Article #26 in the series: You Are God’s Masterpiece: The Genesis Notes.
你是神的工作: 《创世记手记》系列第二十六篇
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Can you imagine dealing with the inner struggles of fear plus a financial crisis plus fighting at work plus family unrest all at the same time? When Isaac met a famine, fear, fighting and family issues, God spoke to Isaac and was faithful to lead and provide for him.
你能想象同时要面对内心的恐惧、经济危机、职场争斗以及家庭动荡会是什么情形吗？当以撒遭遇饥荒、恐惧、争斗和家庭问题的时候，神就对他说话，神是信实的，要带领和供养他。
Any Challenges in Life?
生活中有挑战吗？
We can all probably agree that we face many different types of challenges in life. Most likely there are a few challenges you are facing even today. Are you nervous about the future, not sure about your rent, your job or how you can help your family? Are you anxious, fearful, depressed or lonely? Do you have any relationship problems now? Problems with a boss, coworker or friend? Do you have a struggle with family relationships?
几乎所有人都一致同意，在生活中我们面对着许多不同的挑战。很有可能今天你就正面临着一些挑战。你对未来感到紧张不安吗，房租、工作都没有保障，还有你怎么养家糊口呢？你会感到焦虑、惧怕、沮丧或孤独吗？你有社交障碍吗？和老板、同事或朋友之间有矛盾吗？你在家庭关系中有挫折感吗？
In life many of the difficulties we face come from different sources such as:
我们在生活中面对的很多困难来自如下几个方面：
- Outside circumstances relating to jobs, homes, environment
与工作、家庭和环境有关的外界条件 - Internal circumstances from within our own heart
来自你内心的内在因素 - Relationship circumstances while working with others
与他人共事的人际环境 - Family circumstances as we work to live at peace with the family
与家人相处和睦的家庭环境
Isaac faced all four of these things in one chapter of the Bible. And it was at these most difficult moments when He met God in a personal way.
在圣经中的这一个章节中，以撒就面对了所有这四个方面的困难。而且他亲身遇见神，正是在最艰难之时。
Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
Genesis 26:1-6 NIV
在亚伯拉罕的日子，那地有一次饥荒；这时又有饥荒。以撒就往基拉耳去，到非利士人的王亚比米勒那里。耶和华向以撒显现，说：“你不要下埃及去，要住在我所指示你的地。你寄居在这地，我必与你同在，赐福与你，因为我要将这些地都赐给你和你的后裔。我必坚定我向你父亚伯拉罕所起的誓。我要加增你的后裔，像天上的星那样多；又要将这些地都赐给你的后裔，并且地上万国必因你的后裔得福；都因亚伯拉罕听从我的话，遵守我的吩咐和我的命令、律例、法度。以撒就住在基拉耳。
创世记 26:1-6
1
Challenge：Famine
挑战： 饥荒
Isaac and those around him depended on the land for their survival. They had animals and crops. So if there was no rain, there would not be food. When famine comes, what do you have to do? Go to where the food is. When Abraham encountered a famine, he moved and went to Egypt. Isaac learned from his father – he packed everything up and started to move. This was a very difficult time. To avoid death, Isaac had to leave his home. I am sure he was concerned about his future. He had to make a decision what to do, so he decided to leave. After the death of his father, the famine was probably the most difficult event Isaac had faced. In the middle of this very hard moment, God came and spoke directly to him. This was the first time God spoke to Isaac.
以撒和他周围的人都是依靠土地出产谋生，他们有牲畜和庄稼。所以，如果不下雨，他们就没有食物。当遭遇饥荒时，你该怎么做呢？—— 去到有食物的地方。当亚伯拉罕遭遇饥荒时，他搬去了埃及。以撒学他父亲 —— 他打包好全部家当，开始搬家。这段日子很困难，为了存活，以撒不得不离开家园。我相信他一定在为未来担忧，他不得不作出决定，采取行动，因此他决定离开。自从父亲死后，饥荒 可能是以撒所面临的最困难的事。就在这非常艰难的时期， 神亲自对以撒讲话，这是 神第一次对以撒说话。
For the first time, God passes the promises he made to Abraham on to Abraham’s son Isaac. God also gives Isaac a direct command: do not go down to Egypt. Isaac made the right decision, even though there was a famine in the land, he trusted and obeyed God, he stayed in Gerar.
