（民22）心愿与祝福 (Numbers 22) Heart’s Desires and Blessings
[ChatGPT was applied for English Translation. 中文在后面]
I saw someone on a Chinese website posting to ask for blessings because their parents were applying for a U.S. family visit visa. I found it very curious—if one’s own heart’s desire might not necessarily come true, does it become easier to realize just because others bless it? From a purely scientific perspective, this is hard to understand, because these heart’s desires are things the American visa officer cannot see, and even if they could see them, they might not approve them. Unless the one posting and the one giving the blessing both believe that there is a supernatural power who can see people’s desires and is willing to consider whether to fulfill them, otherwise, this makes no logical sense.
The Bible records a similar event. A Middle Eastern king of Moab, out of fear of the Israelites, invited a sorcerer to come and curse the Israelites, hoping this would help him defeat them. A curse is the opposite of a blessing, and this king probably also doubted whether his own heart’s desire would come true, which is why he asked someone else for help:
(Numbers 22:6)
“Now come, please, curse this people for me, because they are stronger than I; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
However, the Bible reveals that there is a Creator, who created and governs all things, and only His will can be fulfilled. Any human desire that goes against His will is useless. Even if the sorcerer had a “mouth of iron” whose words always came true, his ability and words were still under the complete control of the Creator. From later stories in the Bible, we can see that even though this sorcerer tried in every possible way to cooperate with the king in cursing Israel, the Creator warned the sorcerer through the angel’s sword and made him speak only what the Creator allowed him to speak. The Creator transformed all the curses the sorcerer intended in his heart into blessings, which came out of his mouth. And the blessings this “mouth of iron” spoke over Israel were certain to be fulfilled. From nearly being cursed by the “mouth of iron” to instead being blessed by it—this whole process happened in secret from the Israelites’ perspective. Without the revelation of Scripture, the Israelites would not have realized it at all.
Why did the Israelites enjoy such benefit, such divine protection? Because the ideal Israelite is the chosen one of the Creator, one who does the Creator’s will on earth. So it is very logical that the Creator would protect them. In the Israelites’ Chapters of the Fathers 2:4 is recorded a teaching of a rabbi:
“Make His will your will, so that He may make your will His will. Nullify your will before His will, so that He may nullify the will of others before your will.”
https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.2.4?lang=en
However, not all Israelites by blood are ideal Israelites. They too might go against the Creator’s will for the sake of their own desires. For example, Numbers 25:1–2 records:
“While Israel dwelt in Shittim, the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab. For these women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.”
These Israelites by blood followed their fleshly desires and violated the Creator’s commandment in the Ten Commandments not to worship false gods. Therefore, the Creator did not protect them but sent a plague upon them. Numbers 25:9 records:
“And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.”
On the other hand, those who are not Israelites by blood can still be people who do the Creator’s will on earth and thus be ideal Israelites. For example, among many nations there are Christians who learn from Christ Jesus to pray to the Creator:
“…Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”
Christ Jesus’ own actions also set an example for ideal Israelites. Though He had committed no sin, He went to the cross to suffer, to atone for the sins of all humanity. Before His suffering, He too hesitated, but Matthew 26:39 records His prayer to the Creator:
“And going a little farther, He fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
When the Lord’s will becomes one’s own will, then one’s own will shall be fulfilled. Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. His disciples spread the gospel of the kingdom throughout the world. What Jesus desired—the coming of the Lord’s kingdom—has begun to be fulfilled among all nations. He will return to reign together with His disciples in the kingdom of heaven on earth, including among many nations those who do the will of the Creator.
Therefore, the truly ideal Israelite is one who does the Creator’s will, who overcomes the old self and is reborn as a new person in Christ Jesus. Only such a person can receive blessing in eternity. The blessings people seek in this life—such as the visa to visit parents mentioned at the beginning of the article—these are all matters of this life. These desires and blessings only have eternal significance when they align with the Creator’s will—for example, fulfilling the commandment in the Ten Commandments to honor one’s parents. As 1 John 2:17 says:
“The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.”
