家裡無牛、躺平的信仰（箴14章）

家裏無牛、槽頭乾淨．土產加多、乃憑牛力。（箴 14：4）

箴言的這節經文，在表達要成就美事，都必定要有一定的付出。意思是「天下沒有白吃的午餐」。「槽頭乾淨」就是餵牛的飼料槽可以常常保持乾淨的方法，除了常常清理之外，就是乾脆「家裡無牛」不要有牛。但是問題來了，「土產加多」是豐收之意，是許多人的期望，但是這是要付出代價的，因為「土產加多、乃憑牛力」，因為「一分耕耘、一分收穫」啊！

「槽頭乾淨」的信仰，就是無所事事的信仰。這樣的信仰態度，就是不想在靈修上努力，不想在事奉上多付出，滿足於現狀。認為多一事，不如少一事。沒有牛（沒有該做的事），當然槽頭就乾淨（就沒有該付出的勞力），因為不用清理牛用餐完留下來的殘局。

令人想到以色列人在渡過約旦河的這件事上，有一群人選擇「不渡河」（參 民三十二章），那就是流便支派與迦得支派的婦女與孩子們、和他們的一切財產。「全家渡河」多累贅啊！當時他們或許會洋洋得意（聖經沒有說明，純屬猜測）：「都到迦南地門口了，有一定要全家都進去嗎？在這裡也不錯啊！為何要那麼辛苦完全照神的命令去行？信仰有需要這麼認真嗎？」

正如今天有些人會自認為信主、受洗進真耶穌教會，這樣就夠了。我甚至曾遇到有信徒「嘲笑」我說：「當平信徒就好了，有需要做聖工做到這麼累嗎？這麼愛出名嗎？不會低調嗎？」

「當平信徒就好了」會得救嗎？這是個嚴肅的問題。看主耶穌怎麼說的：

愛父母過於愛我的、不配作我的門徒、愛兒女過於愛我的、不配作我的門徒。不背着他的十字架跟從我的、也不配作我的門徒。（太 10：37-38）

在這裡，主耶穌明明白白地說明：躺平的信徒，不會得救，因為不配作祂的門徒。

事實上，當時那沒有過約旦河的家人，就沒有辦法一起經歷過約旦河時，漲過兩岸的河水退去，大家過河的震撼；也沒有經歷一起呼喊，那堅不可破的耶利哥城竟然不攻自破，轟然向城外傾倒，順利奪城；還有日月在天空停留一日之久，大家都知道這是耶和華真神為我們爭戰，但在約旦河東的婦女、孩子全然不知發生了什麼事？....等。

沒有一起過約旦河，是宗教教育上最糟糕的事。因為沒有身教，就沒有教育。

最後，在以色列國滅國之前，選擇在約旦河東的這些以色列人，因信仰已偏差，加上沒有約旦河的天然屏障，優先被擄。在一百多年後的以斯拉、尼希米時的歸回時期，這些優先被擄的人，因被擄的日子過久，早已被外邦同化，沒有歸回：

他們得罪了他們列祖的神、隨從那地之民的神行邪淫．這民就是神在他們面前所除滅的。故此、以色列的神激動亞述王普勒、和亞述王提革拉毗尼色的心、他們就把流便人、迦得人、瑪拿西半支派的人、擄到哈臘、哈博、哈拉與歌散河邊、直到今日還在那裏。（代下 5：25-26）

躺平，當然輕鬆，也不用處理因事奉時得失心所產生的憂愁，於是認為教會的軟弱與我何干？我好就好了，每天都很輕鬆。沒有牛、槽頭就乾淨。沒有事奉、沒有額外要處理的事，當然輕鬆。但是，就沒有收穫、沒有恩典，將來也可能因此不能進天國。

神的國，需要更多的人站出來。做神的工的人，才是神的民。做工的人多，我父就得榮耀。要知道「帝王榮耀在乎民多，君王衰敗在乎民少」。這次在新加坡直落古樓教會，代禱牆上面，赫然看見一張代禱的事項，就是為新加坡地區已多年沒人獻身當傳道的事禱告。想一想，那我們自己呢？

帝王榮耀在乎民多．君王衰敗在乎民少。（箴 14：28）

By Isaiah Kao

No Ox in the House: A “Lying-Flat” Faith (Proverbs 14)

“Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” (Proverbs 14:4, NASB 2020)

This proverb expresses that if one wants to accomplish something good, a certain amount of  cost must be paid. In other words, “there is no free lunch in the world.”

