Article #30 the series: You Are God’s Masterpiece: The Genesis Notes.
你是神的杰作:《创世记手记》系列第三十篇
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Have you ever wondered how God could use you – a sinful person – in His kingdom? Even in our sinfulness He miraculously loves to take something broken and ugly and transform His people into something new and beautiful.
你有想过 神如何在祂的国度中使用你——一个罪人吗？即便我们犯罪的时候，祂竟奇迹般地乐意更新一些破碎和丑陋的东西而变得美好。
In Genesis chapter 29, Jacob is now married twice. He has two wives who happen to be sisters, Leah and Rachel. Rachel is the one Jacob really loved, but Leah was the older one and their father said she should be married first. As this interesting marriage relationship begins Leah starts to have children. In Genesis 29 we see Leah has four boys. How many children does Rachel have at this time? ZERO. How does this make Rachel feel? From the beginning she was the one who was the most loved. How does she feel now?
在创世记29章中，雅各结了两次婚。他的两个妻子恰好是亲姐妹：利亚和拉结。雅各真心爱的是拉结，但利亚是姐姐，他父亲说利亚应该先结婚。随着开始这段有意思的婚姻关系，利亚怀孕了。在创世记二十九章中，我们看到利亚生了四个儿子。那么拉结那时生了几个孩子呢？一个也没有。这让拉结有何感想？从一开始，她才是雅各的最爱，现在她如何感受？
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.” So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.
Genesis 30:1-8 NIV
拉结见自己不给雅各生子，就嫉妒她姐姐，对雅各说：“你给我孩子，不然我就死了！”雅各向拉结生气，说：“叫你不生育的是神，我岂能代替他作主呢？”拉结说：“有我的使女辟拉在这里，你可以与她同房，使她生子在我膝下，我便因她也得孩子（注：“得孩子”原文作“被建立”）。拉结就把她的使女辟拉给丈夫为妾，雅各便与她同房，辟拉就怀孕给雅各生了一个儿子。拉结说：“神伸了我的冤，也听了我的声音，赐我一个儿子。”因此给他起名叫但（注：就是“伸冤”的意思）。拉结的使女辟拉又怀孕，给雅各生了第二个儿子。拉结说：“我与我姐姐大大相争，并且得胜。”于是给他起名叫拿弗他利（注：就是“相争”的意思）。
创世记30:1-8
Rachel feels jealous. In her jealousy she exclaims to Jacob, “Give me children or I will die. ” Jacob then gets angry with Rachel and says, “Am I God? He is the one who is able to give you children. ” And the next thing you know, out of this heated conversation comes an idea, an old idea. Rachel gives Jacob her servant to sleep with.
拉结嫉妒了。她嫉妒地对雅各说：“你给我孩子，不然我就死了！”雅 各 向 拉 结 生 气 ， 说 ：“ 难道我是神吗？衪才能够给你孩子。” 你知道接下来发生了什么，在这次激烈的谈话之后，拉结就想到了一个主意—— 拉结让雅各跟她的使女同房。
The Fight For A Family
为家而争
In this big competition for children Jacob sleeps with Rachel’s servant and she has two children. Then Leah gets upset and she gives her servant to Jacob and she has two children. Now Jacob has four wives and eight children.
在这场激烈的生育竞赛中，雅各跟拉结的使女同房，她给雅各生了两个孩子。然后利亚感到不安了，她把自己的使女也给雅各为妾，她的使女也生了两个孩子。这样，雅各有四个妻子和八个孩子。
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.
Genesis 30:9-13 NIV
利亚见自已停了生育，就把使女悉帕给雅各为妾。利亚的使女悉帕给雅各生了一个儿子。利亚说：“万幸！”于是给他起名叫迦得（注：就是“万幸”的意思）。利亚的使女悉帕又给雅各生了第二个儿子，利亚说：“我有福啊，众女子都要称我是有福的！”于是给他起名叫亚设（注：就是“有福”的意思）。
创世记30:9-13
The competition between the sisters continues and in the end Jacob has 13 children. Here is the score:
姐妹之间的竞争还在继续，最后雅各有了 十三个孩子。比分是这样的：
Team Leah
Leah: six boys, one girl
Zilpah: two boys
利亚队：
利亚：六 个儿子， 一个女儿
悉帕：两个儿子
Team Rachel
Rachel: one boy (she will eventually have 2 boys)
Bilhah: two boys
拉结队：
拉结：一个儿子（最终她有两个儿子）
辟拉：两个儿子
Through this whole process of having children the women are focused on the competition and pleasing Jacob. At the end of the chapter we do see Rachel prayed and God heard her prayers and gave her children.
