Friday, 14th August 2026
Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文
「這是我和以色列人永遠的證據；因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。」
——出埃及記31:17
引言
每個人都渴望活得舒暢，但許多時候，我們卻覺得自己每天都在勉強支撐。
有人把工作看成重擔，覺得如果自己不做，事情便沒有人處理；有人把工作和成就看成生命的全部，從中尋找價值和成功感，以為只要自己足夠努力，便能成就一切。
前者使人疲倦，後者使人驕傲；兩者背後都有同一個問題：以為一切都要靠自己。
出埃及記第25至30章記載神吩咐摩西建造會幕、製作聖物和設立敬拜。到了第31章，神不但說明由誰完成，也說明他們憑甚麼能力完成。
神親自指名比撒列，以祂的靈充滿他，又為他預備亞何利亞伯和其他有智慧的人。然而，在建造開始以前，神又重申安息日的命令。即使正在完成神所吩咐的工作，也必須在神所定的時間停下來。
原來，舒暢的生命不是沒有工作和責任，而是按神的呼召工作、靠神的供應完成，也在神所定的時間安心停下。
過渡句
出埃及記第31章從三方面帶領我們進入神所賜的舒暢：認定神的呼召、倚靠神的供應，並順服神的次序。
一、認定神的呼召，不再用成果證明自己
經文
「看哪，猶大支派中，戶珥的孫子、烏利的兒子比撒列，我已經提他的名召他。」
——出埃及記31:2
「提他的名召他」的原文意思，是神親自指名、選定並委任比撒列。
不是比撒列先為自己爭取這個位置，也不是他先證明自己有足夠資格；而是神按照祂的主權，把建造會幕的使命交託給他。
比撒列的使命不是從他的成就開始，而是從神的呼召開始。神先定下會幕的樣式，再呼召他參與神所要成就的工作。
我們也很容易用成果確定自己的價值：事情做得好，得到別人的認同，便覺得自己有用；事情不順利，便懷疑自己的能力和價值。
然而，神所託付的工作是我們的使命，卻不是我們證明自己的工具。我們不是工作的主人，而是神所設立的管家。我們真正需要問的，不是「我能否比別人做得更好」，而是「神託付了甚麼給我，我是否忠心完成？」
有時我們不能停下來，不是因為神要求我們繼續，而是因為我們害怕失去別人的認同。我們需要分辨：現在承擔的事情，究竟是神所交託的使命，還是自己加在身上的重擔？
舒暢的生命從認定神的呼召開始。當我們知道使命來自神，便不需要與人比較，也不需要用成果證明自己，只需要忠心完成神所託付的部分。
二、倚靠神的供應，不再獨自承擔一切
經文
「我也以我的靈充滿了他，使他有智慧，有聰明，有知識，能做各樣的工。」
——出埃及記31:3
神呼召比撒列之後，沒有讓他單靠自己完成使命。神以祂的靈充滿他，使他有智慧、聰明、知識和各樣工作的能力。
這裡的智慧不只指屬靈知識，也包括設計、雕刻、製造及實際工作的技巧。人的創意、專業和技術，都可以是神所賜的恩典，用來完成祂的旨意。
比撒列可能本來已經有才幹，但神所託付的工作不能只靠天然能力完成。神的靈裝備他，使他能夠按照神所指示的樣式，完成神所吩咐的工作。
我們最大的危險，有時不是甚麼都不懂，而是太熟悉所做的事情。有了經驗便依靠經驗；掌握了方法便依靠方法；過去曾經成功，便以為同樣的方法永遠適用。
我們可能用自己的方法做神的事情，結果工作看似完成了，卻不一定符合神的心意。因此，我們需要經常回到神面前，求問自己正在做的是否出於神，所使用的方法是否符合祂的心意。
神不但裝備比撒列，也為他預備同工：
「我分派但支派中亞希撒抹的兒子亞何利亞伯與他同工。凡心裏有智慧的，我更使他們有智慧，能做我一切所吩咐的。」
——出埃及記31:6
神沒有把所有智慧和能力只賜給一個人。有人負責帶領，有人從旁配搭；有人站在人前，有人在背後忠心服侍。
