Here is a riddle for you：“I am a word that you may see on roadways or medicine bottles, and even on some of your toys! What am I？” Did you guess the word WARNING!”？Why do we need WARNING signs？We need to know of possible danger, don’t we.
請你猜一個謎語：“我是一個字，你能在公路上或藥瓶上看到，在你的一些玩具上也能看到。我是什麼呢？”你猜到這個字是“注意”了嗎？我們為什麼需要“注意”的標誌呢？ 我們需要知道可能出現的危險，不是嗎？
Not long after God created the world, God gave a very serious WARNING to the people of the world. There was danger ahead! Even though people lived much longer back then, they were very much like the people today. They were busy working and playing, getting an education, building homes and cities, traveling, marrying and having families. However, just as most people today, the people back then missed the most important thing：they didn’t believe in the true and living God. As the number of people was increasing, so was their sin! Disobeying parents, hatred, murder, divorce, sexual sin, stealing, violence were all increasing because people had no desire to please God.
在神創造這個世界後不久，神為世人提出一個非常重要的“注意。”就是前面會有危險！儘管那時候的人活的更長，但是他們和現在的人差不多一樣。他們也是忙於工作，玩樂，受教育，蓋房子和建設城市，旅遊，嫁娶和成家。但是，就像現在的許多人一樣，那時的人也錯過了最重要的事：就是他們不相信又真又活的神。當人的數目增長時，他們的罪也隨之增長！不順從父母，恨惡人的，謀殺，離婚，性犯罪，偷盜，暴力都在與日俱增，因為人們一點都不想討神的喜悅。Genesis 6：5 says, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” God saw people living sinful lives, living only to please themselves.You and I are like that too. Isaiah 53：6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way…” When you live to please yourself, that is going your own way. You and I were born with that selfish desire to please ourselves. It is sin when you put your own selfish pleasures ahead of believing and obeying the Lord Jesus. It is sin to make fun of those who do believe in the Lord Jesus and serve Him. WARNING! Romans 6：23 says “The wages of sin is death…” If you do not come to the Lord Jesus with your sin, you must be forever separated from Him and His beautiful Heaven. Instead of enjoying His eternal life, those who refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus will be punished with eternal death.創世紀6：5 說：“耶和華見人在地上罪惡很大，終日所思想的盡都是惡。”神看到世人在過罪惡的日子，而且活著只為他們自己的喜悅。你和我也是如此。以賽亞書53：6 說，“我們都如羊走迷，各人偏行己路...。”當你活著只為使你自己喜悅時，你就是在偏行己路。你和我生來就有自私的意念，只想討自己的喜悅。當你把個人自私的喜好置於相信和順從主耶穌之上時，那就是罪。當你取笑那些相信和事奉主耶穌的人時，那就是罪。注意！羅馬書6∶23說：“ 罪的工價乃是死。。。”如果你不帶著你的罪來到主耶穌的面前，你必會與神和他美麗的天堂永遠隔離。不僅不能享受神的永生，那些拒絕相信主耶穌的人將會受到永死的懲罰。Genesis 6：6 says that the sin of the people “grieved him (God) at his heart.” God had created a beautiful, happy, and perfect world without sin. But man had “corrupted his way upon the earth.” (Genesis 6：12) However, God saw one man who did believe and obey Him! His name was Noah. He was a descendent of Shem, Adam’s third son. And his great grandfather was Enoch, a man who walked with God closely. We know that Enoch’s friendship with God had a great effect on his grandson for Genesis 6：9 tells us that “Noah walked with God.” It was Noah that God chose to tell about His terrible judgment upon sin：“I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air…Make…an ark of gopher wood; ”創世紀6：6說人的罪“使他（神）心中憂傷。”神已經創造了一個沒有罪的美麗，快樂，和完美的世界。但是人已經“在地上都敗壞了行為”（創世紀6：12）但是，神卻看到一個相信和順服他的人！他名叫挪亞。他是亞當第三個兒子塞特的後代。他的曾祖父是以諾，而以諾是一個與神同行的人。創世紀6：9 告訴我們說：“挪亞與神同行”，因此我們知道以諾與神的親密關係對他的孫子產生了重大的影響。神也正是選擇了挪亞來告知神對罪的重大審判："我要將所造的人和走獸，並昆蟲，以及空中的飛鳥，都從地上除滅...要用歌斐木造一隻方舟；”Then God instructed Noah in every detail of this ark. It was to be 450 feet long, that’s as long as 22 railroad cars put together! The ark was to be 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall, higher than a 4 story building! It was to have only one door. It was to be pitched inside and out with tar, which would make the ark waterproof. Noah was to build rooms, or stalls, in the ark. God told Noah that He was going to send a flood to destroy the earth and its people. The ark would be the only place of safety for Noah and his family. God also instructed Noah to take into the ark pairs of every kind of animal and insect and birds, two pairs of some animals and seven of others.