第十一篇 波阿斯与路得预表基督与召会
Boaz and Ruth Typifying Christ and the Church
读经：得一16~17，二1~3、13~16，三9、12、15，四1~17、21~22
壹 在约书亚记至路得记这段以色列人历史的开始和结束，有两个显著的人物预表基督；这两个人就是约书亚和波阿斯，他们表征一个人的两方面─书一1，得四21~22：
I. At the beginning and at the end of the portion of Israel's history from Joshua to Ruth are two prominent persons typifying Christ; these persons are Joshua and Boaz, who signify two aspects of one person—Josh. 1:1; Ruth 4:21-22:
一 在开始时，约书亚预表基督，将神所拣选的人带进神命定的福分里；如约书亚所预表的，基督已经把我们带进美地，也为我们取得那地，并将那地分给我们作产业，给我们享受；基督已经为我们得着美地，至终祂就是美地，给我们享受。
A. At the beginning Joshua typifies Christ in bringing God's chosen people into God's ordained blessings; as typified by Joshua, Christ has brought us into the good land, has taken possession of the land for us, and has allotted the land to us as our inheritance for our enjoyment; Christ has gained the good land for us, and eventually, He is the good land for us to enjoy.
二 在结束时，波阿斯预表基督是我们的丈夫，作了我们的满足。
B. At the end Boaz typifies Christ as our Husband for our satisfaction.
贰 在路得记，波阿斯预表基督以下几方面：
II. In the book of Ruth, Boaz typifies Christ in the following aspects:
一 波阿斯是富有且慷慨给与的人（二1、14~16，三15），预表基督有追测不尽的神圣丰富，并且以祂全备的供应照顾神穷乏的子民（弗三8，路十33~35，腓一19）。─引用经文
A. As a man, rich in wealth and generous in giving (2:1, 14-16; 3:15), Boaz typifies Christ, whose divine riches are unsearchable and who takes care of God's needy people with His bountiful supply (Eph. 3:8; Luke 10:33-35; Phil. 1:19).
二 波阿斯是路得的亲人（得二3，三9、12），赎回玛伦失去的产权，并且娶了玛伦的寡妇路得为妻，以产生必需的后嗣（四9~10、13），预表基督救赎召会，使召会成为祂的配偶，好叫祂得着扩增（弗五23~32，约三29~30）。─引用经文
B. As the kinsman (Ruth 2:3; 3:9, 12) who redeemed the lost right to Mahlon's property and took Mahlon's widow, Ruth, as his wife for the producing of the needed heirs (4:9-10, 13), Boaz typifies Christ, who redeemed the church and made the church His counterpart for His increase (Eph. 5:23-32; John 3:29-30).
三 按照路得记，波阿斯赎回路得并赎回她的长子名分；因此，他成了基督一位显著的先祖─得四1~17、21~22，太一5~6：
C. According to the book of Ruth, Boaz redeemed Ruth and redeemed her birthright; hence, he became a notable forefather of Christ—4:1-17, 21-22; Matt. 1:5-6:
1 你既是弟兄，是波阿斯，就该顾到别人的基督长子名分，不该单顾自己的长子名分；换句话说，你不仅该顾到自己对基督的享受，也该顾到别人对基督的享受─弗三2，彼前四10~11，太二四45~47。
1. As a brother and a Boaz, you should take care of others' birthright of Christ, not only your own birthright; in other words, you should not only take care of your own enjoyment of Christ but also others' enjoyment of Christ—Eph. 3:2; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; Matt. 24:45-47.
2 假定在召会生活中有些亲爱的圣徒成了像路得一样，失去了对长子名分的享受，就是对基督的享受，我们需要在召会生活里有许多波阿斯，把这些亲爱的圣徒带回对基督的享受里。
2. Suppose some dear ones in the church life become like Ruth, losing the enjoyment of their birthright, their enjoyment of Christ; we need to have a number of Boazes in the church life to bring these dear saints back into the enjoyment of Christ.
