第五周星期一
Genesis 45 Joseph reveals himself, reassuring his brothers. With Pharaoh’s full support, he sends for his father and family. Jacob is finally convinced that his son is alive. God rules the world and brings evil to a good end for the sake of His people, as He did with Joseph’s slavery. Let us pursue Joseph’s virtues---humility, wisdom, forgiveness, care for parents and family. And let us not quarrel in our Christian Journey, but hold fast to the mercy and doctrine that God has revealed. In Christ, our sin is forgiven, and God gives us the joy of reconciliation and new life.
Lord Jesus, the evil that happened to You on the cross was for our good. Give us the benefits of Your death, and form our lives to Your cross. Amen.
创世纪45章 约瑟表明他的身份，并且重新立定他的弟兄们。凭着法老的全力支持，他打发人去请来他的父亲和其他亲人。雅各最终确信他的儿子仍然活着。上帝掌管这个世界，正如祂处理约瑟为奴之事一样，祂为了祂子民的缘故使恶事有好的结局。让我们追求约瑟的美德---谦卑，智慧，饶恕和对父母亲人的关爱。并且让我们在十字架道路上不互相争吵，紧紧抓住上帝所启示的怜悯和教义。在基督里，我们的罪得到赦免，并且上帝赐给我们和好及新生的喜乐。
主耶稣，那十字架落在你身上的恶是为了我们的益处。请赐给我们你死亡所带来的益处，塑造我们的生命朝向你的十字架。阿们。
Genesis 46 Jacob leaves Canaan for Egypt only when he knows it is the Lord’s will. The Lord is not limited by geography. He will fulfill His promise to make Abraham’s Seed a great nation in Egypt. Israel’s children are called by name as they journey to Egypt. Like Jacob, we should seek the Lord’s guidance and blessing for our plans. He has revealed His will for our deeds and our salvation in His Word. Where He has not spoken, He gives us freedom to make reasonable choices. The tearful reunion of Jacob and Joseph is a pattern of the reunion that God seeks with His children. The Lord knows our name, and in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, His name has been given to us.
Lord God, give us courage to follow You each new day, especially when You call us to paths unknown; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
创世纪46章 雅各只有在知道这是上帝的旨意时才离开迦南地走向埃及。主耶和华不受地域的限制。祂一定会成就祂曾赐给亚伯拉罕的应许，即亚伯拉罕的那后裔要在埃及成为大国。以色列的孩子们在去埃及的路上被一一点名。像雅各一样，我们应当寻求主耶和华的引导和对我们所谋之事的祝福。祂已经在祂的圣道中为着我们的行动和救赎显明祂的旨意。祂没有启示的方面，就赐给我们自由去做出合理的选择。雅各和约瑟的悲喜重逢正是上帝要寻求与祂百姓重逢的范式。主耶和华知道我们的名字，并且在圣洗礼中祂的名字被赐给我们。
主上帝啊，请赐给我们勇气在每一个新日子里跟随你，特别是当你呼召我们要走未知之路时；藉着耶稣基督，我们的主。阿们。
第五周星期二
Genesis 47 Powerful, wealthy Pharaoh humbly receives the blessing of Jacob, a lowly Hebrew, whose son addresses the famine by centralizing all Egypt’s resources in a sharecropping system. Like Pharaoh, we should realize that spiritual blessings take precedence over temporal ones. People who put earthly security and temporal blessings first often take desperate measures to keep things that death will someday take from them. Just as blessing came to mighty Pharaoh through a lowly shepherd, so also the kingdom of God and His righteousness come to believers in humble forms-an infant in a manger, a man dying on a cross; words, water, bread, wine---yet in them are hidden God’s majesty.