在生孩子的整个过程中，这些妇女们都关注着竞赛，使雅各欢心。在这一章的结尾，我们确实看到拉结向 神祷告，并且 神听了她的祷告，使她有了孩子。
During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
Genesis 30:14-24 NIV
割麦子的时候，吕便往田里去寻见风茄，拿来给他母亲利亚。拉结对利亚说：“请你把你儿子的风茄给我些。”利亚说：“你夺了我的丈夫还算小事吗？你又要夺我儿子的风茄吗？”拉结说：“为你儿子的风茄，今夜他可以与你同寝。”到了晚上，雅各从田里回来，利亚出来迎接他，说：“你要与我同寝，因为我实在用我儿子的风茄把你雇下了。”那一夜雅各就与她同寝。神应允了利亚，她就怀孕，给雅各生了第五个儿子。利亚说：“神给了我价值，因为我把使女给了我丈夫。”于是给他起名叫以萨迦（注：就是“价值”的意思）。利亚又怀孕，给雅各生了第六个儿子。利亚说：“神赐我厚赏，我丈夫必与我同住，因我给他生了六个儿子。”于是给他起名叫西希伦（注：就是“同住”的意思）。后来又生了一个女儿，给她起名叫底拿。神顾念拉结，应允了她，使她能生育。拉结怀孕生子，说：“神除去了我的羞耻。”就给他起名叫约瑟（注：就是“增添”的意思），意思说：“愿耶和华再增添我一个儿子。”
创世记30:14-24
Jacob’s Fight For Wealth
雅各为财产而争
In the meantime, Jacob is thinking about his career. He has worked for Laban for a long time and besides the two wives, he never received a salary. He was a great shepherd and through Jacob, Laban was very blessed and his flocks increased. This is the fulfillment of the blessings from God: Laban was being blessed through Jacob. But now Jacob was thinking about his own family and wealth. He asked Laban for a salary: all of the sheep and goats who had spots or stripes. Laban agreed, but then he did something devious. He had his sons take out all of the sheep and goats with spots and stripes and separate them so Jacob wouldn’t get them.
与此同时，雅各在想着他的事业。他已经为拉班工作了很久了—— 除了两个妻子之外，他从没有得到工价。雅各是个好牧人，通过雅各，拉班很受祝福，羊群大大增加。这是 神祝福的成就：因着雅各，拉班受到了祝福。但是现在雅各在考虑他自己的家庭和财产。他向拉班要工价，就是全部有点的和有斑的绵羊和山羊。拉班同意了，然后却做了一件很诡诈的事。拉班让他的儿子们把有纹的、有斑的山羊和绵羊带走，并且隔开了—— 使雅各得不到那些羊。
After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.” But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?” “What shall I give you?” he asked. “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.” “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Genesis 30:25-36 NIV
拉结生约瑟之后，雅各对拉班说：“请打发我走，叫我回到我本乡本土去。请你把我服侍你所得的妻子和儿女给我，让我走。我怎样服侍你，你都知道。”拉班对他说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，请你仍与我同住，因为我已算定，耶和华赐福与我是为你的缘故。”又说：“请你定你的工价，我就给你。”雅各对他说：“我怎样服侍你，你的牲畜在我手里怎样，是你知道的。我未来之先，你所有的很少，现今却发大众多，耶和华随我的脚步赐福与你。如今我什么时候才为自已兴家立业呢？”拉班说：“我当给你什么呢？”雅各说：“什么你也不必给我，只有一件事，你若应承，我便仍旧牧放你的羊群。今天我要走遍你的羊群，把绵羊中凡有点的，有斑的，和黑色的，并山羊中凡有斑的，有点的，都挑出来，将来这一等的就算我的工价。以后你来查看我的工价，凡在我手里的山羊，不是有点有斑的，绵羊不是黑色的，那就算是我偷的。这样，便可证出我的公义来。”拉班说：“好啊，我情愿照着你的话行。”当日，拉班把有纹的，有斑的公山羊，有点的，有斑的，有杂白纹的母山羊，并黑色的绵羊，都挑出来，交在他儿子们的手下，又使自己和雅各相离三天的路程。雅各就牧养拉班其余的羊。
创世记30:25-36
Jacob then goes to work at building his flock. He achieves something I don’t think is scientific, but I think God just blessed him. Soon many sheep and goats were giving birth to spotted and striped babies even though the parents weren’t spotted and striped. Jacob specifically looked out for the strong ones and ignored the weak ones. The result was Jacob became a very rich man.