3 路得记告诉我们，有另一个亲属与路得的关系比波阿斯更近，但那人自私自利，只顾自己的长子名分：
3. The book of Ruth tells us that there was another kinsman who was even closer to Ruth than Boaz was, but that man was selfish; he only took care of his own birthright:
a 有些弟兄该顾到召会生活中像可怜的“路得”那样的人，但他们在对基督的属灵享受上很自私─结三四2~23。
a. Some brothers should take care of ones who are like poor "Ruths" in the church life, but they are selfish in the spiritual enjoyment of Christ—Ezek. 34:2-23.
b 有人是真波阿斯，在对基督的享受上是丰富的，他愿意付代价，将那样的圣徒带进对基督完满的享受里；借着这样牧养别人，他就对基督有更多的享受，甚至对基督有最大享受；一天过一天，我们该顾到别人对基督的享受─箴十一25，徒二十35，彼前五1~4。
b. Someone who is a real Boaz and is rich in the enjoyment of Christ will pay the price to bring such saints into the full enjoyment of Christ; by shepherding others in this way, he will have even more enjoyment of Christ, the greatest enjoyment of Christ; day by day we should take care of others' enjoyment of Christ—Prov. 11:25; Acts 20:35; 1 Pet. 5:1-4.
四 那些成为像波阿斯的人，在召会生活乃是柱子（圣殿其中一根柱子名叫“波阿斯”─王上七21）；在圣经里，柱子是神建造的标记、见证，神的建造乃是借着在实行身体生活中被变化而成的─创二八22上，王上七15~22，加二9，提前三15，启三12，罗十二2，弗四11~12：
D. Those who become like Boaz are pillars in the church life (one of the pillars in the temple was named "Boaz"—1 Kings 7:21); in the Scriptures the pillar is a sign, a testimony, of God's building through transformation in practicing the Body life—Gen. 28:22a; 1 Kings 7:15-22; Gal. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 3:12; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:11-12:
1 那些在召会生活中是柱子的人，乃是一直在神的审判（铜）之下，领悟他们是在肉体里的人，一无价值，只配死与埋葬─诗五一5，出四1~9，罗七18，太三16~17：
1. Those who are pillars in the church life are constantly under God's judgment (bronze), realizing that they are men in the f lesh, worthy of nothing but death and burial—Psa. 51:5; Exo. 4:1-9; Rom. 7:18; Matt. 3:16-17:
a 我们必须断定自己是一无所是的，只够资格钉死；我们无论是什么，都是因着神的恩，并且劳苦的不是我们，乃是神的恩─林前十五10，加二20，彼前五5~7。
a. We must judge ourselves as nothing and as being qualified only to be crucified; whatever we are, we are by the grace of God, and it is not we who labor but the grace of God—1 Cor. 15:10; Gal. 2:20; 1 Pet. 5:5-7.
b 信徒中间的分裂和不结果子，都是因为没有铜，没有什么是经过神审判的；反而有骄傲、自夸、自我表白、自我称义、自我称许、自找借口、自义、定罪别人、规律别人，而不牧养人、寻找人─太十六24，路九54~55。
b. The reason for both division and fruitlessness among believers is that there is no bronze, nothing of God's judgment; instead, there is pride, self-boasting, self-vindication, self-justification, self-approval, self-excuse, self-righteousness, condemning others, and regulating others instead of shepherding and seeking them—Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:54-55.
c 我们爱主并经历祂是那样子像铜的人（结四十3），祂就成为我们超凡的爱、极广的宽恕、无上的信实、尽致的卑微、绝顶的纯洁、至圣至义、光明正大─腓四5~8。
c. When we love the Lord and experience Him as the man of bronze (Ezek. 40:3), He will become our extraordinary love, boundless forbearance, unparalleled faithfulness, absolute humility, utmost purity, supreme holiness and righteousness, and our brightness and uprightness—Phil. 4:5-8.
2 殿里柱子的柱顶有“装修的格子网〔如格子架〕和拧成的链索形成的花圈”；这些表征错综复杂的光景，而那些在神建造中作柱子的人，在其中生活并承担责任─王上七17，林后一12，四7~8。
2. On the capitals of the pillars in the temple, there were "nets of checker work [like a trellis] with wreaths of chain work"; these signify the complicated and intermixed situations in which those who are pillars in God's building live and bear responsibility—1 Kings 7:17; 2 Cor. 1:12; 4:7-8.