然後神指示給挪亞方舟的各個細節。方舟將有450英尺長，大概有22節火車車廂連在一起那麼長。方舟有75英尺寬，45英尺高，比四層樓還要高！但方舟只有一個門。要在方舟的裡外抹上松香，這樣方舟就能防水。挪亞也要在方舟裡建房間和小隔間。神告訴挪亞他要使洪水氾濫在地上，毀滅地和其上的人。對挪亞及其一家來說，方舟將是唯一安全的地方。神也指示挪亞從每種動物，昆蟲和飛鳥中取一對放在方舟裡，有一些動物是取兩對，另外還有其他七個人。Many scientists who believe the Bible say that it had probably never rained before, so Noah could not have been familiar with a normal rain, much less a worldwide flood. And do you suppose he had ever seen an ark before？The ark was not only going to be HUGE, but it would be more like a huge floating box than a boat! Noah must have listened carefully and kept his questions to himself, for Genesis 6：22 says, “…Noah did according to all that God commanded him…”許多相信聖經的科學家說，在那之前可能從沒下過雨，所以挪亞連一般正常的下雨都不知道，更不要說世界範圍的洪水。你認為挪亞在那之前見過方舟嗎？方舟不僅將是巨大無比，而且看起來方舟不象船，倒像一個巨大的漂浮的盒子！挪亞一定是仔細的聽神的指示，把問題都留在心裡，因為創世紀6：22說, "凡神所吩咐的, 挪亞都照樣行了..."Main Truth：If you have believed on the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, God wants you to listen and obey His Word! God uses the Bible to speak to you and me today, and every day we should read it carefully, listening for God to show us what to do. Look for a promise to believe, a warning you should heed, or something God wants you to do. James 1：22 says, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” If you have believed on the Lord Jesus, God wants you to listen and obey His Word. That’s how you walk with God daily. Is it always easy to obey God？Not now, and surely not in Noah’s day!核心真理：如果你已經信靠主耶穌為你的救主, 把你從罪惡中拯救出來, 神要你聽從和順從他的話!今天神藉著聖經對你我說話, 每一天我們都要認真讀經, 聽神要我們做什麼。找一找要我們相信的應許, 要我們留心的警戒, 或者要我們去做的事情。雅各書1：22說, " 只是你們要行道, 不要單單聽道, 自己欺哄自己。"如果你已經信主耶穌基督, 神要你聽和順從他的話。那就是你每天與神同行的方式。順從神總是很容易嗎？現在並不是這樣, 在挪亞的時代更是不容易!Even though Noah was careful to obey God’s instructions in building the ark, it was not easy. There were trees to cut and lumber to prepare. His wife and his three sons would have helped him, but what an enormous task! The people around him were probably laughing and mocking as they passed by his building project. The Bible indicates it took about 120 years to build the ark, and while Noah built the ark, he also must have been preaching and warning the people that God was going to send the flood. The Bible calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. (II Peter 2：5) For 120 years God was trying to warn the people through Noah’s preaching and through seeing the ark being built. God showed His love and patience for the people in warning them for so long about their sin.儘管挪亞在造方舟時很仔細地聽神的指令, 但那並不是容易的事。要砍樹還要準備木材。他的妻子和三個兒子一定在給他幫忙, 但這是一項多麼龐大的任務啊!當挪亞造方舟時, 他周圍的人經過時可能都會笑話和譏笑他。聖經表明挪亞花了120年的時間建好方舟。在挪亞造方舟時, 他一定也在告訴和警戒當時的人----神將降洪水於地上。聖經稱挪亞為傳義道的(彼得後書2：5)。在長達120 年的時間裡, 神通過挪亞的傳道和所建的方舟努力地提醒人們。神如此長久地為人類自己的罪發出警告, 神也顯明瞭他對人類的愛和忍耐。God loves you too! Ephesians 2：4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, …” God not only made you but He loves you and His plan is for you to be with Him forever in Heaven. But God is holy, completely without sin. He will not allow sin in Heaven. Because He loves you, He warns you about your sin and tells you what to do about it. God does not want your sin to keep you away from Him forever.神也愛你!在以弗所書2：4-5 說, "然而神既有豐富的憐憫，因他愛我們的大愛，當我們死在過犯中的時候，便叫我們與基督一同活過來。。。。。"神不僅造了你, 他也愛你, 並且他要你與他永遠地在天堂裡。但是神是聖潔的神, 是完全沒有罪的神。神不容許天堂裡有罪。因為神愛你, 所以他提醒你的罪並告訴你當如何處理你的罪。神不想因你的罪使你與他永遠隔離。God loved the people in Noah’s day, so He used Noah to patiently warn them about the coming punishment for sin. When Noah finished the ark, there was still work to be done. God had told Noah to gather food and store in the ark. After Noah’s family helped him gather food for themselves and all the animals, then it was time to board the ark. God had told Noah to gather the animals, but suddenly here came the animals of every kind, insects and birds, parading by pairs, male and female, into the ark! How did they know there was danger ahead？