2016年1月29日
顧惜生物 Her Father's Zoo
读经: 列王紀上4章29-34節
Reading: 1 Kings 4:29-34
義人顧惜他牲畜的命；惡人的憐憫也是殘忍。-箴言12章10節
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.- Proverbs 12:10
全年读经: 出埃及記21-22章;馬太福音19章
Bible in a Year: Exodus 21–22; Matthew 19
當朱恩·威廉斯（June Williams）四歲的時候，她的父親就在英國購置七英畝的土地，打造一個沒有柵欄及籠子的動物園。她還記得在幼年時，她的父親總是發揮最大的創意，讓這些動物們在有限的活動範圍內，仍能享受到最大的自由。這便是如今頗富盛名的徹斯特動物園，是英國觀賞野生動物的旅遊勝地，占地廣達110英畝，是11,000隻動物的家園。這個動物園也反映出朱恩的父親十分重視動物的福利、自然教育，以及生態保育。
所羅門也同樣對大大小小的生物有濃厚的興趣。除了研究中東的野生動物之外，他也進口異國動物，如黑猩猩和猿猴 （列王紀上10章22節） 。根據聖經箴言的記載，那時所羅門不只是對自然知識感到好奇，特別是當他提到：「義人顧惜他牲畜的命；惡人的憐憫也是殘忍」（箴言12章10節） ，涵括了正確對待動物的方式與屬靈的含意，而這也恰恰反映出造物主的心意。
因著上帝賦予他的智慧，所羅門看見：我們與造物主之間的關係，不只會影響我們對人的態度，也會影響到我們對自然生態的愛惜和保護。
天父啊，當我們想到祢手設立
奇妙又多元的動物王國，請幫助我們不單是敬拜祢，
並且還能悉心照料祢託付給我們的一切。
天下萬有均屬乎上帝。
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June Williams was only 4 when her father bought 7 acres of land to build a zoo without bars or cages. Growing up she remembers how creative her father was in trying to help wild animals feel free in confinement. Today Chester Zoo is one of England's most popular wildlife attractions. Home to 11,000 animals on 110 acres of land, the zoo reflects her father's concern for animal welfare, education, and conservation.
Solomon had a similar interest in all creatures great and small. In addition to studying the wildlife of the Middle East, he imported exotic animals like apes and monkeys from far-off lands (1 Kings 10:22). But one of his proverbs shows us that Solomon's knowledge of nature went beyond intellectual curiosity. When he expressed the spiritual implications of how we treat our animals, he mirrored something of the heart of our Creator: "The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel" (Prov. 12:10).
The beauty of God's creation should inspire us to take better care of what He has entrusted to us.
With God-given wisdom, Solomon saw that our relationship to our Creator affects not only how we treat people but also how much thoughtful consideration we give to the creatures in our care.
Father in heaven, when we think about the wonder and diversity of Your animal kingdom, please help us not only to worship You, but to care for what You've entrusted to us.
God is the real Owner of all of us.