约书亚记、士师记与路得记隐藏的内在意义
The Hidden, Intrinsic Significance of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth
⑴我们研读旧约的历史和预言时，需要对整本圣经中神为着基督与召会，那终极完成于新耶路撒冷的永远经纶，有全面的观点，完全的看见。这会使我们对神向我们陈明旧约历史，并给我们旧约预言的目的，不仅有更广阔的看见，也得着更深的内在意义。旧约一切历史和预言的观点、中心及内在的意义，必须是基督和祂的身体，这身体要终极完成于新耶路撒冷，为着神永远的经纶。
1. In studying the histories and the prophecies of the Old Testament, we need the full scope, the full view, of the entire Scriptures concerning God's eternal economy for Christ and the church, which consummates in the New Jerusalem. This will render us not only a broader view but also the deeper intrinsic significance of God's purpose in presenting to us the histories and giving us the prophecies of the Old Testament. The scope, the center, and the intrinsic significance of all the histories and the prophecies of the Old Testament must be Christ and His Body, which will ultimately consummate in the New Jerusalem for God's eternal economy.
⑵神要完成祂这样一个永远的经纶，就必须创造诸天为着地，并创造地为着人（亚十二1）。神按着祂的形像，照着祂的样式造人，使人有灵，得以接触祂、接受祂、拥有祂并以祂作为人的生命和内容。可悲的是，这人从神并从神为着祂经纶的定旨堕落了。然后，神从堕落的人类中，拣选了一个名叫亚伯拉罕的人，以及他的后裔，使他们成为独特的子民，在列国（外邦人）中作祂珍贵的选民。神用了四百多年，来产生、构成、形成这样一班选民，顶替亚当的族类，以完成祂永远的经纶。神带祂这样一班选民经过在埃及和旷野的试验和苦难，使他们受训练、受管教，而够资格与祂配合，在这地上为基督取得神所应许的地，并产生合式的人，好把基督生到人类中。为基督据有神应许的地，并产生合式的人，好把基督生到人类中，乃是约书亚记、士师记和路得记这部分旧约历史两个主要的点。这两个主要的点，就是为基督取得地，并为基督预备真实的先祖，乃是约书亚记至路得记之历史的灵。这两点是这段旧约历史隐藏的内在意义。我们对此必须有清楚的异象；否则，我们这三卷书的结晶读经将是徒然的，就像许多犹太或基督徒历史学家、圣经学者和圣经教师的研读一样。
2. For God to accomplish such an eternal economy of His, He needed to create the heavens for the earth, and the earth for man (Zech. 12:1). God created man in His own image and according to His own likeness with a spirit for man to contact Him, receive Him, keep Him, and take Him as man's life and content. It was very sad that this man became fallen from God and from God's purpose for His economy. Then out of the fallen humankind God chose a man by the name of Abraham and his descendants, and He made them a particular people as His dear elect among all the nations (the Gentiles). It took God over four hundred years to produce, constitute, and form such an elect to replace the Adamic race for the fulfilling of His eternal economy. God brought such an elect of His through trials, sufferings, in both Egypt and the wilderness that they might be trained, disciplined, and qualified to coordinate with Him in taking His promised land for Christ on this earth and in providing the proper persons to bring forth Christ into the human race. To take possession of God's promised land for Christ and to provide the proper persons to bring forth Christ into the human race are the two major points of the section of the history in the Old Testament in the three books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. These two main points, to take the land for Christ and to provide the bonafide ancestors for Christ, are the spirit of the history from Joshua to Ruth. They are the hidden, intrinsic significance of this section of the Old Testament history. We have to have a clear vision concerning this. Otherwise, our crystallization-study on these three books will be in vain, just like the studies of so many historians, Bible students, and Scripture teachers, either Jewish or Christian.
⑶我们若靠主的怜悯，看见这样一个异象，这部分旧约的历史就会像新约一样使我们受益。这样一个异象会帮助我们看见，神子民在地上的历史，事实上就是作工的神在祂旧约选民中间奋力活动的历史，甚至是运行的神在祂赎民里奋力活动的历史，使他们与祂一起奋力活动，为着完成神关于基督和祂扩增的永远经纶，这要终极完成于新耶路撒冷。盼望借着这训练，我们都能看见并领悟，我们的生活、日常行事、求学、职业和事业，都必须是神今天在地上，在祂美妙且超绝行动中之历史的一部分。要作一个正常的基督徒，作今日的得胜者，答应主当前的呼召，并应付主在祂恢复里当前的需要，仅仅作一个所谓的好弟兄或好姊妹，经常参加召会聚会，行为正直，过一种在人看来相当完全的生活，根本是不够的。当神在祂的历史中，在爱祂的得胜者里行动并奋力活动时，我们必须与神是一；这就是说，在生命上，在生活上，并在我们今天地上全部的行动上，我们都必须与神是一。我们必须写神今天的历史！我们必须与那奋力活动的神是一而一同往前！在祂里面！同着祂！凭着祂！也是为着祂！我们必须是有活力的、活泼的、活动的！我们必须作今日的约书亚和迦勒，为基督据有神所应许之地为业，使我们得以成为祂的产业！我们必须作今日的路得，转向神的经纶，进入以马内利之地，与基督成为婚配，使我们得以生出基督，来应付人今日的需要。这该是约书亚记、士师记、路得记这三卷书的内在意义。这次训练的结果，该是为基督得着神所应许之地，并生出超绝的基督，以应付神与人今日的需要。
3. If by the Lord's mercy we would see such a vision, this section of the history in the Old Testament will benefit us the same as the New Testament does. Such a vision will help us to see that the history of God's people on the earth is actually the history of the working God energizing among His chosen people in the Old Testament and even the history of the operating God energizing in His redeemed people and having them to energize together with Him for the accomplishment of His eternal economy concerning Christ and His increase, which will consummate in the New Jerusalem. I hope that through this training we all can see and realize that our living, our daily walk, our schooling, our job, and our business must be a part of God's history in His marvelous and excellent move on the earth today. To be a normal Christian, to be one of today's overcomers, to answer the Lord's present calling, and to meet the Lord's present need in His recovery, it is altogether not sufficient to just be a so-called good brother or good sister, attending the church meetings regularly, behaving rightly, and living a life that is somewhat perfect in the eyes of men. We need to be one with God in His history, moving and energizing in His loving overcomers, in life, in living, and in our entire doing today on this earth! We need to write God's today's history! We need to march on as one with the energizing God! In Him! With Him! By Him! And for Him! We need to be vital! Living! And Active! We need to be today's Joshuas and Calebs to take possession of the Godpromised land for Christ that we may become His possession! We need to be today's Ruths to turn to God's economy, to enter into the land of Immanuel, and to marry ourselves to Christ that we may bring forth Christ to meet men's need today. This should be the intrinsic significance of these three books Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. The issue of this training should be the gaining of the God-promised land for Christ and the bringing forth of the excellent Christ to meet today's need of both God and men.