撒母耳记上16:13 “撒母耳就用角里的膏油,在他诸兄中膏了他。从这日起,耶和华的灵就大大感动大卫。撒母耳起身回拉玛去了。”就像以色列人被云和火领着走过旷野一样,圣灵把我们领向基督,领着我们过基督徒的生活。
聪明的童女怀着确定的信前往婚礼。她们对这个旅途很认真,事先考虑了所有可能遇到的问题。在其它寓言中,她们代表好土,代表那些穿着合宜的礼服参加婚筵的人,代表那些把他们的房子建在磐石上的人,代表那些充分利用他们的天资的人。这些人有圣灵住在他们里面,而不只是在他们旁边。
愚拙的童女漫不经心地上了旅途,没有考虑到旅途的代价。她们在有限的程度上接受圣灵的指引,没有足够的属灵的见解,因为没有认真对待旅途,不得不回到出发地。但时间全部流逝,她们就失去了。
这就是那些只在名义上跟随基督的人。当他们因为这个名而遇到困难或迫害的时候,很快就后退了。他们没有付诸应用的信,没有生于确定的信。他们没有认真对待基督徒的信仰。他们必须从头开始,用正确的态度接受邀请。但他们的时间有可能会完全用尽。在他们为婚筵做好准备之前,或许就已经死去,或许基督就已经回来了。
基督对她们说:“我不认识你们。”原文里“认识”用的是希腊文的完成时。意思是说:“我从来不认识你们。”有许多人认为他们已经得救,而从不考虑他们的行为是否表明他们的信心的程度能够被神所接受。让我们不要太自以为是,而要主动地为将来的审判做准备。
| The kingdom is like ten virgins who went
And took their lamps to a wedding event Five were foolish and five were wise The wise took oil perhaps pint-size The foolish took none they didn't prepare For the groom took his time before he got there They all became drowsy and fell asleep. No sound was heard, no not a peep Till midnight did come and someone cried out. "Here's the bridegroom. You must come out!" The virgins woke up only to find The wise could see while the foolish were blind For they used up the oil they needed to see They had taken the journey much too carefree They asked the wise to give them some But the wise told them where they could buy some from But while they journeyed to buy the oil The groom arrived which wasted their toil For the wise went in and the door was shut closed The foolish could not enter as they had supposed They said, "Sir, Open the door for us too!" But he replied, "I don't know you." Therefore keep watch, let the Spirit empower. For you do not know the day or the hour. |