3 柱顶上有百合花和石榴─王上七18~20：
3. On the top of the capitals were lilies and pomegranates—1 Kings 7:18-20:
a 百合花表征信靠神的生活，就是凭神之于我们的所是，不凭我们的所是而过生活；铜的意思是“不是我”，百合花的意思是“乃是基督”─歌二1~2，太六28、30，林后五4，加二20。
a. Lilies signify a life of faith in God, a life of living by what God is to us, not by what we are; the bronze means "not I," and the lily means "but Christ"—S. S. 2:1-2; Matt. 6:28, 30; 2 Cor. 5:4; Gal. 2:20.
b 柱顶花圈上的石榴，表征那作生命的基督之丰富的丰满、丰盛、美丽和彰显─腓一19~21上，弗一22~23，三19。
b. The pomegranates on the wreaths of the capitals signify the fullness, the abundance and beauty, and the expression of the riches of Christ as life—Phil. 1:19-21a; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19.
c 借着格子网的除去和拧成之链索的限制，我们就能过信靠神的单纯、简单生活，彰显基督神圣生命的丰富，为着神在生命里的建造。
c. Through the crossing out of the network and the restriction of the chain work, we can live a pure, simple life of trusting in God to express the riches of the divine life of Christ for God's building in life.
叁 在这明亮而芬芳的故事里，路得在以下几方面预表召会：
III. In this bright and aromatic story, Ruth typifies the church in the following ways:
一 路得在神的创造里，在亚当里是女人，在人的堕落里是摩押女子（一个罪人），因而成了旧人，具有这两面，预表召会在得救之前，是神创造里的人，也是在人的堕落里的罪人，乃是“我们的旧人”─罗六6。
A. Ruth, being a woman in Adam in God's creation and a Moabitess (a sinner) in man's fall, thus becoming an old man with these two aspects, typifies the church, before her salvation, as men in God's creation and sinners in man's fall being "our old man"—Rom. 6:6.
二 路得是寡妇，死了丈夫，为波阿斯所赎回；波阿斯清理了路得已死丈夫的债务，恢复她已死丈夫所失去的产权（得四9~10）；因此路得预表蒙了基督救赎的召会，而召会的旧人乃是已经被钉十字架的丈夫（罗七4上，六6）；基督清理了召会旧人的罪（约一29），好恢复神所创造而堕落之天然人所失去的权利（创一26，赛五四5）。─引用经文
B. Ruth, being the widow of the dead husband, redeemed by Boaz, who cleared the indebtedness of her dead husband for the recovery of the lost right of her dead husband's property (Ruth 4:9-10), typifies the church with her old man as her crucified husband (Rom. 7:4a; 6:6) redeemed by Christ, who cleared away her old man's sin (John 1:29) for the recovery of the lost right of her fallen natural man created by God (Gen. 1:26; Isa. 54:5).
三 路得被波阿斯赎回以后，成了他的新妻子（得四13），预表召会得救以后，因着召会天然的人得了重生（约三6下）而成了基督的配偶（29上，罗七4）。─引用经文
C. Ruth, after being redeemed by Boaz, becoming a new wife to him (Ruth 4:13) typifies the church, after being saved, through the regeneration of the church's natural man (John 3:6b), becoming the counterpart of Christ (v. 29a; Rom. 7:4).
四 路得拣选跟随拿俄米到以色列地（得一16~17），并与波阿斯联结，预表外邦罪人联于基督（林后一21），使他们有分于神应许的产业（弗三6）。─引用经文
D. Ruth, choosing to follow Naomi to the land of Israel (Ruth 1:16-17) and being united to Boaz, typifies the Gentile sinners being attached to Christ (2 Cor. 1:21) that they may partake of the inheritance of God's promise (Eph. 3:6).
肆 波阿斯（预表基督是我们的新丈夫）和路得（预表召会，其旧人乃是已经被钉十字架的丈夫）的图画，是保罗在罗马七章一至六节所说的：─引用经文
IV. The picture of Boaz (typifying Christ as our new Husband) and Ruth (typifying the church with her old man as her crucified husband) is spoken of by Paul in Romans 7:1-6:
一 在神的创造里，人原初的地位是妻子的地位；以赛亚五十四章五节说，造我们的神是我们的丈夫；我们是神的妻子，必须倚靠祂，并以祂为我们的头。─引用经文
A. In God's creation man's original position was that of a wife; Isaiah 54:5 says that God our Maker is our Husband; as a wife to God, we must depend upon Him and take Him as our Head.