How did they know the ark was their only place of safety？God their Creator somehow helped them know. God had also helped the people know there was danger ahead by sending Noah to warn them. But the people stubbornly refused to believe God.神愛挪亞時代的人, 所以他通過挪亞耐心地提醒人們, 罪帶來的懲罰即將到來。當挪亞造完方舟時, 還有一些工作要做。神告訴挪亞要收集食物並儲存在方舟裡。神已經告訴挪亞要召集動物, 但是突然之間, 每種動物, 飛蟲, 和鳥類, 都有一對兒過來, 一公一母地進入方舟!他們如何知道即將有危險呢？他們如何知道方舟是他們唯一安全的地方呢？他們的創造主--神一定幫助他們知道的。其實神也幫助人類知道即將有危險, 因為神派挪亞來提醒他們。但是人類卻固執地拒絕相信神。Suddenly, as Noah and his family watched from the inside, the one big door of the ark banged shut. God had shut the door. It was now the end of His merciful warning and the beginning of His terrible judgment on sin. God in His love had made one way for the people to be saved from the punishment of sin, but the people refused to believe and come.當挪亞和他的家人都在方舟裡面觀望時, 方舟的大門突然啪地關上了。神已經把門關上了。此刻, 神的仁慈警告已經結束, 而神對罪的重大審判即將開始。出於對人類的愛, 神為人免於罪的刑罰提供一條出路, 但是人卻拒絕相信和接受。God in His love has made one way for you to be saved from the everlasting punishment of sin. Our ark of safety is the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s perfect Son! When Jesus came down to earth almost 2, 000 years ago, He knew He was coming to take our punishment for sin. Before Jesus went to the cross to die for us, He said, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected…, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9：22) Now the Lord Jesus is in Heaven, and He will never have to die again.出於愛, 神也為你能免於罪的永遠刑罰開了一條出路。。我們安全的方舟就是主耶穌基督, 神的完美的兒子!大概在2000年前, 耶穌降生到世上, 他知道他將要承但我們罪的刑罰。在耶穌走向十字架為我們死之前, 耶穌說, "人子必須受許多苦, 被棄絕, 並且被殺, 第三日復活。" (路加福音9：22)現在, 主耶穌就在天堂裡, 而且他也永遠不會再死。He says, “I am the door：by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” God has given the Lord Jesus Christ as our only ark of safety. The moment you truly believe in Him and ask Him to save you, you are saved from the everlasting death and separation from God.主耶穌說, "我就是門, 凡從我進來的, 必然得救。"神已經賜給我們主耶穌作為我們唯一安全的方舟。當你真心相信他並求他救你的時刻, 你已經被救脫離了永遠的死亡及與神隔絕。 God had made one way for the people to be saved from the flood, but not one of them outside Noah’s family believed and obeyed God’s warning until it was too late. As the heavy rains began to fall, the Bible also says “the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” Scientists who believe the Bible say that this would have included earthquakes, as well as geysers of water, lava, and steam shooting up from cracks in the earth, as the fountains from underground broke up the earth’s crust. Noah and his family, and all the creatures in the ark must have felt the shaking of the earth. As the terrible judgment of God fell upon the earth, many probably screamed in terror, realizing their hopeless condition.神已經為人提供了一條免於洪水的出路, 但是直到最後一刻, 除了挪亞一家，沒有人相信和聽從神的警告。當天上的雨開始降下來的時候, 聖經說, "在同一天, 大淵的泉源都裂開了, 天上的窗戶也敞開了。"相信聖經的科學家說, 這包括地震, 當地下的水泉把地殼衝破時, 天然噴泉, 火山熔岩, 及水蒸氣都從地的裂縫中噴出來。當神的重大審判臨到地上時, 可能有許多人意識到他們無望的處境時，都驚恐地尖叫,The Bible tells us the heavy rains continued for 40 days and nights. During this time, the rising waters caused the ark to begin to float. The ark was not designed to be steered anywhere, just to float. The waters rose until even the highest mountains were completely covered with water. Genesis 7：23 tells us clearly：“And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground…and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” Can you imagine how glad they were that they had believed and obeyed God!聖經告訴我們，大雨持續40晝夜。在那期間, 水往上漲, 把方舟從地上浮起。方舟並不是被設計成駛向某個地方, 而是隻是漂浮在水面上。水位上漲直到最高的山完全被水淹沒。創世紀7：23非常清楚地告訴我們："凡地上各類的活物, 連人帶牲畜、昆蟲，以及空中的飛鳥，都從地上除滅了，只留下挪亞和那些與他同在方舟裡的。"你能想象他們為自己相信和順服神是何等的歡喜嗎？ Are you wondering how God got all those animals on the ark, and how Noah and his family cared for them？Of course we are not sure exactly how it happened, because the Bible does not give us every detail. But scientists who agree that God created the world say that it was no problem to house some of all the animals on the ark, with much room to spare. What about the big dinosaurs？Dinosaurs are reptiles and reptiles continue to grow larger as long as they live. Creation scientists say that perhaps God sent the younger dinosaurs to the ark, and if so, they would not be the larger size.你是否在思想, 神如何把那許多動物弄到方舟裡去的？挪亞和他的家人又是如何照顧那些動物的？當然我們不能完全確信事情的經過, 因為聖經並沒有給我們講述每個細節。但是同意神創造論的科學家認為, 把所有動物的代表放在方舟裡, 並且留出一些空間, 並不是問題。那麼大恐龍呢？恐龍是爬行動物, 爬行動物都是隨著活著的時間繼續長大。創造論的科學家說, 有可能神把小恐龍放在了方舟裡, 如果是那樣的話, 他們的個頭兒不會太大。Many have asked, “How did Noah manage to keep all the animals fed, and how did he keep them from eating each other？” Again, Bible-believing scientists have a very good theory. Since the nature of many animals is to be still and quiet during bad weather, the animals could have gone into something like a hibernating condition. During hibernation animals eat very little. 許多人曾經問過, "挪亞如何餵養那些動物的, 他又如何使那些動物不互相殘殺？"同樣的, 相信聖經的科學家有一個很好的理論。既然動物的天性使動物在惡劣的氣候中保持少動和安靜, 那麼動物也可能都進入了冬眠狀態。在冬眠時, 動物幾乎不用吃東西。Even after the 40 days and nights of rain ended, the Bible tells us it took many months for the water to gradually go down. During the flood and even as the water was receding, the earth had drastically changed its form. Now there were much higher mountains! It was during this time, when the waters were running off rapidly, that the Grand Canyon and other huge canyons of the earth were formed. Scientists who do not believe God’s Word have other explanations, but it is so easy to see how a worldwide flood would have done it! In the strata of these canyons, and mountains, what do you see？You see many, many layers of rock which right after the flood were layers of mud. That mud eventually dried out and hardened into rock. Today you can see the layers packed together with billions and billions of fossils of all kinds of creatures. Those were creatures that died in the flood.即使在40晝夜的大雨停止後, 聖經告訴我們, 過了許多個月地上的水才逐漸退去。在洪水發生和水位退下的過程中, 地的面貌卻大大改變了。那之後出現很多更高的山!正是在那段時間裡, 水沖刷得很厲害, 以至於形成了大峽谷和地球上其他的巨大峽谷。不相信聖經的科學家也有其他的解釋, 但是很容易就能看出，世界範圍的洪水就是形成的原因! 在這些大峽谷和山脈的斷層中, 你看到了什麼呢？你能看到許多許多層的岩石, 這些岩石在大洪水之後曾是一層層的泥。那些泥最終慢慢變幹, 硬化成岩石。今天你能看到, 在岩層中夾有數不清的各種生物的化石。那些化石就是在大洪水中死去的生物。As the waters receded, the ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat, which is in the country of Turkey. Through the years, many people believe they have seen the ark wedged into the side of the mountain!當水退下的時候, 方舟停在了今天土耳其的亞拉臘山。許多年來, 許多人相信他們看到了方舟是夾在山峰中的!The day came when the earth was dry enough, and God told Noah to take everyone out of the ark. Can you imagine the birds flying out, the animals stretching their legs and taking their first run in over a year？Right away Noah built an altar and made an offering to the Lord. As they looked around at a very different world, Noah and his family were so thankful to the Lord for saving them. Then they looked up in wonder to see their first rainbow, stretched across the sky in brilliant bands of color! God had given it as His promise that He would never again destroy the whole earth with a flood.當地完全乾了的那天, 神告訴挪亞把方舟的所有人和生物都放出來。你能想象那些鳥都飛出來, 動物們伸伸腿, 在一年之後第一次跑一跑？隨後, 挪亞馬上建了一座壇, 向神獻祭。當挪亞和他的家人看到一個完全不同的世界時, 他們深深的感謝神救了他們。然後他們驚奇地抬起頭看他們的第一道彩虹, 那彩虹色彩瑰麗橫跨天空!神就是以彩虹立約, 他將不再用洪水毀滅地了。 What a sadness Noah and his family must have felt, as they looked around at a world in which their family of eight were the only inhabitants. If only the people in his day had believed God’s warning, they could have been saved.當挪亞和他的家人看到整個世界只有他們八個人時, 他們一定很難過。如果他那時代的人相信神的警戒就好了, 那樣他們也會得救了。
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