“Be present at our table, Lord; Be here and everywhere adored; Thy creatures bless, and grant that we May feast in paradise with Thee.” Amen. (LSB 775)
创世纪47章 有权势又有财力的法老谦卑地领受一位卑微的希伯来人雅各的祝福，雅各的儿子藉着集中全埃及的资源于一个耕种分成制度来对付饥荒。像法老一样，我们应当意识到属灵的祝福要比现世的更重要。那些将属地的安全和世俗的祝福放在首位的人经常采取绝望的手段来保存死亡总有一天会从他们身上拿走的东西。正如祝福藉着一个卑微的牧羊人临到有能力的法老一样，上帝的国和祂的义以卑微的样式---一个马槽里的婴孩，一个死在十字架上的人来临到信徒；文字，水，饼，酒---然而在其中隐藏着上帝的荣光。
“愿主同在我们桌前；在此地及他方被尊崇；祝福你所造之物，好叫我们在天堂与你共筵席。”阿们。（路德宗崇拜手册 775）
Genesis 48 Jacob (Israel) adopts and blesses Joseph’s sons. Though born in Egypt to an Egyptian mother, they have full status as “children of Israel,” people through whom God will bless the world. Like their father, Joseph, we must learn not to value human convention over God’s Word and purposes. As Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh, God has graciously adopted us in Holy Baptism (Gal. 3:27-4:7).
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Ps. 80:1-3). Amen.
创世纪48章 雅各（以色列）收养并祝福约瑟的儿子们。尽管在埃及出生于一位埃及母亲，他们有着完全的身份被称为“以色列的儿女，”并且上帝将要藉着他们祝福整个世界。就像他们的父亲约瑟一样，我们必须学会不看人的传统过于上帝的道和旨意。正如雅各收养以法莲和玛拿西一样，上帝也曾在圣洗礼中满有恩典地收养了我们（加3:27-4:7所以你们因信基督耶稣、都是 神的儿子。---)。
“领约瑟如领羊群之以色列的牧者阿、求你留心听．坐在二基路伯上的阿、求你发出光来。
在以法莲便雅悯玛拿西前面施展你的大能、来救我们。神阿、求你使我们回转、〔回转或作复兴〕使你的脸发光、我们便要得救。” (诗 80:1-3)。 阿们。
第五周星期三
Genesis 49:1-27 The blessing (testament) of Jacob is a prophecy about each son and his tribe. All 12 sons are blessed as participants in the promise that began with Abraham, emphasizing return to the land. Jacob concentrates on Reuben, Simeon, Judah, and Joseph---the first two negatively, the latter two positively. Jacob’s testament promises great blessings, including the height of God’s goodness: messianic kingship for Judah’s line. Jacob’s predictions are not uniformly happy. The reality of sin includes judgment (Simeon and Levi), oppression (Issachar), warfare (Gad, Benjamin), and other distress. Though Joseph will prosper in many ways, the greatest gift to Jacob’s descendants is Judah’s scepter. The Seed of Abraham culminates in an eternal kingdom for Judah’s descendants, fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus (Shiloh).
“I wait for Your salvation, O LORD” (v 18). Amen.
创世纪49:1-27 雅各的祝福（遗言）是对每个儿子和他整个部族的一个预言。所有十二个儿子作为始于亚伯拉罕的应许的参与者都蒙了祝福，并且归回应许之地得以强调。雅各的遗言专注在流便，西缅，犹大和约瑟身上---前两个是负面的，后两个是正面的。雅各的遗言应许了极大的祝福，包括上帝良善的高潮：犹大支派要承载弥赛亚的君王职分。雅各的预告并不都是快乐的。罪的代价包括审判（西缅和利未），奴役（以萨迦），战争（迦得，便雅悯），和其它祸患。尽管约瑟会多方通达，雅各后裔所得最大祝福却是犹大的杖。亚伯拉罕的那后裔在为犹大后代所预备的永恒国度中完全彰显，而这国度是在弥赛亚，耶稣（细罗）里面得以成就的。
“耶和华啊，我向来等候你的救恩”（18节）。阿们。
Genesis 49:28-50:14 Jacob insists on burial in Canaan, Israel’s permanent home. He receives the most ornate funeral in the Bible, which also shows Joseph’s importance. The grief at Jacob’s death reflects the reality of sin, death’s cause (cf 2:17), and yet also the dignity of the human body. Our funeral customs are a way of confessing that God has promised to raise the dead. Christ Jesus has conquered death for our sake (1Co. 15:55-57).
Lord Jesus, we praise You for Your resurrection, which conquered sin and death. Amen.