这是 神第一次将给亚伯拉罕的应许传给亚伯拉罕的儿子以撒。神也给了以撒一个直接的命令：不要下到埃及去。即使当时在基拉耳有大饥荒，以撒还是相信和顺服 神，留在了那里，他做了正确的决定。
When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.” When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
Genesis 26:7-11 NIV
那地方的人问到他的妻子，他便说：”那是我的妹子。“原来他怕说：”她是我的妻子。“他心里想：”恐怕这地方的人为利百加的缘故杀我，因为她容貌俊美。“他在那里住了许久。有一天，非利士人的王亚比米勒从窗户里往外观看，见以撒和他的妻子利百加戏玩。亚比米勒召了以撒来，对他说：“她实在是你的妻子，你怎么说她是你的妹子？”以撒说：“我心里想，恐怕我因她而死。”亚比米勒说：“你向我们作的是什么事呢？民中险些有人和你的妻同寝，把我们陷在罪里。“于是亚比米勒晓谕众民说：”凡沾着这个人，或是他妻子的，定要把他治死。”
创世记 26：7-11
2
Challenge: Fear
挑战：恐惧
In Gerar Isaac has to face another big issue: his own fears. Once again, we have a woman who is so beautiful that her husband is in danger. Isaac thinks the people in Gerar (ruled by King Abimelek) will kill him because his wife is so amazing.
在基拉耳，以撒必须得面对另一大难题：他自己的恐惧。再一次，我们发现了一个容貌俊美的妇人，使他的丈夫陷入危险。以撒以为基拉耳人（亚比米勒王治理下）会因为他的妻子太美貌而杀了他。
This is the exact same situation Abraham faced two times with his wife. Once in Egypt and once with Abimelek. This time, Rebekah fortunately is not taken by another man, but King Abimelek sees Isaac with his wife. Isaac must have lived in a very nice neighborhood, his neighbor was King Abimelek. Abimelek immediately brought Isaac to him to ask what was going on. Isaac admitted his lie. Why did he lie? He was afraid he would die. Did he not trust God’s promise? Just like Abraham, Isaac had some fear issues. God showed Isaac mercy and allowed King Abimelek to discover the lie. This was God’s protection – allowing Isaac to be caught in his lie.
亚伯拉罕和他的妻子经历过两次完全一样的处境，一次是在埃及，一次是在亚比米勒王这里。这一次幸运的是，利百加没有被别的男人带走，但是亚比米勒王看见了以撒跟他的妻子在一起。以撒当时所住的地方一定非常不错，亚比米勒王竟然是他的邻居！亚比米勒马上召了以撒来，问是怎么回事。以撒坦白承认他说谎了。他为什么说谎？因为他怕死。难道以撒不相信 神的应许吗？就像亚伯拉罕一样，以撒有些惧怕。神怜悯以撒，让亚比米勒王发现了他说谎。这是 神的保守——祂 让以撒的谎言被揭穿了。
Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.” So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”
Genesis 26:12-22 NIV
以撒在那地耕种，那一年有百倍的收成。耶和华赐福给他，他就昌大，日增月盛，成了大富户。他有羊群牛群，又有许多仆人，非利士人就嫉妒他。当他父亲亚伯拉罕在世的日子，他父亲的仆人所挖的井，非利士人全都塞住，填满了土。亚比米勒对以撒说：”你离开我们去吧，因为你比我们强盛多。“以撒就离开那里，在基拉耳谷支搭帐棚，住在那里。当他父亲亚伯拉罕在世之日所挖的水井，因非利士人在亚伯拉罕死后塞住了，以撒就重新挖出来，仍照他父亲所叫的，叫那些井的名字。以撒的仆人在谷中挖井，便得了一口活水井，基拉耳的牧人与以撒的牧人争竞，说：”这水是我们的。“以撒就给那井起名叫埃色，因为他们和他相争（注：”埃色“就是”相争“的意思）。以撒的仆人又挖了一口井，他们又为这井争竞，因此以撒给这井起名叫西提拿（注：”西提拿“就是”为敌“的意思）。以撒离开那里，又挖了一口井，他们不为这井争竞了，他就给那井起名叫利河伯（注：就是“宽阔”的意思）。他说：“耶和华现在给我们宽阔之地，我们必在这地昌盛。”
创世记26:12-22
3
Challenge：Fighting
挑战#: 争竞
God begins to richly bless Isaac. Isaac plants crops and they grow 100-fold. He has many animals and he becomes very wealthy. What is the result? The neighbors are envious. Envy and jealousy are terrible emotions.