然后雅各开始培育自己的羊群。我认为他取得的成就并不科学，但是我想这正是 神祝福了雅各——很快许多山羊和绵羊都生出带着斑点和条纹的羊羔，即使那些成年的山羊和绵羊是没有斑点和条纹的。雅各特别看顾那些强壮的羊，而忽略瘦弱的羊。结果是雅各变得非常富有。
Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 30:37-43 NIV
雅各拿杨树、杏树、枫树的嫩枝，将皮剥成白纹，使枝子露出白的来，将剥了皮的枝子，对着羊群，插在饮羊的水沟里和水槽里，羊来喝的时候，牝牡配合。羊对着枝子配合，就生下有纹的，有点的，有斑的来。雅各把羊羔分出来，使拉班的羊与这有纹和黑色的羊相对，把自已的羊另放一处，不叫他和拉班的羊混杂。到羊群肥壮配合的时候，雅各就把枝子插在水沟里，使羊对着枝子配合。只是到羊瘦弱配合的时候就不插枝子。这样，瘦弱的就归拉班，肥壮的就归雅各。于是雅各极其发大，得了许多的羊群、仆婢、骆驼和驴。
创世记30:37-43
Competition For Children And Wealth
为了孩子和财产而争
As the women were busy competing over children, Jacob was busy competing over wealth. How are we as modern-day Christians supposed to understand this strange story? The sisters are competing over their husband who is a man with four wives. This results in jealousy, anger and fighting. Jacob, for his own gain, takes over his uncle’s flock.
当妻子们忙着比赛生孩子的时候，雅各正在忙着争财产。我们作为现代社会的基督徒怎么理解这个奇怪的故事呢？那些姐妹们在争夺她们的丈夫—— 有四个妻子的丈夫！结果是引起了嫉妒，气恼和争闹。雅各为了自己的利益，接管了他舅舅的羊群。
God’s Work in this Family
神在这个家庭里作工
Yet in the midst of all of this, there is God’s promises, blessing and plan. How can these two things work together? How could God use such a selfish family? A family who competes with each other, is focused on their own desires, money and gain and driven by jealousy, anger and possessions? These 12 sons of Jacob were to become very important people. They were the leaders of the 12 Tribes of Israel. The building blocks of the nation. How can God work in this family?
然而，就在这些纷争中，却有着 神的应许、祝福和计划。这两件事情怎么会并存呢？神怎么会使用这么自私的一家人呢？在这个家里，人与人彼此相争，只想着他们自己的欲望、金钱和益处，而且都被嫉妒、愤怒和家产所驾驭。雅各的 十二个儿子将会成为很重要的人物——他们是以色列 十二个支派的领袖，是以色列族的支柱。神该如何在这个家族里作工呢？
Why do you think God continued to use this family even though they displayed these human flaws?
你认为 神为什么继续使用这个家庭，即使他们彰显了出这些人性的缺陷？
What will happen to these people? As we continue to read Genesis and the Bible we will learn this family will grow to become a great nation – the nation of Israel. They had many ups and downs. Sometimes they followed God, sometimes they turned away from Him. They did many amazing and wonderful deeds, they also demonstrated terrible choices. From these children came some important people, especially from Leah and Rachel.
- Leah’s boy, Levi, became the head of all priests and from him came Moses, Aaron, Eli and John the Baptist.
- Leah’s boy, Judah, was the ancestor of King David and Jesus.
- Rachel’s boy, Joseph, was the ancestor of Joshua, Gideon and Samuel.
- Rachel’s boy, Benjamin, was the ancestor of King Saul, Esther and the Apostle Paul.