创世纪49:28-50:14 雅各坚持要埋葬在迦南地，就是以色列永恒的家园。他得了圣经中已知的最豪华葬礼，这也表明约瑟的重要性。对雅各去世的哀悼反映出罪的代价，死亡的起因（参 创2:17只是分别善恶树上的果子、你不可吃、因为你吃的日子必定死），同时也表明人身体的尊贵。我们葬礼的仪式是对上帝已经应许要使死人复活的告白。基督耶稣已经为我们的缘故战胜死亡（林前15:55-57---死阿、你得胜的权势在那里．死阿、你的毒钩在那里．死的毒钩就是罪．罪的权势就是律法。感谢 神、使我们借着我们的主耶稣基督得胜）。
主耶稣，我们赞美你，因为你的死里复活战胜了罪和死亡。阿们。
Genesis 50:15-21 Jacob’s sons fear that only their father’s presence prevented Joseph’s revenge fro their earlier hatred and violence. But Joseph consoles them and speaks kindly to them. Reconciliation should come from the heart and be confirmed by our deeds, just as Joseph provided for his brothers’ families in addition to forgiving them. Sin penetrates flesh and spirit and can lead people to despair. To console despairing sinners, God caused the Gospel of reconciliation in Christ to be preached, and He confirms this message with the comforting Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper.
O Lord, though humans meant to do evil to You with the cross, You meant it for good, to bring about eternal salvation. Praise to You, O Christ. Amen.
创世纪50:15-21 雅各的儿子们担心唯有他们父亲的在世可以阻挡约瑟报复他们从前的嫉恨和暴力。但是约瑟安慰他们并且带着和善向他们说话。和好应当出于内心并且以我们的行动来证实，就像约瑟除了饶恕他们以外还供养他哥哥们的家眷那样。罪侵蚀着肉体和灵魂，并且能将人引至绝望。为了安慰绝望中的罪人，上帝使藉着基督和好的福音得以宣讲，并且祂用满有安慰的圣洗礼和圣餐礼来证实这个信息。
噢主啊，尽管人的意图是要用十字架害你，你在其中的意思却是良善，要藉着它带来永恒的救恩。赞美归给你，噢基督。阿们。
Genesis 50:22-26 The death of Joseph after 93 years in Egypt closes the first Book of Moses, but his request for final burial in Canaan reminds us that the story has only begun. Joseph’s life illustrates one of God’s promises for obedience to the Law---prosperous, long life (Ex 20:12). Despite his long, prosperous life, Joseph looks forward, not back: “God will surely visit you” (v 25). Egypt’s material prosperity is not God’s ultimate blessing for His people. The coming gift is the Lord Himself, His visitation, fulfilled in part in the exodus from Egypt. But even the exodus pales before God’s final visitation in the Messiah (Lk 1:68) and its culmination when the bones of Joseph and all the redeemed are raised to immorality (1Co 15:53-57).
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock!” (Ps 80:1). Give us hearts that long for Your return to lead us out of the Egypt of this world to Yourself in heaven. Amen.
创世纪50:22-26 约瑟在埃及93年之后去世，摩西五经第一卷书以此结束，但他请求最终要被埋葬于迦南地，这提醒我们故事才刚刚开始。约瑟的一生显明上帝对顺服律法的应许之一就是---繁荣和长久的日子（出20:12 当孝敬父母、使你的日子在耶和华你 神所赐你的地上、得以长久）。尽管他拥有长寿和兴盛，约瑟却向前看，而不是向后：“神必看顾你们”（25节）。埃及物质的繁荣不是上帝对祂子民的最终祝福。那将要来的礼物是主祂自己，祂的看顾，（这）在出埃及中得以部分地成就。但与上帝最终在弥赛亚（路1:68主以色列的 神、是应当称颂的．因他眷顾他的百姓、为他们施行救赎）中的访和它的高潮，就是当约瑟和所有蒙救赎之人的遗骸被兴起进入永不朽坏里时比较起来，出埃及要显得逊色的多（林前15:53-57这必朽坏的、总要变成不朽坏的．〔变成原文作穿下同〕这必死的、总要变成不死的。这必朽坏的、既变成不朽坏的．这必死的、既变成不死的．那时经上所记、死被得胜吞灭的话就应验了）。
“领约瑟如领羊群之以色列的牧者阿、求你留心听．坐在二基路伯上的阿、求你发出光来”(诗80:1）。请赐给我们期盼你再来的心，引领我们走出这世界的埃及并朝向居住在天上的你自己。阿们。