我們感到疲倦，有時不一定是神給了我們太多工作，而是我們把所有責任都放在自己身上，不肯信任別人，也不懂得接受神藉着別人給我們的幫助。
接受同工並不是承認自己失敗，而是承認神所賜的恩典，不只在我一個人身上。
舒暢的生命不是甚麼都不做，而是不再單靠自己的能力，也不再獨自承擔一切。神所呼召的，祂必裝備；神所託付的，祂也會預備同行的人。
三、順服神的次序，不再讓工作成為生命的一切
經文
「你們務要守我的安息日；因為這是你我之間世世代代的證據，使你們知道我——耶和華是叫你們成為聖的。」
——出埃及記31:13
神吩咐完建造會幕的人選和工作之後，立刻重申安息日的命令。
第13節開頭的「務要」，帶有「然而、特別要留意」的意思。換言之：雖然百姓要建造會幕，仍然必須遵守神的安息日。
即使所做的是神的工作，也不能以此為理由越過神所設立的界線。神所重視的，不只是工作能否完成，也包括人是否按照祂的方式完成。
安息日首先是神與以色列人立約的記號。以色列人停止工作，就是承認他們的時間、生命、工作和將來都在神的主權之下；真正使他們成聖的，不是自己的努力，而是耶和華。
第17節說：
「因為六日之內耶和華造天地，第七日便安息舒暢。」
原文中的「安息」首先是停止工作的意思；「舒暢」帶有喘息、得着舒展的意思。這並不是說神創造天地以後感到疲倦，而是神完成了創造，在第七日停止，並為祂的百姓設立工作與安息的次序。
因此，舒暢首先不是一種感覺，而是一種合乎神心意的生命次序。
出埃及記31章的安息日，首先是神與以色列人所立之約的記號，我們不能把其中所有條例直接套用在今日教會身上。然而，這段經文仍然顯明神所設立的創造次序：人要忠心工作，也要懂得停下來，承認生命、能力和成果都在神手中。
安息不是懶惰或逃避責任，而是停止依靠自己，重新承認神的主權。
我們不能等到所有事情都完成才停下來，因為世上的工作永遠做不完。真正的信靠，是在事情尚未全部完成時，仍願意按照神的次序停下，把未完成的事情交在神手中。
當我們願意停下，就是用行動宣告：
我不是神；即使我停下，神仍然掌權；即使我暫時放手，神仍然工作。
舒暢的生命，是在應當工作的時候忠心工作，在應當停止的時候安心停下，不再讓工作和成就成為生命的一切。
總結
出埃及記第31章讓我們看見，神不但關心祂的工作能否完成，也關心完成工作的人活着怎樣的生命。
神親自指名比撒列，使他知道使命來自神；神以祂的靈裝備他，又為他預備亞何利亞伯和其他有智慧的人，使他不需要獨自承擔；神也為工作設下安息的界線，使百姓知道真正使人成聖、掌管一切的是耶和華。
真正舒暢的生命，不是沒有工作、壓力和責任，而是：
認定神的呼召，不再用成果證明自己；
倚靠神的供應，不再獨自承擔一切；
順服神的次序，不再讓工作成為生命的一切。
我們不需要承擔神沒有交託的事情，也不需要靠自己的能力完成神所託付的事情，更不需要用不停工作來證明自己的忠心。
當我們回到神的呼召、供應和次序中，便能在忠心承擔責任的同時，活出從神而來真正舒暢的生命。
省察
- 我現在所承擔的，真是神交託給我的使命，還是自己加在身上的重擔？
- 在工作和服侍中，我所倚靠的是神所賜的智慧，還是自己的經驗和方法？
- 神是否已經為我預備同工，我卻仍然想獨自控制和承擔一切？
- 當事情尚未完成時，我能否按神的次序停下，相信即使我放手，神仍然掌權？
Key Verse
“It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
—Exodus 31:17, NKJV
Introduction
We all desire to live a refreshed life. Yet many of us feel that we are simply trying to hold everything together each day.
