Rev Xi An Poon
親愛的家人，平安。
今天我們讀到創世記第12章，看見一個很重要的轉折。
創世記1–11章讓我們看見，人犯罪之後，越來越想靠自己建立安全感。到了巴別塔，人說：「我們要建城、建塔、傳揚自己的名，免得分散。」人想靠自己的力量、自己的團體、自己的方法，建立一個不需要倚靠神的保障。
但到了第12章，神呼召亞伯蘭離開本地、本族、父家，往神所要指示他的地方去。這是一條信心的道路，不是靠眼見，不是靠地上的保障，也不是靠自己原本所依附的東西，而是學習一步一步走在神親自的帶領裡。
亞伯蘭進入迦南地之後，先到示劍，神向他顯現，他就在那裡築壇。之後他又到了伯特利東邊、艾的西邊，也在那裡築壇，求告耶和華的名。這讓我們看見，真正走信心道路的人，不只是移動腳步，更是在每一個地方重新敬拜神、倚靠神、尋求神。
但到了創世記12:9，經文說亞伯蘭「漸漸遷往南地去」。接著那地遭遇饑荒，亞伯蘭就下埃及去。這提醒我們，當路越走越順、越來越熟悉、越好像知道自己要怎樣走時，人很容易不知不覺少了求問神，轉向自己的判斷和方法。
今天神藉著亞伯蘭的路提醒我們：信心不是開始時倚靠神，後來就靠自己；信心是每一步都回到神面前，讓神親自帶領。
一、放下依附，聽見神的呼召
神對亞伯蘭說：「你要離開本地、本族、父家。」
這不是單單離開一個地方，而是離開原本的依附。對亞伯蘭來說，本地、本族、父家代表安全感、身分、保障和未來。
今天我們也要問自己：我心裡最依附的是什麼？是人？是經驗？是方法？是過去的成功？還是自己能掌控的安排？
神不是要我們失去安全感，而是要我們把真正的安全感重新放在祂裡面。
二、走到哪裡，在哪裡築壇
亞伯蘭到示劍，神向他顯現，他就在那裡築壇。之後到了伯特利和艾之間，他又築壇，求告耶和華的名。
祭壇代表敬拜，也代表重新把那個地方交給神。
我們每到一個新的階段，也需要在那裡築壇。新的家庭處境、新的工作壓力、新的關係挑戰、新的責任，都不是只靠安排和方法去面對，而是要先帶到神面前。
走信心道路的人，不只是問「下一步去哪裡」，更要問：「我有沒有在這一步重新倚靠神？」
三、越走越順，越要回到神前
亞伯蘭漸漸往南地去，後來因饑荒下埃及。這段經文提醒我們，人最容易忽略神的時候，不一定是在最困難的時候，反而可能是在自己越來越熟悉、越來越有經驗、越來越覺得可以掌握的時候。
當饑荒來到，亞伯蘭選擇下埃及。後來他因害怕而用自己的方法保護自己，顯出他裡面仍有懼怕和軟弱。
這不是要定罪亞伯蘭，而是提醒我們：連信心之父也需要繼續被神塑造。當我們面對壓力、缺乏、關係上的難處、沒有辦法解決的事情時，我們不應該只是立刻尋找自己的「埃及」，而是要先回到神面前。
我們需要求神在沒有辦法的事情上超自然介入，在關係上超自然介入，在人的方法走到盡頭時，讓我們看見這是祂的方法、祂的作為、祂親自的帶領。
總結
創世記第12章提醒我們，神不是呼召亞伯蘭去建立自己的城和自己的名，而是呼召他走進神親自帶領的路。
今天我們也要學習：
放下原本的依附，聽見神的呼召；
走到每一個地方，都重新築壇敬拜；
越走越順的時候，越要回到神面前。
信心的道路不是沒有困難，也不是沒有軟弱，而是在每一個階段都重新讓神掌權。
生命反思
今天，讓我們安靜思想：
我現在最依靠的是神，還是自己熟悉的方法？
我是否在新的階段裡，只忙著安排事情，卻忘記先築壇求告神？
當我面對壓力和困難時，我第一時間是尋求神，還是尋找自己的「埃及」？
我是否相信，在人沒有辦法的地方，神仍然可以超自然介入？
禱告
天父，我們感謝祢，祢是親自呼召、親自帶領我們的神。
求祢幫助我們放下心中錯誤的依附，不再靠自己建立安全感，而是重新把生命交在祢手中。
主啊，無論我們走到哪一個階段，求祢幫助我們在那裡築壇，重新敬拜祢，求告祢的名。
當我們面對饑荒、壓力、關係上的困難，和人沒有辦法解決的事情時，求祢親自介入。讓我們看見，這不是人的方法，乃是祢的方法；不是人的作為，乃是祢的作為。
求祢帶領我們走進祢親自的帶領，使我們的生命成為祝福別人的器皿。
奉主耶穌基督的名禱告，阿們。
創世記 12
