避免自誇

前兩天雪城舊友寄給傑明和輕舟以下短文，用以鼓勵輕舟度過難關，我們看了很受啟發，今夜抽空將故事翻譯為中文，並查經，找到《聖經》有關自誇和謙卑的經文，一並與友們分享。

 

避免自誇

 

“哈曼將他富厚的榮耀，眾多的兒女，和王抬舉他使他超乎首領臣仆之上，都述說給他們聽。"-《以斯帖記》5:11

 

1815年6月18日早晨，拿破侖將他的法國軍隊聚集到滑鐵盧的比利時村莊，距離布魯塞爾南部約9英裏。在拿破侖領導之下，他有7萬兩千多善戰的士兵。他的敵人是由英國，荷蘭，比利時，普魯士組成的，約十一萬三千聯合軍隊。拿破侖本計劃兩天前突擊，但大暴雨阻止了他的攻擊。但即使沒能突襲，法國獨裁者也對戰事勝利而自信。

 

18日破曉，拿破侖自誇他能夠將聯合軍徹底打敗。那天早晨的軍事日記上，拿破侖稱呼威靈頓公爵是“純粹的印度軍指揮”（比如：僅僅適合在印度作戰），還自誇他能在午餐前贏得戰役。

 

因土地過於泥濘，法國大炮安置被延遲，上午時間拖延著。到了近中午，法國大炮發射。英國此時已經加強戰備，為最糟的情形作好準備。整個戰役，雙方時強時弱，不分勝負。一直處於備用狀態的普魯士士兵，此時衝到戰場。到晚上9時，法國經曆了曆史上最慘痛的大敗戰。

 

拿破侖的傲慢和自誇是否也同樣進入了你的生活？今天在禱告中，坦白承認你自誇的罪，讓你的能力和信心都來源於基督耶穌。

 

“恩典擋住自誇的口，將所有的誇耀都一並拒於口外。”-- 查爾斯司布真

 

《聖經》有關自誇與謙卑的經文：

“不要為明日自誇，因為一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。”- 《箴言》27：1

“他譏誚那好譏誚的人；賜恩給謙卑的人。 ”《箴言》3：34

“驕傲來，羞恥也來；謙遜人卻有智慧。”《箴言》11：2

“驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前。心裏謙卑與窮乏人來往，強如將擄物與驕傲人同分。”《箴言》16：18-19

“凡自高的，必降為卑；自卑的，必升為高。”-《馬太福音》23:12

"但他賜更多的恩典，所以經上說：“　神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。”" - 《雅各書》4:6

 

故事英文原文：

Avoid Boasting

“Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.” - Esther 5:11

On the morning of June 18, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte massed his French troops on the fields near the Belgian village of Waterloo, just about 9 miles south of Brussels. Under his command, Napoleon had some 72,000 battle tested men. His enemy was an Allied army of 113,000 British, Dutch, Belgian, and Prussian troops. Napoleon had planned to have a surprise attack the day before, but heavy rainfall delayed his attack. But even without the element of surprise, the French dictator was confident in his victory.

As morning dawned on the 18th, Napoleon boasted he would bring a sound defeat to the Allies. Writing in his journal that morning, Napoleon called the Duke of Wellington 'a mere sepoy general' (i.e. one fit for nothing better than fighting in India), and boasted that he'd win the battle by lunchtime.

As the morning dragged on, the soggy field delayed the positioning of the French cannons. Finally near noon, the French cannons erupted. The British were well fortified by this time and prepared for the worst. Throughout the battle, the tide ebbed and flowed. Then the Prussians, who had remained in reserve, rushed to the battle. By 9 p.m., the French had suffered their worst defeat in history.

Has pride and boasting entered into your life? Today in prayer, confess any sin of boasting and let your strength and confidence be in Jesus Christ.

“Grace puts its hand on the boasting mouth, and shuts it once for all.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

 

God's Word:

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” - Proverbs 27:1
"He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." - Proverbs 3:34
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." -Proverbs 11:2
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." - Proverbs 16:18-19

"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

-Matthew 23:12
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." -James 4:6