Exposition on Genesis

Exposition on Genesis

Today, we continue to speak about the story of Noah’s Flood.
“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” (Genesis 6:14)

In all the stories recorded in the Bible, Jesus Christ is hidden—He is our salvation, the One who delivered us from sin. God wants us to discover Jesus Christ through the Bible and be saved from our sins. The stories recorded in the Bible—especially in the Old Testament, such as the tabernacle, Noah’s Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah—are not ordinary stories. Through these stories God reveals Jesus Christ and teaches us how to receive salvation by discovering Him. The purpose for which God gave us the Bible is that when we stand before His judgment throne, all our sins may have been washed away, so that we will not be judged, but receive eternal life. Therefore, if a person does not know the secret of God’s salvation hidden in the Bible, then no matter how much biblical knowledge he possesses, he is still someone who does not truly understand the Bible and has nothing to do with the promises of God recorded in it.

In Genesis 6:14, God told Noah to make an ark of gopher wood so that he could escape the flood. The gopher wood is a shadow of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself for us. Before the flood, when the gopher trees were cut down and the ark was being made, the salvation of not only Noah and his family, but of all people living on earth at that time, was already completed. Once the ark was built with gopher wood, salvation was not obtained by doing something—it was obtained simply by believing God’s promise and entering the ark.

If the ark had not yet been built, then people would have needed to labor painfully to construct it. But God completed the ark through Noah’s labor. The work of salvation was already finished; there was nothing for anyone to do. They did not need to toil or struggle—if they simply entered the ark, they could be saved. At the time of Noah’s Flood, people were judged not because they failed to build the ark, but because they did not believe God’s promise that “the ark of salvation has already been prepared,” and they refused to enter it.

It is the same today. Noah had already built the ark; people only needed to enter it. Likewise, salvation has already been accomplished by Jesus. Because people do not know this spiritual secret, they try to achieve salvation by their own efforts—by avoiding sin, keeping Sunday worship, giving tithes. Trying to accomplish salvation through these things is utterly futile. Salvation is accomplished entirely by Jesus Christ who was crucified. Just as Noah had already completed the ark during the flood, and anyone—whoever he was—could avoid judgment simply by entering it.

Even if someone had not contributed any effort to the construction of the ark—had not driven a single nail or held a single tool—because the ark was already finished, as long as he entered it before judgment came, he could be saved. Trying to start building the ark again when God’s judgment was about to fall would be extremely foolish. Since the ark had already been built, anyone could simply enter it. Not only “clean animals” such as cattle and sheep could be saved by entering the ark—even “unclean animals” such as snakes or pigs could be saved as well.

Jesus Christ shed His blood and died on the cross because salvation cannot be accomplished by our efforts. Just as Noah fully completed the ark, Jesus Christ died to accomplish a perfect salvation. Now, through His crucifixion, Jesus has completely resolved every issue concerning our salvation.

In John chapter 19, we hear the final words Jesus spoke before He died on the cross: “It is finished.” Although this phrase carries many meanings, the most important is this: through His crucifixion, Jesus accomplished the salvation that sinners could never achieve by their own efforts.

Just as the ark was completed by Noah, our salvation has been completed by Jesus. We do not need to create another salvation, nor do we need to toil, struggle, or run about in order to obtain it. We do not receive the forgiveness of sins by desperately striving. Nor is our salvation accomplished by obeying the Bible’s teachings through our own strength—keeping Sunday, giving tithes, refraining from sin cannot accomplish salvation. Nor is salvation achieved by living more virtuously than others, helping orphans, or sacrificing ourselves for unfortunate widows or neighbors.

Everything that was needed for us to be saved—whatever it may be—was completed on the cross two thousand years ago. All that was necessary for our salvation was already finished at the cross. The sorrow, pain, judgment, and punishment for sin that we should have borne ended forever at the cross.

Today, many people have heard the astounding truth that “our judgment for sin ended on the cross; our salvation has been accomplished,” yet because they cannot believe it, they continue trying to accomplish salvation by their own efforts. Salvation is not something we toil and struggle to achieve—it must be accepted by faith: the fact that “Jesus has already accomplished it.” Just as after the ark was built in Noah’s time, whoever entered it—regardless of whether he had exerted even the slightest effort—could be saved.

In order to leave nothing for us to do concerning sin, Jesus completely washed away all our sins. God sees this and declares us righteous, and even makes a covenant saying, “I will remember your sins no more.” Those who believe this promise no longer need to do anything to cleanse their sins—their hearts are released from sin.

The green gopher trees that once grew on the mountain were cut down and became part of the ark, blocking the waters of judgment for all who entered it. Likewise, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross became the wall that shields us from judgment. Now judgment cannot pass through the body of Christ to reach us.

Even though we know what Jesus Christ has done, if we do not understand the secret of what He accomplished for us, we will be tormented by sin. But now, no matter what sins we may have committed, we no longer need to suffer or be oppressed by them. The judgment for all our sins has already been finished at the cross—because Jesus Christ fully bore the punishment we deserved.

Now we should not fear or worry because of sin. Instead, we should believe in Jesus Christ who ended our punishment on the cross, and live peacefully, with thankful hearts, giving glory to God. May we remember that this is God’s will for us.