1 耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要離開本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。 2 我必叫你成為大國，我必賜福給你，叫你的名為大，你也要叫別人得福。 3 為你祝福的，我必賜福於他；那咒詛你的，我必咒詛他。地上的萬族都要因你得福。」 4 亞伯蘭就照著耶和華的吩咐去了，羅得也和他同去。亞伯蘭出哈蘭的時候年七十五歲。 5 亞伯蘭將他妻子撒萊和侄兒羅得，連他們在哈蘭所積蓄的財物、所得的人口，都帶往迦南地去。他們就到了迦南地。 6 亞伯蘭經過那地，到了示劍地方，摩利橡樹那裡。那時，迦南人住在那地。 7 耶和華向亞伯蘭顯現，說：「我要把這地賜給你的後裔。」亞伯蘭就在那裡為向他顯現的耶和華築了一座壇。 8 從那裡他又遷到伯特利東邊的山，支搭帳篷。西邊是伯特利，東邊是艾。他在那裡又為耶和華築了一座壇，求告耶和華的名。 9 後來亞伯蘭又漸漸遷往南地去。
10 那地遭遇饑荒。因饑荒甚大，亞伯蘭就下埃及去，要在那裡暫居。 11 將近埃及，就對他妻子撒萊說：「我知道你是容貌俊美的婦人， 12 埃及人看見你必說『這是他的妻子』，他們就要殺我，卻叫你存活。 13 求你說你是我的妹子，使我因你得平安，我的命也因你存活。」 14 及至亞伯蘭到了埃及，埃及人看見那婦人極其美貌。 15 法老的臣宰看見了她，就在法老面前誇獎她，那婦人就被帶進法老的宮去。 16 法老因這婦人就厚待亞伯蘭，亞伯蘭得了許多牛、羊、駱駝、公驢、母驢、僕婢。 17 耶和華因亞伯蘭妻子撒萊的緣故，降大災於法老和他的全家。
18 法老就召了亞伯蘭來，說：「你這向我做的是什麼事呢？為什麼沒有告訴我她是你的妻子？ 19 為什麼說她是你的妹子，以致我把她取來要做我的妻子？現在你的妻子在這裡，可以帶她走吧！」 20 於是法老吩咐人將亞伯蘭和他妻子，並他所有的都送走了。
Dear family, peace to you.
Today, as we read Genesis 12, we see a very important turning point
From Genesis 1 to 11, we see that after humanity fell into sin, people increasingly tried to build their own sense of security. By the time of the Tower of Babel, they said, “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower… and make a name for ourselves.” People wanted to depend on their own strength, their own community, and their own methods to build a life that did not need to rely on God.
But in Genesis 12, God called Abram to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household, and to go to the land God would show him. This was a journey of faith. It was not based on what he could see, not based on earthly security, and not based on the things he used to depend on. Abram had to learn to walk step by step under God’s personal leading.
