只是問一下 (13)：再一次，雅各怎能如此？

上一篇文章（〈只是問一下：雅各怎能如此？〉）談到創世記所記載的雅各故事。

這一篇我想提出另一個相關問題。

一向以來我都認為（甚至宣講），創世記第三十二章的故事旨在教訓人，上帝對於人懇求祂是會心軟的。這就是為何一個軟弱的雅各仍然能夠佔上風並索取到祝福。

現在我感到這種想法相當粗糙。
因此我想再問一次。

出錯的地方在於將故事的教訓局限於人性的層面，忽略了時間、空間、種族和背景。
這種觀點或許是一個好的講道要旨和值得欣賞的進路。
可是，它的粗糙卻取消了歷史的錯綜複雜，不管是從人本角度抑或從信仰角度所理解的歷史。

毫無疑問，創世記第三十二章記載，藉著那個與雅各摔跤的天使，耶和華最終答允了雅各的要求。
面對一個瘸了腿的雅各的要求，耶和華的軟心必輸無疑。

可是，創世記是一卷猶太經卷。
它寫作的首要對象是一群猶太讀者。
因此，對猶太人來說（或者稱呼他們為以色列人更好），創世記第三十二章的教訓必然是：耶和華必定垂聽以色列的禱告，正如祂屈服於軟弱的雅各！
創世記第三十二章彷彿保證，耶和華是以色列的上帝，祂必定應允以色列的禱告，賜福給他們。

這樣，如何能夠跳過歷史的鴻溝而推斷說，上帝對於軟弱的人對祂的懇求是會心軟的？
這是否過於說教，忽略了這章經文的地域因素？
畢竟，一張油畫的複印本所展示出來的，亦非油畫本身。

然而，也許我是在尋覓一道跨越鴻溝的橋樑，從而將雅各—以色列這群被揀選之民引申至教會—選民？
這樣，所有在基督裡的都可以安心期待，上帝對於自己那些受困苦的子民必定是心軟的。

我只是問一下。

Yair haklai: The angel blessing Jacob as the day breaketh [Exterior of the Duomo-Milan, 4 April 2015] (CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Just asking (13): How could Jacob again?

Jacob’s story in Genesis has been broached in “Just asking: How could Jacob?”

This is asking a follow up question.

I used to think, even preach, that the moral of the Gen 32 story is that God has a soft spot to pleading. That’s why a weakened Jacob could still prevail and exacted blessings.

Now I sense the coarseness of it.
And I want to ask again.

The fault lies in reducing the moral to the level of human nature, irrespective of time and space, equally ethnicity and background as well.
It may be a good preaching objective and admirable approach.
It’s coarseness, however, is it irons out history, secular as well as sacred.

No doubt Gen 32 records that Yahweh, through the angel who wrestled with Jacob, finally answered Jacob’s pleading.
Yahweh’s soft heart couldn’t stand a chance of a lame Jacob’s pleading.

But Genesis was written as Jewish Scripture.
Genesis was written firstly for a Jewish audience.
So for Jews, better call it Israelites, when reading Gen 32, inevitably will read the moral as this: Yahweh will listen to the prayers of Israel, just like He yielded to the weakened Jacob!
It is guaranteed, by Gen 32, that Yahweh is Israel’s God and will always answer Israel’s prayer with blessings.

So how is it possible to jump over the historical chasm and conclude that He always has a soft spot for pleas from weak humans?
Isn’t it too moralistic a reading of the Scripture, ignoring its topography?
After all a Xerox copy of an oil painting isn’t exactly showing the same thing.

But perhaps am I asking for a bridging step, which morphs Jacob-Israel the chosen people into the Church-Elect?
Then all those are in-Christ can safely expect God always has a soft spot for His own people in distress.

I’m just asking.