Sweet Water 甜水

EXODUS 15
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
他们到了玛拉，不能喝玛拉的水，因为水是苦的，所以那地方名叫玛拉。

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
百姓向摩西发怨言，说：“我们喝什么呢？”

25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
摩西呼求耶和华，耶和华指示他一棵树，他把树丢在水里，水就变甜了。

SWEET WATER
甜水

There are many pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament, indeed it is filled with them, every page and virtually every situation points to Jesus.
旧约中有许多关于耶稣的预表，事实上，圣经的每一页、几乎每一个情境都指向耶稣。

Look at this situation for instance, the human race is desperate to find water, any water, to satisfy its thirst, but in reality, it finds none.
例如这个情境，人类迫切地寻找水，任何水，来满足他们的渴，但实际上，他们找不到。

When it finds water, it is bitter and they are unable to drink it, every water trough provided by the world leaves a bitter taste. It is only when people cry out for the living water that they receive it.
当他们找到水时，水是苦的，他们无法喝下，世界上提供的每一个水槽都留下苦涩的味道。只有当人们呼求活水时，他们才能得到它。

The water has been made sweet by the log, remember that many years later, Jesus the righteous one was nailed to two to three logs, He made the bitterness of sin into sweet communion with God.
水因那棵树而变甜，记住多年以后，公义的耶稣被钉在两三根木头上，他将罪的苦涩变为与神的甜美交通。

The Samaritan woman asked Him this question:
撒玛利亚妇人问他这个问题：

John 4:11
English Standard Version

11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
妇人对他说：“先生，你没有打水的器具，井又深，你从哪里得那活水呢？

It can only come from Jesus.
这只能从耶稣而来。

Jesus says in John’s gospel chapter 7:
耶稣在约翰福音第7章中说：

Rivers of Living Water
活水之江

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
在节期的最后一天，也是最大的日子，耶稣站起来大声说：“若有人渴了，可以到我这里来喝。”

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
凡信我的人，正如圣经所说：“从他心中将流出活水的江河。”

39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
他这话是指着信他之人要受的圣灵说的；那时圣灵还没有赐下，因为耶稣尚未得荣耀。

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ makes the bitter waters of sin sweet, but you have to throw the log into the water.
主耶稣基督的福音使罪的苦水变甜，但你必须将那棵树丢进水里。

Faith is needed to activate God’s grace.
需要信心来激活神的恩典。

Romans 3:22-28
罗马书 3:22-28

Is a great passage, it shows that it is faith alone that activates God’s grace.
这是一个很重要的段落，它表明单单靠信心就能激活神的恩典。

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
神的义，借着信耶稣基督，赐给一切相信的人，没有分别。
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀；

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
如今却蒙神的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白地称义。

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
神设立耶稣作挽回祭，是凭着耶稣的血，借着人的信，要显明神的义；因为神用忍耐的心宽容人先时所犯的罪，

26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
好在今时显明他的义，使他自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义。

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
既是这样，我们有什么可夸的呢？没有了。靠什么律法呢？靠行为吗？不是，乃是靠信心的律法。

We are saved by faith alone, Christ alone saves us by His grace alone.
我们单靠信心得救，单靠基督借着他的恩典救我们。

The log is cast into the bitter waters, the sting of sin is made sweet by the blood of the Lamb.
那棵树被丢进苦水里，罪的毒刺因羔羊的血而变甜。

What a wonderful picture.
多么美妙的画面。

Don’t complain, cast the log into the water and be cleansed from your sin, your life will be changed as rivers of living waters flow out of you.
不要抱怨，将那棵树丢进水里，你的罪将被洁净，你的生命将改变，活水的江河将从你心中流出。

Come to Christ and drink of the water that can satisfy your deepest longing.
来到基督面前，喝那能满足你最深渴望的水。

God bless you
愿神祝福你