After Abram entered Canaan, he first came to Shechem, where the Lord appeared to him, and Abram built an altar there. Later, he moved to the hills between Bethel and Ai, and there he built another altar and called on the name of the Lord.
This shows us that a person who walks by faith does not only move forward physically. At every new place and every new stage, he learns to worship God again, depend on God again, and seek God again.
But in Genesis 12:9, the Bible says that Abram “set out and continued toward the Negev.” Then the land experienced a famine, and Abram went down to Egypt. This reminds us that when life seems to become smoother, when we feel more experienced, and when we think we know the way forward, we may easily begin to ask God less and depend more on our own judgement and methods.
Today, through Abram’s journey, God reminds us: faith is not depending on God at the beginning and then depending on ourselves later. Faith means returning to God at every step and allowing Him to lead us personally.
- Let Go of Old Dependence and Hear God’s Call
God said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household.”
This was not only about leaving a place. It was about leaving old dependence. For Abram, his country, his people, and his father’s household represented security, identity, protection, and future.
Today, we also need to ask ourselves: What am I depending on most deeply? Is it people? Is it experience? Is it my own methods? Is it past success? Is it the things I can control?
God is not trying to take away our security. He wants us to place our true security back in Him.
- Wherever You Go, Build an Altar There
When Abram came to Shechem, the Lord appeared to him, and he built an altar there. Later, when he came between Bethel and Ai, he built another altar and called on the name of the Lord.
An altar represents worship. It also means bringing that place before God again.
In every new stage of life, we also need to build an altar. A new family situation, new work pressure, new relationship challenge, or new responsibility cannot be handled only by planning and methods. We need to bring these things before God first.
A person who walks by faith does not only ask, “Where is the next step?” He also asks, “Am I depending on God again in this step?”
- The Smoother the Journey Feels, the More We Must Return to God
Abram continued toward the Negev, and later, because of famine, he went down to Egypt. This part of the passage reminds us that people do not only forget God in difficult times. Sometimes we forget God when we become more familiar with the road, more experienced, and more confident in our own ability.
When the famine came, Abram went down to Egypt. Later, because of fear, he used his own method to protect himself. This revealed the fear and weakness still inside him.
This is not to condemn Abram. It is to remind us that even the father of faith still needed to be shaped by God. When we face pressure, lack, relationship difficulties, or situations that we cannot solve, we should not immediately look for our own “Egypt.” We must first return to God.
We need to ask God for supernatural intervention in impossible situations. We need His supernatural intervention in relationships. When human methods come to an end, we need to see that this is His way, His work, and His personal leading.
Summary
Genesis 12 reminds us that God did not call Abram to build his own city or make his own name. God called him to walk in the path of God’s personal leading.
Today, we also need to learn:
Let go of old dependence and hear God’s call.
Wherever we go, build an altar and worship God again.
The smoother the journey feels, the more we must return to God.
The journey of faith does not mean there will be no difficulties or weaknesses. It means that in every stage, we allow God to take His rightful place again.
Life Reflection
Today, let us reflect before God:
Am I truly depending on God, or am I depending on my familiar methods?
In this new stage, am I only busy arranging things, or have I first built an altar and called on God?
When I face pressure and difficulty, do I seek God first, or do I look for my own “Egypt”?
Do I still believe that where human beings have no way, God can still intervene supernaturally?
Prayer
Father, we thank You because You are the God who personally calls us and personally leads us.
Help us to let go of the wrong things we depend on. Teach us not to build our security on ourselves, but to place our lives back into Your hands.
Lord, wherever we go and whatever stage we enter, help us to build an altar there, worship You again, and call on Your name.
When we face famine, pressure, relationship difficulties, and situations that human strength cannot solve, please intervene personally. Let us see that this is not man’s method, but Your method; not man’s work, but Your work.
Lead us forward in Your personal guidance, so that our lives may become a vessel of blessing to others.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Genesis 12
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. 9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”
14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church 
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