The First Time – 第一次

JOB 42

Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 “I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent[a] in dust and ashes.”

【伯42:1】约伯回答耶和华说：
【伯42:2】“我知道你万事都能作，你的旨意不能拦阻。
【伯42:3】谁用无知的言语使你的旨意隐藏呢？我所说的是我不明白的；这些事太奇妙是我不知道的。
【伯42:4】求你听我，我要说话；我问你，求你指示我。
【伯42:5】我从前风闻有你，现在亲眼看见你。
【伯42:6】因此我厌恶自己（“自己”或作“我的言语”），在尘土和炉灰中懊悔。”

THE FIRST TIME
第一次

One of my favourite songs is the first time by Mercy me. It sort of sums up this passage.
我最喜欢的歌曲之一是 Mercy me（注：北美的一个基督教乐队） 的《第一次》。算是总结了这段经文。

When we meet Job in chapter 1, he seems like a mature believer, but through his suffering, he can have his eyes opened to the true majesty and power of God.
当我们在第一章中见到约伯时，他似乎是一个成熟的信徒，但通过他的苦难，他可以看到上帝真正的威严和力量。

You know,  we can know all about God in theory, in head knowledge, but we have to encounter him dynamically and directly.
你知道，我们可以从理论上、头脑中了解上帝的一切，但我们必须动态地、直接地与他相遇。

Could Job of come to this realisation if he hadn’t gone through all he had been through, probably not. To teach us and stretch us, God has to put us through the fire, not to hurt us, but to burn off all the dross and unwanted things from our lives.
如果约伯没有经历过他所经历的一切，他会意识到这一点吗？也许不会。为了教导我们、拓展我们，神必须让我们经历火，不是为了伤害我们，而是为了烧掉我们生命中所有的渣滓和不想要的东西。

Job felt like many new believers do, a stunning realisation of God’s majesty and power, a freshness and joy that no one could contain.
约伯的感觉就像许多新信徒一样，他对神的威严和能力有着惊人的认识，一种无人能拦阻的新鲜感和喜乐。

Look at what it made him do; Come to a realisation that he was nothing and God was everything, come to a place of repentance, an ability to forgive the three loudmouths, his so called friends.
看看这让他做了什么；认识到自己什么都不是，上帝就是一切，开始悔改，有能力宽恕三个“大嘴巴”，他所谓的“朋友”。

What did God do?. He gave him twice as much.
神做了什么？他补偿了他两倍。

May you and I come to not just know God in the hearing of the ear, but may our eyes see the glory, beauty and majesty of God.
愿你我不仅能通过耳朵来认识神，也能让我们的眼睛看到神的荣耀、美丽和威严。

Here are the words to the song;
这是这首歌的歌词；

Day after day
I try to explain You
Like I can contain You in so many words
You are the ocean
And I’m on the shoreline
Thinking I know you like You could be learned
It’s so amazing that You’d ever save me
I thought I knew Your face
I thought I tasted grace
But I had never felt anything close to this
Just when I’d seen it all
New mercy breaks the dawn
With my eyes open wide
It feels like the first time, first time
It feels like the first time, first time
日复一日
我试着解释你
就像我可以用很多言语来包容你一样
你是海洋
而我在海岸线上
我以为我了解你，就像你可以被了解一样
真是太神奇了，你居然救了我
我以为我认识你的脸
我以为我尝到了恩典的滋味
但我从未有过类似的感受：
就在我觉得自己已经认识了你所有的时候
新的慈悲破晓
我睁大眼睛
感觉就像是第一次，第一次（经历你的恩典）
感觉就像是第一次，第一次

This sums up Job’s words and sum up my thoughts, God is so much bigger than me. He is the ocean and I’m on the shoreline.
这总结了约伯的话，也总结了我的想法，神比我大得多。他是大海，我是海岸线。

Job thought he had tasted grace, but he had never come face to face with the living God.
约伯以为他已经尝到了恩典的滋味，但他从未与永生神面对面。

We need to meet with God, not just know Him in theory, but to meet him in person through constant communion and quietness.
我们需要与神相会，不只是在理论上认识他，而是通过不断的交通和安静来亲自与他相会。

May you and I have that deep communion, He desires it, but DO WE?
愿你和我有那种与上帝深刻的团契，他渴望这样，但是我们有渴望吗？

GOD BLESS YOU
上帝祝福你