A “clean manger” is the feeding trough for the ox. One way to keep it clean is to clean it frequently; another way is simply to have "no ox at home". But here comes the problem. “Much revenue” means a rich harvest, which is what many people hope for. Yet this requires a price to be paid, because “much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” As the saying goes, “You reap what you sow.”

A “clean-manger faith” is a faith that does nothing. It is an attitude of faith that does not want to strive in spiritual cultivation or give more in service. It is satisfied with the present condition and thinks, “Less trouble is better.”

If there is no ox (no work that needs to be done), then of course the manger will be clean (no labor needs to be spent), because there is no need to deal with the mess left after the ox has eaten.

This reminds us of the event when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. There was a group of people who chose "not to cross the river" (see Numbers 32). These were the women and children of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, together with all their possessions.

Crossing the river with the whole family would have been troublesome. Perhaps they even felt satisfied with themselves (the Bible does not say this; it is only speculation):

“We have already arrived at the entrance of the land of Canaan. Is it really necessary for the whole family to enter? It is not bad to stay here. Why should we work so hard to follow God’s command completely? Does faith really need to be taken so seriously?”

Similarly today, some people think that believing in the Lord and being baptized into the True Jesus Church is already enough. I have even met church menber who mocked me and said:

“It is enough to be an ordinary member. Is there really a need to work so hard in holy work? Do you want to be famous? Why not keep a low profile?”

Will someone be saved by “just being an ordinary member ”? This is a serious question. Let us see what the Lord Jesus said:

“The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37–38, NASB 2020)

Here the Lord Jesus made it very clear: a “lying-flat menber” will not be saved, because such a person is not worthy to be His disciple.

In fact, those family members who did not cross the Jordan could not experience the powerful event when the overflowing waters of the Jordan receded and everyone crossed the river.They also did not experience shouting together as the seemingly impregnable city of Jericho collapsed outward without an attack.

Nor did they witness the sun and the moon standing still in the sky for nearly a whole day, when everyone clearly knew that the LORD God was fighting for them. The women and children who stayed east of the Jordan knew nothing of these things.

Not crossing the Jordan together was the worst situation for religious education. Without living example, there is no true teaching.

Finally, before the fall of the kingdom of Israel, these Israelites who had chosen to live east of the Jordan were the first to be taken captive. Their faith had already departed, and without the natural barrier of the Jordan River, they were easily conquered.

More than a hundred years later, during the return in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, these people did not return. Because their captivity had been so long, they had already been assimilated by the Gentiles.

“They were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away into exile: the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.” (1 Chronicles 5:25–26, NASB 2020)

To lie flat is certainly relaxing. One does not need to deal with the sorrow that comes from gains and losses in service. Thus some people think: “What does the weakness of the church have to do with me? As long as I am fine, everything is fine. Life is easy every day.”

If there is no ox, then the manger will be clean. If there is no service, there will be no extra matters to handle, and life will naturally be easier.

But then there will be no harvest and no grace, and in the future one may even fail to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of God needs more people to stand up. Those who do God’s work are truly God’s people. When there are more workers, my Father will be glorified. Remember: “In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,

But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.” During a recent visit to the Telok Kurau Church in Singapore, I saw on the prayer wall a prayer request asking for prayer because no one in the Singapore region had offered themselves to become a preacher for many years.

Thinking about this, what about us ourselves?

“In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,

But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.” (Proverbs 14:28, NASB 2020)