神开始大大赐福以撒，以撒耕种，得到了百倍的收成。他有很多牲畜，成为了大富户。结果如何呢？他的邻居们嫉妒他！嫉妒真是非常可怕。
“Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”
Proverbs 27:4 NIV“愤怒为残忍，怒气为狂澜，唯有嫉妒，谁能敌得住呢？”
箴言 27:4
Envy and jealousy drive people to do very destructive things. In this case, the people started to fill all of Isaac’s wells up with rocks. This seems very childish. But it was really a destructive thing to do because in the desert water means life. King Abimelek saw things were getting very tense, so he told Isaac to leave. This was for Isaac’s own safety.
嫉妒促使人作出极具破坏性的事情。在这个事中，基拉耳人开始把以撒的井全都用石头塞住了，听起来很幼稚，但确实是毁灭性的，在荒漠里，水意味着生命。亚比米勒王发现事情变得很棘手了，所以他让以撒离开，为了以撒的安全。
This difficult and frustrating situation actually helped Isaac to step into the promises of God. Isaac was probably getting very comfortable in King Abimelek’s neighborhood. But God’s plan was not for Isaac to live in Gerar, God’s plan was to give Isaac land. Isaac’s time in Gerar was only a temporary thing. So maybe God used this situation to kick Isaac out of a comfortable life in Gerar into the next stage of his life.
这种令人沮丧的困难处境其实帮助以撒进入 神的应许中。很可能以撒在亚比米勒王的领地生活地非常舒适，但是 神的计划并不是让以撒住在基拉耳，而是赐给以撒土地。以撒只是暂时住在基拉耳。所以，或许 神使用这个处境让以撒离开在基拉耳的舒适生活，进入他人生的下一个阶段。
Sometimes difficult circumstances can move us into a next phase we would not have gone to otherwise.
有时，困难的境遇促使我们进入下一个阶段，否则，我们将不会向前。
Have you ever been pushed out of something due to difficult circumstance – maybe a job, relationship, friendship or home – only to find out the new place you went to was better than where you started? What did you learn in this situation?
你是否曾因一些困难的处境而被迫离开？或许是一份工作，一段关系、一份友谊，或者一个家庭 — 结果却发现你所去的新地方比你出发的地方更好？在这样的情况下，你学到了什么？
The fighting doesn’t stop there though. Even as Isaac leaves, the fighting follows him. He tries to dig a new well, but there is a fight over the water, so he calls it “dispute.” Then he digs another well, fighting again. He calls it Sitnah which means “opposition.” Finally he digs a well which no one touches. He calls it “Rehoboth” which means “room.” There finally was enough room for him.
基拉耳人并没有就此罢休，即使以撒离开了那里，争竞仍然跟随着他。他试图挖一口新井，但因为水源又发生了争斗，所以，以撒称那口井为“相争”。之后他又挖了一口井，争执又来了！以撒 称第二口井 西提拿 意为“为敌”。最后，他又挖了一口井，这次没有人碰那口井了，他称第三口井是“利河伯”，意思是“宽阔” —— 终于他有了宽阔的地方。
In Gerar Isaac endured:
以撒在基拉耳忍耐着：
- Envy 嫉妒
- Dispute. 相争
- Opposition. 为敌
In the end God gave him room for his family. It required Isaac to keep moving, keep being uprooted, but the trials brought him to a place where he could settle.
但是结果是， 神给了以撒全家宽阔之地。这需要以撒一直持续迁移，被迫离开，但是这样的试炼把他带到了可以安家的地方。
From there he went up to Beersheba. That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.” Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully. That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.
Genesis 26:23-33 NIV
以撒从那里上别是巴去。当夜耶和华向他显现，说：“我是你父亲亚伯拉罕的神，不要惧怕！因为我与你同在，要赐福给你，并要为我仆人亚伯拉罕的缘故，使你的后裔繁多。”以撒就在那里筑了一座坛，求告耶和华的名，并且支搭帐棚。他的仆人便在那里挖了一口井。亚比米勒同他的朋友亚户撒和他的军长非各，从基拉耳来见以撒。以撒对他们说：“你们既然恨我，打发我走了，为什么到我这里来呢？”他们说：”我们明明地看见耶和华与你同在，便说，不如我们两下彼此起誓，彼此立约，使你不害我们，正如我们未曾害你，一味地厚待你，并且打发你平平安安地走。你是蒙耶和华赐福的了。“以撒就为他们设摆筵席，他们便吃了喝了。他们清早起来彼此起誓。以撒打发他们走，他们就平平安安地离开他走了。那一天以撒的仆人来，将挖井的事告诉他，说：”我们得了水了。“他就给那井起名叫示巴，因此那城叫作别是巴，直到今日。
创世记26:23-33
▂
Promise of God
神的应许
After envy, dispute and opposition, Isaac finally finds his own space. At this important moment God appears to him with a powerful reminder. God knew Isaac still had fears. God wanted to speak directly to him to remind him he does not need to be afraid. God is with him. God will bless him. What a special reassurance after so many trials.