（民22）心愿与祝福
我在中文网上看到有人因为父母赴美的探亲签证，而发帖子求祝福，觉得很好奇，如果自己的心愿不一定能实现，有别人祝福了，就容易实现吗？从纯科学的角度无法理解这件事，因为这些心愿，其实美方的签证官看不到，就算看到了也不一定批准。除非发帖子的人和祝福的人同时也相信，有一位能察看人的心愿，并且愿意考虑是否成就这些心愿的超自然力量，否则这是不合逻辑的。
圣经记载了一个类似的事情，一位中东的摩押国国王，因为害怕以色列人，就邀请一位巫师来咒诅以色列人，希望可以击败他们。咒诅是祝福的反义词，这位国王大概也是因为不确定自己的心愿是否能实现，所以才请别人帮忙：
（民数记22:6）“这 民 比 我 强 盛 ， 现 在 求 你 来 为 我 咒 诅 他 们 ， 或 者 我 能 得 胜 ， 攻 打 他 们 ， 赶 出 此 地 。 因 为 我 知 道 ， 你 为 谁 祝 福 ， 谁 就 得 福 。 你 咒 诅 谁 ， 谁 就 受 咒 诅 。”
然而圣经启示，有一位造物主，祂创造和掌管万有，只有祂的意愿才能实现，人的心愿中，凡是违背祂的旨意的，都没有用，即使这位巫师是说话算数的 “铁口”，他的能力和所说的话也在造物主的完全掌控之中。从圣经里后面的故事可以看到，虽然这位巫师也千方百计愿意配合国王咒诅以色列人，但造物主通过天使之剑警告这位巫师，让他只能说造物主让他说的话，造物主把这位巫师心里想说的咒诅，都转变成祝福冲口而作。而这“铁口”为以色列祝的福，以色列就一定能得到。从差点被“铁口”咒诅，到反而被“铁口”祝福，这整个过程，从以色列人的角度来看，都是在暗中发生的，若非圣经启示，以色利人都没有察觉。
以色列人有这么好处，让造物主这么护着他们？原来，理想的以色列人是造物主的选民，是在地上行造物主旨意的人。所以造物主护着他们，就很合逻辑。以色列人的《先祖章节》2:4记载一位拉比的教导：“将祂的意愿当作你的意愿去做，以便祂将你的意愿当作祂的意愿去做。取消你的意愿以服从祂的意愿，以便祂取消他人的意愿而成就你的意愿。” https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.2.4?lang=en
然而，血统上的以色列人并非都是理想的以色列人，他们也可能为了自己的意愿而违背造物主的意愿，比如民数记25:1-2记载，“以 色 列 人 住 在 什 亭 ， 百 姓 与 摩 押 女 子 行 起 淫 乱 。因 为 这 女 子 叫 百 姓 来 ， 一 同 给 她 们 的 神 献 祭 ， 百 姓 就 吃 她 们 的 祭 物 ， 跪 拜 她 们 的 神 。” 这些血统上的以色列人就因迁就自己肉体的情欲，而违背了造物主十诫中不拜假神的规定。 所以造物主也不袒护他们，给他们降下瘟疫，民数记25:9记载，“那 时 遭 瘟 疫 死 的 ， 有 二 万 四 千 人 。” 相反，不是血统上的以色利人也可以是在地上行造物主旨意的人，也可以是理想的以色列人，比如很多民族都有基督徒们从基督耶稣那里学习向造物主祷告：“…愿 祢 的 国 降 临 ， 愿 祢 的 旨 意 行 在 地 上 ， 如 同 行 在 天 上。…”
基督耶稣自己的行为，也为理想的以色列人作了榜样，他本来没犯罪，却要上十字架受难，为世上所有的罪人赎罪，他在赴难前也曾犹豫过，但马太福音26:39记载了他向造物主的祷告，“他 就 稍 往 前 走 ， 俯 伏 在 地 祷 告 说 ， 我 父 阿 ， 倘 若 可 行 ， 求 你 叫 这 杯 离 开 我 。 然 而 不 要 照 我 的 意 思 ， 只 要 照 你 的 意 思 。” 主的心意，成了自我的心意，那么自我的心意就会成就，耶稣从死里复活，升天，他的门徒将天国的道传向全球，耶稣所愿的主的国降临，他这个自我的心愿也开始在各民族实现，而且他将要再来，与他的门徒们一起在地上的天国掌权，其中有许多民族遵行造物主旨意的人。
所以，真正理想的以色列人，是遵行造物主旨意的人， 是克服旧我，在基督耶稣里重生的新人。只有这样的人，才是能在永恒中得到祝福的人。我们在文章开头提到世人所寻求的祝福，比如与父母的探亲签证有关的，这些都是今生的事情，这些心愿和祝福，只有与造物主的旨意符合，才有永恒的意义，比如说是为了遵行造物主十诫中的孝敬父母。因为约翰一书2:17说: “这 世 界 ， 和 其 上 的 情 欲 ， 都 要 过 去 。 惟 独 遵 行 神 旨 意 的 ， 是 永 远 常 存 。”