二 人堕落时，取了另一个地位，就是旧人自取的地位（旧人乃是我们这个由神所创造，却因罪而堕落的人）；神所造的人是妻子，但堕落的人向神独立，并且自立为头，为丈夫。
B. When man fell, he took another position, the self-assuming position of the old man (our very being which was created by God but became fallen through sin); the man created by God was a wife, but the fallen man became independent of God and made himself the head as the husband.
三 我们的旧人，就是旧丈夫，既与基督同钉十字架（罗六6），我们就脱离了他的律法（七2~4），并且归与新丈夫，就是那永活者基督。─引用经文
C. Since our old man, who was the old husband, has been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6), we are freed from his law (7:2-4) and are joined to the new Husband, Christ, as the ever-living One.
四 我们信徒有两种身份：
D. As believers, we have two statuses:
1 我们有堕落旧人的旧身份，我们的旧人离弃了信靠神之原初正确的地位，擅自取了作丈夫，作头，向神独立的地位。
1. We have our old status as the fallen old man, who left the original position of a wife, dependent on God, and took the self-assuming position of a husband and head, independent of God.
2 我们有作为重生之新人的新身份，恢复到我们作神真正妻子之原初正确的地位（赛五四5，林后十一2~3），倚靠神，以祂为我们的头。─引用经文
2. We have our new status as the regenerated new man, restored to our original and proper position as the genuine wife to God (Isa. 54:5; 2 Cor. 11:2-3), dependent on Him and taking Him as our Head.
五 我们因为已经钉了十字架（加二20，罗六6），就不再有丈夫的旧身份；现今我们只有正确妻子的新身份，以基督为我们的丈夫，不该再凭旧人活着（不该再以旧人为我们的丈夫）。─引用经文
E. We no longer have the old status of the husband, for we have been crucified (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:6); we now have only the new status of the proper wife, in which we take Christ as our Husband, and should no longer live according to the old man (no longer taking the old man as our husband).
六 在罗马七章四节，保罗将葬礼和婚礼放在一起；一面，我们埋葬了；另一面，我们结婚了；我们照着旧身份已经是死的了，叫我们照着新身份归与别人；照着我们的新身份，我们归与那从死人中复活的，使我们结果子给神。─引用经文
F. In Romans 7:4 Paul puts together a funeral and a wedding; on the one hand, we were buried; on the other hand, we were married; we were made dead according to our old status that we might marry another according to our new status; according to our new status, we marry Him who has been raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit to God.
七 我们的旧人，就是旧丈夫，既与基督同钉十字架，叫我们“归与别人，就是归与那从死人中复活的，使我们结果子给神”（4）；归与，指明我们在作妻子的新身份里，在人位、名义、生命和存在上，与基督在祂的复活里有生机的联结。
G. Our old man, our old husband, has been crucified with Christ, so that we "might be joined to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit to God" (v. 4); this joining indicates that in our new status as a wife, we have an organic union in person, name, life, and existence with Christ in His resurrection.
八 身为重生的新人和基督的妻子，我们一切的所是和所作，现今都与神有关，并且祂是我们所结的果子，我们生命的满溢；这与结果子给死（5）不同，那是从前我们作旧人，作旧丈夫所结的。─引用经文
H. As the regenerated new man and the wife to Christ, everything we are and do is now related to God, and God is brought forth by us as the fruit, the overflow, of our life; this is in contrast to the fruit born to death (v. 5), which was previously brought forth by us as the old man, the old husband.
九 如今我们归与复活的基督，祂是我们灵里赐生命的灵；这是“那灵……同我们的灵”（八16）联合成为“一灵”（林前六17）：─引用经文
I. We are now joined to the resurrected Christ as the life-giving Spirit in our spirit; this is the joining of "the Spirit…with our spirit" (8:16) as "one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17):
1 我们该将我们的全人转向并置于这联结的灵─罗八6下。
1. We should have our whole being turned to and set on this joined spirit—Rom. 8:6b.
2 我们也该照着这联结的灵生活并行事为人─4节。
2. We should also live and walk according to this joined spirit—v. 4.
3 我们这样活在这联结的灵里，就能活出基督的身体，成为基督团体的彰显，使三一神得着荣耀─弗一23，三21，林前十31，彼前四11，启二一10~11。
3. When we thus live in this joined spirit, we can live out the Body of Christ to become the corporate expression of Christ for the glory of the Triune God—Eph. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Pet. 4:11; Rev. 21:10-11.