这些人将要发生什么事呢？随着继续往下读圣经创世记，我们会知道这个家族将会成为一个伟大的民族—— 以色列民族。他们经历了很多起起伏伏。他们有时跟随 神，有时转离 神，他们做了很多令人惊叹的了不起的事，也有过糟糕的选择。这些孩子的后代中有一些重要的人物，特别是从利亚和拉结所生的孩子。
- 利亚的儿子利未是所有祭祀的首领，他的后代中有摩西、亚伦、以利和施洗约翰。
- 利亚的儿子犹大是大卫王和耶稣的祖先
- 拉结的儿子约瑟是约书亚、基甸和撒母耳的祖先
- 拉结的儿子便雅悯是扫罗王、以斯帖和使徒保罗的祖先
In this one family, we see the terrible side of our human nature – jealousy, greed, cheating, even multiple wives. We also see God’s promises, His plan, His blessings and His grace. Through this family the whole world has been blessed. This family brought us the Word of God. This family brought us Jesus Christ.
从这一个家族中，我们既看到了人性中可怕的一面——嫉妒、贪婪、欺骗，甚至是多妻，也看到了 神的应许、计划、祝福和祂的恩典！整个世界因着这个家族而蒙受祝福。这个家族将 神的话语带给我们，将主耶稣基督带给我们。
Rachel and Leah struggled in the realm of family. Jacob struggled in the realm of his professional life and wealth. Is there an area of your life with which you are struggling? Maybe you face fighting and competition, as well.
拉结和利亚在家里争斗，雅各在为他的事业和财产而竭力奋斗。你是否正在生活中的某个方面挣扎着呢？也许你也面临着争斗和竞争。
Have you ever wondered how God could use you – a sinful person – in His Kingdom? Have you ever looked at your life and thought, “I’m not sure God could use me.” Be encouraged. God used a family who started in competition, jealousy, trickery and anger to bring the greatest blessings the world has ever seen.
你可曾想过 神会怎样在祂的国度中使用你——一个罪人吗？你是否曾经看看自己的生命光景，心想，“我不确定 神会使用我！” 振作起来！神使用了一个起初充满了争竞、嫉妒、诡诈和怒气的家族，给世界带来前所未有的最大祝福。
Consider your weaknesses, flaws, poor decisions and sinful behavior and attitudes. Despite these liabilities how has God used you?
想想你的软弱、缺陷、不明智的决定和犯罪的行为和态度，尽管你有这些不足， 神是怎样使用你的呢？
God chooses to use the people He created to be used in His Kingdom work. He does not need us, but He wants us to be a part of His plan. Even in our sinfulness He miraculously loves to take something broken and ugly and transform His people into something new and beautiful.
神选择使用衪所造的人在祂的国度工作。祂并不需要我们，但是祂想要我们成为祂计划的一部分。即便我们犯罪的时候，祂竟奇迹般地乐意更新一些破碎和丑陋的东西而变得美好。
How can we be transformed? It is through acknowledging our sinfulness and confessing to God our sin and then receiving forgiveness. Christ provides new life and we can be changed.
怎样来更新我们呢？是藉着认识自己的罪，向 神承认我们的罪，然后接受 神的赦免。基督赐予了新生命，我们就被更新了。
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
“我们若认自己的罪， 神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。”
约翰一书 1:9
This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to die for us sinners.
这是耶稣基督的福音， 神爱世人，甚至差派祂的儿子，为我们的罪而死。
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 NIV
“惟有基督在我们还作罪人的时候为我们死， 神的爱就在此向我们显明了。”
罗马书 5:8
He did not give up on us but made a way for us to be forgiven and transformed so we can become the people He intended us to be. We might have started out in jealousy, anger, fighting and selfishness, but Jesus can transform us to become more and more like He is. This is good news! He will use Jacob and his family to bless the world, and He will use you to bring blessings to the people around you.
祂没有放弃我们，而是给我们一条出路，让我们罪得赦免，生命得以更新，使我们能成为合祂心意的人。我们的生命光景也许始于嫉妒、怒气、争执和自私，但是耶稣可以更新我们的生命，让我们越来越像祂。这就是福音！祂会使用雅各和他的家族祝福这个世界，祂会使用你把祝福带给周围的人！
