【诗85:8】我要听神耶和华所说的话，因为祂必应许将平安赐给祂的百姓，祂的圣民；他们却不可再转去妄行。【Psa85:8】I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.

《诗篇》85篇的背景是以色列人结束了巴比伦70年的流放、重新回到耶路撒冷之后（第1节明确提到“救回雅各被掳的人”）。归回之初，百姓原本以为会立刻迎来荣耀的复兴，The background of Psalm 85 is the return of the Israelites to Jerusalem after seventy years of exile in Babylon. This is made clear in verse 1, which speaks of God restoring the fortunes of Jacob. At the beginning of their return, the people expected immediate glory and restoration. 但现实却极其残酷——圣城荒凉、圣殿成了废墟、周围仇敌环伺、经济极度匮乏，还遭遇了严重的旱灾与庄稼歉收（这也正是旧约《哈该书》和《撒迦利亚书》所记载的时代背景）。面对现实，百姓的心灵再次陷入了低谷、怀疑和冷淡中。Yet the reality was severe: the holy city lay in ruins, the temple had become a heap of rubble, enemies surrounded them on every side, economic conditions were extremely poor, and they also suffered from drought and failed harvests. This was the very historical setting reflected also in the books of Haggai and Zechariah. Confronted with such reality, the people’s hearts again fell into discouragement, doubt, and spiritual coldness.

这明显是神故意放慢了恢复重建的步伐。因为神多次赐福以色列民，可是神的选民是何等容易失忆忘本——一旦财务、生意、经济好转，就立刻转去拜偶像、爱世界、照着自己的肉体妄行……我们岂不是一样？It is evident that the Lord Himself was slowing the process of restoration. For the Lord had repeatedly blessed Israel, yet His chosen people were so quick to forget Him. Whenever their finances, businesses, and economy improved, they would quickly turn to idols, love the world, and walk according to the desires of the flesh. Are we not the same?

在第8节，诗人立刻从祈求神改变环境，转向了安静：“我们不要在那里不停地祈求神改变环境，甚至像顽童般，心里烦躁、喋喋不休地缠住神、烦扰神，要这要那。为什么我们心里一点平安都没有？我们难道不应该安静下来，停下来，听听神怎么说吗？”In verse 8, the psalmist immediately turns from asking God to change the circumstances to a posture of stillness: we must not continually cry out for God to change our environment, nor behave like restless children, agitated in heart, endlessly clinging to God and demanding this and that. Why is there no peace within us? Should we not rather be still, stop, and listen to what God is saying? 神不是应许祂的百姓平安吗？神岂不是正借着“延迟回复”，在向我们说话吗——“我要看看你们的心是不是真正回归到我的面前，是否知道自己的罪是妄行？”神在看我们的心，是否知罪并真正悔改。Does not God promise peace to His people? Is He not, even through delays in His answers, speaking to us—searching our hearts to see whether we have truly returned to Him, and whether we understand the seriousness of our sin and waywardness? The Lord examines the heart, to see whether we repent sincerely and turn back to Him.

正如主耶和华以色列的圣者曾如此说：“你们得救在乎归回安息，你们得力在乎平静安稳。”你们竟自不肯。你们却说：“不然，我们要骑马奔走。”所以你们必然奔走。又说：“我们要骑飞快的牲口。”所以追赶你们的也必飞快。然而，耶和华必然等候，要施恩给你们；必然兴起，好怜悯你们。因为耶和华是公平的神，凡等候祂的都是有福的。（赛30:15-16,18）As the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” (Isaiah 30:15–16, 18)

主啊，我感谢祢！祢不是不复兴我们，不是不愿赐福我们，而是祢深知我们里面的罪性。我们一遇见赚钱的事情、得利的事情，就跑得飞快……却不肯安静下来，安静等候祢对我们说话。Lord, I thank You. You are not unwilling to revive us, nor unwilling to bless us. Rather, You know the sinfulness within us. When we see opportunities for gain and profit, we run quickly—but we are slow to be still before You and listen to Your voice. 每一天我们的灵魂如何能够得救？我们往往只看重快快做事情，快快重建家园、城市，让废墟恢复往日的喧嚷；祢却看重我们的灵魂是否得救，是否得着神所应许的真平安，并深深地记住罪的代价——“不可再转去妄行。”How then can our souls be saved each day? We often value action more than reflection, rushing to rebuild our lives, our cities, and restore what has been broken. Yet You are concerned with whether our souls are truly saved, whether we have received Your promised peace, and whether we remember the cost of sin and turn away from it: “Do not return again to folly.”

主啊，赦免我！我跟以色列民一样愚顽，不明白祢，不认识祢。受了灾、遇见不好的事情，首先不是来到祢面前安静，等候祢借着这个环境让我明白什么、祢的旨意是什么；而是一味地哭天抢地哀求祢，把这个不好的事情赶快帮我弄好。地震了，水灾了，撞车了……求的就是赶快让我的房子被重建，我的庄稼能有好收成，我的车保险全部支付报销，千万不要让我受亏损。Lord, forgive me. I am like Israel—foolish and slow of heart to understand You. When disaster comes, I do not first come before You in stillness to seek Your will or understand what You are teaching me through the situation. Instead, I cry out only for quick relief: earthquakes, floods, car accidents—my prayer is simply that my house be rebuilt quickly, my crops be restored, my insurance fully covers the loss, and that I suffer no damage. 所以我为什么属灵生命没有长进呢？因为我吃苦却不知为何受苦！吃苦不记苦，以至于好像畜类人一样，事情一过就转去妄行——坐下吃喝、起来玩耍。结果就像当年的以色列民一样倒毙旷野，灵魂不能得救，无法进入那真正的丰盛之地。Why then has my spiritual life not grown? Because I suffer but do not understand my suffering; I endure pain but do not learn from it. So I live like the animals—once the trial passes, I return to folly, to eating and drinking, to rising up to play. And like Israel of old, I risk perishing in the wilderness, failing to enter into true spiritual fullness.

主啊，求祢打破我的愚顽，让我今天在祢的延迟与环境的荒凉中，勒住不安静的老我，在祢面前彻底降服，安静倾听祢向我灵魂所说的赐平安的训诲，信祢要救我的灵魂，胜过世上的万物。我的心啊，当默默无声，单等候祢，因为我的救恩从祢而来。Lord, break my foolish heart. In the midst of Your delays and the wilderness around me today, restrain my restless self-will. Bring me into full surrender before You. Teach my soul to listen in stillness to Your peace-giving instruction. Let me trust that You are saving my soul more than anything in this world. My soul, be still and wait quietly for the Lord alone, for my salvation comes from Him.

（陈弟兄 Raymond Chan）