 创世记讲解

 

今天，我们继续讲有关挪亚洪水的话语。

“你要用歌斐木造一只方舟，分一间一间地造，里外抹上松香。”（创6：14）

记录在《圣经》里的所有故事中都隐藏着耶稣基督，他是我们的拯救，将我们从罪恶中拯救了出来。神希望我们从《圣经》中发现耶稣基督，从罪恶中得到拯救。记载在《圣经》中的故事，特别是旧约中的会幕、挪亚洪水、所多玛和蛾摩拉等故事，并不是平平无奇的故事。神通过这些故事在彰显耶稣基督，在告诉我们如何通过发现耶稣基督得救。神赐给我们《圣经》的目的，是为了让我们站在神的审判台前时，所有的罪都得以洗净，不会遭受审判，并且还得到永生。因此，如果不知道《圣经》中神救恩的秘密，就算知道再多圣经内容，也是不认识《圣经》的人，是与《圣经》中神的应许无关的人。

 

《创世记》6章14节中，为了让挪亚能够躲避洪水，神让他用歌斐木造方舟。歌斐木正是为我们牺牲自己的耶稣基督的影子。洪水前，当歌斐木被砍倒、用歌斐木造成方舟时，不只是挪亚和他的家人，生活在这地上的所有人的救恩都完成了。当用歌斐木造成方舟后，我们不是靠做什么得救，而是凭借相信神的应许进入方舟就可以了。

如果方舟还没造好，人们就得为造方舟付诸辛苦，但神通过挪亚的劳苦造好了方舟。拯救的工作已经完成了，任何人都没什么可做的，不用费心费力，只要进入方舟，就能得救。挪亚洪水时，人们被审判，不是因为他们没有造方舟，而是因为不相信神“已经造成救恩的方舟”的应许，不进到方舟里。

当今时代也是这样。方舟是挪亚造好的，只要进去就可以了，同样，救恩是耶稣已经做成了的。因为不知道这样的属灵秘密，人们总想靠努力不犯罪、遵守主日礼拜、奉献十分之一来成就救恩。努力要通过这些事情成就救恩，真是徒劳。因为救恩完全是通过耶稣基督被钉死在十字架上成就的，就像挪亚洪水时，挪亚已经完全造好了方舟，无论是谁，只要进到方舟里，就能躲避审判。

就算没有努力造过方舟，在建造方舟时，没有摸过一根钉子，没有拿过一个工具，因为方舟已经造好了，只要在审判来临前进入方舟，无论是谁，都能得救。在神的审判马上要开始前，再想重新造方舟，这是非常愚蠢的。因为方舟已经造好了，不管是谁，进去就行了。在这里，不只是牛、羊等洁净的动物进去能得救，像蛇、猪等不洁净的动物进去也能得救。

 

耶稣基督被钉在十字架上流血死去，是因为靠我们的努力无法成就救恩。就像挪亚完全造好了方舟一样，耶稣基督也是为了成就完全的救恩。如今，耶稣基督通过被钉死在十字架上，完全解决了救恩的所有问题。

在《约翰福音》19章中，我们能听到，耶稣被钉在十字架上临死前说的最后一句话：“成了。”虽然在“成了”这句话里，蕴含着很多意义，但最重要的意义是，耶稣通过被钉死在十字架上，成就了靠着罪人的努力无法成就的救恩。

就像方舟是挪亚造好的一样，我们的救恩是由耶稣做成的。我们不需要再去造一个救恩，不需要为了得到救恩去辛苦、努力、奔波。我们不是要为了罪得饶恕而拼命、辛苦、努力。我们的救恩也不是靠遵行《圣经》话语成就的。通过努力遵守主日、献十分之一、不犯罪，也成就不了救恩。救恩也不是通过比别人生活得更善良、帮助孤儿、为了不幸的寡妇或邻舍牺牲自己成就的。

为了得救，我们需要做的所有事情，不管是什么事情，两千年前耶稣在十字架上都成就了。为了得救，需要我们做的所有事情，在十字架上都已经做完了。我们应该遭受的悲伤、痛苦、审判和罪的刑罚，在十字架上永远结束了。

 

如今，很多人虽然听到了“在十字架上已经结束了我们罪的审判，我们的救恩已经做成了”的惊人事实，但因为相信不起来，所以一直自己为了成就救恩而努力。救恩不是靠我们拼命、努力去成就的。而是应该凭着信心接受“耶稣已经成就了”的事实。就像挪亚洪水时，方舟造好后，无论是谁，就算这个人没有使过一点劲，没有出过一点力，只要进入方舟就能得救。

 

为了使我们为罪无事可做，耶稣完全洗净了我们的罪。神看着这个，称我们为义了，且立约说“不再记念我们的罪了”。相信这一应许的人，不用再为了洗罪做什么，他们的心能从罪中得到释放了。

生长在山上的苍翠的歌斐木被砍倒、成为方舟的一部分，为进到方舟里的所有人挡住了审判的水。同样，耶稣基督被钉十字架的死，成为了使我们躲避审判的墙。如今，审判不能越过耶稣基督的肉体临到我们。

虽然我们知道耶稣基督所做的事情，但如果不知道其中为我们成就的秘密，我们只能因为罪倍受折磨。但如今，不管我们犯过什么样的罪，再也不用为罪痛苦，被罪折磨了。对于我们犯过的所有罪的审判，在十字架上都已经结束了。因为耶稣基督在十字架上充分接受了我们为罪应该受的刑罚。

现在我们不是要为罪惧怕、担忧，而是应该相信在十字架上结束刑罚的耶稣基督，安心地、带着感谢的心，过将荣耀归于神的生活。愿我们记住，这就是神向我们所怀的旨意。