在遭遇了嫉妒、争竞和敌对之后，以撒终于有了自己的宽阔之地。在这个重要的时刻，耶和华向他显现，给了他一个激励人心的提醒。神知道以撒仍然惧怕，所以祂想直接提醒以撒无需害怕，耶和华与他同在！神要赐福给他！在经历许多试炼之后，这是多么特别的安慰呀！
▂
Peace Agreement and Water
和平之约与水
And then King Abimelek shows up again. He recognizes Isaac is blessed by God. Abimelek wants to make peace with Isaac. Here is a practical sign of God’s blessing: the fighting would now come to an end. After his peaceful agreement with King Abimelek, Isaac’s servants found water again. More provision from God. God is reinforcing His blessing to Isaac. The blessing was not just empty words. God’s blessing was powerful and it resulted in a change in Isaac’s life. The fighting ended and water was provided.
然后，亚比米勒王又出现了。他看出以撒是蒙耶和华赐福的，就想跟以撒立和平之约。这是神祝福的印证—— 争执即将结束。以撒跟亚比米勒王立和平之约后，他的仆人又得了水！神更多地供应以撒！神给了以撒更多更大的赐福。神的祝福并不仅仅是空话， 神的祝福是有力量的，使得以撒的生活出现了转折：争执结束了，有了水源。
God Is With You!
神与你同在！
Today God is with us. Jesus said,
神今天就与你同在！耶稣说过，
“ … And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20b NIV
“我就常与你们同在，直到世界的末了。”
马太福音 28:20b
How is God with us? Through the presence of His wonderful Holy Spirit who is living in us. Jesus said we would face many trials. But He encourages us when He says,
祂如何与我们同在的呢？藉着同住在我们里面的奇妙圣灵。耶稣说过我们会面对许多试炼。但是，祂这样鼓励我们，
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV
“我将这些事告诉你们，是要叫你们在我里面有平安。在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。”
约翰福音 16:33
4
Challenge：Family
挑战：家庭
Even with God’s blessing and now peace with his neighbors and the provision of water, Isaac still faces another challenge. This time it is a challenge from within his own family.
以撒虽然已经蒙神赐福，与邻舍和睦相处，而且有了水源，但是他依然面临着另一个挑战。这一次的挑战来自于他自己的家庭。
When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Genesis 26:34-35 NIV
以扫四十岁的时候，娶了赫人比利的女儿犹滴，与赫人以伦的女儿巴实抹为妻。她们常使以撒和利百加心里愁烦。
创世记26:34-35
His favorite son, Esau, marries two women who do not follow God. They are difficult and they bring grief into the family. Too bad Isaac didn’t learn how to find a wife from his father Abraham. Unfortunately the problems in the family are increasing, and we see Esau really is going his own way. In the next chapter we will see how the family challenges continue.
以撒最喜爱的儿子以扫，娶了两个不跟随 神的外邦女子，她们很难相处，给这个家庭带来了烦恼。很不幸，以撒没有从他父亲亚伯拉罕那里学到怎么为他的儿子娶妻，这个家庭的矛盾日渐加重，而且我们也看到以扫 确实是偏行己路。在下一章我们会看到这些家庭矛盾后续如何。
Maybe you also face family challenges. Take heart. Jesus is with you and even the most difficult things in life He can face with you. Remember Isaac, in the most difficult moments God directed him and spoke to him. God can do the same for you.
或许你也在面对家庭矛盾！振作起来！耶稣与你同在，哪怕是生活中最糟糕的事情，他都会跟你一起面对。想想以撒，在他最困难的时候， 神带领他，亲自与他对话。神也会为你做同样的事情！
What are some ways God has encouraged and directed you when you have faced challenges in your life? Consider the four areas of struggle Isaac faced:
当你面对生活中的挑战时， 神用什么方式鼓励和引导你呢？思考以撒面对的四个方面困境：
- Outside circumstances relating to jobs, homes, environment
与工作、家庭和环境有关的外界条件 - Internal circumstances from within our own heart
来自你内心的内在因素 - Relationship circumstances while working with others
与他人共事的人际环境 - Family circumstances as we work to live at peace with the family
与家人相处和睦的家庭环境
What are some examples of difficulties we face in each area? What are some ways we can rely on the Lord to help us?
我们在每个方面所面对的困难有哪些？我们用哪些方式来依靠 神的帮助？