Some people see work as a heavy burden. They believe that if they do not take care of everything, no one else will. Others make work and achievement the centre of their lives. They find their value in success and believe that enough effort and ability can accomplish anything.
The first attitude leads to exhaustion; the second leads to pride. Yet both come from the same problem: believing that everything depends on us.
In Exodus chapters 25–30, God gave Moses detailed instructions concerning the tabernacle, its holy furnishings, the priesthood, and worship. In chapter 31, God explained not only who would do the work, but also where the ability to complete it would come from.
God personally called Bezalel by name, filled him with His Spirit, and provided Aholiab and other skilled workers to serve with him. Yet before the work began, God again commanded Israel to observe the Sabbath. Even when carrying out work commanded by God, they still had to stop at the time appointed by Him.
A refreshed life is not a life without work or responsibility. It is a life that works according to God’s calling, depends upon God’s provision, and rests according to God’s appointed order.
Transition
Exodus 31 shows us three ways to enter the refreshing life God desires for us: recognise God’s calling, depend upon God’s provision, and submit to God’s order.
- Recognise God’s Calling and Stop Proving Your Worth Through Results
Scripture
“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.”
—Exodus 31:2, NKJV
The expression “called by name” means that God personally identified, chose, and appointed Bezalel.
Bezalel did not compete for this position or first prove that he was more qualified than everyone else. God sovereignly entrusted him with the responsibility of building the tabernacle.
Bezalel’s mission did not begin with his achievements. It began with God’s calling. God first determined the design of the tabernacle and then called Bezalel to participate in the work He had already planned.
We often determine our worth by our results. When things go well and others recognise us, we feel useful. When things do not go as expected, we begin to doubt our ability and value.
However, the work entrusted to us by God is our calling; it is not a tool for proving our worth. We are not the owners of the work but stewards appointed by God. The most important question is not, “Can I do this better than someone else?” but, “What has God entrusted to me, and am I faithfully carrying it out?”
Sometimes we cannot stop working, not because God is asking us to continue, but because we fear losing the approval of others. We therefore need to discern whether our present responsibilities are truly entrusted to us by God or are burdens we have placed upon ourselves.
A refreshed life begins by recognising God’s calling. When we know that our mission comes from God, we no longer need to compare ourselves with others or prove our worth through results. We simply need to remain faithful to the part God has entrusted to us.
- Depend Upon God’s Provision and Stop Carrying Everything Alone
Scripture
“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”
—Exodus 31:3, NKJV
After calling Bezalel, God did not leave him to complete the mission through his own ability. God filled him with His Spirit and gave him wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and practical skill.
This wisdom did not refer only to spiritual knowledge. It also included the ability to design, carve, construct, and complete practical tasks. Human creativity, professional knowledge, and technical skills can all be gifts from God, used to accomplish His purposes.
Bezalel may already have possessed natural ability, but the work entrusted to him could not be completed through natural talent alone. God’s Spirit equipped him to follow the pattern God had revealed and to complete the work God had commanded.
Our greatest danger is not always that we know too little. Sometimes it is that we have become too familiar with what we are doing. When we gain experience, we depend upon experience. When we learn a method, we depend upon that method. When something has succeeded in the past, we assume that the same approach will always work.
We may use our own methods to do God’s work. The task may appear to be completed, yet it may not truly reflect God’s will. We therefore need to return continually to God and ask whether our work comes from Him and whether our methods agree with His heart.
God not only equipped Bezalel; He also provided people to work with him:
“And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you.”
—Exodus 31:6, NKJV
God did not place every gift and ability in one person. Some were called to lead, while others served alongside them. Some served publicly, while others worked faithfully behind the scenes.
