- She supported and trusted her husband
她支持并且信任她的丈夫
▂
Negative Reaction 消极的行为:
- Rachel stole her father’s household gods
拉结偷了她父亲的 神像 - She lied to her father about the stolen idols
她在偷 神像这件事上对父亲撒谎
▂
Sinful behavior 犯罪的行为:
- Rachel stole, lied to cover up and she trusted in idols
拉结偷窃，撒谎掩饰自己的行为，信假 神
Laban 拉班 ▪ Problem 难题
Losing his daughters and flocks to Jacob
他的女儿和羊群都归了雅各
▂
Positive Reaction 积极的反应:
- Laban went after Jacob
拉班去追雅各 - He listened to God
他听从 神的话 - He made agreement with Jacob
他跟雅各立约
▂
Negative Reaction 消极的反应:
- For years Laban cheated Jacob
他骗了雅各很多年
▂
Sinful behavior 犯罪的行为:
- Laban was greedy and he cheated his son-in-law/employee
拉班贪婪，欺骗自己的女婿/工人
Keep Control of Your Own Life vs Trust God
掌控自己的生命与信靠 神
We see in each case when the person reacts in a sinful way, they are trying to hold on to the control. Jacob is working hard to get away from Laban. Rachel is working hard trusting idols. Laban is working hard holding on to his money. When they choose the sinful behaviors they get a negative result. Jacob is filled with fear, Rachel has to now lie to her father, Laban loses everything.
我们看到，在每个事例中，当这个人犯罪时，他们在试着抓住掌控权。雅各竭力要摆脱拉班，拉结很努力地信假 神，拉班紧紧抓住他的钱。当他们选择犯罪时，就带来了不好的结果。雅各充满了恐惧，拉结向她父亲撒谎，拉班则失去了一切。
When they let go of their behaviors in the flesh and choose to trust and obey God, they get a good result. Laban and Jacob make an agreement and separate peacefully.
当他们摆脱属肉体的行为，而选择信靠顺服 神时，就会得到好的结果。拉班和雅各立约，和平分手。
How Do We React?
我们怎么应对呢？
We all are going to face problems and struggles in life. How do you react? Do you fall into a sinful pattern? Jacob’s sinful pattern was: problem leads to fear which leads to lying. But with God’s help he could change to: problem leads to hear from God which leads to obey. Can you identify with Jacob, Rachel or Laban? Have you ever felt or done similar things?
我们在生活中都会遇到困难和挣扎。我们怎么应对呢？你是否陷入了一个罪的模式？雅各的罪的模式是：困难 导致恐惧 导致撒谎。但是，在 神的帮助下，他把这个模式变成：困难 接下去听从 神的话 就会顺服。你认同雅各、拉结和拉班的模式吗？你曾有过类似的感觉或做过类似的事情吗？
God Is With Us
神与我们同在
In the end God leads Jacob home and he even protects him. God tells Laban not to say anything to Jacob. God helped Jacob and Laban to face each other, they were honest and then they were able to make an agreement. Laban said goodbye to his family and Jacob headed home to face his next battle.
结局是 神带领雅各回家，祂甚至保护了雅各，神不让拉班对雅各说好说歹。神帮助 雅各和拉班面对彼此，他们坦诚相待，然后彼此立约。拉班和他的家人告别，雅各回去家乡，去面对他的下一场争战。
Consider your own positive and negative reactions to struggles in life. What are your personal patterns? Do you repeatedly fall into one or more sins?
思考一下在生活中你面对困境时的积极反应和消极反应。你的个人行为模式是什么样的？你有重复犯一些罪吗？
In the end Jacob did the right thing and he started to create a new pattern in his life: problem leads to hear from God which leads to obey. The next time you face a problem and can find no way out, pause and bring the situation to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to show you the way to go and then obey God and trust Him for the outcome of the situation.
最后，雅各做了正确的事情，开始在他的生命中形成了新的行为模式：困难 接下去听从 神的话 就会顺服。下一次你面对困难，找不到出路时，就停下来，在祷告中把这个处境交给 神，求祂告诉你出路，然后顺服 神，将这件事的结果仰望交托给神。
Unfortunately Rachel did not make a good decision. Also, we will find out later Jacob’s curse: “But if you find anyone who has your gods, that one shall not live … ” would have a devastating consequence. Indeed, Rachel died not as an old woman, but as a mother giving birth to her son, Benjamin.
遗憾的是，拉结做了一个糟糕的决定，稍后我们会看到雅各的咒诅：“至于你的神像，你在谁那里搜出来，就不容谁存活…”，这个咒诅产生致命的结果。事实是，拉结是在生产便雅悯时去世的，而不是寿终正寝。
We all have the opportunity to make a choice of how we will handle problems in life. Fortunately, we have God’s Word – the Bible – to guide us. God can speak to you and give you the direction you need in any difficult situation you face. Decide today you will take each problem to the Lord.
在生活中，我们都有机会选择要怎么应对困难。幸运的是，我们有 神的话语——圣经引导我们。 神会对你说话，在你面对的所有困境中， 神会带领你要走的方向。今天就决定将每一个困难都带到 神面前吧。