Sometimes we are exhausted not because God has given us too much work, but because we have placed every responsibility upon ourselves. We may be unwilling to trust others or accept the help God is providing through them.
Accepting the help of others is not an admission of failure. It is an acknowledgement that God’s wisdom and grace have not been given to us alone.
A refreshed life is not a life that does nothing. It is a life that no longer depends only upon personal ability or carries every responsibility alone. Those whom God calls, He equips; and for the work He entrusts, He also provides people to serve alongside us.
- Submit to God’s Order and Stop Making Work Your Whole Life
Scripture
“Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
—Exodus 31:13, NKJV
After appointing and equipping those who would build the tabernacle, God immediately repeated His command concerning the Sabbath.
The word translated “surely” at the beginning of verse 13 can carry the sense of “however” or “above all, take careful notice.” In other words:
Although you are going to build the tabernacle, you must still observe My Sabbath.
This order is important. Even when carrying out God’s work, the Israelites could not use their service as a reason to cross the boundaries God had established.
God was concerned not only that the work should be completed but also that it should be completed in His way.
The Sabbath was first a covenant sign between God and Israel. By stopping their work, the Israelites acknowledged that their time, lives, work, and future were all under God’s authority. It was not their own effort that made them holy; it was the LORD who sanctified them.
Verse 17 says:
“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
The Hebrew word translated “rested” primarily means “ceased” or “stopped working.” The word translated “was refreshed” carries the idea of taking breath and experiencing refreshment.
This does not mean that God became tired after creating the heavens and the earth. God completed His work of creation and ceased on the seventh day, establishing a pattern of work and rest for His people.
True refreshment, therefore, is not merely a feeling. It comes from living according to God’s order.
The Sabbath in Exodus 31 was first a covenant sign between God and Israel. We should not directly apply every part of Israel’s Sabbath law to the church today. Nevertheless, this passage still reveals God’s order in creation: human beings should work faithfully, but they must also know how to stop and acknowledge that their lives, abilities, and results remain in God’s hands.
Rest is not laziness or an escape from responsibility. It means ceasing from self-reliance and acknowledging God’s authority again.
We cannot wait until everything is finished before we stop, because the work of this world is never completely finished. Genuine trust means that even when tasks remain incomplete, we are willing to stop according to God’s order and place what is unfinished into His hands.
When we willingly stop, our actions declare:
I am not God. Even when I stop, God remains in control. Even when I release what I am holding, God continues His work.
A refreshed life means working faithfully when it is time to work and stopping peacefully when it is time to stop. It refuses to allow work and achievement to become the whole of life.
Conclusion
Exodus 31 shows us that God cares not only about whether His work is completed, but also about the kind of life being lived by those who carry it out.
God personally called Bezalel, showing him that his mission came from God. God filled him with His Spirit and provided Aholiab and other skilled workers so that he would not need to carry everything alone. God also established the boundary of Sabbath rest, reminding His people that the LORD alone sanctifies them and remains in control.
A truly refreshed life is not a life without work, pressure, or responsibility. It means:
Recognising God’s calling and no longer proving our worth through results;
depending upon God’s provision and no longer carrying everything alone;
submitting to God’s order and no longer making work the whole of our lives.
We do not need to carry responsibilities God has not entrusted to us. We do not need to complete God’s work through our own strength. Neither do we need to prove our faithfulness by working without stopping.
When we return to God’s calling, provision, and order, we can faithfully carry our responsibilities while living the truly refreshed life that comes from Him.
Reflection
- Are the responsibilities I am carrying truly entrusted to me by God, or are some of them burdens I have placed upon myself?
- In my work and ministry, am I depending upon God’s wisdom or merely upon my own experience and methods?
- Has God already provided people to work with me while I am still trying to control and carry everything alone?
- When some tasks remain unfinished, can I stop according to God’s order and trust that He remains in control even when I let go?
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church 
Leave a comment